Meta is preparing to launch ads for the first time in one of WhatsApp’s main sections. Users will see ads after viewing several «Statuses» — analogues of Instagram Stories.
Meta is preparing to launch ads for the first time in one of WhatsApp’s main sections. Users will see ads after viewing several «Statuses» — analogues of Instagram Stories.
The world’s most popular messenger is preparing for a major change — WhatsApp will start showing ads. According to TechCrunch, Meta plans to show ads in the «Status» section, which is used by more than 1.5 billion people every day. In this way, the company expands its advertising ecosystem without interfering with personal chats.
Unlike Instagram or Facebook, WhatsApp ads will not appear in your feed or chats, but only after you’ve viewed a few of your friends' «Statuses» — short photo and video stories that disappear after 24 hours. The company says it doesn’t use private messages, contact lists, or phone numbers for targeting. Only language, country, channel subscriptions, and interaction with other ads are taken into account to generate recommendations.
In addition to advertising, WhatsApp will launch new monetization methods for businesses and content creators. In particular, companies will be able to advertise their channels in the Discovery section, and some creators will be able to introduce subscriptions for exclusive content. Payment for such subscriptions will be made through official app stores.
«These products are a logical step, as WhatsApp already helps people start businesses directly within the platform. This is something that businesses increasingly expect from us,» said Alice Newton Rex, WhatsApp’s vice president of product.
Previously, WhatsApp earned money mainly through «Click-to-WhatsApp» advertising campaigns and business functionality in WhatsApp Business. Meta’s new move indicates a desire to more actively use the messenger’s billion-strong audience as another source of revenue. Advertising and subscriptions will appear on WhatsApp gradually, over the coming months in all countries.
Recall, we previously reported how the WhatsApp messenger discovered that at least 90 users were infected with malware due to zero clicks.
