Episode 297 - WhatsApp Business APP and API Challenges

In this episode, Jon will be sharing a method to get a phone number and utility bill that works for Meta Business account verification. This is all part of the process of being verified for your business ad accounts. To watch this training, go here: https://youtu.be/3UN-PwCXKBs

Weekly Marketing Rundown - September 25, 2026 Welcome to this week’s edition of Kavanah Media’s Weekly Marketing Rundown! We’re diving into the latest updates you need to know including the latest Next Steps Journeys Update, major updates for WhatsApp and Meta, undersea cables, and more! Enjoying the Weekly Marketing Rundown? Support our work and keep it free for missions teams worldwide: https://www.kavanahmedia.com/donatetoKM Kavanah Analytics- Webinar You're invited to a free online webinar introducing Kavanah Analytics on Monday, October 20, offered at two times to fit your team's schedule: 8:00 AM Eastern and 8:00 PM Eastern.  If your team is using digital tools to reach the lost, you already know the hard part isn't running an ad or posting a video. It's answering the questions that matter: Who responded? Did that conversation lead to a Bible study, a baptism, a disciple? Kavanah Analytics is a free tool built specifically for mission teams that automatically pulls your Facebook, Instagram, Google Ads, messaging, and follow-up data into one clear picture, so you can see the whole journey from first click to real spiritual conversation without stitching together spreadsheets or paying for enterprise software. In this one-hour session we'll show you how it works, walk through a live team dashboard, and explain how to get your own team set up at no cost.  Bring your questions, and bring whoever on your team is asking "is this actually working?"  Register at https://forms.gle/d2mLocY1MrcsazA28 and join us on October 20. kavanahanalytics.com Meta's New Subscription Plans and Link Sharing Limits Meta recently introduced new paid subscription services that, among other changes, limit free link sharing and require users to pay for basic account features. With these plans marketers, pages, brands, and others will need to subscribe to access many features that were previously unlimited, including link sharing. The new monthly plans vary in price and offer benefits such as verified account badges, AI chat assistants, and enhanced customer support. For Mission Teams For now it is an optional service and teams only need to consider a paid plan if their ministry requires features such as verified badges, expanded team access, AI auto-replies, or direct links inside organic Reels/posts. https://www.jonloomer.com/meta-one-business-plans/ Apple Releases iOS 27 to Fix Major Security Flaws Apple recently released a major software update called iOS 27 that fixes 126 different security problems on their devices. This important update stops hackers from using dangerous system flaws to break into phones and steal private information. For Mission Teams Mission teams must update their devices to ensure device and data security. https://www.esecurityplanet.com/news/news-ios-27-126-security-fixes-kernel-2026/ Meta's Muse AI Faces Blockades and Security Flaws Meta recently launched Muse, a powerful personal AI assistant designed to automate tasks like booking travel and shopping online, but it immediately faced significant roadblocks. Amazon blocked Muse from its website because it acts like a bot, and security researchers discovered a major "zero-day" vulnerability that could allow hackers to misuse the assistant's high-level access. For Mission Teams This situation warns ministries about the dangers and unpredictability of relying on new, highly privileged AI tools for digital tasks. Mission teams should prioritize secure, proven platforms and carefully evaluate new technologies before risking their accounts and seeker connections. https://about.fb.com/news/2026/09/introducing-muse-personal-ai-agent/ https://www.techrepublic.com/article/news-amazon-blocks-meta-muse/ https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/09/muse-metas-extraordinarily-privileged-ai-assistant-has-a-serious-0-day/ YouTube Shorts Introduces Episodic Series YouTube is launching a new tool that lets video creators group their short clips into organized seasons and episodes. This makes it much easier for viewers to binge-watch short stories on their phones or televisions. For Mission Teams Missionaries can strategically use this multi-part format to keep seekers engaged with ongoing gospel stories that lead them toward discipleship. https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/23/youtubes-new-short-series-feature-brings-episodic-viewing-to-shorts/ https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/made-on-youtube-creators-shorts-series-tv-features/? Meta Allows Threads Advertising Without an Instagram Account Meta now allows organizations to run ads on Threads without having an Instagram account or a matching username. This change makes it easier for brands to reach the growing Threads audience as a standalone platform. For Mission Teams Ministry teams can now launch targeted ad campaigns on Threads without needing to build and secure a separate Instagram presence. This lowers the barrier for teams that want to use Threads as another channel for outreach, event promotion, or sharing ministry resources. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/threads-advertisers-will-no-longer-need-an-instagram-account/830967/ WhatsApp Integrates Third-Party AI Agents on iOS WhatsApp is testing a new feature on iPhone that allows users to connect with and message up to five external AI agents directly within the app. These third-party conversations are not end-to-end encrypted, and agents can only view messages that users explicitly send to them. For Mission Teams Teams can add an AI platform to WhatsApp via an API. However, third-party integrations may introduce additional privacy and security risks. These conversations are also not end-to-end encrypted. Teams should consider these limitations carefully before using third-party AI tools within WhatsApp. https://wabetainfo.com/whatsapp-is-rolling-out-chats-with-third-party-agents-on-ios/ Meta Builds First Petabit Subsea Cable Meta is building a massive subsea cable named Petal to connect the United States and France with record-breaking internet speeds. By using advanced multi-core fiber technology, it will double current transatlantic data capacity without requiring extra physical infrastructure. For Mission Teams Faster global internet infrastructure means greater access to the internet worldwide, creating more opportunities to use digital engagement strategies. https://engineering.fb.com/2026/09/21/connectivity/petal-petabit-transoceanic-subsea-cable/ WhatsApp Expands Voice Message Transcriptions on Android WhatsApp is adding support for more languages to its voice message transcription feature on Android devices. The feature converts spoken audio into written text using downloadable language packs stored directly on the user's phone. For Mission Teams On-device transcription allows mission teams to review audio messages from seekers without sending sensitive voice recordings to external servers. This expanded language support helps disciple-makers quickly review voice notes in regional languages and maintain fast, personalized conversations across different cultures. https://wabetainfo.com/whatsapp-is-rolling-out-new-languages-for-voice-transcriptions/ Stay Equipped for Digital Engagement  Looking for ways to use digital tools to grow evangelism and disciple-making? Check out our other resources: Kavanah Media Blog – Learn from our experiences serving hundreds of mission teams worldwide. We share practical lessons, real stories, and best practices to help your team avoid mistakes and grow in digital outreach. Subscribe here. Jon Ralls' new book–  Check out Jon Ralls' new book The Reluctant Whisper on Amazon, where he talks of evangelism from a sales pitch into an authentic act of presence—sharing faith through story, not scripts! Check it out here. Ad Resource Store- Stumped on what ads to run next? Check out Kavanah Media's Ad Resource Store for ideas, templates and more! Digital Strategies got you stumped? Reach out anytime—we’re ready to help. Contact Us Church GAP Analysis Tool- Uncover hidden risks before they become problems. Use our Free GAP Analysis Tool to evaluate your church or non-profit’s cybersecurity, compliance, and governance today.  Kavanah Analytics- How is your digital content truly impacting lives? We created Kavanah Analytics to help churches and mission teams answer that question. Learn More Thanks for reading this edition of Kavanah Media's Weekly Marketing Rundown! For more up-to-date insights in digital marketing, make sure to follow us on Instagram @kavanah_media and stay connected through all our social media channels via the link below. https://linktr.ee/kavanah_media Authors: Jon Ralls, Cody A. and Cherry Messimer Article Published: September 25, 2026