Digital Marketing: WhatsApp Status Builds Prowess

“H ello, I am Gisele, please can you save my contact so that we can view each other’s statuses?” This had been the traditional trend of business advertisement on WhatsApp, where vendors like Azah Gisele used to grow her outreach, especially as she could only view statuses of mu­ tually saved contacts. However, this all changed in June 2025, when Meta transformed the WhatsApp messaging app from the rare corner of the internet with no sponsored advertising to a vibrant hub for glo­ bally marketing goods and services, through update tabs that host status post and channels. “This is what marketers are exploring to run spon­ sored post on statuses, while private chats, group conversations, and calls remain ad-free and end-to-end en­ crypted,” Fuh Harrison, a Digital Mar­ keter told CT. He added that, Meta ads run from Meta Ads Manager. From this platform a business can place one campaign on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and What­ sApp at the same time choosing a goal. Meta then shows the ad to the people most likely to respond. Reasons why, prompted channels and status ads are now available worldwide, with potential to reach over three billion world users and over 10 million users in Cameroon. Relative to adverts being run on Meta’s varied platforms, marketers say, WhatsApp offers unique ad­ vantages relevant for investors’ re­ turn on investment (ROI). Fuh Har­ rison explained that, WhatsApp relies on broad criteria such as user's lo­ cation, language preferences, and channels they follow. “A click to WhatsApp ad opens a 72-hour win­ dow in which all messages including templates are free for advertisers. This enables direct conversation with buyers, at low entry costs of FCFA 600, 2,000, 3,000, 5,000 per ad depending on the intended out­ come, precise local targeting through meta ad manager; and measurable results through advanced tools like artificial intelligence,” he said The sponsored ads however, avail an opportunity for business owners to m...