Ramadan is not only a spiritual moment but also one of the most anticipated business peak seasons in Pakistan, presenting a huge opportunity for Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs). Messaging is the best way for people and businesses to get business done — from asking and answering questions to discussing products and finalizing a purchase. From changing customer habits and surging pre-iftar orders to heightened demand ahead of Eid-al-Fitr, businesses need to be ready to act fast.

Here are 10 WhatsApp Business features to help SMBs get ready to capitalize on the full potential of Ramadan this year.

1. Build Instant Credibility with a Full Business Profile and updated Ramadan Hours

During this busy time, customers need fast reassurance. A complete WhatsApp Business profile with your description, category, address, and contact information instantly establishes credibility, turning curious customers into confident buyers. Crucially, your operating hours may change to accommodate iftar or prayer times, so update your business hours to prevent frustrated customers from messaging during non-operational times and direct them to contact you when you’re available.

Never miss an opportunity: Keep Customers Informed with Updated Ramadan Hours

Your operating hours may change to accommodate iftar or prayer times. Updating your business hours prevents frustrated customers from messaging during non-operational times and directs them to contact you when you’re available.

3. The Instant Welcome: Acknowledge Every Customer with Automatic Greetings

Don’t let high chat volume during peak hours leave customers hanging. An instant greeting message ensures a customer’s message is acknowledged immediately, making customers feel valued even before you have had a chance to reply.

To enable automatic greeting messages, go to the Features tab, select Greeting messages, and turn on Send greetings. In the Message section, edit the greeting text to suit your business needs, then save the changes. SMBs can also choose who receives the gr eeting by selecting Recipients and setting it to be sent to all customers or specific contacts.

4. From Order Chaos to Calm: Sort your surge with Labels

The Ramadan order rush can be overwhelming. Use Labels to instantly categorize chats by status (e.g., ‘Paid – Ready for Shipping,’ ‘Eid Hamper Inquiry,’ ‘Iftar Menu’) and add different colours so you can prioritize and manage the increased volume efficiently. Note: Some businesses may now see Lists instead of Labels.

5. Turbo-Charge Your Service: Answer Common Questions in a Flash with Quick Replies

Stop typing the same answer repeatedly for FAQs like “What’s the price?” or “How long is delivery?” Create message shortcuts with Quick replies to maintain lightning-fast response times, essential during the Ramadan rush.

6. A Shop Window in Chat: Let Customers Browse Your Ramadan Catalog

Display all your Iftar packages, Eid hampers and special bundles directly in the chat. A clear, visual catalog lets customers shop and choose without leaving WhatsApp, leading to faster sales. And keep your products organized with collections so it’s easier for your customers to browse your offerings and find something to buy.

7. Flash Sales, Fast Decisions: Use Status for Limited-Time Ramadan Offers

Customers in Pakistan especially love Status. Use it to create urgency and excitement by sharing limited-time discounts or last-minute Iftar bundles, driving faster purchase decisions.

8. Attract more Customers with Click-to-WhatsApp Ads

Don’t just generate chats—drive revenue. Utilize Ads that Click to WhatsApp to find high-potential customers on Facebook and Instagram, turning ad spend into direct, measurable sales this Ramadan.

8. Drive Authority and Trust with Meta Verified

Build confidence and authority with new audiences this Ramadan with a Meta Verified subscription. It not only safeguards your brand against impersonation but also unlocks essential advertising and engagement tools. The verified badge can be prominently displayed across your call tabs, business profile and context cards, instantly reassuring customers.

10. Scale Your Reach: Re-Engage Audiences with Business Broadcasts

As your business scales, leverage the power of Business Broadcasts to send messages to multiple customers simultaneously. This capability efficiently re-engages your audience, improving message response rates and strengthening customer relationships.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has confirmed that all spectrum awarded in the 5G auction will be assigned in contiguous blocks, addressing concerns about spectrum fragmentation during the assignment stage.

PTA said the assignment stage will determine the exact frequency positions within each spectrum band. Bidders will compete for relative positions such as bottom, middle, or top of the band, rather than specific frequency values.

According to the authority, when multiple bidders win spectrum within the same band, the exact frequencies for bidders placed in the middle will depend on the outcomes of other bidders’ assignments. PTA clarified that bidders competing for middle positions will not know their exact frequency locations at the time of bidding, as these depend on which bidders secure the top or bottom positions.

This assignment structure will apply across the spectrum bands, including the 2600 MHz and 3500 MHz ranges.

PTA also confirmed that any unallocated spectrum in the 3500 MHz band will be placed at the top of the band, defined as the highest available frequencies below 3580 MHz. For other bands, the placement of unsold spectrum will follow predefined rules set out in the Information Memorandum.

The authority said the assignment stage will follow the same pricing principles as the allocation stage. Assignment prices will be charged in addition to allocation prices, with opening prices set at zero.

OpenAI said Monday it has started testing advertisements in the US for users on its Free and Go subscription tiers.

The Go plan, priced at $8 per month in the US, is OpenAI’s newest low-cost subscription and was introduced globally in mid-January.

Users on paid plans, including Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education tiers, will not see ads, the company said.

In a blog post, OpenAI said advertising would not affect how ChatGPT responds to users and that conversations would remain private from advertisers.

The company said ads are intended to support broader access to more advanced ChatGPT features while maintaining user trust, particularly for personal or sensitive use cases.

Anthropic Mocks OpenAI

The decision, which OpenAI announced last month, became the target of ridicule in a series of Super Bowl commercials aired Sunday by rival AI company Anthropic.

The ads portrayed AI chatbots delivering advice alongside poorly targeted advertisements, using glassy-eyed actors to suggest how advertising could disrupt the user experience if poorly integrated.

OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman responded forcefully to the commercials, calling them dishonest and describing Anthropic as an authoritarian company.

Consumers have so far shown resistance to ads appearing in AI responses. OpenAI faced backlash late last year after testing app suggestions that some users viewed as unwanted advertisements.

Despite the pushback, OpenAI continues to look for ways to generate revenue to offset the high costs of developing AI systems and expanding its business.

How Ads Will Be Shown and Managed

OpenAI said ads will be clearly labeled as sponsored and kept separate from organic chatbot responses. The company denied that ads would influence answers, saying placement would be optimized based on what is most helpful to users.

In testing, ads have been matched to conversation topics, past chats, and previous ad interactions. For example, users researching recipes may see ads for grocery delivery services or meal kits.

OpenAI said advertisers will not receive access to individual user data and will only see aggregate performance metrics such as views and clicks.

User Controls

Users will be able to view and clear their ad interaction history, dismiss ads, submit feedback, see why an ad was shown, and manage personalization settings.

Ads will not be shown to users under 18 and will not appear near sensitive or regulated topics, including health, politics, or mental health.