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A decade and $22 billion later, Meta's big bet on messaging is finally starting to pay off

Nov 07, 2024 - businessinsider.com
Meta, formerly Facebook, is seeing a significant return on its $22 billion acquisition of WhatsApp a decade ago. The messaging app has become a key driver of non-advertising revenue growth, with WhatsApp's business messaging product allowing companies to pay for chats with customers. Despite non-ad revenue being a small fraction of the total revenue, it's growing at twice the rate of the company's ad business.

Messaging is becoming increasingly important for Meta, with more users choosing to share content in direct messages (DMs) rather than on in-app feeds. The company is also exploring ways to monetize its other messaging products, including Messenger and Instagram Direct. Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has suggested that AI could play a significant role in boosting the efficiency of the company's messaging business.

Key takeaways:

  • WhatsApp, which was bought by Facebook (now Meta) a decade ago for $22 billion, is starting to significantly contribute to Meta's non-advertising revenue growth.
  • WhatsApp's business messaging product, which allows companies to pay for chatting with customers, has been a key driver of this revenue growth.
  • Despite non-ads revenue being a small fraction of Meta's total revenue, it's growing at more than twice the rate as the company's ads business, indicating potential for further growth.
  • As more users choose to share content in direct messages (DMs) rather than on in-app feeds, turning messaging into a money maker could be a huge win for Meta.
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