Meta Announces WhatsApp Voice Notes for Business Users and Advertising Plans

Meta Platforms is set to revolutionise business communications through WhatsApp by enabling companies to send voice notes to users, marking a significant shift in its monetisation strategy. The announcement, made by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg at a Miami company event, introduces comprehensive tools aimed at enhancing business-customer interactions across WhatsApp’s three billion global users.

The messaging platform’s business capabilities, initially launched in 2018, have evolved to incorporate sophisticated features enabling organisations to reach consenting customers through direct messages. The latest enhancement includes voice note functionality, alongside video calls and an innovative call-back system that seamlessly transitions to messaging conversations.

Nikila Srinivasan, Meta’s vice-president of business messaging, emphasised the platform’s commitment to user privacy, confirming that personal messages, calls and statuses will maintain end-to-end encryption. The integration allows for personalised advertising experiences for users who opt to link their Meta accounts with WhatsApp, whilst preserving communication security.

The strategic move includes the introduction of advertisements within WhatsApp’s Updates tab, where users can follow brand and celebrity-operated Channels. This development represents Meta’s first direct advertising integration within the WhatsApp service, though advertisements will not appear in private chats.

Meta’s investment in artificial intelligence features prominently in these updates, with the company launching business AI agents initially in Mexico and the Philippines before a planned global rollout. The enhanced Ads Manager platform will utilise AI to optimise message targeting, ensuring businesses reach the most receptive audiences.

The developments come as Meta, which acquired WhatsApp for £19 billion in 2014, seeks to boost advertising revenues to support its substantial investments in generative AI. Zuckerberg’s vision suggests AI business agents will become as fundamental as email addresses and websites for modern businesses, leveraging existing social media content to extend team capabilities.