WhatsApp to introduce ads in status and channels feature soon
Although the news this week contradicts earlier claims, Cathcart made it very apparent that advertisements would only appear on Status, the app's feature that resembles Stories, and would not be included in the inbox.
This week, WhatsApp made hints that it may begin to display advertisements in the chat app’s Status function.
WhatsApp Head Will Cathcart stated in a media interview in Brazil that while the firm doesn’t intend to display advertisements in the primary inbox, it is exploring the possibility of doing so elsewhere.
The announcement of an ad-free plan for Facebook and Instagram users in the EU, together with Meta’s intention to test advertisements and subscriptions across all of its platforms, precedes the news by one week.
According to a September report, Meta was looking into placing ads in conversation lists on a user’s WhatsApp home screen.
Cathcart and his group refuted this at the time, saying they weren’t testing or working on it.
Although the news this week contradicts earlier claims, Cathcart made it very apparent that advertisements would only appear on Status, the app’s feature that resembles Stories, and would not be included in the inbox.
“I qualified the answer because there might be ads in other places,” he remarked, referring to channels or status updates. For instance, channels may have subscription fees, be available only to subscribers who pay for access, or have promotional goals. However, we won’t post advertisements.
The story of WhatsApp’s advertisements is not new; in 2019, there were initial reports of the advertising showing up in Status. The advertisements, or even more ambitious intentions, never came to pass despite a presentation on the subject at the Facebook Marketing Summit that year.
Up until recently, WhatsApp’s primary sources of cash have been its commercial messaging service and click-to-WhatsApp advertisements on websites like Facebook. It is projected to produce $906 million in 2022, with the WhatsApp for Business app accounting for nearly all of that amount.
Throughout all of the testing and rollout of new features, one thing that is evident is the company’s constant search for additional revenue streams. WhatsApp launched Channels, a broadcast-based messaging tool, earlier this year. Its inception with the intention of making money later on. It was meant to enable organizations such as fact-checking organizations and non-governmental organizations to disseminate knowledge, rather than individual authors.
Given that WhatsApp has more than 2 billion users worldwide, many predict that it won’t be long before Meta introduces advertisements to the messaging app. especially considering that Instagram, Meta’s “cheaper” purchase, has improved its income since being acquired. As to the reports, Instagram brought in $43.2 billion in income from advertisements in 2022.
There is presently no information available on the potential launch date of the Status advertising or whether a test period in particular nations will precede their appearance.
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