Several are now scouting for alternative avenues to connect with customers directly, as the Meta-owned company presses ahead with furthering “monetisation” of WhatsApp for Business.
The new rates will require businesses to pay different prices based on the nature of communication. They will now be charged Rs 0.3082 for every utility message, while marketing messages will cost Rs 0.7265. Previously, WhatsApp charged a flat Rs 0.48 per conversation. The pricing for authentication messages will be announced later, the company said on its website.
“The price increase certainly impacts us. We are internally seeing how we can minimise conversations and make them more effective,\" said Pallavi Utagi, founder and chief executive of SuperBottoms that sells ecofriendly and reusable cloth diapers.
Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg has previously pointed to business messaging as being a “major monetisation opportunity.”
![\"\"](\"\/\/www.iser-br.com\/Themes\/Release\/images\/responsive\/ettelecom-default.jpg\")
‘Sticky and Ubiquitous’<\/strong>
He also said it would be one of the company's key investment areas for 2023.
India is the biggest market for WhatsApp, with nearly 500 million users. At the end of 2022, WhatsApp for Business downloads had crossed 300 million in India. More than 40 million users view the business catalogue in the app monthly, according to estimates by market research firm Counterpoint.
For small entrepreneurs like Utagi, the ubiquitous nature of the messaging app allows them to foster strong ties with customers. “With this price hike, we will have to see how we deal with a lot of these conversations that are not related to sales but are more around relationship-building. I see them becoming more transactional,\" she said.
WhatsApp Business API, launched by Facebook in 2018, allows businesses to broadcast as well as receive unlimited messages from a global audience.
In February this year, WhatsApp announced a new business pricing, wherein the conversation-based model would shift from two conversation categories (user and business-initiated) to four. Accordingly, business-initiated conversations will be split into utility, authentication and marketing, while user-initiated ones that help in resolving customer queries will be called service conversations.
Experts point to WhatsApp having grown to become one of the key channels that brands<\/a> use for sale, customer support and client engagement. “It is sticky and ubiquitous, which makes it more of a monopolistic channel that can afford to charge a premium,\" said Neil Shah, vice-president at Counterpoint Research. As a result of the large volume of transactions on the channel, Meta could be considering significant cost-to-scale infrastructure, along with the requisite security protocols, he said.
“We charge businesses using our WhatsApp Business Platform for the conversations they have with their customers, and make occasional adjustments to our offerings to better reflect the ways in which the service is used and the types of information people are choosing to receive,\" a WhatsApp spokesperson said in a statement to ET.
Big Impact<\/strong>
Business owners, however, point to the burden of increased costs for both customer acquisition and retention from the new pricing model.
\"This change coming into play means we are going to have to spend more, which is why we're scared because it is another expense that we have to worry about,\" said Sujata and Taniya Biswas, cofounders of textile and saree brand Suta. \"But we depend a lot on WhatsApp and despite the price increase, we have to factor it in because we are so used to it and our customers find it to be the easiest channel to stay in touch with us.\"
The 'chat-like' interface, coupled with the opportunity to send photos and videos, along with shopping links, makes WhatsApp, “a very effective marketing tool,\" they added.
Jio Platforms-owned Haptik, which creates business commerce platforms for brands within WhatsApp, said the bot (automated service) that it created for retailer JioMart allows users to complete their grocery shopping on WhatsApp. It claims to receive 1,500 average daily orders, with a 68% repeat rate and 15% conversion rate.
\"These price changes are substantial, given the wide reach of WhatsApp Business Solutions<\/a>. While it's great that utility messages are getting cheaper, with marketing messages becoming more expensive, brands will see the RoI (return on investment) over the first few months before deciding a long-term strategy,\" said Aakrit Vaish, cofounder and chief executive of Haptik.
Meanwhile, some other small business owners such as Sleepy Owl Coffee said their focus will remain on Google, Instagram and Facebook as primary advertising<\/a> channels, whereas WhatsApp will be used more 'cautiously and judiciously.'
“One can't overuse or abuse WhatsApp messaging like SMS or email because it can get red-flagged,\" said Arman Sood, cofounder of Sleepy Owl Coffee. \"We use it more as a conversational channel and not a promotional and marketing channel, so this move will not impact us massively.\"
Some other business owners like Shiv Shankar Ganesh, founder of Kaching.club, which rewards users on referrals to friends on brands, stores, and apps, said that “maybe a reset is in order as businesses need to build more pull since push has saturated.”
