The social media platform WeChat is the natural first step for
brands expanding into the Chinese market.
I wrote this article for marketers interested in conducting
WeChat campaigns, and starting their journey into this enormous
market of potential customers.
What is WeChat?
The platform WeChat (Weixin 微信 in Chinese) was released in
January 2011 by tech giants ”Tencent” in China.
The application is a smartphone app as well as an online
platform. It has several features including instant messaging,
voice/video calls and audio messaging services.
WeChat has evolved significantly from its humble origins as an
instant messaging app. It is now the number one social network in
China. It provides a platform where users can share pictures,
videos (WeChat Sights) and updates named ”Moments” (akin to a
Facebook status).
The younger generation primarily communicate via WeChat, the
traditional text message from a mobile phone is essentially
redundant.
The app also provides many location-based services such as food
delivery, online taxi ordering (like Didi/Uber) and a location
sharing mapping system.
It also comes with WeChat Wallet which users can link with their
Chinese bank account. The Wallet system enables WeChat users to pay
in thousands of shops, restaurants and for services all across
China with their smartphone using either the QR code system, or
WeChat pay as well as WeChat red envelopes (Hongbao).
It is proving to be a truly revolutionary social network with
growth now all across Asia. The most phenomenal aspect to consider
is that the user rarely leaves this single application. You can
also have your own website or app running inside the application.
This opens the door for e-stores and interactive WeChat pages.
The Chinese now prefer services offered directly through WeChat
so this can be utilized. Pages and stores can be quite easily
customized, curated and continually updated.
For professionals, WeChat offers a place to advertise products
and/or services using a follower based system. The Official Account
system allows users to subscribe in order to promote content to
fans and offer them a variety of services.
WeChat is also considered as one of the major online advertising
platforms in China alongside Baidu and
Weibo (literal translation ‘micro-blog’). For companies the
potential of this increasingly international platform is truly
extraordinary. The figures below regarding its huge potential and
growth serve to demonstrate this.
WeChat facts and statistics
Since its launch in 2011, WeChat has had over 1.1 billion
registered accounts and 732 million users (570 million of which use
it on a daily basis).
The Chinese people predominantly are using their phones for
several key purposes. These range from paying in stores,
transferring money, playing mobile games, booking taxis & tickets,
chatting, sharing content and purchasing products.
WeChat data shows that over 639 million users access the
platform via their phone. More than 200 million users have their
bank card linked to their WeChat account and over 83% of WeChat
users purchase online products through the platform. These figures
really display the importance of WeChat in
the Chinese market.
The Chinese market is currently going through a significant
transformation, new technologies have led marketing practices into
another era in China.
The traditional brick-and-mortar shops are gradually declining
with Chinese consumers less interested in physical retail. The
younger generation are becoming internet experts and
high-tech-savvy consumers, their purchasing habits shifting towards
more efficient and convenient consumer processes.
The use of a smartphone to purchase any kind of product online
has been growing rapidly in recent years, particularly with crowded
and congested urban areas in China dissuading high street
shoppers.
WeChat currently has over 10,000 active advertisers, over 1,000
publishers and is connected to more than 67,000 different apps.
I will discuss professional solutions on WeChat later on in the
article.
Since its launch in 2011,…
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