
In the fast-paced world of messaging, WhatsApp has emerged as a powerhouse for marketing with over 2 billion users worldwide. WhatsApp messages boast astonishing engagement, with roughly 80% read within 5 minutes, and open rates averaging around 98%, significantly outperforming email metrics. But with great reach comes great competition for attention. People's attention spans on chat are fleeting, and long, unformatted messages often go ignored. To captivate customers, savvy marketers are turning to WhatsApp's text formatting features to make their messages pop. Well-structured, visually distinctive texts are not only easier to read but can improve message recall by up to 30%.
In this guide, we’ll explore 10 powerful WhatsApp text formatting tricks that marketers can use to highlight key points, convey offers with clarity, and boost engagement. From bolding urgent announcements to using bullet points for clarity, these tips will help your messages stand out in a crowded chat inbox and drive action.
Are you ready to elevate your WhatsApp marketing game? Let’s dive in!
WhatsApp offers simple text formatting options – like bold, italic, strikethrough, and monospace – to help emphasize and organize your messages. In the above image, you can see how adding special characters (such as * for bold, _ for italic, ~ for strikethrough, and triple backticks for monospace) changes the appearance of text. Marketers can harness these styling tricks to ensure important details stand out, making messages more visually engaging and easier to digest.
When it comes to grabbing attention, bold text is your best friend. Bolding a word or line instantly draws the eye and signals “this is important”. In fact, studies show bold text is noticed more quickly than italics for highlighting information. Marketers can use this to their advantage by bolding critical details like offers, discounts, or deadlines. For example, instead of a plain announcement, you might write: “Get ready for our BIG 50% OFF SALE tomorrow!” – the bold phrase ensures the offer isn’t missed.
Bold formatting is perfect for emphasizing value propositions and CTAs in your WhatsApp marketing messages. Think product names, sale percentages, or calls-to-action (e.g., “Buy Now”). By highlighting a few critical words in bold, you make your message hard to ignore. As one WhatsApp marketing guide notes, when you highlight important words in bold, the message is less likely to be ignored – just be cautious not to bold everything, or it loses effect. In short, bold text is a simple trick that can instantly direct your customer’s focus to what you want them to see first.
While bold shouts, italics whispers – offering a softer emphasis for secondary details. Italic text is great for highlighting names, subtle remarks, or conversational tone elements without stealing the spotlight from the main message. Marketers can use italics to add a personal, human feel to messages, almost like adding a gentle aside or friendly note that complements the main text. For example: “Hi Jane, we have an exclusive offer just for you today.” Here, italicizing "exclusive offer" adds a subtle emphasis that feels personal and friendly.
Italics provide gentle emphasis – they’re noticeable but not as in-your-face as bold. This makes them perfect for highlighting secondary information: perhaps the name of the customer (personalization), a coupon code, or a short tagline. According to WhatsApp formatting tips, italics lend a creative, relaxed feel to your message, helping it feel fun and personal. Keep in mind that italics are more subtle – ideal for when you want to stress a point without dominating the message. In combination with bold (for the main point) and italics (for the supporting point), your messages will convey a clear hierarchy of information that resonates with readers.
Strikethrough text is a handy formatting trick that draws attention by crossing out text. It might seem counterintuitive – why cross out your own words? But for marketers, strikethroughs are gold when you want to show a change or a “before-and-after”. A classic example is indicating a price drop: $99 $79. By striking through the original price and placing the new price next to it, you visually highlight the discount – the contrast practically screams “sale!” to the reader. This technique immediately lets customers see what deal they’re getting.
According to marketing experts, the strikethrough effect is underutilized and often surprises readers, which can work in your favor. It’s perfect for highlighting what’s been “removed” or changed in an offer. Customers see the comparison instantly. For example: “Your reward: ₹500 ₹1000 cashback!” shows an increased reward, doubling the impact. Or “Buy 1 Get 1 50% 100% FREE”, showing an offer improvement. Strikethroughs add a sense of urgency and correction, implying that things have changed (often for the better deal). Just be sure the context is clear – you don’t want to confuse users. When used wisely, strikethrough formatting can make your discounts and updates unmissable.
Monospace is a special font style where every character occupies the same width (like old typewriters or code editors). WhatsApp’s monospace text option is fantastic for making certain text segments stand out in a blocky, technical-looking font. Why would marketers care about a “code” font? Because it’s perfect for things like coupon codes, order numbers, or any text you want to separate from normal conversational text. For example: “Use code SAVE50 at checkout.” The code inside triple backticks will appear in a monospace block, immediately drawing attention to it as a unique element.