“Increasingly, we’ll continue to react less to ads, and revert to the mean of listening only to those we trust (friends, colleagues, and connections on social media),” he said. “I’m bullish on the future of word of mouth more than anything else.\"
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WhatsApp新价格政策业务消息传递、有效的从周四可能会触发一个急剧增加数百万中小企业的营销成本,依靠大众的交流平台,根据许多企业主向等。
几个正在寻找替代途径与客户直接联系,Meta-owned公司与进一步发展的“货币化”WhatsApp业务。
新利率将要求企业支付不同的价格基于通信的本质。他们现在将每0.3082 Rs实用信息,而营销信息将成本0.7265卢比。以前,WhatsApp收取0.48平Rs /谈话。定价为身份验证信息将稍后公布,该公司在其网站上说。
“涨价肯定影响我们。我们内部看到如何最小化对话,让他们更有效,”创始人兼首席执行官Pallavi Utagi说SuperBottoms销售环保和可重复使用的尿布。
元首席马克·扎克伯格曾指出业务消息作为一个“主要盈利的机会。”
粘性和无处不在的
他还说,这将是一个公司的主要投资领域为2023。
WhatsApp印度是最大的市场,拥有近5亿用户。在2022年底,WhatsApp业务下载跨越了3亿年的印度。超过4000万用户查看业务目录app每月,根据市场研究公司估计对位。
等小企业家Utagi,无处不在的消息传递应用程序的性质使他们培养与客户紧密联系。“有了这个涨价,我们将会看到我们如何处理这些对话与销售无关但更在建立人际关系。我看到他们变得更加事务性的,”她说。
WhatsApp业务API, Facebook在2018年发起,允许企业广播以及接收无限的消息从全球观众。
今年2月,WhatsApp宣布了一项新的业务定价,其中conversation-based模型将从两类谈话(用户和business-initiated) 4。因此,business-initiated对话将分为实用程序,认证和市场营销,而用户发起的,帮助解决客户查询调用服务的对话。
专家指出,WhatsApp已经成长成为一个关键的渠道品牌用于销售、客户支持和客户参与。“这是粘性的,无处不在的,这使得它的垄断频道,可以收取额外的费用,”尼尔·沙阿说,副总裁对比研究。由于大量的交易通道,元可以考虑重大cost-to-scale基础设施,以及必要的安全协议,他说。
“我们收取企业使用WhatsApp业务平台与客户的对话,和偶尔的调整我们的产品,以更好地反映服务使用的方式和类型的信息人们选择接受,“等WhatsApp发言人在一份声明中说。
很大的影响
然而,企业主的负担增加的成本为客户获取和保留新定价模型。
“这种变化来发挥意味着我们要花更多的钱,这就是为什么我们害怕,因为它是另一个我们需要担心费用,”说,苏和Taniya Biswas合伙人Suta纺织品和纱丽服的品牌。“但我们很多依赖WhatsApp尽管油价上涨,我们必须考虑它,因为我们习惯了和我们的客户找到最简单的通道与我们保持联系。”
类似聊天的界面,再加上机会发送照片和视频,一起购物链接,使WhatsApp,“一个非常有效的营销工具,”他们补充说。
Jio Platforms-owned Haptik,为品牌创造业务商务平台在WhatsApp,机器人(自动化服务)表示,该公司为零售商创建JioMart WhatsApp允许用户完成购物。它声称收到1500日均订单,重复率68%和15%的转化率。
“这些价格变化是实质性的,考虑到广泛的WhatsApp达到业务解决方案。虽然很好,实用信息越来越便宜,与营销信息变得更加昂贵,品牌将RoI(投资回报率)在头几个月前决定一个长期战略,“说Aakrit Vaish, Haptik的创始人和首席执行官。
与此同时,一些沉睡的猫头鹰咖啡等其他小企业主说,他们将继续关注谷歌,Instagram和Facebook为主广告渠道,而WhatsApp将使用更多的谨慎和明智。”
“一个不能过度使用或滥用WhatsApp消息喜欢短信或电子邮件,因为它可以打上了,”阿尔Sood说,创始人之一昏昏欲睡的猫头鹰咖啡。“我们使用它更多作为一个会话通道,而不是宣传和营销渠道,这将不会影响我们大量。”
