As social media engagement increasingly shifts to messages, Meta has already flagged its intentions to maximize the business opportunities in messaging, including Click-to-Message ads and other direct connection tools.
That push will also extend to WhatsApp, and facilitating more businesses in the world’s most popular messaging platform. And on that front, today, at the first-ever WhatsApp Business Summit in Brazil, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced a new update that will enable WhatsApp users to search for businesses – by category or name – direct in the WhatsApp UI.
As you can see in this example, now, users will be able to search for businesses in a dedicated element, accessible via the search function in the app. The search function will include a mini-map so you can check out nearby businesses, along with category filters and verified business accounts, making it easier to access your various in-app shopping options.
Source: Industry Dive