Monospace text immediately gives a techie, clipboard-friendly look. Users perceive monospace text as something to copy exactly (useful for codes or commands) or something that carries technical authority. As one guide notes, this formatting keeps text neat and easy to read, preventing any alignment issues. Marketers can leverage this by using monospace for parts of the message that should stand apart. For example, including Order ID: ```AB12345XYZ``` in a support or confirmation message ensures the customer easily identifies their order number. It’s all about creating contrast. In a sea of regular WhatsApp font, a monospace snippet looks different enough to catch the eye and convey importance. Just remember, monospace will not combine with other formatting (you can’t bold or italicize inside monospace – it will literally show the symbols), so use it solely for the specific text you want isolated. Done right, this trick adds a layer of professionalism and clarity to your WhatsApp communications.
Ever receive a WhatsApp message that was a giant block of text listing multiple points, and you just skimmed it or gave up? For marketers, clarity is king. Thankfully, in early 2024, WhatsApp introduced bulleted lists as a formatting feature. This is a game-changer for making messages with multiple points much more readable. Instead of writing a long sentence with commas or line breaks, you can now send a neat bulleted list right within a single message.
How to do it: Creating a bulleted list in WhatsApp is simple: start each new line with a hyphen (-) or an asterisk (*) followed by a space. For example, typing:
- Point One
- Point Two
- Point Three
Using bulleted lists improves readability dramatically. Research shows that lists break info into clear, bite-sized chunks, helping readers focus on each idea. Instead of sending a chunky paragraph of features or instructions, bullet points let your customers quickly absorb each benefit or step. This formatting trick also conveys a sense of professionalism and organization, which can boost your brand’s impression. As a pro tip, keep each bullet point brief (one or two lines). That way, your WhatsApp message looks clean and is easy to scroll, increasing the likelihood that the customer will read all your points. In a nutshell, when you have multiple points to make, use bullets – your audience will thank you for the clarity.
Similar to bulleted lists, numbered lists let you organize information sequentially. They are perfect for situations where order matters – think step-by-step instructions, countdowns, or ranked lists. For marketers, this is incredibly useful when you want to guide a customer through a process (like redeeming an offer or setting something up) or when presenting a list of reasons/features in order of importance. Numbered lists ensure the reader follows the intended sequence.
How to do it: To create a numbered list in WhatsApp, start a line with the number and a period (e.g., 1.) followed by a space. For example:
1. Step One
2. Step Two
3. Step Three
Numbered lists in WhatsApp are excellent for clarity and guidance. They add a sense of order and can make your message feel like a helpful checklist or set of instructions. This is great in marketing messages where you may be instructing the user, e.g., how to apply a discount or the steps to sign up for an event. Users are more likely to follow through when instructions are clear and broken down. In fact, using numbered steps can improve comprehension because it sets expectations on the length of the process and groups the actions logically. From a strategic standpoint, numbered lists also imply a logical rationale (for example, "5 Reasons to Try Our Product" suggests there’s a thoughtful order, perhaps from most to least important reason). So whenever your WhatsApp communication needs a sequence or a hierarchy, remember you can now use numbered formatting to present it cleanly.
Sometimes you want a line of text to stand apart as a quote or a highlighted note. Block quotes in WhatsApp let you indent a paragraph with a vertical line, indicating it's a quoted text or special highlight. For marketers, this is a brilliant way to showcase a customer testimonial, a review snippet, or even a slogan/tagline you want to emphasize. Visually, it breaks the flow of your message and draws attention due to the indent and unique styling.
How to do it: To create a block quote in WhatsApp, start a new line with > followed by a space. For example:
> This is a quoted text.
Block quotes make messages stand out and seem special. They naturally draw the reader’s attention because they break the alignment and look of the chat bubble. For marketers, this is an opportunity to inject social proof or important takeaways in a way that catches the eye. According to messaging tips, block quotes are great for highlighting key ideas or inspiring quotes, making them more memorable to the reader. The visual separation also helps in not overwhelming the reader with too much promotional text at once – it’s like a breath in the message where a different voice or important note comes through. So, if you have a golden testimonial quote or a phrase you really want your audience to remember, set it as a block quote. It adds variety to your message format and elevates the perceived importance of that text snippet.
