Latest news with #monetization
Bloomberg
9 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Tencent Music Shares Double on Break From China Price Cut Script
China tech investors weary of the nation's relentless price competition can look to one pocket that's thriving by moving in the opposite direction: online music. Hong Kong-listed shares of Tencent Music Entertainment Group and smaller rival NetEase Cloud Music Inc. have more than doubled since the end of 2023, outperforming most Chinese internet peers. That's come as they shift to focus on monetization of their loyal user bases while beefing up their podcast and live event offerings.
CNA
12 hours ago
- Business
- CNA
Commentary: WhatsApp's ‘no ads' promise meets Meta's reality
LONDON: It's hard to think of a more extraordinary business deal than Facebook's US$19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp in February 2014. Its creators were outliers. With a lean staff of just a few dozen people, they had no marketing department, no sign on the door, and had spent zero cents from their sole investor, Sequoia Capital. But WhatsApp had 450 million users, mostly outside the US. Founders Jan Koum and Brian Acton also hated ads. They'd spent a combined 20 years working at Yahoo, bonding over their frustration with a business model that sucked up personal data to show us pop-ups. Building ad systems was 'depressing', Koum told me in an interview in mid-2014. But not too depressing to sell their chat service to online ad magnate Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta Platforms, just a few months later. Eight of WhatsApp's roughly 50 employees made more than US$100 million off that deal, while Koum gained a net worth of US$6.8 billion. This week, just over a decade later, ads are finally coming to WhatsApp. They'll appear in its Updates (formerly Status) tab, where users post images and videos. Advertisers will also be able to promote Channels there and collect thousands of followers. Meta described the rollout as 'gradual', suggesting WhatsApp users will start to see ads over the coming weeks and months. "THIS TIME IT'S FOR REAL" Zuckerberg has long been under pressure to monetise WhatsApp, a prominent cash sink whose user base has soared to more than 3 billion but which has yet to pay its own way. Now, with Meta's costly push into artificial intelligence (AI), including a US$14.3 billion investment in data labelling startup Scale AI, the company is moving on the last big piece of real estate it can squeeze cash from. (Meta had already begun monetising WhatsApp through business messaging tools and click-to-WhatsApp ads on Facebook and Instagram, but this is the first time ads are appearing inside WhatsApp itself.) Ads fly in the face of what WhatsApp's founders wanted. For a few years after his extraordinary sale, Koum resisted efforts inside Facebook to feature ads on WhatsApp, his co-founder Acton later told me, while Acton himself tried to convince Sheryl Sandberg, then the company's chief operating officer, to introduce a metered-user model. His idea was to charge users a tiny amount, perhaps a tenth of a cent, after a certain large number of free messages were expended and monetise WhatsApp that way. Sandberg stuck by the ad model that already allowed Facebook to print money for years, telling Acton that his idea wouldn't scale. By the time he left the company, Acton knew that he couldn't stop the inevitable. 'At the end of the day, I sold my company,' he said. Still, both internal and public resistance to ads has been enough to make Meta's monetisation plans for WhatsApp a fitful journey over the last decade. Meta's chief marketing officer, Alex Schultz, admitted on LinkedIn that the company had announced ads a few times already. 'This time it's for real,' he added. TECH'S PUREST IDEALS Meta first publicly announced its intention to bring ads to WhatsApp Status in November 2018, then put the plans on hold and nixed them in 2020, before announcing in 2023 that the rollout was back on. The U-turns are down to the staunch views of WhatsApp's founders, who infused company culture even after they vested their stock options and left Meta. WhatsApp users are also accustomed to a clean, ad-free app that keeps their conversations private with end-to-end encryption. When the company tweaked its privacy terms in 2021 to add more business-messaging features, many ditched it for rival apps like Signal and Telegram. Meta had to move slowly. Now it's trying to make up for lost time. It will target ads based on users' country or city, channels they follow and how they interact with ads they see on Status or on sister apps Facebook and Instagram if their accounts are linked. That's less invasive than the targeting done on Facebook or Instagram, but it's still a form of clutter that WhatsApp's founders abhorred. And Zuckerberg could still push for deeper insights as revenue from Status starts to pour in. According to Schultz, 1.5 billion users visit the feature everyday. Meta's investors can rest easy knowing the company has yet another platform to capitalise on as Zuckerberg spends heavily on AI. The rest of us have yet another reminder that tech's most important visionaries can sometimes be as naive as they are idealistic. Sam Altman's efforts to start OpenAI as a nonprofit that lived off donations from benevolent billionaires was arguably a pipe dream, hence his eventual partnership with Microsoft. DeepMind's Demis Hassabis spent years trying to break away from Alphabet's Google, believing the search giant would be willing to spin off a valuable AI lab after spending US$650 million on it. In the end, he was wrong and his company was drawn deeper into Google. Koum and Acton were similarly guileless to think they could sell WhatsApp to one of the world's biggest advertising businesses and avoid ads. Of course, US$19 billion can make even the purest ideals go quiet. In the end, money talks.
