How to Send WhatsApp Reminders for Your Webinar (From Your Own Number)

To send WhatsApp reminders for a webinar, connect your phone number in Bumbi's Settings, switch on Collect WhatsApp number on the registration form, and turn on the suggested reminder messages. Every registrant then gets a WhatsApp message before the webinar from your own number, with no API account, no template approval and no spreadsheet.

If you have searched this before, you probably found guides that chain a form tool, an automation tool and a business messaging API together. That works if you enjoy plumbing. This guide is for someone who wants reminders going out tonight.

Why send webinar reminders on WhatsApp at all?

Email reminders still matter, and you should keep them (how to set up your webinar reminder emails). But in a lot of the world, from Lagos to Nairobi to São Paulo to Mumbai, people live in WhatsApp. An email reminder sits unopened in a promotions tab. A WhatsApp message saying "Your class starts in an hour, here is your link" gets read in minutes.

The effect is simple: more of the people who registered actually turn up, and the people who turn up are the ones who buy.

What do I need?

• A Bumbi webinar, published or in draft. If you have not built one yet, start with the registration page (how to customize your registration page).
• A phone with WhatsApp on the number you want to send from. A WhatsApp Business number works, and so does an ordinary one.
• Two minutes with that phone in your hand.

How do I connect my WhatsApp number to Bumbi?

1. In the dashboard open Settings, then the WhatsApp tab.
2. Click Connect WhatsApp. A QR code appears.
3. On your phone open WhatsApp, then Linked devices, then Link a device, and scan the code.
4. Wait for the status to say Connected.

Messages now go out from your own number, so registrants see your name and photo and can reply like a normal chat. Bumbi paces the sending and protects the number; the release note Never let a lead go cold explains that protection in plain words.

How do I collect WhatsApp numbers at registration?

Open your webinar, then the Funnel tab. Switch on Collect WhatsApp number and click Save. The registration form now shows a phone field with a country code and a consent line saying the person will get WhatsApp updates about this webinar. Nobody gets a message without ticking that box.

Numbers land in Contacts with a WhatsApp column, so you can see who gave one and who did not.

How do I turn on the reminder messages?

1. In the webinar, open Reminders, then the WhatsApp tab.
2. Click Start with suggested messages. Bumbi adds a ready set: a confirmation when they register, a reminder the day before, a reminder an hour before, and a message when the webinar starts with the join link.
3. Open any message from its menu to change the words. Keep them short, and use the first name variable so each one reads like a personal note.
4. Switch the messages on.

That is it. New registrants get the messages at the right times for their own session. If people registered before you set this up, use Add people already registered so they are included too.

What should the messages say?

Plain and specific beats clever. Here is an example set for a class called "Start Selling Skincare Online":

• On registration: "Hi Amaka, you are in for Start Selling Skincare Online on Saturday at 7pm. I will send your link here before we start."
• Day before: "Tomorrow at 7pm. Bring the price list of your current products, we will work on it live."
• One hour before: "We start at 7pm. Charge your phone and find a quiet spot. Link comes at 7."
• At start: "We are live. Join here: {link}. See you inside."

Each message gives one reason to show up, not a paragraph.

Can I follow up after the webinar on WhatsApp too?

Yes. The same tab includes follow-up messages after the session: a replay message for people who missed it, and an offer message a day later with your product link. Turn on Stop after they buy so a registrant who already purchased does not get the offer again. How to follow up after a webinar covers what to say in those messages.

Does this work for automated webinars?

Yes, and that is where it really shines. An automated webinar runs sessions every day, or just in time when someone registers. Reminders are timed from each registrant's own session, so the "one hour before" message is right for everyone, whatever time zone they are in. See live vs automated webinars if you are still deciding which to run.

What are the limits and rules?

• Only people who gave their number and ticked consent receive messages.
• A registrant who replies STOP is never messaged again by your workspace.
• Messages go out at a steady pace rather than all at once, which keeps your number healthy.
• Your plan includes a WhatsApp allowance, and the Settings page shows what you have used.

Want more of your registrants in the room? Create your free Bumbi account, connect your number, and switch on the suggested messages.