Once you’re comfortable with basic formatting, you can get creative and combine styles for extra emphasis. WhatsApp allows certain formatting to be applied together on the same text – for example, bold + italic or bold + strikethrough. This means you can make a word both bold and italic at the same time, which could be useful for something you want to really stand out in context. Marketers might use a combination for an ultra-important keyword or phrase in a message that absolutely must catch attention – think of it as the text equivalent of bolding, underlining, and highlighting a phrase in print (though WhatsApp doesn’t have underline by default).
Combining formats should be used strategically and sparingly. It can make a word really stand out, but if you make too many things multi-formatted, the message can become chaotic. According to messaging best practices, mixing bold, italics, and strikethrough adds extra focus and makes messages more interesting; it's a way to visually differentiate multiple layers of importance. For example, in one sentence, you might have one keyword bold, another keyword italic, and maybe one in both to create a visual hierarchy of emphasis. This guides the reader on what to look at first, next, and last. For marketers, the ability to combine formats is an advanced trick: use it for the single most critical element in your message (like a deadline: Today Only, or a Final Warning on an expiring offer). It adds a bit of flair and ensures that even if someone is skimming, their eyes land on that doubly-highlighted phrase. Just remember the golden rule – if everything is special, nothing is special. So reserve combo-formatting for the can't-miss words.
Strictly speaking, emojis and symbols aren’t “text formatting” in the sense of bold or italic, but they are crucial text elements that can transform the tone and engagement level of your WhatsApp messages. For marketers, using emojis strategically can make messages more relatable and help important points pop. Think of emojis as colorful annotations to your formatted text: a well-placed 🔥 fire emoji can emphasize a hot deal, a ✅ check mark can serve as a bullet point or signify completion, and a 🚀 rocket can hype up a new launch. Emojis break the monotony of plain text and can draw the eye to specific parts of your message. In a way, they function like visual bolding for certain concepts, and they make your message feel more friendly and modern.
Emojis also serve a functional role: since WhatsApp doesn’t support colored text or custom fonts (beyond monospace), emojis bring color and personality into the text. A red ❤️ heart or a green ✅ check can convey meaning at a glance. Especially on mobile, where users are used to emoji-rich communication with friends, a message from a business that includes a relevant emoji can feel more natural and engaging. It shows that your brand “speaks the language” of chat. Just ensure the emojis make sense and add clarity (or emotional value) to the message. For instance, saying "We have an exclusive deal for you 🎉" sets a celebratory tone, implying something good. Whereas "Important update ❗" with the exclamation emoji stresses urgency.
In summary, sprinkle emojis thoughtfully to accentuate your formatted text. They can act as visual signposts that highlight offers, segment information, or simply add warmth. A/B testing different emojis is also wise – see which ones resonate with your audience. Done right, emojis and symbols will make your WhatsApp marketing messages feel more human and attention-grabbing, leading to higher engagement.
Last but certainly not least: the way you break up your text in a WhatsApp message is a formatting trick in itself. Even with all the bold or italics in the world, a message that’s a wall of text can intimidate or bore readers. WhatsApp is inherently a quick-chat platform – people expect short, digestible messages. For marketers, this means you should format your message with line breaks, spacing, and brevity in mind. In fact, one marketing study suggests that WhatsApp messages should ideally take no more than 8–10 seconds to read. If your message looks like a lengthy email, chances are the user will skim or skip it.
Use short paragraphs: Break your message into 1-2 sentence paragraphs or even single-line sentences where appropriate. On WhatsApp, pressing “Enter” will send the message by default on mobile, but you can insert a new line by using Shift + Enter (on WhatsApp Web/Desktop) or toggling off the "Enter is send" option on mobile to add line breaks. Use this to create natural pauses. For example, instead of:
"Hi John, our big end-of-season sale is now live. We’re offering 50% off on all items in our catalog for the next 48 hours. Shop now and save big on your favorite products! Visit our website to grab the deals before they’re gone."
which is a long paragraph, you could send:
Hi John! Our **Big End-of-Season Sale** is now live.
Enjoy *50% OFF* on all items for the next 48 hours.
Shop now and save on your favorites – don’t miss out!
[Visit our site](https://example.com) to grab the deals before they’re gone.
Remember the wise words from marketing gurus: even with a 99% open rate on WhatsApp, your job isn’t done until the customer reads and acts on your message. Formatting and brevity help ensure that once opened, your message gets read fully and understood. One technique is to use whitespace effectively – a blank line (extra line break) can signal a new thought and give breathing room, much like in an email or blog post. This prevents the message from feeling like a text blob. Also, maintain a casual, conversational tone (as if you’re chatting with a friend) – this keeps the user comfortable and more likely to read through.
