Award Winning Super connector who operates more than 500 WhatsApp groups full of some of the world's leading thought leaders and entrepreneurs.
Meta-owned WhatsApp processes about 100 billion messages every day. It's the most widely used messaging platform in the world and the perfect platform with which to grow your network.
WhatsApp is global
As a professional networker located across the pond in the United Kingdom, it never ceases to amaze me how unloved the app is in its own birthplace. I met one American recently who had not even heard of it.
While WhatsApp is globally popular, particularly in regions like Europe, Latin America, and India, its adoption in the United States has been relatively low.
Why WhatsApp adoption in USA never took off
In the U.S., unlimited SMS texting has been a standard feature in most mobile phone plans for many years. This has reduced the necessity for third-party messaging apps that provide free texting, which was one of the main attractions of WhatsApp in other regions where SMS costs were high.
WhatsApp was introduced later in the U.S. compared to other regions, and by that time, other apps had already established a strong foothold. Additionally, WhatsApp's marketing efforts were not as aggressive in the U.S. as they were in other markets.
Grow global
There are more than 3 billion reasons why Americans should use WhatsApp to grow their networks – because that’s how many people use it.
Those Americans that do use WhatsApp typically only use it when they or their friends and family are travelling overseas for the free calls and video calls.
To me, that’s a bonus.
Virtual networking using WhatsApp takes place in groups which is primarily text-driven. This is why I encourage WhatsApp rookies to start using it on their computer. I could not do what I do using the phone app alone.
WhatsApp groups are key
I operate more than 500 WhatsApp groups covering a wide range of themes and business subjects and I have spent the last few years showing Americans how to leverage its enormous global reach to grow their networks. It has opened their eyes to a whole new world they did not know existed.
However, searching for WhatsApp groups on Google is an exercise in futility: for they belong to something called ‘dark social’ – whilst I do not like the term, it is actually a good thing: it means that WhatsApp groups are private and hidden from public view.
We should all be networking
Networking is universal. We are all hard-wired to grow our tribes by engaging in this ubiquitous socio-economic activity.
At the end of the day, business boils down to people and trust. By creating a WhatsApp Group ecosystem where people feel safe to engage with one another, good things happen. Friendships are being forged.
And ultimately that’s what life’s about: relationships. Relationships with our partner, family, friends and fellow human beings in general.
Having witnessed firsthand the transformative power of WhatsApp for virtual networking, the fact that most Americans do not use it as an enormous business opportunity for me and for them.
Read more from Marc Jarrett
Marc Jarrett, Disruptive Game Changing Virtual Power Networker
Award Winning Superconnector who operates more than 500 WhatsApp groups full of some of the world's leading thought leaders and entrepreneurs. Endorsed by Meta and the United States Presidential Service Center.
