Meta Verified introduces new features for WhatsApp that will help millions of small businesses in India. With more than 65 million small and medium-sized businesses across the country, but only a fraction of them selling online, Meta is working to expand its reach. The company is offering small businesses the Meta Verified badge and customized messaging. So WhatsApp Business wants to be part of Indian commerce, but it remains to be seen how successful this will be.
WhatsApp Business users in India can now sign up for the Meta Verified badge, a subscription service that unlocks a variety of tools designed to improve business communication. Meta Verified offers features such as the ability to create custom WhatsApp pages that can be discovered online, multi-device support, and the ability for multiple employees to manage the same business account. These features aim to streamline operations and improve customer engagement.
Meta Verified adds new features to WhatsApp Business
Meta Verified for WhatsApp Business is priced at approximately ₹639 (around $8) per month for Indian users, making it a relatively accessible option for small businesses looking to expand their online presence. In addition to the Meta Verified badge, WhatsApp Business is introducing a powerful tool for small businesses: customized messaging. For less than a rupee per message, businesses can now send personalized updates like appointment reminders, birthday wishes, and sales notifications. This feature allows small businesses to include customers’ names and offer customizable call-to-action buttons, making communication more direct and tailored.
WhatsApp Business Yatra initiative expands reach to smaller cities
WhatsApp is also taking steps to promote these new features beyond major metropolitan areas through its “WhatsApp Business Yatra” initiative. This program focuses on tier-2 and tier-3 cities, providing in-person training to help small businesses get the most out of WhatsApp Business. Through workshops, WhatsApp will train business owners on setting up accounts, creating catalogs, and even launching ads that connect directly to WhatsApp. In addition, the company plans to develop a resource center on its website to provide quick-access tutorials for business owners looking to maximize their use of WhatsApp Business.
Meta’s focus on the Indian market through WhatsApp Business and Meta Verified can be attributed to the country’s population and its large share of the pie. Because big companies are doing very few good deeds without profit motive. And people can no longer tell which is good and which is PR. Let’s hope that Meta can help here and make it easier for really small businesses to reach their customers. We will see in the coming days whether Meta’s investment, which aims to offer relatively affordable and useful tools, will pay off.
Featured image credit: Alex Gruber / Unsplash