Forbes
19 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
5 ChatGPT Prompts To Turn Your Expertise Into Passive Income
5 ChatGPT prompts to turn your expertise into passive income Every day you don't find ways of monetizing your expertise with passive revenue streams, someone with half your knowledge makes twice your income. They package mediocre insights into products that thousands of people buy, while you struggle with perfectionism and don't publish anything. They're not smarter than you. They just took action. What if your knowledge worked for you 24/7, earning while you sleep? You know your stuff. You already have everything needed to build income streams that multiply without you, and ChatGPT can help. Copy, paste and edit the square brackets in ChatGPT, and keep the same chat window open so the context carries through. You already solved problems others pay thousands to fix. Someone desperately needs that solution you take for granted, and they need it now. Your imposter syndrome is costing you money and it needs to stop. Create a course, ebook, or template from what you already know. Attack one specific problem really well. When I sold my agency, buyers didn't care about my credentials. They paid for the systems I'd documented. "Based on what you know about my expertise and the problems I solve, help me identify my most valuable knowledge to package. Ask me 3 questions about challenges I've overcome that others still face. Then create an outline for a digital product that solves one specific problem really well. Include the transformation it provides, 5 key modules, and how to price it based on the value delivered. Ask for more detail if required." Manual work is a trap disguised as dedication, and you can never get that time back. Build systems that sell and deliver without you. Set up email sequences, payment processing, and customer support. make your income truly passive when you let technology handle repetition. Create once, profit forever. The work happens upfront, the rewards compound daily. "Create a complete automation blueprint for my passive income product. Map out the entire customer experience from discovery to delivery. Include specific tools for payment processing, email sequences, file delivery, and basic customer support. Give me 5 key automations to implement first that will save the most time. Before starting, ask for more detail, including information about my ideal customer and dream business model." Everything you offer for free needs to be connected to what you actually sell. Give value first, then ask them to buy. Make your free stuff so good they can't imagine missing your paid content. Strategic generosity builds empires when you put a strategy behind it. Make every touchpoint move someone closer to becoming a customer. "Based on what you know about my target audience and main offering, design 5 strategic pieces of free content that lead naturally to my paid product. Each should solve a small part of the bigger problem my product addresses. Include specific topics, formats (blog post, video, template, etc.), and how each piece pre-sells my main offer without being pushy. Ask for more detail if required." Time for money has a ceiling, and products have a shelf life, but communities have infinite potential. Build a membership or mastermind around your product where customers teach each other. Every hour you put in is multiplied because hundreds of people can experience your value at once. Your best members support each other, and you're at the centre of all that gold. Set the culture, establish the framework, and invite people in. Get ideas for your community theme with AI. "Based on what you know about my expertise and ideal customers, design a scalable community model that generates recurring revenue. Include the community concept, structure, member benefits, pricing tiers, and how members will help each other succeed. Suggest 3 ways to make the community valuable even when I'm not actively participating. Ask for more detail if required." Most people overlook licensing, but it could be right for you. Teach others to do what you do and take a percentage, so your processes become profit for someone else. They white label your knowledge-based product, they build their own community, they pay you a fee. Other people doing the delivery means your income has no limits. Licensees handle clients, and you collect royalties. See if it's possible within your existing expertise and field. "Based on what you know about my unique methods and target market, create a licensing strategy that lets others profit from my expertise. Outline how to package my process for others to deliver, suggested revenue split models, and 3 types of professionals who would want to license my method. Include quality control measures to protect my reputation. Ask for more detail if required." Your knowledge deserves better and you know you could do more with it. Turn expertise into products people buy on repeat. Build automations that work harder than you ever could. Create content that attracts buyers while you sleep. Expand into communities where success multiplies itself. License methods that scale beyond your personal capacity. Stop planning. Start packaging. Your future self will wonder why you waited so long. Access all my best ChatGPT content prompts.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Roblox momentum is building for long-term growth, says analyst
