Facebook announced that it is building a Yellow Pages-like feature in WhatsApp, allowing users to search for information on local businesses.
After the introduction of the Shopping button and payments in the app, this is the umpteenth move with which Mark Zuckerberg intends to expand the use of the messaging client, bringing it to the territories of real e-commerce.
The CEO announced the feature in a post on Facebook: "We are building a modern version of the Yellow Pages in WhatsApp, where you can search and contact local companies directly from the app. The launch of the first version is today, in the territory of Sao Paulo in Brazil and soon elsewhere ". According to Reuters, WhatsApp will include in the corporate directory section, thousands of businesses in categories such as food, retail and services. Matt Idema, Facebook's vice president of business messaging, said India and Indonesia are the next candidates to expand the feature.
The novelty also opens a chapter relating to announcements. WhatsApp, unlike Facebook and Instagram, does not show any type of advertising however, Idema has not ruled out the possibility that in the future, among the chats, advertisements sponsored by local companies may appear. "There is definitely a strategy, ads are the main business model for Facebook, and in the long run I think they will be part of the world of WhatsApp in one form or another." To date, according to the company, around one million advertisers use the "click to WhatsApp" buttons on Facebook and Instagram pages to get users to chat directly with them. (HANDLE).