One of the reasons we love apps like WhatsApp (and other chat apps like Telegram, Line, KaokaoTalk, Messenger, Slack, Teams, Signal, Discord, Vine and Viber) here at Candid is because of the asynchronous advantage.
Asynchronous means something is not simultaneous or concurrent in time.
WhatsApp lets you type a text message, or record an audio or video message and send it to someone else or a group.
Those people can then open the message, and if they choose, reply any time using any of the message types (text, audio, video).
It’s a very direct and personal method of communicating, yet you don’t have to appear live like during an online meeting or phone call. You reply when you want to. A minute later, an hour, a day – it’s up to you!
With async, there’s no scheduling times to talk or having your attention trapped in a live conversation.
Of course talking live has advantages too. There’s nothing more personal than a direct conversation.
WhatsApp can do live calls as well, so you have all the options available.
You’re In Charge Of Your Time
By charging money for access to you via WhatsApp, you can communicate on your terms.
If you want to batch process replies once a day or once every two days, you can.
If you want to send audio replies whenever you have a spare minute, you can.
If you only want to use text chat (no audio, video or live calls), you can. Just set that rule when you create your Candid product and onboard new customers.
If you like dropping back and forth audio recordings in short bursts, you can. If you need to not be available for a few days, that’s fine too.
You can set one day a week as your day to interact with your customers, or block off certain hours as your time for chatting with your customers.
You determine what works for you and what your customers are happy to pay for.
Asynchronous Groups, Communities & Social Messaging
Most people are already comfortable with async communication in online groups and social media messaging.
Whether it’s a Facebook group, an Instagram or Twitter direct message, posting replies to a thread in Reddit, or the day-to-day Slack messaging at work – it’s all async.
With WhatsApp groups, you can bring together your most dedicated fans, followers or clients and let them interact directly. You lead the group, but you don’t have to be part of every conversation.
Best of all, with an asynchronous group on WhatsApp, you can show up and reply when you want using whatever formats you prefer.
Your customers may end up interacting throughout the day without you. They get value from the connections and conversations in the group. Your job is to bring together the community, and support its growth.
It certainly helps that you earn a recurring income from every customer in the group.
For some creators, building a paying community that lives on WhatsApp using Candid is the path to earn a reliable full time income.
What If You Don’t Want People To Message You 24/7?
One of the most common hesitations we hear from people before they start using Candid is the fear of being ‘too available’ to people.
The possibility that a person can contact you anytime once you connect on WhatsApp sounds frankly horrible to some people.
It’s important to remember that you can ban and block anyone on WhatsApp. You don’t have to communicate with someone just because they purchased from you.
You should set clear expectations in a welcome message you send to all new customers. Tell them what conversations are acceptable and not acceptable, what formats you allow (text, audio, video, live calls), when to expect replies from you, and what happens if they break your rules.
You’re the boss. You can and should choose only to communicate with customers who you like communicating with.
Typing On The Toilet (And Other ‘In Between’ Moments)
We’ve all done it before. Sitting on the toilet with our phone, typing out text replies to friends, family or work colleagues.
We do it on the bus, train, or in an Uber, while waiting in line, walking home, and while watching Netflix. It’s natural to use these ‘in between moments’ to quickly respond to messages.
Candid helps you turn these moments into an income stream.
You can maintain many async conversations using just short moments in your life. You probably already do.
With Candid, you can support your clients or interact with your fans and followers, earning a significant income, all within these in between moments of your life.
Or of course, you can structure how you communicate. If you prefer set times or batch processing, that works too.
This is the beauty of async conversations. They can be organic, flowing throughout a day, a few minutes here or there. Or you can reply to all ongoing conversations in a one hour block of time, keeping to a schedule that suits your life and your rhythms.
Candid opens up the potential for you to earn an income from any type of asynchronous conversation.
To get started, signup for Candid, then create your first product and share it with your audience.