(By Vikas SN)
WhatsApp Business now has more than 200 million users across the world, up from 50 million in 2020, the Meta-owned messaging platform said of its business-focused app on June 27. The move comes as WhatsApp doubles down on enabling small merchants to grow their business on the app as well as aid its revenue growth.
The app, which is available as a free download on Google Play and Apple App Store, helps merchants have a business presence on WhatsApp and manage conversations with their customers, by using tools to automate, sort and quickly respond to their messages.
The world’s largest messaging app also said it will soon start testing a new feature within the WhatsApp Business app allowing small businesses to create ads that click to WhatsApp without needing a Facebook account.
This will enable businesses to create, purchase and publish a Facebook or Instagram ad directly from the WhatsApp Business app, enabling them to run their entire operation on the messaging app, the company said.
These ads directly open a chat on WhatsApp, allowing customers to ask questions to merchants, browse products and make a purchase.
“These ads are one of the most powerful ways to drive potential customers to message them on WhatsApp and this will open new opportunities for WhatsApp-only small businesses that need a simpler way to get started with advertising” the company said in a statement.
This move could also potentially help Meta grow its revenues from click-to-message ads (across Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram) that had hit a $10 billion revenue run-rate, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during the company’s earnings call in February 2023.
Click-to-WhatsApp ads crossed a $1.5 billion run rate, Zuckerberg said in October.
Business messaging has become strategically important for the Facebook parent over the past year or so, as it looks to diversify revenue sources beyond traditional digital advertising that took a major hit in 2022 due to the economic downturn and impact from Apple’s iOS privacy policy changes.
New personalised messages feature
WhatsApp said that it will also test a new WhatsApp Business feature that will enable small businesses to send personalised messages to customers – like appointment reminders, birthday greetings or sale updates – faster.
It will allow businesses to send personal messages with the customer’s name and customisable call-to-action buttons lists such as those who recently messaged them, haven’t messaged in a long time, broadcast lists or custom labels such as “VIP customers” or “new customers” among others.
These messages can also be scheduled according to the day and time, the company said. The feature will be available for a yet-to-be-disclosed fee with more details expected in the future.