WeChat: Your Ultimate Travel Planning Tool

July 6, 2023

WeChat, widely known as China’s all-in-one super app, has revolutionized the way people communicate, socialize, and conduct financial transactions, but now we’ve got yet another sector coming into the ring.

While it was not initially designed as a travel planning tool, recent developments within the platform indicate a growing appetite to venture into the market share traditionally dominated by Online Travel Agencies (OTAs). This shift is particularly notable, given the whirlwind of changes the travel industry has gone through in recent years. After three long years of restricted international travel due to the global pandemic, the world is witnessing a resurgence in wanderlust. As a result, there has been a noticeable surge in travel-related content on WeChat. Users are sharing their travel experiences, tips, and recommendations, transforming the platform into a hub for travel enthusiasts.

Moreover, recent statistics reveal that a substantial portion of the Chinese population is eager to resume their international travel plans. According to a survey published by Dragon Trail Research, an astounding 60% of Chinese individuals have expressed their intentions to travel abroad this year. This renewed enthusiasm for international tourism presents a unique opportunity for WeChat to leverage its existing user base and expand its influence in the industry.

In this article, we will delve into the emerging travel-related features on WeChat and analyze how they position the platform to potentially challenge the dominance of traditional OTAs. We will also explore the implications of WeChat’s growing travel focus, both for its user base and the wider travel industry, as we navigate the new landscape of post-pandemic tourism.

WeChat as a one-stop platform to organize a trip

Mini-programs are the core of any planning tools on WeChat. Chinese Travel Consumption Trends White Paper 2023, released by Tencent Marketing Insight and Tongcheng Research Institute highlight the value and popularity of WeChat mini-programs for Chinese travelers. According to the findings, 61% of respondents said they use WeChat mini-programs to purchase travel products and services while on trips. Additionally, 34% stated that they utilize mini-programs for accommodation, transportation, attraction tickets, activities, and/or F&B, while 24% each use the mini-programs of travel platforms and OTAs.

Brands can leverage mini-programs in many ways. For example by embedding a link within the articles, pin to their official account WeChat menus, and much more.

WeChat mini-programs are simply convenient and don’t require downloading additional apps. On top of that, since they are vetted by Tencent they are also perceived as more reliable.

Mini Programs Travel WeChat

👀 Discover more about WeChat Mini-Programs

WeChat Search is another amazing tool in the WeChat’s arsenal. Users can search for virtually any kind of information from quick results for the weather forecast at their destination to suggested flight routes or accommodations.  In the Search results, users can also browse through official WeChat accounts, video content, mini-programs, and more. Filtering option help them to find relevant information quickly.

One particularly eye-catching feature that can be leveraged by brands is ‘search takeover’ where brands can customize their result card and include buttons driving to different functions like booking.

WeChat Search Travel

🔍 A Quick Guide To WeChat Search

Travel Content on Official Accounts

WeChat Official Accounts, let’s not forget content published on official accounts. They remain the most important source of information and updates for Chinese travelers. That’s why it’s so important to keep them up to date. Menu, which is a close equivalent of a website, should be updated and make it easy to navigate for FAQ. Chinese customers will appreciate responsive customer service and auto-replies.

Articles can serve as a great source of inspiration. Taking into account that 17% of Chinese travelers admit that they use WeChat to plan outbound trips, there is a big chance that they might come across the content that spark their wanderlust within the platform. This rising interest in globetrotting content is already visible. According to Q1 2023 WeChat Rankings Report, average views per post on WeChat rose by 41% for airlines. Similarly, 30% for cruise trips, 42% for attractions, and 15% for hotels.

WeChat Articles Travel Tourists

✈️Reaching Chinese Tourists: Online Travel Agencies and Social Media Platforms [2023]

Last but not least, WeChat Channels can be used to find new inspirations. Viewers can discover hot spots in cities and unknown places worth a visit. With similar to Douyin’s algorithm-based feed, Channels are the must-have hub for visual video content on WeChat. Global and local attractions are already using built-in live-steaming features. Users can also browse content based on their location in order to find new hidden gems. They can also create their own content and raise awareness and promote places through UGC (user-generated content).

WeChat Channels Travel Tourists

🎥 WeChat Channels – How to Post for Success?

