Zuckerberg says WhatsApp will drive sales sooner than metaverse – Software – iTnews

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees that WhatsApp and Messenger would drive the company’s next wave of sales growth, as he sought to assuage concerns about Meta’s finances after its first mass layoffs. Zuckerberg, addressing pointed questions at a company-wide meeting a week after Meta said it would lay off 11,000 workers, described the pair of messaging apps as being “very early in monetising” compared to its advertising juggernauts Facebook and Instagram, according to remarks heard by Reuters. “We talk a lot about the very long-term opportunities like the metaverse, but the reality is that business messaging is probably going to be the next major pillar of our business as we work to monetise WhatsApp and Messenger more,” he said. Meta enables some consumers to speak and transact with merchants through the chat apps, including a new feature announced Thursday in Brazil. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday’s internal forum. Zuckerberg’s comments there reflect a shift in tone and emphasis after focusing heavily on extended reality hardware and software investments since announcing a long-term ambition to build out an immersive metaverse last year. Investors have questioned the wisdom of that decision as
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