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PRD: [Monetization features of whatsapp]

JEEVAN JAI

Project:
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EDIT INFO
Team:
@Collaboration
Contributors:
Lola Tseudonym
Yuhki Yamashita
Mary Jones
TL;DR:
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Status:
@Planning
Shipping:
Sep 30, 2024

Problem Alignment

The Problem

WhatsApp currently lacks direct monetization features, which limits its revenue-generating potential despite its massive user base. To sustain and grow its services, WhatsApp needs to introduce monetization strategies that provide value to users and businesses while generating revenue.

High-level Approach

We will explore multiple revenue streams by enhancing WhatsApp's features to cater to both user and business needs. The focus will be on introducing value-added services while maintaining WhatsApp's core identity as a reliable and private messaging platform.

Goals & Success

Goal: Increase WhatsApp revenue without harming user experience.
Success Metrics:
Revenue: ARPU, monetization rate, revenue growth.
Users: Acquisition, retention, engagement, satisfaction.
Platform: Feature adoption, business adoption, stability.

Solution Alignment

Here are five potential revenue streams for WhatsApp:

Feature 1: In-App Purchases for Custom Stickers and Themes

Users desire more personalized ways to express themselves and customize their WhatsApp experience. Currently, the customization options are limited, leading to reduced user engagement and satisfaction. ​Solution:
Introduce a marketplace within WhatsApp where users can purchase custom stickers and themes. This will enhance personalization, increase user engagement, and generate revenue through in-app purchases.

User Flows:

User navigates to the "Store" tab in WhatsApp.
User browses available stickers and themes.
User selects a sticker pack or theme.
User completes the purchase using integrated payment methods.
Purchased stickers and themes are automatically added to the user's account for immediate use.
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Key Success Metrics:

Number of sticker and theme purchases
Increase in user engagement and daily active users
User satisfaction and feedback
Revenue generated from in-app purchases

Key Dependencies:

Integration with secure payment gateways
Partnerships with content creators for stickers and themes
Development of the in-app store and user interface
Legal and compliance considerations for in-app purchases

Feature 2: AI-Powered Customer Support Chatbots

Businesses using WhatsApp for customer support face challenges in managing high volumes of inquiries efficiently and providing timely responses, leading to decreased customer satisfaction. ​Solution:
Implement AI-powered customer support chatbots that can handle common customer inquiries and issues 24/7, reducing response times and improving overall customer satisfaction.

User Flows:

Business sets up the AI chatbot through the WhatsApp Business app.
Customer sends a message to the business’s WhatsApp number.
AI chatbot analyzes the message and responds with relevant information or actions.
If the inquiry is complex, the chatbot escalates it to a human representative.
Business monitors chatbot performance and customer feedback through analytics.
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Key Success Metrics:

Reduction in average response time to customer inquiries
Increase in customer satisfaction ratings
Volume of inquiries handled by the chatbot
Reduction in the workload of human customer support agents
Engagement rate with the AI chatbot

Key Dependencies:

Integration with AI and natural language processing (NLP) technologies
Training data for the AI to understand and respond to common inquiries
Development of the chatbot interface and management tools
Ensuring data privacy and compliance with regulations

Feature 3: Sponsored Content and Ads

Users are exposed to irrelevant ads and sponsored content. This leads to a negative user experience and decreased engagement with the platform.
Solution:
Implement targeted sponsored content and ads based on user preferences to enhance relevance and user experience.

User Flows:

Users set their content preferences through a profile settings page.
Ads relevant to user preferences are displayed alongside organic content.
Users can provide feedback on ads to improve relevance and quality.
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Key Success Metrics:
Click-through rates (CTR) on sponsored content.
User satisfaction ratings related to ad relevance.
Increase in overall user engagement metrics.
Frequency of content updates.
Revenue generated from sponsored content.

Key Dependencies:

Integration with user data analytics.
Compliance with data privacy regulations.
Collaboration with ad partners for content delivery.
Development of user preference settings interface.
Scalability of content management system.

Feature 4: Virtual Events and Webinars

Businesses struggle to efficiently host engaging virtual events and webinars due to technical complexities and lack of user interaction.
Solution:
Implement a robust virtual events and webinars platform that enhances attendee engagement through interactive features and seamless user experience.