-- Roblox's content and monetization strategy is gaining traction, setting the stage for sustained long-term growth, according to Oppenheimer. The firm reiterated its Outperform rating on Roblox and raised its price target to $125 from $80 a share, citing growing confidence in the platform's user engagement and monetization roadmap. 'Increasing content velocity, robust technology infrastructure, global reach, and a deep bench of under-utilized monetization features make RBLX a compelling investment,' Oppenheimer analysts wrote. Despite a 76% stock price increase since April 10, the firm believes there is still more upside. This week, Oppenheimer hosted virtual fireside chats with five leading Roblox studios. Among them was Splitting Point Studios, the developer behind Grow a Garden, which Oppenheimer said became the world's most popular game over the past weekend. "Based on conversations with studio leaders, it is clear that Roblox's recommendation algorithm has evolved to rapidly identify new trends and content creators, and scale them to a growing global user base at a faster pace," said Oppenheimer. These discussions reinforced analyst optimism about Roblox's 'sustainable user growth momentum, rewarded ad revenue potential, and long-term market share gain potential from other gaming platforms.' Oppenheimer now sees upside to both its second-quarter 2025 and full-year 2026 estimates. The firm declared, 'Momentum is building for long-term growth,' and that it believes Roblox is well-positioned to grow its share of the global gaming market over the coming years. Related articles Roblox momentum is building for long-term growth, says analyst Uber and Lyft stock fall after Waymo applies for NYC testing permit Amex likely to hike Platinum card fees as Chase ups the ante, says BofA Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Geeky Gadgets
2 days ago
- Business
- Geeky Gadgets
How to Build a Successful AI App in 3 Essential Steps
What if the next big AI app—the one that transforms industries and generates millions—could come from you? In a world where artificial intelligence is reshaping everything from healthcare to entertainment, the opportunity to build a profitable AI app has never been more accessible. Yet, with over 2.7 million apps competing for attention in app stores, success isn't just about having a great idea. It's about solving real problems, creating seamless user experiences, and implementing smart monetization strategies. The good news? You don't need to be a tech giant to make it happen. With a clear roadmap, even a small team or solo entrepreneur can turn an AI concept into a revenue-generating reality. Corbin Brown breaks down the three essential steps to building an AI app that not only works but thrives in the market. You'll discover how to pinpoint unmet market needs, use innovative AI technologies, and design a product that users can't live without. But we won't stop there—monetization strategies are just as critical, and we'll explore how to balance user satisfaction with profitability. Whether you're an experienced developer or someone with a vision for how AI can solve everyday challenges, this guide will equip you with the tools to create something impactful. After all, the most successful apps aren't just built—they're strategically designed to make a difference. How to Build Profitable AI Apps Step 1: Identify Market Needs The foundation of any successful AI app lies in addressing a genuine market need. Without solving a real problem, even the most advanced app will struggle to gain traction. To identify opportunities, consider the following: Research User Pain Points: Investigate the challenges faced by specific user groups or industries. For instance, healthcare professionals may require tools to streamline administrative tasks, while e-commerce businesses might benefit from AI-driven personalized recommendations to enhance customer experiences. Investigate the challenges faced by specific user groups or industries. For instance, healthcare professionals may require tools to streamline administrative tasks, while e-commerce businesses might benefit from AI-driven personalized recommendations to enhance customer experiences. Analyze Industry Trends: Stay updated on emerging technologies and market shifts. The growing popularity of generative AI, for example, has created opportunities for apps focused on creativity, such as content generation platforms or design assistants. Stay updated on emerging technologies and market shifts. The growing popularity of generative AI, for example, has created opportunities for apps focused on creativity, such as content generation platforms