Launch a Ganesh Chaturthi WhatsApp broadcast and boost pharmacy sales instantly

Below is a step‑by‑step walkthrough of creating a Ganesh Chaturthi WhatsApp broadcast inside Ferbz. The example uses a fictitious pharmacy, Harborview Pharmacy, located in Portsmouth, and shows realistic numbers for a typical independent business.

1. Prepare the patient list

1. From the left‑hand navigation, click Patients.
2. Use the filter bar to select patients who have purchased chronic‑care medicines in the last 90 days. Set the filter:
   • Last Sale Date → “within last 90 days”
   • Product Category → “Diabetes, Hypertension, Thyroid”
3. The list now shows 1,274 patients.
4. Click Export CSV to download the list for backup (optional).
5. Click Select All and then Add to Broadcast List. Ferbz creates a temporary broadcast group called Ganesh Chaturthi 2026.

2. Draft the WhatsApp message

1. Navigate to Broadcasts from the main menu.

2. Click Create New Broadcast.

3. In the Message Builder, choose Template → Create from Scratch.

4. Enter a friendly, culturally appropriate greeting:

   🙏 नमस्ते {{patient.first_name}}!  
   Happy Ganesh Chaturthi from all of us at Harborview Pharmacy.  
   To celebrate, enjoy a 10% discount on all chronic‑care medicines (Metformin, Amlodipine, Atorvastatin, insulin) when you present this WhatsApp message before 30 Sept.  
   Click the link for your personalised receipt and to book a free blood‑pressure check: {{receipt_link}}  
   Stay healthy and blessed! 🌺
   

   The placeholders {{patient.first_name}} and {{receipt_link}} are automatically filled from each patient’s profile and the most recent sale receipt.

5. Use the Formatting toolbar to add emojis, bold text, and line breaks – all supported by the WhatsApp Business API.

6. Click Save Template. Ferbz stores the template for future broadcasts.

3. Set the broadcast schedule

1. In the broadcast creation screen, under Schedule, select Send Now or Future Date/Time. For Ganesh Chaturthi, schedule the send for 10 Sept 2026, 09:00 BST to reach patients early in the day.
2. Review the Credit Cost preview: Ferbz shows “≈ 1.28 credits per patient (sent + delivery + read)”. For 1,274 patients, the estimated total is ≈ 1,630 credits.

4. Review and launch

1. Click Review Recipients – the screen lists the 1,274 patients, their mobile numbers, and a quick status column (All numbers validated).
2. Click Confirm & Send. Ferbz pushes the message through the official WhatsApp Business API.

5. Monitor delivery on the Reminders board

1. Switch to the Reminders board (even though this is a broadcast, Ferbz logs each send as a reminder entry for consistency).
2. The board shows three columns: Scheduled, Sent, Failed.
3. As messages are dispatched, the status moves to Sent; a green check appears next to each patient when WhatsApp confirms delivery.
4. If any number is invalid, the entry moves to Failed with an error code. You can re‑import corrected numbers from the Patients tab and re‑run the broadcast for those few patients.

6. Analyse results in Reports

1. After the campaign, go to Reports → Messaging Effectiveness.

2. Set the date range to 10 Sept 2026 – 30 Sept 2026.

3. The report shows:

   • Messages Sent: 1,274
   • Delivered: 1,259 (98.8 %)
   • Read: 1,142 (89.6 %)
   • Clicks on receipt link: 312 (24.5 %)
   • Redeemed discount (sales linked to receipt link): £2,845.70

4. Export the report as CSV for accounting or share it with staff via the Share button.

7. Follow‑up automation (optional)

If you want to automatically remind the 312 patients who clicked the link but have not yet visited, you can create an Automation journey:

• Trigger: Days Since receipt link click = 3
• Action: WhatsApp message – “We noticed you haven’t used your Ganesh Chaturthi discount yet. Need help with your prescription?”

This step is not required for the broadcast itself, but it shows how the broadcast can feed into Ferbz’s Automation module for a seamless, multi‑touch experience.

Time saved – Before Ferbz, Harborview Pharmacy’s owner, Sarah, spent an average of 2 hours each week manually dialing patients to remind them of seasonal promotions. With the broadcast, the entire process from list selection to send took 12 minutes. That is a saving of ≈ 110 minutes per month.

Revenue recovered – In the month before the Ganesh Chaturthi broadcast, chronic‑care sales averaged £7,842. After the campaign, the same period saw an uplift of £2,846, a 36.3 % increase directly linked to the discount code generated by the broadcast link. The credit cost of the broadcast was ≈ £162 (based on Ferbz’s credit‑to‑GBP conversion), giving a return on credit spend of 1,650 %.

Stock optimisation – The pharmacy typically carried 150 units of Metformin that expired each quarter. By prompting patients to refill early, the broadcast moved 42 units of Metformin into sales before expiry, reducing waste by ≈ 28 % for that SKU.

Fewer manual errors – Manual phone‑calls often resulted in missed numbers or wrong discount codes. Ferbz’s automated placeholder insertion ({{patient.first_name}}, {{receipt_link}}) ensured every message was personalised and included a correct, unique receipt link, eliminating the need for staff to copy‑paste codes.

Compliance and traceability – All messages are sent via the official WhatsApp Business API, satisfying data‑protection standards and providing a clear audit trail in the Reminders board and Reports. This is far safer than using personal WhatsApp numbers or QR‑code workarounds.

Overall, the broadcast converts a cultural celebration into a measurable sales event, while freeing staff to focus on patient care rather than repetitive marketing tasks.

Ready to turn Ganesh Chaturthi into a measurable sales boost for your pharmacy? Sign up for a free trial, top up your credit wallet, and launch your first WhatsApp broadcast in minutes. Visit the dashboard at https://dashboard.ferbz.com/ and explore the Broadcasts module, or email our support team at support@ferbz.com for a personalised walkthrough. With Ferbz you’ll have the tools to automate reminders, run seasonal campaigns, and keep your shelves stocked with the medicines your patients need.