Conclusions

WeChat recently published a post on how the app can be used for planning a trip from the scratch. All without the need to download any other apps or leaving the platform. Click here to check it: 微信搜一搜是懂五一的. If you have any questions about leveraging WeChat for tourism, please contact our team. We use our knowledge and expertise to help businesses build meaningful partnerships and develop their network among Chinese customers. For additional information, please contact at contact@thewechatagency.com.

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Exploring WeChat Channels Backend: Features & Stats

April 28, 2023

WeChat Channels: In today’s digital age, social media has become an essential part of our lives. From personal to professional use, we all use social media platforms to connect, share, and grow. One such platform that has gained immense popularity in recent times is WeChat Channels. Channels are one of the most important features that Tencent plans to invest in this year. We wrote more about it in WeChat Channels: An In-Depth Look at the Statistics and the Future Plans.

One of the key features of WeChat is that it can be accessed both from the mobile and desktop levels. While the mobile version is ideal for content creators who want to create and share content on the go, accessing Channels through the desktop version offers more functions and a clearer overview of statistics.

Some of the key channel statistics that WeChat provides are follower metrics, message data, engagement metrics, average open rates, location and demographics, and content performance. WeChat’s channel statistics provide valuable insights for businesses to track their performance and make data-driven decisions to optimize their marketing and engagement efforts on the platform.

Let’s dive deeper into this to understand how the WeChat Channels backend works to take the utmost advantage of the platform for different business needs.

You can access it at: https://channels.weixin.qq.com/

 

WeChat Channels Backend Homepage:

One of the key features of WeChat is its desktop-level functionality, which allows users to schedule the publication of posts and view important daily data.

WeChat Channels Backend Homepage Desktop

WeChat Channels Backend Homepage

Upon logging into WeChat, users can see the most important daily data from the previous day. This data includes key statistics such as the number of views, likes, and comments on recent posts. This information is useful for businesses and individuals who are interested in tracking the performance of their content on the platform.

In addition to viewing daily data, users can also schedule the publication of their posts directly from the desktop. This functionality allows users to plan and prepare their content in advance, which can be particularly useful for businesses and individuals who want to maintain a consistent posting schedule.

 

WeChat Channels Content Management:

Preparing and scheduling social media content can be a time-consuming task for content creators. On the desktop backend of WeChat Channels, brands have the ability to prepare their posts and schedule them for publishing at a later time. This includes the ability to upload videos or create carousels of images, write engaging copy with relevant hashtags, add location tags, and schedule the post for a specific date and time.

WeChat Channels Backend Post Scheduling

WeChat Channels Backend Post Scheduling

In addition to these key features, brands can also add a short title for SEO purposes, helping to optimize their post for WeChat search engine and improve its visibility for the Channels algorithm. By carefully crafting the title and post description along with hashtags, content brands can increase the chances of their post being discovered by users who are actively searching for related content.

🏆 Explore top practices for WeChat Channels posting in WeChat Channels – How to Post for Success?

 

WeChat Channels Data:

The statistics page is where the most important information sits. We have access to all the data, including followers’ data, demographics, and post data. 

Firstly, we can see changes in the follower base. 

It is worth noting that following the WeChat Channels account requires a separate action to follow. As of now, official accounts where brands post articles although can be linked in many ways do not share the follower base pools. 

WeChat Channels Data

WeChat Channels Data

On this page, we can track changes in the follower base by different time ranges and actions performed. We can also see our followers’ demographics, such as gender, age, location, and system used.

 

Secondly, we can see data regarding our posts. By day and time periods, we can see total views, engagements, and source of traffic. 

For each unique post, we can see: 

  • Completion rate
  • Views
  • Average playtime
  • Engagements such as likes, recommendations, comments, shares
  • Set as ringtone

 These data points help content creators to understand what kind of content is resonating with their audience. This way they can optimize their strategy accordingly.

 

Other functions of WeChat Channels desktop:

In addition to the above data points, the WeChat Channels backend also provides other important functions. For example, live-streaming, e-commerce, comments, and private message management. These features can be linked with WeCom, WeChat’s enterprise communication and management platform. The heating tool is another useful function that allows content creators to boost views and increase exposure.

Live-streaming: WeChat allows users to live stream videos from their desktop. This feature can be used for personal or business purposes, such as conducting online workshops, tutorials, and product demonstrations.

