Around 10 years back, we saw the CEO of Meta unveil how he planned on investing a whopping $19 billion in his WhatsApp platform.
There were huge expectations attached to the popular texting app that had very little to no business but how can one expect to generate revenue when no ads are displayed? The latter is the main money-making means for plenty of Meta’s other apps so Zuckerberg was clearly in a bit of a dilemma here, in terms of how to make the money come in.
As years passed, the popularity surged, and today, more than 2 billion users have adopted the texting app as an integral part of their lives. Yet, it’s not profitable for Meta by any means and the general consensus regarding it was Zuckerberg sidelining the platform and focusing on other ventures that would help Meta generate huge profits.
But new reports claim that Zuckerberg is making big plans for expansion to capitalize on WhatsApp’s growing popularity, which isn’t slowing down anytime soon. And the latest strategy appears to be business messaging. Through this means, big firms can communicate with their clients on a direct basis, and many experts feel this is just the push the app needs to enter its next chapter.
The company really does need to get large-scale businesses on board from all around the world as this would place greater reliance on services as the main means for conversations with clients. And for every chat, firms pay between 0,5 to 15 cents, totally depending on which chat and nation the exchange arises.
For many years, it’s quite clear how businesses are trying to connect with the platform. From countries like India where IT is booming to Brazil, you’ll see WhatsApp numbers published on windows in the market so frequently. And people really like to engage with one another through the popular texting app for business purposes.
Another great example from India is where Uber customers can book their rides through WhatsApp directly while others attain recommendations on what to watch from Netflix’s WhatsApp account. Others are using the platform to get the latest updates on current affairs and then the usual chats between loved ones and friends are always there to stay connected all over the globe. Clearly, the usage is great and the functions are countless, not to mention how feasible of an option it is.
Now the question is what is going on with WhatsApp Business? Well, the firm is reluctant to unveil the size with which the business functions but estimates regarding revenue are somewhat between the $500 to $1 billion mark, but that is less than 1% of the firm’s overall sales.
We’re seeing popular platforms like Instagram generate revenue of close to $40 every year. Considering how much usage WhatsApp has and how Facebook purchased it a while back, it’s shocking how Meta didn’t plan on capitalizing on its popularity before, as compared to now.
But as the old saying goes, better late than never. And if you’re still wondering why apps aren’t there, well, it’s hard to launch ads on such a secure and encrypted platform. People are sending private texts and no one wants to see which new burger McDonald’s has announced there, do they?
In the year 2018, we saw Meta launch WhatsApp Business so that firms could carry out chats more easily via commercial accounts and a long line of tools on the app. And as time passed, the business segment grew by more than four times in just three years. Today, it’s got close to 200 million users active on a monthly basis.
Through the WhatsApp Business account, users get a myriad of features including greater access to company accounts on 10 devices, while paying a subscription fee allows for expensive texting campaigns to be brought into the spotlight.
Meanwhile, features are designed to assist with greater customer service and provide more support for huge audiences through the app’s Business platform. And the more upper the tier goes, the more funds the app collects from the Business Account holder.
Read next: New Study Sheds Light On The World’s Deadliest Places For Journalists
There were huge expectations attached to the popular texting app that had very little to no business but how can one expect to generate revenue when no ads are displayed? The latter is the main money-making means for plenty of Meta’s other apps so Zuckerberg was clearly in a bit of a dilemma here, in terms of how to make the money come in.
As years passed, the popularity surged, and today, more than 2 billion users have adopted the texting app as an integral part of their lives. Yet, it’s not profitable for Meta by any means and the general consensus regarding it was Zuckerberg sidelining the platform and focusing on other ventures that would help Meta generate huge profits.
But new reports claim that Zuckerberg is making big plans for expansion to capitalize on WhatsApp’s growing popularity, which isn’t slowing down anytime soon. And the latest strategy appears to be business messaging. Through this means, big firms can communicate with their clients on a direct basis, and many experts feel this is just the push the app needs to enter its next chapter.
The company really does need to get large-scale businesses on board from all around the world as this would place greater reliance on services as the main means for conversations with clients. And for every chat, firms pay between 0,5 to 15 cents, totally depending on which chat and nation the exchange arises.
For many years, it’s quite clear how businesses are trying to connect with the platform. From countries like India where IT is booming to Brazil, you’ll see WhatsApp numbers published on windows in the market so frequently. And people really like to engage with one another through the popular texting app for business purposes.
Another great example from India is where Uber customers can book their rides through WhatsApp directly while others attain recommendations on what to watch from Netflix’s WhatsApp account. Others are using the platform to get the latest updates on current affairs and then the usual chats between loved ones and friends are always there to stay connected all over the globe. Clearly, the usage is great and the functions are countless, not to mention how feasible of an option it is.
Now the question is what is going on with WhatsApp Business? Well, the firm is reluctant to unveil the size with which the business functions but estimates regarding revenue are somewhat between the $500 to $1 billion mark, but that is less than 1% of the firm’s overall sales.
We’re seeing popular platforms like Instagram generate revenue of close to $40 every year. Considering how much usage WhatsApp has and how Facebook purchased it a while back, it’s shocking how Meta didn’t plan on capitalizing on its popularity before, as compared to now.
But as the old saying goes, better late than never. And if you’re still wondering why apps aren’t there, well, it’s hard to launch ads on such a secure and encrypted platform. People are sending private texts and no one wants to see which new burger McDonald’s has announced there, do they?
In the year 2018, we saw Meta launch WhatsApp Business so that firms could carry out chats more easily via commercial accounts and a long line of tools on the app. And as time passed, the business segment grew by more than four times in just three years. Today, it’s got close to 200 million users active on a monthly basis.
Through the WhatsApp Business account, users get a myriad of features including greater access to company accounts on 10 devices, while paying a subscription fee allows for expensive texting campaigns to be brought into the spotlight.
Meanwhile, features are designed to assist with greater customer service and provide more support for huge audiences through the app’s Business platform. And the more upper the tier goes, the more funds the app collects from the Business Account holder.
Read next: New Study Sheds Light On The World’s Deadliest Places For Journalists