Meta expands ad opportunities on WhatsApp status

Meta is enhancing its WhatsApp advertising options by allowing advertisers to display click-to-message ads that now link directly to a WhatsApp Status update instead of just a DM chat. This builds on the foundation of ads in WhatsApp Status, which Meta first introduced in June, enabling promotions to appear between full-screen user updates.

This new capability combines the two formats. As Meta stated, you can now create ads that click to WhatsApp while utilizing the Status placement. These ads will only be visible in the "Updates" tab, which is a separate space for Status and Channels, distinct from personal messages and calls. When a user taps on the ad, they are seamlessly directed into a chat with your business on WhatsApp.

In essence, this functions similarly to the existing Status ads, but users can now initiate the promotion from either Facebook or Instagram. This gives brands a larger, full-screen canvas for their message, along with a clear call-to-action to chat. It presents a powerful new way to drive engagement on WhatsApp, which has grown to over 100 million U.S. users. Given the strong performance and increasing popularity of click-to-message ads among brands, this is a significant new tool for a comprehensive Meta marketing strategy.

While this new feature is not yet available in all regions, for those who can access it, it provides more opportunities to capture attention and generate responses through DM-focused promotions.

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