Revolution in a popular messenger. Will you have to pay?
No more free WhatsApp? The finish line announces major changes: advertising, subscriptions and channel promotion soon in the application.
Meta announced that for the first time in history it will start displaying ads in the WhatsApp application – informs the website forhandlu.pl.
They will be visible in the “Updates” tab – that is, in the section containing the functions “my status” and “channels”. This space is visited every day by 1.5 billion users. The company ensures that private talks will remain intact – ads will not be displayed in chats or connections.
– We will not interrupt private conversations with commercials. If someone uses WhatsApp only for chats and connections, they will not see them at all – emphasized Alice Newton Rex, vice president for the product.
WhatsApp and new sources of income
However, it will not end with commercials. The finish line goes further, introducing paid subscriptions and the ability to promote channels. The creators will be able to share exclusive content only for paying recipients, and advertisers – increase the visibility of their channels in the application.
Although the meta declares that at the beginning WhatsApp will not download the commission on these subscriptions, in the future a 10 % fee is planned.
Advertising targeting is to be based solely on general data, such as location, interface language or observed channels. Information from Facebook or Instagram will not be used to personalize ads on WhatsApp, unless the user connects accounts himself.
WhatsApp – direction: Monetization
The decision to monetize Whatsapp is a departure from the original assumptions of its creators who declared the lack of advertising.
“Co -creators of the messenger – Jan Koum and Brian Acton – have repeatedly assured that the application would remain free from advertising. They both left the company in 2018 and 2017, respectively,” reminds the website.
The finish, however, changes this original non -registered course, responding to revenue pressure and huge investments – including $ 14.3 billion in Startup Scale AI. Although WhatsApp from Facebook in 2014 for $ 19 billion, he did not directly generated large revenues, the finish line gradually built its commercial potential – especially in the area of tools for small companies. This is especially visible in countries such as India or Brazil, where payment and contact with customer contact are intensively used. So Meta wants to use it and start to earn a lot of money on a popular messenger.
