WhatsApp, the instant messaging service, is developing a new feature for newsletters called "Newsletter" that allows users to create a channel to distribute content to a large group of individuals, with one-way communication. This will be a new way for users to get updates from people or groups.
This feature in WhatsApp is similar to the "Channels" feature that Meta launched on Instagram last month, which is one of the most popular features of the competing app Telegram.
According to WABetaInfo, which discovered the new feature in the beta version of WhatsApp version 2.23.5.3, this new feature will make it easier to distribute content and news through WhatsApp, without placing a maximum limit on the number of subscribers to any channel (newsletter).
This new feature is part of WhatsApp's efforts to develop ways of group communication. Last year, it launched the "Communities" feature, which aimed to facilitate communication between users and multiple groups and individuals, with up to 5,000 people at the same time.
But how does this new feature differ from the "Communities" feature, and what does it mean for WhatsApp to enter the field of newsletters? And how will brands benefit from it?
WhatsApp has more than two billion active daily users, and if a small portion of these users show interest in the newsletter feature, WhatsApp can become the largest player in the newsletter market in one month. As more people start reading newsletters, the newsletter market is also likely to grow.
How can brands benefit from the new feature? WhatsApp can provide powerful analytics for those who send these newsletters, a feature that brands can take advantage of to reach a large number of their customers. This will result in higher open rates compared to those achieved through email newsletters.
The WhatsApp message open rate exceeds 90%, while the average open rate for marketing emails is only 21.5%. Therefore, brands are expected to achieve high engagement and conversion rates from this new feature.
WhatsApp has a much larger audience base than any other platform, with higher engagement rates. This enables brands to reach a larger audience than they can through email.
There are differences between the Newsletter and Community features: the Newsletter feature differs from the Community feature in terms of the number of subscribers and the way content is broadcasted. The new experimental newsletter feature provides a communication channel for an unlimited number of subscribers, while the Community feature limits the number of participants to 5000.
Furthermore, the Newsletter feature does not allow subscribers to send messages within the communication channel, as it only allows one-way communication. However, subscribers can interact with the content through emojis and vote in polls, similar to Instagram channels. On the other hand, the Community feature allows all participants to send messages within the community.