其他一些企业主喜欢Shiv Shankar Ganesh, Kaching的创始人。俱乐部,回报用户品牌推荐给朋友,商店,和应用程序表示,“也许是为了重置企业需要建立更多的拉自推已经饱和。”
”越来越多,我们会继续反应更少的广告,并恢复到倾听的意思是只有那些我们信任(朋友、同事,联系社会媒体),”他说。“我看好未来的口碑胜过一切。”
几个正在寻找替代途径与客户直接联系,Meta-owned公司与进一步发展的“货币化”WhatsApp业务。
新利率将要求企业支付不同的价格基于通信的本质。他们现在将每0.3082 Rs实用信息,而营销信息将成本0.7265卢比。以前,WhatsApp收取0.48平Rs /谈话。定价为身份验证信息将稍后公布,该公司在其网站上说。
“涨价肯定影响我们。我们内部看到如何最小化对话,让他们更有效,”创始人兼首席执行官Pallavi Utagi说SuperBottoms销售环保和可重复使用的尿布。
元首席马克·扎克伯格曾指出业务消息作为一个“主要盈利的机会。”
粘性和无处不在的
他还说,这将是一个公司的主要投资领域为2023。
WhatsApp印度是最大的市场,拥有近5亿用户。在2022年底,WhatsApp业务下载跨越了3亿年的印度。超过4000万用户查看业务目录app每月,根据市场研究公司估计对位。
等小企业家Utagi,无处不在的消息传递应用程序的性质使他们培养与客户紧密联系。“有了这个涨价,我们将会看到我们如何处理这些对话与销售无关但更在建立人际关系。我看到他们变得更加事务性的,”她说。
WhatsApp业务API, Facebook在2018年发起,允许企业广播以及接收无限的消息从全球观众。
今年2月,WhatsApp宣布了一项新的业务定价,其中conversation-based模型将从两类谈话(用户和business-initiated) 4。因此,business-initiated对话将分为实用程序,认证和市场营销,而用户发起的,帮助解决客户查询调用服务的对话。
专家指出,WhatsApp已经成长成为一个关键的渠道品牌用于销售、客户支持和客户参与。“这是粘性的,无处不在的,这使得它的垄断频道,可以收取额外的费用,”尼尔·沙阿说,副总裁对比研究。由于大量的交易通道,元可以考虑重大cost-to-scale基础设施,以及必要的安全协议,他说。
“我们收取企业使用WhatsApp业务平台与客户的对话,和偶尔的调整我们的产品,以更好地反映服务使用的方式和类型的信息人们选择接受,“等WhatsApp发言人在一份声明中说。
很大的影响
然而,企业主的负担增加的成本为客户获取和保留新定价模型。
“这种变化来发挥意味着我们要花更多的钱,这就是为什么我们害怕,因为它是另一个我们需要担心费用,”说,苏和Taniya Biswas合伙人Suta纺织品和纱丽服的品牌。“但我们很多依赖WhatsApp尽管油价上涨,我们必须考虑它,因为我们习惯了和我们的客户找到最简单的通道与我们保持联系。”
类似聊天的界面,再加上机会发送照片和视频,一起购物链接,使WhatsApp,“一个非常有效的营销工具,”他们补充说。
Jio Platforms-owned Haptik,为品牌创造业务商务平台在WhatsApp,机器人(自动化服务)表示,该公司为零售商创建JioMart WhatsApp允许用户完成购物。它声称收到1500日均订单,重复率68%和15%的转化率。
“这些价格变化是实质性的,考虑到广泛的WhatsApp达到业务解决方案。虽然很好,实用信息越来越便宜,与营销信息变得更加昂贵,品牌将RoI(投资回报率)在头几个月前决定一个长期战略,“说Aakrit Vaish, Haptik的创始人和首席执行官。
与此同时,一些沉睡的猫头鹰咖啡等其他小企业主说,他们将继续关注谷歌,Instagram和Facebook为主广告渠道,而WhatsApp将使用更多的谨慎和明智。”
“一个不能过度使用或滥用WhatsApp消息喜欢短信或电子邮件,因为它可以打上了,”阿尔Sood说,创始人之一昏昏欲睡的猫头鹰咖啡。“我们使用它更多作为一个会话通道,而不是宣传和营销渠道,这将不会影响我们大量。”
其他一些企业主喜欢Shiv Shankar Ganesh, Kaching的创始人。俱乐部,回报用户品牌推荐给朋友,商店,和应用程序表示,“也许是为了重置企业需要建立更多的拉自推已经饱和。”
”越来越多,我们会继续反应更少的广告,并恢复到倾听的意思是只有那些我们信任(朋友、同事,联系社会媒体),”他说。“我看好未来的口碑胜过一切。”
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