At Meta's yearly business messaging event in São Paulo, Mark Zuckerberg announced the launch of Meta Verified for WhatsApp Business users in Brazil, India, Indonesia, and Colombia. This program will soon expand to more countries.
Subscription Plans and New Features
Meta Verified offers subscription plans starting at $14 per month. This service aims to improve WhatsApp Business by adding new features. Businesses can use their APIs for customer support calls within the app. Initially launched for creators in March 2023, the program was extended to businesses in September 2023.
Benefits of Meta Verified
Businesses that join Meta Verified get a badge and protection against impersonation. They must submit their business details to enroll. They can also promote their products using a verified WhatsApp channel and manage their account from different devices.
Customizable Business Websites
Businesses can create a custom website with details about their company, which they can share with clients and suppliers. Some features of Meta Verified are already available in WhatsApp Premium, but pricing details for these services are not yet disclosed.
Future Plans for Service Fees
Meta plans to charge other companies for this service but has not revealed the pricing details yet. Businesses are encouraged to use personalized messaging to send coupon codes, product information, and birthday wishes to their customers.
Building a Business Toolkit
Meta is creating a comprehensive toolkit to help businesses communicate with their customers. WhatsApp Business has over 200 million monthly users, making it a powerful tool for businesses.
Impressive Revenue from Business Messaging
In the first three months of 2024, Meta's CFO Susan Li reported $380 million in revenue from its apps. This increase is mainly due to the adoption of business messaging on WhatsApp.
Untapped Potential in India
A recent study by Meta and Bain & Co. shows that conversation commerce in India has significant untapped potential. Out of 650 million active social media and messaging platform users, only 200 million currently engage in online shopping.
