WhatsApp is testing a new feature aimed at improving user experience by giving users more control over the marketing messages they receive from businesses.
Balancing users and businesses
Owned by Meta, WhatsApp aims to strike a balance between meeting the needs of businesses that rely on the platform to promote their products and services, while ensuring the satisfaction of individual users.
New control options on WhatsApp
The new feature introduces buttons within promotional messages, such as:
- Interested
- Not Interested
- Stop
- Resume
These options allow users to control whether they receive messages, temporarily pause them, or resume them later, providing greater flexibility in interacting with business accounts.
For example, a user could stop receiving messages from a clothing company all year and then resume receiving them during the end-of-year sales period.
Types of messages supported on WhatsApp
The types of messages that can be controlled through the WhatsApp Business interface include:
- Marketing messages: Related to new offers and products.
- Utility messages: Such as order updates or balance information.
- Authentication messages: Such as one-time use codes.
- Service messages: Such as customer service responses.
Prior to this feature, users could only block or mute numbers, without flexible options to temporarily stop receiving messages.
Meta’s strategy with WhatsApp
Since last year, Meta has focused on boosting WhatsApp’s revenue by developing tools that serve businesses, but it remains cautious about introducing direct ads within conversations. However, the possibility of ads appearing in groups or company conversations with customers remains a possibility, according to WhatsApp director Will Cathcart.
