Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) rolls out unified Ads Manager and teases Business AI for WhatsApp Business as it seeks to deepen its hold on small-and-mid-size marketers.

Meta said businesses will soon manage WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram campaigns in one portal, using the same creative setups and budgets, a move it says will streamline cross-app marketing and reduce friction for advertisers.

• Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Sign with META.

It also introduced Business AI, a 24/7 support engine that can deliver personalized product recommendations and drive sales directly on merchant websitesan implicit challenge to chat-based commerce rivals.

Finally, Meta is adding audio and video calling plus voice-note messaging to WhatsApp Business, enhancing how companies engage customers and laying groundwork for future AI-driven voice assistants.

The announcements come as Meta battles slowing ad growth and investor skepticismshares slipped 2.87% todaywhile it seeks fresh growth engines beyond its core feeds.

At its Conversations conference in Miami, Meta touted that more than 200 million businesses use its messaging apps today, underscoring the vast addressable market for automation and analytics tools.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg has repeatedly pushed for AI-powered products as the next battleground, and Business AI signals that WhatsApp is central to his strategy.

Why It Matters: By folding WhatsApp into its broader ads ecosystem and layering in AI-powered commerce tools, Meta aims to boost ad budgets and lock in business customers resistant to rising marketing costs elsewhere.

Investors will watch for adoption metrics and any early revenue impact when Meta reports Q2 results later this month.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.