Even the last happy island is disappearing. I’m talking about WhatsApp and Meta, which has decided to include ads in the messaging app for the first time. In 2014, Facebook Inc acquired the app, which is now used by more than 3 billion users per month, for $19 billion, with the long-term goal of finding a way to monetise such a large number of contacts. Since taking control, Mark Zuckerberg has wanted to bring advertising to WhatsApp, clashing with the two founders, Brian Acton and Jan Koum, who left their creation within a year due to disagreements over in-app advertising.
Advertisements on Status and Channels, for now
The reassurances made over a decade ago, when Meta’s CEO said that “nothing will change on WhatsApp”, count for little. Playing the game is necessary in these cases, not least because Zuckerberg is at the helm of a big company whose goal is to increase revenues. It is, therefore, natural that after years of theories, the time has now come for action. With a gradual move so as not to attract too much criticism from users, as specified by Nikita Srinivasan, vice president of business messaging at Meta, because “nothing will change for those who use the app just to communicate with people”.
This is a fair observation, as, for now, ads will only be integrated into the Updates section. Private chats, calls and personal statuses will be excluded, protected by end-to-end encryption that makes the content inaccessible even to the Menlo Park company itself. The company is keen to point out that “privacy remains central”, even with the arrival of advertising.
Meta’s intent at this stage is to offer a useful feature for businesses, influencers and content creators to spread their content and expand their follower base. This is what ads are for, allowing them to advertise products and intellectual property with the opportunity to increase revenue. With this in mind, WhatsApp has prepared two new features for Channels. Similar to what already happens on Telegram, digital content producers can promote their activities and activate a monthly subscription for exclusive content. For now, Meta will not retain any of the creators’ earnings, while after the first year, 10% of each subscription should go to the company. Perhaps the most interesting new feature, however, concerns Status, which allows users to share images, videos and voice notes to communicate with others.
Messaging will be a pillar of Meta’s business
From now on, Status can be used to integrate ads aimed at selling and promoting products, activities and events. Considering the popularity of WhatsApp and the 1.5 billion users who check their status updates and the channels of people, organisations and companies every day to find out the latest news, this is a feature with enormous potential, although it will be up to the companies and personalities themselves to find the right way to make themselves appreciated by others.
Ads will be rolled out gradually in different countries, but there is no specific date for when they will actually be available. As for how Meta will choose the ads that each user will see, the company has specified that it will be based on information such as age, city, country of origin and location. Phone numbers, personal messages, device data and contacts are excluded from the list.
Given that the user experience will not change for those who do not usually view statuses or use Channels, WhatsApp’s move is a first step that paves the way for future ads in other sections. After all, in a recent communication with investors, Zuckerberg described “business messaging as one of the next pillars of our business”. This is a clear message that there is no turning back.
