Re:Germany's data chief tells ministries WhatsApp is a no-go
by m_mueller on Monday May 18, 2020 @07:56AM
(#23221208)
phone number pairing is not just about familiarity - a person's phone number is still a natural contact handle to put on a signature, business card etc. Being able to then WhatsApp this person is very powerful.
Network effects is it.
> if the answer is: "but network effects", why not Facebook messenger?
This is a good point, and I'm not really sure, but some guesses:
- Branding. During it's initial growth WhatsApp was a FB alternative and FB was in decline. Even after acquisition, awareness of the ownership wasn't immediately widespread.
- Contextual app differentiation. Facebook didn't separate its messenger from it's main platform quickly enough and even when they did, they're both conceptually considered a single package. People these days like separation of contexts.
- Phone numbers. WhatsApp was hard-linked to your phone contacts from the off, making it familiar to SMS users. Facebook jumping on phone numbers has followed slowly in a less focused manner.
- Less confusion for tech-illiterate. There's no posts or pages or walls. It's just like SMS.
> it has the same reach if not greater.
Anecdotal, but I don't feel this is true anymore. I certainly know a lot more people without Facebook than without WhatsApp.