WhatsApp drip campaign for Indian buyers: 4 follow up sequences that feel human

Rohit sells handwoven cotton bedsheets from a small unit outside Jaipur. This is an example, but you have met him.

A buyer from Pune asks on WhatsApp if the indigo double sheet comes in king size. Rohit is on the dyeing floor. He replies two hours later: yes, ₹2,450, here is the link. The buyer sends a thumbs up. Then nothing.

That evening Rohit's cousin, who "handles marketing", adds the buyer to a sequence. Day 1: "Dear Customer, don't miss our FESTIVE SALE." Day 2: "Hurry! Limited stock!" Day 3: "Last chance!!"

The buyer blocks the number on day 3.

The buyer was not a lost cause. She had asked about a king size sheet, which means she has a king size bed and a reason to buy. She needed one more useful message from a person. She got three posters.

A WhatsApp drip campaign works in India when it reads like one person following up, not a blast. Use four short sequences: a quiet new lead, an unpaid payment link, after delivery and old cold leads. Each one stops the moment the buyer replies.

Key takeaways

• A follow up sequence is three or four messages, spaced out, each with one reason to exist. Not a daily poster.
• WhatsApp's own policy lets you reply freely for 24 hours after the buyer's last message. After that you need an approved template, and you need their opt in.
• Every message names a person, refers to what the buyer asked and asks for one small thing.
• Stop on any reply. A reply means the sequence ends and a conversation starts.
• Hand the chat to a person when the buyer asks something new, sounds upset or mentions a date.

What is a WhatsApp drip campaign, in plain words?

It is a set of messages that go out on a timer after something happens. Someone enquires and goes quiet. Someone opens a payment link and does not pay. A parcel is delivered.

The timer is the easy part. The hard part is what the messages say, and when the sequence stops. Most guides on this topic show you how to switch the timer on and never give you the full text of a single message. So below you get the text. Every message, every day.

Two rules before you write anything

Rule 1: the 24 hour window. WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy says you can reply to a buyer without a template inside a 24 hour customer service window. That window opens, and resets, every time the buyer sends you a message. Outside it, you can send approved Message Templates.

So messages inside 24 hours of the buyer's last message can be normal, personal text. Anything later has to be an approved template, so write those templates now, before you need them.

Rule 2: opt in. The same policy says you can message people who gave you their number and agreed to hear from you. A buyer who messaged you about a product has started a chat. That is not the same as agreeing to get your sale posters for a year. When you send a template later, it should still be about what they asked for.

We wrote more on the window in our guide to the WhatsApp and Messenger 24 hour rule.

What makes a follow up feel human?

The follow ups that get replies share five habits.

1. A name at the bottom. "Rohit, Jaipur Looms" gets read. "Team Jaipur Looms" gets skimmed. "Dear Customer" gets deleted.
2. Their words, not yours. "The king size indigo sheet you asked about" proves you remember. "Our products" proves nothing.
3. One reason per message. A fact they did not know, a question that helps them decide, a real deadline. If you cannot name the reason, do not send it.
4. One small ask. Reply YES. Send your pincode. Pick 4 PM or 7 PM. Not "let us know your thoughts".
5. A clear end. The last message says it is the last message. People respect that, and some reply because of it.

What kills a sequence: "just following up", "hope you are doing well", capital letters, three exclamation marks, and fake urgency. India's dark pattern guidelines list false urgency as a dark pattern. A fake "2 left" counter is not clever. It is a risk.

Sequence 1: the new lead who went quiet

Use this when someone asked a question, you answered, and they stopped replying. It is the most common one.

Message 1, about 3 hours after your answer (inside the window)

Hi [Name], one thing I forgot to mention about the [product]: [one useful fact, for example "the king size fits mattresses up to 6.5 feet, so it will tuck in properly"]. If you want, I can keep one aside for you till tomorrow evening. Rohit, Jaipur Looms

Message 2, about 20 hours after their last message (still inside the window)

Hi [Name], quick question so I don't send you the wrong thing. Is this for your own room or a gift? If it is a gift, I can pack it with a handwritten card at no extra cost.

Message 3, day 3 (template)

Hi [Name], you asked about our [product] on [day]. It is still in stock in [size]. Reply YES and I will send the link again, or reply STOP and I won't message about it.

Message 4, day 7 (template), then stop

Hi [Name], this is my last message about the [product]. If the timing was not right, no problem at all. If you ever need it, just reply here. Rohit

For coaches, swap the product for the program, and swap the gift question for a fit question: "Is this for you, or are you asking for your team?"

