WhatsApp (███)
Free, Facebook-owned messenger app for sending text, images, video, or audio messages.
You can also include WhatsApp “share” buttons on web stories (as you would with Facebook or Twitter).
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No ads | Moderately complex sign-up process; users must message a specific number to be added to a distribution list. |
| Messages don't get lost the way they can on a Twitter feed | System can crash if many users sign up at once |
| Good for targeting audiences where the service is widespread |
Audience
This is the dominant messenger service in many places outside the U.S.,
and worldwide has more monthly users than Facebook (419 million compared
to 145 million). WhatsApp is especially popular in India, Brazil,
Mexico, as well as many places in Africa and Europe.
Pro tip: Other messenger services that are similar to WhatsApp include:
Viber, popular in various clusters outside the U.S.; Mxit, popular in South Africa; and WeChat, popular in Asia.
Case studies
Newsroom
Hurricane Irma recently devastated much of the Caribbean Islands and South Florida, leaving many places in a state of emergency. Univision manager Natalie Alvaray began sending out news bulletins with updates as the storm approached Miami. Read the full story here.
When the _New York Times _used WhatsApp, for the first time, in July 2015 to provide short text briefings on the Pope's trip to South Africa, some users received a message that the Times couldn't keep up with adding new subscribers, and never were added to the list.
During the 2014 ebola outbreak, the BBC created a WhatsApp service to provide public health information to users in West Africa. The service delivered audio content (through a partnership with SoundCloud, which helped them to set up RSS feeds in both English and French), text alerts, and images. It was a two-way channel: Users asked questions and reported on their experiences, which informed the BBC's reporting.
Additional resources
Tutorial\/help: Getting started on WhatsApp