Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, has announced new ways for businesses, content creators and organizations to make money and grow their reach on WhatsApp. The company made this announcement in a statement on Monday. Meta said these new tools will help people use the WhatsApp platform more for business and income without disturbing their private messages and conversations.
According to Meta, the new tools will be available in WhatsApp’s “updates” tab. The company explained that this tab is a special place separate from private messages and phone calls, where businesses and content creators can connect with their fans and customers in a more convenient way.
The first tool is called Channel Subscriptions. With this feature, people can pay a small fee every month to subscribe to their favourite WhatsApp channels. These may be news outlets, content creators, businesses, or even sports teams. By subscribing, fans will be able to get special messages, promotions and content directly from the people or organizations they follow.
The second tool is called Promoted Channels. With this, WhatsApp will suggest certain channels to people based on their interests. The aim is to help businesses and content creators find a bigger audience and connect with people who may be interested in their messages and products. Meta explained this will be a paid service — businesses will pay to promote their channels and attract more subscribers.
The third tool is Adverts in Status. This lets businesses put promotions directly in the WhatsApp Status area — a place where people typically view photos, messages, and stories from their friends and family. With this tool, businesses can show adverts to people while they view their statuses. The adverts will appear just like Stories on Instagram, and people can respond directly if they are interested in what the businesses are offering.
Meta made it clear that these new tools were designed with the privacy of messages and phone calls in mind. All messages and calls will stay end-to-end encrypted, which means nobody — not WhatsApp, Meta or even a hacker — can view the messages you send to your friends and family. The company explained it would use only limited information to show people adverts and promotions — details like their country, city, phone’s language, the channels they follow and how they respond to promotions.
For people who link their WhatsApp to their Meta account — through the Accounts Centre — Meta may use additional information from their Facebook or Instagram profiles to show more tailored promotions. However, the company assured its users that phone numbers will not be shared with businesses and companies for adverts.
Meta explained that the rollout of these new tools will be gradual and will take a few months. Nevertheless, businesses and organizations that want to start using these tools can already find more information on the official WhatsApp Business resources. The company says this move is meant to help businesses grow their income, connect directly with their customers, and provide valuable services — all while protecting the private messages and conversations of ordinary people.
Meta believes this approach will create a win-win for both businesses and ordinary WhatsApp users. It lets businesses find their people in a non-intrusive way and lets ordinary people control their messages and interactions. The move highlights Meta’s ongoing effort to make WhatsApp more useful for businesses without turning it into a messy or overwhelming platform.