User Flows:

Users browse upcoming events and webinars, register, and receive confirmation via email.
Attendees join events through a personalized link, interact with speakers via live Q&A and polls, and network with other participants.
Organizers manage event logistics, including scheduling, attendee management, and post-event analytics.
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Key Success Metrics:
Increase in attendee registration and participation rates.
Higher engagement levels during events measured by interactions like Q&A and polls.
Positive feedback ratings from attendees on event experience.
Growth in repeat attendees and referrals from satisfied participants.
Decrease in technical issues and seamless platform performance during events.

Key Dependencies:

Integration with reliable streaming and video conferencing technologies.
Development of interactive features like live Q&A, polls, and networking tools.
Scalable infrastructure to handle varying event sizes and attendee numbers.
Implementation of robust security measures to protect attendee data and event content.
Compliance with data privacy regulations and industry standards.

Feature 5: Multiplayer Games

Users lack access to a diverse range of simple multiplayer games that are both creative and enjoyable, impacting engagement and user retention.
Solution:
Implement a games section offering multiple creative and enjoyable multiplayer games to enhance user interaction and satisfaction.

User Flows:

Users browse and select multiplayer games from a curated selection.
Players invite friends or join random matches for multiplayer gaming sessions.
Game sessions include features like chat, leaderboards, and in-game rewards for enhanced engagement.
Players provide feedback and ratings to improve game quality and selection.
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Key Success Metrics:

Increase in daily active users (DAU) and session lengths within the games section.
Growth in multiplayer game downloads and installations.
Positive user feedback ratings and reviews on gameplay experience.
Number of active multiplayer game sessions per day.
Revenue generated through in-game purchases and advertisements.

Key Dependencies:

Development of multiplayer game mechanics and integration with gaming servers.
Design and implementation of user-friendly game interfaces and controls.
Integration with social features like friend invites, chat functionalities, and leaderboards.
Compliance with gaming industry regulations and standards for fair play and data protection.
Collaboration with game developers for continuous updates and new game releases.

Launch Readiness

Key Milestones

Launch readiness schedule for multiple app features including internal testing, beta phases, and public launch on September 30, 2024.
Feature
Date
Milestone
Audience
Description
1
In-App Purchases for Custom Stickers and Themes
Fri, Jul 12
Dogfood 🐶
Internal employees only
Testing internally
2
Tue, Jul 30
Beta 👥
Early cohort of 100 customers
Getting user feedback
3
Sat, Aug 10
Launch! 🚀
Gradual ramp over the day to 100% of all users
It's the big day!
4
AI-Powered Customer Support Chatbots
Tue, Jul 23
Dogfood 🐶
Internal employees only
Testing internally
5
Thu, Aug 1
Beta 👥
Early cohort of 100 customers
Getting user feedback
6
Mon, Aug 12
Launch! 🚀
Gradual ramp over the day to 100% of all users
It's the big day!
7
Sponsored Content and Ads
Wed, Jul 31
Dogfood 🐶
Internal employees only
Testing internally
8
Sat, Aug 10
Beta 👥
Early cohort of 100 customers
Getting user feedback
9
Thu, Aug 15
Launch! 🚀
Gradual ramp over the day to 100% of all users
It's the big day!
10
Virtual Events and Webinars
Tue, Aug 20
Dogfood 🐶
Internal employees only
Testing internally
11
Tue, Aug 27
Beta 👥
Early cohort of 100 customers
Getting user feedback
12
Thu, Sep 12
Launch! 🚀
Gradual ramp over the day to 100% of all users
It's the big day!
13
Multiplayer Games
Fri, Aug 30
Dogfood 🐶
Internal employees only
Testing internally
14
Thu, Sep 12
Beta 👥
Early cohort of 100 customers
Getting user feedback
15
Mon, Sep 30
Launch! 🚀
Gradual ramp over the day to 100% of all users
It's the big day!
There are no rows in this table

