WhatsApp has officially started rolling out two new features for its Android beta users: Status Ads and Promoted Channels. These features, first announced by Meta on June 17, are designed to help businesses and creators increase their visibility within the app. The latest update, version 2.25.21.11, is available to select beta testers and promises to enhance the way businesses engage with users.
What Are Status Ads on WhatsApp?
With the new WhatsApp beta update, businesses can now post sponsored content directly in the Status section of the app. Status Ads will appear between the status updates of users’ contacts, flagged as sponsored content. This feature is expected to give businesses a chance to reach a wider audience within WhatsApp. Users will also have the option to block advertisers if they wish, ensuring that the ads do not appear again.
Promoted Channels: A New Way for Businesses to Grow
In addition to Status Ads, WhatsApp is introducing Promoted Channels, which work similarly to Status Ads. These promoted channels will be more visible in the directory, helping businesses increase their reach. A small label will identify these channels as sponsored content, making it clear to users that the channel has been promoted. The aim is to give creators and businesses the opportunity to gain traction faster than they would through organic growth.
Both Status Ads and Promoted Channels are part of WhatsApp’s effort to offer businesses new ways to engage with their audience without compromising user privacy. Meta has ensured that these features will not affect the privacy settings of WhatsApp users, while still allowing businesses to grow their presence on the platform.
This move follows a previous update, WhatsApp beta 2.25.19.15 for Android, which introduced the ability for users to generate detailed reports on the ads they have viewed. These reports include information about advertisers and the specific dates the ads were shown.
As the new features roll out, WhatsApp is likely to attract more businesses and creators looking for ways to advertise within the app. Whether or not these changes will affect the overall user experience remains to be seen, but they offer an exciting glimpse into the future of business engagement on WhatsApp.
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