Sequence 2: the payment link that was not paid

Use this when the buyer said "send the link" and the money did not come. Usually something small got in the way: a UPI failure, a parent's approval, a second look at the price.

Message 1, 30 to 45 minutes after the link

Hi [Name], did the link open fine? If UPI gave trouble, I can send a QR code, or you can pick COD at checkout. Either is fine.

Message 2, about 20 hours after their last message

Hi [Name], I have kept your [size or slot] on hold till 9 PM tonight. After that I will release it for others. If you want to talk about the price or pay in two parts, just tell me.

Offer part payments when you really allow them. For coaching programs, our guide on EMI and part payments has the exact wording.

Message 3, day 3 (template), then stop

Hi [Name], your [product or program] is still available. Reply YES and I will send a fresh link. If you changed your mind, that is completely fine.

The payment link follow up guide goes deeper on the reasons people do not pay. And if your problem starts earlier, with buyers who never get a proper answer, read where WhatsApp leads die after Hi.

Sequence 3: after the parcel is delivered

Most Indian brands skip this one. The buyer already trusts you. You are not selling, you are checking on them.

Message 1, on the day of delivery (shipping and delivery updates are usually utility templates)

Hi [Name], your [product] shows as delivered. Did it reach in good condition? If anything is off, reply here and I will sort it myself. Rohit

Message 2, 3 to 4 days later

Hi [Name], a small tip for the [product]: [care or use tip, for example "wash it cold for the opening two washes so the indigo settles"]. If you like it, a photo would make my week. You can reply with one here.

Message 3, near the reorder moment (template)

Time this to the product. A 30 day supplement gets this around day 25. A bedsheet does not get a reorder message, it gets a "would you like the matching pillow covers" message once.

Hi [Name], your [product] should be running low around now. Want me to send the same one again? Reply YES and I will share the link with your saved address.

If the buyer replies with a complaint at any point, stop the sequence and fix it. A complaint you sort out well often turns into your most loyal buyer.

Sequence 4: winning back cold leads

People who enquired 30 to 90 days ago and never bought. Pick a real moment, send one message, one follow up, then let go.

Good moments in India: the Monday after Diwali, the 1st of a new month, the start of wedding season for gifting categories, or a genuine new launch. Our post on fresh start dates lists the November dates.

Message 1 (template)

Hi [Name], you asked us about [product] back in [month]. We have just [real news: restocked it in king size / launched it in two new colours]. Thought you would want to know. Reply YES for a photo.

Message 2, 4 days later (template), then remove them from the list

Hi [Name], last one from me on this. If you want the [product] later, just reply here any time. Take care.

When does the sequence stop?

Write these rules down and make sure your tool follows them.

• Any reply stops it. Even "ok". A person now answers.
• STOP, "no", "not interested", or a block request removes them for good. The WhatsApp policy says you must respect every request to opt out.
• A purchase stops sequences 1, 2 and 4 and starts sequence 3.
• A complaint stops everything until a person has fixed it.
• No more than four messages in any one sequence.

When should a person take over?

WhatsApp's policy allows automation inside the window, and it also asks for a clear way to reach a human. That is good business anyway.

Hand the chat to a named person when the buyer:

• asks something your messages do not answer (a custom size, a bulk order, a medical question),
• repeats a question,
• mentions a date ("I need it before my sister's wedding on the 20th"),
• sounds annoyed or confused.

The handoff line: "Let me get Priya, she handles custom sizes. She will message you here in 15 minutes." Then make sure Priya does.

Set this up this week

1. Write the four sequences in a Google Doc using the messages above. Change every [bracket].
2. Submit the day 3 and day 7 messages as templates now, so they are approved before you need them.
3. Decide who answers replies, by name, and their hours.
4. Add the stop rules to your tool. Test them with your own number.
5. After two weeks, rewrite the message that got the fewest replies.

Want a second pair of eyes on your follow ups?

The free Leak Check takes 2 minutes and shows where your funnel loses buyers between the ad, the reply and the follow up. If you want, paste one of your current follow up messages into the free Reply Score and get a better version back. Or message me on WhatsApp and I will look at your sequence myself.

Sources

• WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy (read 31 October 2026): replies without a Message Template are allowed inside the 24 hour customer service window, which opens and resets with each user message. Outside it, approved Message Templates. Opt in is required, every opt out request must be respected, and automation inside the window needs a clear path to a human.
• Trilegal, note on the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023 (December 2023, read 31 October 2026): false urgency is listed as a dark pattern.
• Rohit, the buyer from Pune and all prices in the example messages are made up to show the method.