In summary, less is more on WhatsApp. By writing crisp messages and using line breaks to structure them, you respect your audience’s time and capture their interest. As a result, your key points – enhanced by all the formatting tricks above – will shine through without overwhelming the reader. A short, well-formatted WhatsApp message can deliver the punch of a much longer message because it’s direct and user-friendly. This leads to higher retention of information and better response rates.
Actionable Tip: Next time you draft a WhatsApp campaign message, read it aloud to yourself. Does it sound like something you’d quickly tell someone in person? If not, try trimming and breaking it into chat-sized chunks. Your customers will find it much more appealing to read a concise, nicely formatted message – and a message that’s read is a message that can convert!
WhatsApp’s text formatting features might seem simple, but as we’ve seen, they are powerful tools for marketers. By using bold text for key offers, italics for nuance, strikethroughs for discounts, monospace for codes, and the newly added lists and quotes for structure, you can transform a basic message into a compelling marketing piece. These formatting tricks help your message cut through the noise, making important information unmissable and improving overall readability. Remember, people respond to messages that are clear, engaging, and relevant. A well-formatted message not only grabs attention but also builds trust, showing that you care about the details and professionalism of your communication.
Now it's your turn to put these tips into practice. Imagine the impact of a WhatsApp broadcast where the first line of each message hooks the reader, the core details stand out in bold or bullets, and the tone feels friendly and approachable. It could mean the difference between a message that gets instant replies and clicks and one that gets lost in the chat history. Don’t let your WhatsApp marketing fall flat due to plain, boring text. Apply these formatting tricks in your next campaign and watch the engagement improve – higher read-through rates, more clicks on your links, and better customer feedback.
Ready to elevate your WhatsApp marketing game? Try out at least 2–3 of these formatting tricks this week in your customer communications. For example, send your next promotional offer with a bold headline and a few bullet points, or text a VIP customer with their name in italics and a personalized emoji. See how they respond! You’ll likely notice a boost in both customer interest and response quality. And if you found these tips useful, feel free to share this guide with your team or fellow marketers. Let’s raise the bar for WhatsApp marketing messages across the board. Happy WhatsApp marketing!
WhatsApp uses simple markup characters to format text. For bold, add * before and after the word (e.g., *hello* → hello). For italics, use _ underscores (e.g. _hello_ → hello). For strikethrough, use ~ tildes (e.g. ~hello~ → hello). To get the monospace font, wrap text in three backticks ( hello ). Additionally, as of 2024, you can create bulleted lists by starting lines with - or * , and numbered lists with 1. , 2. , etc. You can also add > at the start of a line to make a block quote. These formatting options are available on all updated versions of WhatsApp. (On mobile, you can also long-press the text you’ve typed and use the BIU or More menu to apply bold, italic, etc., without manually typing the symbols.)
Yes! As of a February 2024 update, WhatsApp allows users to format bulleted and numbered lists natively. To add a bullet point, start a new line with a hyphen or asterisk followed by a space (e.g., "- Item 1"). To create a numbered list, start lines with "1. ", "2. ", etc., followed by a space. The app will display them as indented lists with actual bullet symbols or numbers. This is very useful for sharing multiple points or steps in an organized way. If you don’t see this formatting, make sure your WhatsApp is updated to the latest version (the feature is available across Android, iOS, and Web). Prior to this feature, people often manually used emoji like "•" or "-" to indicate bullets, but now WhatsApp will do the formatting for you, making lists cleaner and more uniform.
Yes, all of WhatsApp’s formatting features are designed to be visible across platforms. Whether your recipient is on Android, iPhone (iOS), or WhatsApp Web/Desktop, they will see the bold, italic, strikethrough, lists, and other formatting just as you intended. The formatting is part of the message itself (not an added overlay), so it renders consistently. However, both you and the recipient need to be using relatively up-to-date versions of WhatsApp that support these features. The bold/italic/strikethrough/monospace have been around for a while (since ~2016), so virtually all users can see those. The list and quote features rolled out in 2024, but as long as the app is updated, those will show correctly, too. If someone is on a very old WhatsApp version that doesn’t support lists, they might just see the raw text (e.g., hyphens instead of bullets). But given WhatsApp’s auto-updates and the ubiquity of these features now, it’s rare to encounter a user who can’t see them. In summary, you can confidently use text formatting, knowing that your audience will see the styled text as intended, regardless of device. It’s always a good idea, though, to test your formatted message on your own phone or with a colleague to ensure it looks right (especially if using any unusual characters or third-party fonts). Once you see it works, you can hit send to your customers with peace of mind!