Launch Checklist

Make sure you answer all of the questions below and involve necessary stakeholders.
Features
Area
Question
Answer
Instructions if "Yes” (or unsure)
In-App Purchases for Custom Stickers and Themes
Support
Will this feature require new support processes, like saved replies?
Yes
Talk to the Support team.
Growth & Data
Have you implemented sufficient tracking in order to measure success, risks and impact on user behavior for the new feature?
No
Involve your data counterpart to make sure feature is well instrumented.
Marketing
Are we running a Beta for this?
Talk to the PMM team.
Platform
Are you introducing new functionality that we’d want to add to our Web or Plugin APIs?
Yes
The general expectation is that the feature team builds these capabilities into these APIs. Talk to the Platform team if you have questions.
Security & Privacy
Are you introducing new data models, or exposing new API end points? Or are you changing anything to do with Authentication, Sign in, or Sign up? Is data flowing to a new vendor or outside of Figma prod ?
Yes
Talk with the Security team.
Features
Area
Question
Answer
Instructions if "Yes” (or unsure)
AI-Powered Customer Support Chatbots
Support
Will this feature require new support processes (e.g., saved replies)?
Yes
Talk to the Support team.
Growth & Data
Could this impact Growth numbers? (E.g., impact to response times)
No
Let the Growth team know. Consider running this as an A/B if you haven’t already.
Marketing
Are we running a Beta for this?
Talk to the PMM team.
Security & Privacy
Do we need an onboarding experience for users interacting with the chatbots?
Yes
Talk with the Security team.
Features
Area
Question
Answer
Instructions if "Yes” (or unsure)
Sponsored Content and Ads
Support
Will this feature require updates to support processes (e.g., handling ad-related inquiries)?
No
Talk to the Support team.
Growth & Data
Have you implemented tracking to measure ad performance and revenue impact?
Yes
Involve your data counterpart to make sure feature is well instrumented.
Marketing
Do we need new onboarding experiences for advertisers?
Talk to the PMM team.
Platform
Are there new functionalities impacting our ad-serving APIs or integrations?
Yes
The general expectation is that the feature team builds these capabilities into these APIs. Talk to the Platform team if you have questions.
Features
Area
Question
Answer
Instructions if "Yes” (or unsure)
Virtual Events and Webinars
Support
Will new support processes be required for managing event registrations and technical support during events?
No
Talk to the Support team.
Growth & Data
Have you implemented tracking to measure attendee engagement and event success metrics?
Yes
Involve your data counterpart to make sure feature is well instrumented.
Marketing
Do we need specialized onboarding experiences for event organizers and attendees?
Talk to the PMM team.
Platform
Are there new functionalities affecting our event management APIs or integrations?
Yes
The general expectation is that the feature team builds these capabilities into these APIs. Talk to the Platform team if you have questions.
Features
Area
Question
Answer
Instructions if "Yes” (or unsure)
Multiplayer Games
Support
Will new support processes be required for managing event registrations and technical support during events?
No
Talk to the Support team.
Growth & Data
Have you implemented tracking to measure attendee engagement and event success metrics?
Yes
Involve your data counterpart to make sure feature is well instrumented.
Marketing
Do we need specialized onboarding experiences for event organizers and attendees?
Talk to the PMM team.
Platform
Are there new functionalities impacting our ad-serving APIs or integrations?
Yes
The general expectation is that the feature team builds these capabilities into these APIs. Talk to the Platform team if you have questions.

Suggestions

Considering all the features, here are some suggestions to keep in mind:
Integration and Compatibility: Ensure each feature integrates smoothly with existing systems and platforms, such as APIs, plugins, and data management tools. This reduces the risk of disruptions and ensures a seamless user experience.
User Experience (UX) Optimization: Focus on optimizing the user journey for each feature. This includes intuitive design, clear onboarding processes, and responsive support channels to enhance user satisfaction and engagement.
Data-Driven Decision Making: Implement robust tracking and analytics for each feature to measure performance metrics effectively. Use these insights to iterate and improve features continuously based on user behavior and feedback.
Security and Compliance: Prioritize data privacy and security across all features. Ensure compliance with relevant regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA) and maintain transparency in data handling practices to build trust with users and stakeholders.
Scalability and Future-Proofing: Design features with scalability in mind to accommodate future growth and evolving user needs. Plan for scalability through flexible architecture, efficient resource management, and strategic roadmaps for future enhancements.
By focusing on these points, we can enhance the implementation, usability, and success of each feature while mitigating risks and maximizing their impact on user satisfaction and business outcomes.
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