Ultimate guide on how to use WeChat for busines

WeChat is the biggest social network platform in China, its users can do many things with it ranging from posting videos to filing for divorce within the app. 

How to use it for business?

The all in one app is also known as WeiXin in China, which was first released as a messaging app by Tencent in 2011. It quickly progressed to become an “everything” app which includes connecting users to ridesharing, shopping, gaming and even government services. 

One part of the app function which is called “Moments” can be synchronized with Facebook and Twitter which both are still banned in China. The closest competitors would be Whatsapp and Tik Tok. 

Chinese business license is no longer required to create a WeChat account, thus more businesses are expected to penetrate the China market via this platform. 

WeChat demographics

• More than 1.1 billion monthly active users (MAUs) globally while Facebook has 2.32 billion MAUs. 
• However, WeChat reached the one billion MAUs milestone a year faster than Facebook did. 
• Many WeChat users have two or more accounts as the platform only allows 5000 contacts per account. 
• More than 1 billion registered WeChat users are located in China. 
• There are 70 million registered WeChat accounts outside of China, according to Tencent’s president Martin Lau. 
• In China, WeChat is the most popular among the people aged between 26-35 years old. It was according to a survey by China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) 
• It was reported that WeChat had 50 million monthly active senior users in 2017. 

WeChat usage stats 

• China citizens spend more than one third of their online time on WeChat. 
• WeChat is the most frequently used application among 87.6% of users, according to the CAICT survey. 
• More than 81.5% of users spend more than an hour on the app per day. 
• An average of  750 million Chinese users read their friend posts on Moments per day. 
• Approximately 23% of internet users check WeChat at least once per day globally. Only Facebook, Youtube, and Whatsapp rank higher than WeChat. 
• WeChat users sent an average 38 billion messages per day, an increase of 25% from the previous year. Users also made an average 6.1 billion voice messages and 205 calls every day. 
• Approximately 68 billion videos were posted to Moments per day in 2017. 

WeChat Mini programs stats 

• Over 580,000 mini programs were created a year within its launch in 2018, attracting more than 170 million daily active users. 
• It covers more than 200 service sectors. 
• More than 12 mini programs had over one million daily active users in 2018. 
• 56.9% of mini  programs outside of China are in Europe and Russia, followed by Southeast Asia, Oceania, South America, and North America with 4.4%. 

WeChat pay stats

• WeChat digital payment service is currently available in more than 20 countries. 
• It has 900 million monthly active users. 
• More than 100 million people have purchased WeChat personal finance products. 
• Transaction value of WeChat Pay in Hong Kong increased more than 10x in 2018. 
• Pay services are now available to users in 49 markets outside of China. 
• It is used most in supermarkets and convenience stores, followed by online shopping, food, travel, entertainment, beauty and other sectors in China. 

WeChat work stats 

• A roughly 80% of the top 500 businesses in China have become corporate users on WeChat work, WeChat’s answer for Slack and other workplace collaboration platforms. 

Ways to use WeChat for businesses

WeChat advertising 

• It offers a few different types of ads on its platform. Banner ads can be placed at the bottom of articles. Moments ads are similar to the feed-ads seen on Facebook and Instagram. 

WeChat Store

• It is the only primary way of obtaining sales through apps since WeChat does not allow external links to other platforms. 

Mini Programs 

• WeChat mini programs are simply apps within the app. Companies can use mini programs to offer special promotion, share games and recreate apps they offer outside of the platform. For example, the Chinese bike share company “Mobike”  has a mini program that allows people to rent its bikes without having to leave WeChat. 

WeChat influencer marketing 

• Known as Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), WeChat influencers can help companies break into new markets by sharing sponsored posts. There is no fixed rate for influencer partnerships on WeChat. 

How to create a WeChat business account 

1. Go to the WeChat official account platform
2. Click register 
3. Choose either service or subscription account. Make sure to review the differences between the two before making a decision because it is not possible to switch later. 

Subscription account 

It is best if publishing content is your primary WeChat  marketing goal. These accounts are nested in the WeChat subscription folder, meaning lower exposure. 

• Able to post one broadcast message per day, up to 6 articles.
• No push notifications 
• Content is shareable and searchable 
• Business verification required and must use WeChat  API 
• No support for payments 

Service account 

It offers admin with more customization and platform features such as WeChat  Store and creating mini programs. Posts are published as updates in user’s chat lists where it provide greater visibility. 

• Able to post 4 broadcast messages per month, up to 6 articles. 
• Push notifications
• Content is not searchable 
• Grant access to WeChat platform tools such as custom menus 
• Payment supported for verified accounts. 

4. Complete the basic info and wait for further verification 

5. Select your company’s region 

6. Fill in the entity information form 

Side note: it is required to have a company registration/ business license number. Please ensure the appropriate contact provides this information. The information included here is not alterable after activating the WeChat Pay and other features in the future. 

7. Create WeChat account profile 

8. Once the account is opened, apply for verification next. It is required to provide a completed verification letter, trademark registration and other qualifying documents. 

5 WeChat Marketing strategies

Besides WeChat banners and moment ads, there are several ways to connect with customers on the platform. Let’s take a look 

1. Advertise WeChat account with QR codes 

WeChat users are able to scan QR codes to find users, groups and more. Many brands have transformed the duo tone pixelated codes into animated works of art. 

Examples:

• Martell Cognac rewards customers’ curiosity with a QR code placed on its website. 

• Super Mario’s QR code is functional and on-brand. 

• Mobike’s code manages to deliver its brand proposition and a way to connect in a clever animated GIF. 

2. Create HTML5 campaigns to increase engagement 

Major brands are able to host unique experiences from the relative official WeChat accounts with custom HTML5 campaigns. Marketers can create a survey or quiz to customer leads, or an interactive experience that unlocks promo codes of special information, depending on the WeChat marketing objectives. 

Example:

French luxury brand Hermes took advantage of WeChat HTML5 by creating a tailored experience to promote its new perfume. They also invited WeChat followers to click on a GIF to “unwrap” the perfume bottle. After unwrapping, participants can reserve a visit to the pop-up shop. 

3. Partner with WeChat influencers to connect with audiences 

It is undeniably one of the efficient ways to introduce a brand to the new audiences with KOLs. They tend to have a bunch of trusted audiences. 

Examples:

• Mini Cooper’s WeChat campaign with chinese blogger Becky Li. She has over 4.5 million followers and is known as the “Goddess of shopping”. She has a remarkable sway over her audience and her sponsored WeChat article about Mini Coopers results in sales of 100 Mini Cooper Countryman vehicles in just under 5 mins. 

• Gucci’s “Why are you scared of me?” campaign used artificial intelligence powered robot as its influencer. This ironic campaign showed the luxury brand is socially savvy and avant-garde when it comes to technology. 

Source: Jing Daily 

4. Promote awareness with branded game 

LxU and xS created a branded game called Olympig (since 2019 was the year of pig) to celebrate the opening of their new office in Shanghai. Gamers can play 3 mini games within the game to rank on the leaderboard. 

Source: Behance 

5. Create video campaign to tell a brand story 

The skincare brand SK-II took WeChat to link daughters with their parents back home in the anticipation of the Chinese New Year. 

The skincare brand used video to tell the stories of three women who wrote letters to ask their parents to meet them halfway, both literally and figuratively. The campaign was one of the most talked about social media initiatives in China, earning 75 million views. 

Please attached video: https://vimeo.com/332594473

Source: Jason Feng on Vimeo