News Publishers Find Hope in WhatsApp Amid Falling Traffic
In recent years, many digital news publishers have been on a relentless quest for a life raft amidst a turbulent sea of declining traffic and revenue. The decline in visits to news sites has been significant, which in turn has adversely affected advertising revenues that rely heavily on those clicks. This downturn has been partly attributed to major platforms like Google and Facebook, which have opted to downplay news content on their services.
However, a new opportunity has emerged for some publications: WhatsApp, the world’s most widely used messaging application. Late last year, WhatsApp launched WhatsApp Channels, a unique one-way broadcasting feature that enables publishers to send links, headlines, and updates directly to their followers. This innovation has been embraced by numerous media outlets as a strategic method to attract readers and cultivate direct relationships with an audience that is predominantly located outside the United States.
“It has become a significant source of traffic for us — in fact, it has surpassed our engagement on X,” remarked Marta Planells, the senior director of digital news at Noticias Telemundo, the news division of Telemundo. The Noticias Telemundo channel on WhatsApp experienced a remarkable growth, amassing over 30,000 followers within just the first two weeks. Today, it boasts more than 820,000 followers, according to Ms. Planells.
The news outlet has also started creating original content tailored specifically for its WhatsApp channel. This includes short videos featuring reporters on the ground and interactive polls on various news topics. “WhatsApp serves as a vital community hub for Hispanics; it’s the go-to platform for connecting with family and friends, especially for those living outside the U.S.,” she added. Notably, Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, reports that around 1.9 billion of its two billion users reside outside the United States, highlighting the global reach and potential of this platform for news dissemination.
