How WhatsApp Web can start the race to dethrone Slack?
One experiment that can be a game changer in the future of business communications platforms.
The most popular messaging app, WhatsApp, was founded in 2009 by Brian Acton and Jan Koum, two former employees at Yahoo. Five years later, it was bought by Facebook for US $19 billions. Ironically, in 2007, both Acton and Koum applied for jobs in Facebook but they didn’t make it.
Today, the app has more than 2 billions MAU (Monthly Active Users) and more than 60 millions downloads every month. WhatsApp is the leader in the industry followed by Facebook Messenger (its “brother in law”) and WeChat. Those two apps together might slightly overpass the MAU of WhatsApp.
Even though the penetration is huge in developing countries, the app has only a 20% of penetration in the US, its country of origin. How is this possible? First of all, in the US, carriers offer plans with unlimited texting allowing people to communicate without the need to pay extra. Secondly, iMessage (Apple) is just behind due to the large number of iPhone users in the country. It works only with Apple and if you send an iMessage to someone with Android, it will automatically be sent as SMS. Finally, when referring to OTT-apps (Over-The-Top), Facebook Messenger is the leader by far. Yes, it is a competitive market and cannibalization is not a good idea for Facebook group.
If B2C model is already taken by all the actors previously mentioned, then why not trying to enter through the B2B model? How fast is WhatsApp testing in markets that already dominates?
A couple of years ago, Facebook started WhatsApp Business, which is designed for companies that wants to engage their audience through WhatsApp. They included a “verify your business” option and released an API that opened the door for other cool apps from the industry (ie. MessageBird, Twilio, Yalo, etc). But what’s next?
Workplace collaboration platforms
When talking about organizational communication, this is a complete different world. Fast growing tools such as Slack, Discord or Teams, are accountable for more than 30 million Daily Active Users (DAU). This solutions have helped thousands of companies improving communication among employees, yet, since we all have a life beyond work or studies, we still need to pay attention to our daily ways of communication (ie. SMS, WhatsApp, iMessage, WeChat, etc). This can be very distracting.
What is the deal with WhatsApp Web?
In 2015, WhatsApp launched a desktop version that allows users to use the basic features of the app. Even though it looks like an on-going project, the extension is pretty cool when working in the computer:
- You can chat without the need to pick up your phone every minute
- Rapidly access links in desktop version
- Copy/paste info between devices
- Share files between mobile and desktop (probably an unintentional feature which in my opinion is the best)
There are a couple of features that come to my mind and could be included into this plugin. Calls through WhatsApp Web? That would be awesome. Making calls or videos through WhatsApp Web is something that might come in the future but it would not solve the penetration problem in the US for example.
A WhatsApp solution for internal communications might kill two birds with one stone
First of all, WhatsApp is already in the B2B model, and they are growing its business model in dominated markets such as South America and Africa. But their eyes are placed in the external communications. How does is going to work in the US if people do not use WhatsApp at the first place?
An internal B2B communications tool by WhatsApp would be a goal from half court. How many companies in the non-US market do not have the resources or energy to migrate everybody to a new tool (ie. Slack)? Since the company is already growing through WhatsApp Business, is creating a Slack alternative for non-US markets a real option? I can only imagine an enhanced WhatsApp Web platform thats uses different layers or tabs (ie. Work, Personal) to both separate chats and organize files.
What about the second bird? Well, assuming this is correctly positioned in non-US markets, then there is not too much to loose by trying to close deals with big corporations in the US and start receiving organic traffic increasing DAU and creating a stronger network effect. This would be just a plug-n-play by then.
Welcome to the Work Mode experiment
A two-layers WhatsApp Web version for improving performance and reducing distraction at work would be nice but first we would need to test if this is solving a real problem. The following experiment can be a quick win in WhatsApp strong markets and can rapidly answer the question: Are people willing to use more WhatsApp at work on a desktop version if non-relevant chats do not distract them?
This is a simple test that can give insights regarding the engagement of WhatsApp users in work situations. The idea is to create synergy between usages of the app (work and personal life) by keeping space and promoting privacy.
WhatsApp at work can be very distracting at work. WhatsApp Web does a great job keeping us away from mobile when working at the computer. Like it it or not, sometimes we need to answer urgent messages, but once we open that desktop version tab, it is easy to be tempted to read unnecessary chats.
The setup
Let’s go back into characters. Imagine a setup item that you can easily change from your mobile WhatsApp, which allows you to activate or deactivate a filter of chats: the Work Mode.
Then, in mobile, for every existing chat (either groups or individuals) there would be an option for applying or not this filter. In other words, the idea here is to choose which chats are you going to being hidden in WhatsApp Web. You would be able to do this in bulk mode, similar as when you delete chats.
Next, after you confirm the chats that you are going to hide in Work Mode, you won’t be able to see them in WhatsApp Web unless you either unselect that chat from the filter OR you directly deactivate the Work Mode from your mobile. The proposal is that this can help you to focus in your work while using WhatsApp in the computer without the need to answer those scary and boring characters.
Thanks for reading. Now get back to work!
by Nicolás Godoy Usón
