Meta launches AI-powered advertising on WhatsApp

Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, has recently launched its first AI-powered advertising targeting program for businesses on the popular messaging platform. This new initiative aims to help businesses generate revenue by delivering tailored messages to users based on their behavior on Facebook and Instagram. This marks a significant shift for WhatsApp, which has traditionally focused on privacy and lacked targeted advertising tools.

Previously, WhatsApp provided basic business messaging tools for customer service and marketing. However, with the introduction of AI tools, businesses can now optimize their messaging to reach users who are most likely to engage, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns.

Meta's decision to monetize WhatsApp, its largest app in terms of daily users, comes after the platform has contributed minimally to Meta's overall revenue. By introducing AI chatbots for business inquiries and integrating Brazil's popular instant payment method, PIX, into WhatsApp's payment tool, Meta aims to improve user experience and drive engagement.

Moreover, the addition of PIX aligns with WhatsApp's goal of facilitating seamless transactions between individuals and businesses. This move follows WhatsApp's introduction of payment services from competing providers in India last year, expanding its financial services offerings.

Meta's introduction of AI-powered advertising tools on WhatsApp represents a significant shift in the platform's approach to monetization. By leveraging user behavior data from Facebook and Instagram, businesses can now deliver more targeted messages to users, enhancing the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns. With the integration of popular payment methods like PIX, WhatsApp is poised to further enhance user experience and drive engagement on the platform.