New Whatsapp Feature: “New Ads” and “Messaging Tools” for Small Businesses

Meta has introduced several new features to assist businesses in using its messaging service, including better ad creation on WhatsApp, message merging into the Meta Business Suite inbox, and quote requests on Instagram.

To begin with WhatsApp, by streamlining the ad creation process, users will soon be able to create and run campaigns directly within the WhatsApp Business App, rather than switching between applications. Currently, running a campaign requires multiple app switches, which can be inconvenient, especially given that most other business dashboards allow for campaign creation and launch. With the new update, that intermediary part will be removed, allowing the WhatsApp promotion process to be streamlined.

The company is also working on integrating WhatsApp communications into your Meta Business Suite inbox as part of its major messaging integration effort. This simplifies the management of corporate messages while also allowing you to scale your contact points, giving consumers more opportunities to connect through the platform they choose. All of your Meta inboxes (Messenger, WhatsApp, IG Direct) will eventually be merged into one, so you can continue your private conversations in whichever app you prefer.

For regulatory reasons, Meta has postponed that effort until at least 2023, but this new integration is only another little piece of that big initiative. The company is also beta-testing a new feature that would enable users to send promotional messages to customers who opt-in via Messenger. 

For example, a customer may opt-in to receiving notifications about upcoming sales, allowing businesses to keep customers in the loop about future sales. SMBs have long told us that Meta Business Suite enables them to respond more efficiently to customer inquiries, but they’ve often relied on other solutions for customer reengagement. With this feature, SMBs will have a new tool to drive sales and customer loyalty in Meta Business Suite.

On another front, Meta is introducing “Lead Filtering” on Facebook, which will help company owners screen out low-quality leads by including a multiple-choice question in their Lead Ad Instant forms. It is expanding the possibilities of content available to businesses within Instant forms, including photos and downloadable PDFs.

Finally, Meta will now allow businesses to solicit quotes from prospective customers via a questionnaire that will be displayed before initiating a conversation on Instagram.

“At the moment, this free product is being tested with select businesses. It enables businesses to add a “Get Quote” button to their Instagram profile and use “Get Quote” stickers in Stories. Businesses can use this button or Stories sticker to create bespoke questions to ask customers before initiating a discussion.”

Meta is still struggling with messaging, at least in terms of revenue. If it can do it right, WhatsApp has the potential to be a huge success for the company, which is still trying to figure out the best ways to make money from its messaging platforms.