or design assistants. Spot Gaps in Existing Solutions: Examine where current products fall short. Can AI provide a faster, more cost-effective, or efficient solution? Identifying these gaps can help you carve out a niche in the market. By aligning your app's purpose with the needs of your target audience, you increase its potential to attract users and differentiate itself in a crowded marketplace. Step 2: Develop the AI App Once you've identified a market need, the next step is to create an app that delivers tangible value. This involves both technical development and a focus on user-centric design to ensure your product meets expectations. Select the Right AI Technologies: Choose technologies that directly address the identified problem. For example, machine learning is ideal for analyzing large datasets, natural language processing powers chatbots, and computer vision interprets images or videos. Ensure the technology you select is scalable to support future growth and evolving user needs. Choose technologies that directly address the identified problem. For example, machine learning is ideal for analyzing large datasets, natural language processing powers chatbots, and computer vision interprets images or videos. Ensure the technology you select is scalable to support future growth and evolving user needs. Focus on User-Friendly Design: Even the most powerful app will fail if users find it difficult to navigate. Prioritize simplicity, accessibility, and intuitive design. For instance, a chatbot should provide clear, concise responses and adapt seamlessly to user inputs, making sure a smooth experience. Even the most powerful app will fail if users find it difficult to navigate. Prioritize simplicity, accessibility, and intuitive design. For instance, a chatbot should provide clear, concise responses and adapt seamlessly to user inputs, making sure a smooth experience. Test and Refine: Conduct usability testing with a diverse group of users to identify potential issues. Testing ensures the app functions as intended, aligns with user expectations, and reduces the likelihood of post-launch problems. A well-designed app not only attracts users but also keeps them engaged, increasing its long-term value and potential for success. How to Build an AI App That Makes Money Watch this video on YouTube. Unlock more potential in AI app development by reading previous articles we have written. Step 3: Implement Monetization Strategies With your app ready for launch, the final step is to determine how it will generate revenue. Selecting the right monetization model is critical to balancing user satisfaction with profitability. Here are some common approaches: Subscription-Based Models: Offer tiered plans with varying levels of access to features. This model is particularly effective for apps that provide ongoing value, such as productivity tools, educational platforms, or fitness trackers. Offer tiered plans with varying levels of access to features. This model is particularly effective for apps that provide ongoing value, such as productivity tools, educational platforms, or fitness trackers. Freemium Models: Provide a basic version of the app for free, with premium features available for purchase. This approach allows users to experience the app's value before committing financially, increasing the likelihood of conversions. Provide a basic version of the app for free, with premium features available for purchase. This approach allows users to experience the app's value before committing financially, increasing the likelihood of conversions. One-Time Purchases: Charge a single upfront fee for access to the app. This model works well for standalone tools, such as photo editors, calculators, or specialized utilities. Charge a single upfront fee for access to the app. This model works well for standalone tools, such as photo editors, calculators, or specialized utilities. Advertising: Integrate non-intrusive ads to generate revenue without directly charging users. This strategy is commonly used in entertainment and gaming apps, where user engagement is high. In addition to selecting a revenue model, pricing strategies play a crucial role. Research competitors to determine a price point that balances affordability with profitability. Offering free trials, discounts, or introductory pricing can help attract early adopters and build a loyal user base. Building Long-Term Success Creating a profitable AI app requires a combination of technical expertise, market insight, and strategic planning. By identifying real-world needs, developing a user-friendly and functional product, and implementing effective monetization strategies, you can position your app for long-term success. A well-executed AI app not only solves meaningful problems but also delivers value to users while generating sustainable revenue. With a clear focus and thoughtful execution, your app can thrive in the competitive AI marketplace. Media Credit: Corbin Brown Filed Under: AI, Guides Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
