Meta has announced that WhatsApp Business, its app designed specifically for small businesses, has crossed the mark of 200 million monthly active users — up from 50 million in 2020.
As the company is pursuing its “year of efficiency,” it also launched features like easier ad creation and a personalized message service for WhatsApp Business users.
Mark Zuckerberg is pouring billions into developing a metaverse. In order to offset that, the company is ramping up revenue generation from other avenues such as WhatsApp.
The Meta-owned chat app said that, starting today, WhatsApp Business users will be able to create “click-to-WhatsApp” ads without a Facebook account. The company noted that sellers can create, purchase, and publish ads for Facebook and Instagram directly from within the app.
Image Credits: WhatsApp
WhatsApp Business is also adding another paid feature that lets merchants automate the process of sending personalized messages to their customers. The company didn’t share the pricing details, as WhatsApp said it will start testing the feature “soon.”
The screengrabs shared by the company indicate that businesses will be able to send different messages to different customer lists. For instance, a seller can send a discount code to new customers with a purchase button.
Image Credits: WhatsApp
Over the last few months, Meta has taken concrete steps toward increasing revenue earned through paid messaging. In February, it announced changes in the pricing structure and messaging categories on WhatsApp. These categories included utility, authentication (to send one-time passcodes), marketing, and user-initiated service conversations.