🎥 Learn more about WeChat Channels Livestreaming in one of our most popular blog posts

E-commerce: WeChat has a built-in e-commerce platform that allows businesses to sell their products directly on the app. It allows for a seamless and instant shopping experience.

Comments and private message management: WeChat’s desktop backend allows users to manage their comments and private messages more efficiently. This feature can be used by businesses to improve their customer service and respond to customer inquiries more quickly.

Heating tool: WeChat’s heating tool is a feature that can be used by businesses to boost their views and increase exposure. This feature can be used to promote a business or product to a wider audience.

Explore our Beginner’s Guide to WeChat Channels

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the WeChat Channels backend is a powerful tool that provides valuable insights and statistics for content creators to analyze their performance and optimize their strategies. By leveraging this information, content creators can understand their audience better and tailor their content to engage and grow their followers. With the help of additional functions such as live-streaming, e-commerce, and heating tools, content creators can further enhance their presence on WeChat and achieve their marketing objectives.

If you want to know more about the Chinese market and how we can help create successful WeChat campaigns for your business contact our team. We use our knowledge and expertise to help businesses build meaningful partnerships and develop their networks among Chinese customers. For additional information, please contact us at contact@thewechatagency.com.

 

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WeChat Open Class Pro: A Look at What’s in Store for Businesses in 2023

March 2, 2023

WeChat Open Class PRO is a hyped and highly-anticipated annual conference organized by Tencent and aimed at creators.

In addition to showcasing exciting new developments and plans that WeChat has in store, the event aims to offer insightful information about how medium and small businesses can use the platform to spur growth and raise brand awareness. 

Let’s see how this can impact brands and businesses that use WeChat to reach their customer base…

 

Why is WeChat Class PRO important for businesses?

Weixin Open Class PRO also referred to as WeChat Open Class PRO, is a yearly conference organized for developers, companies, and marketers to learn about the most recent features, updates, and best practices for the largest social media platform in China. We covered the event last year – WeChat Weixin Open Class PRO 2022.

Here are some reasons why Weixin Open Class PRO is important for businesses:

 

Keep up with the newest features

  • Businesses can learn more about the most recent features and updates, including Mini Programs, WeChat Pay, and WeChat Work, thanks to Weixin Open Class PRO. 
  • By using new features to improve their marketing and customer engagement strategies, businesses can benefit from this information and stay one step ahead of the competition.

 

Find out the best practices

  • Businesses have the chance to learn how to use WeChat to grow their operations from successful case studies and industry experts through Weixin Open Class PRO. 
  • This can help businesses maximize their marketing efforts, improve customer engagement, and raise brand awareness.

 

Access to Tencent resources

  • Businesses can access resources from Tencent, including its developer tools and APIs, through Weixin Open Class PRO. 
  • In order to better serve their customers, this can assist businesses in developing customized WeChat solutions, such as Mini Programs.
  • In general, Weixin Open Class PRO is crucial for companies looking to stay competitive and use WeChat to promote business expansion in China.

 

📹 Watch the whole recording of the WeChat PRO 2023 conference here

 

What can we expect for 2023?

Based on the Open Class PRO  and our own observations, we can tell that:

 

WeChat Channels:

  • After a year of new features including adding customer service integrations, WeChat Channels will continue to grow. Check out WeChat Channels Stats 2023 & Growth Plan to find out more. 
  • Moreover, Tencent made a commitment to help creators. Their team stated that they would offer in a total of 5 billion free views in traffic, as well as richer and more comprehensive monetization tools and incentive policies, in order to assist anyone who is serious about broadcasting, growing, and earning money. 

Backstreet Boys WeChat Channels

New Formats:

  • WeChat appears to be introducing new ad formats and improved integrations.
  • There is certain format fatigue as the article format has been the same for years. This year, Tencent tests to implement new formats like:
    • Images will be stacked and horizontally viewable in a 3:4 aspect ratio.
    • Up to 300 characters will be allowed in the description section.
    • Optimized services related to image display to gain traction.

WeChat Image Message New Format

WeChat Search:

  • The WeChat search engine continued to expand, reaching 800 million monthly users:
    • Earlier this month, WeChat released a small program called Search data assistant.
    • Wechat’s backend has been updated with new features to help brands better track it.

 

🔍 A Quick Guide to WeChat Search As a Marketing Tool

WeChat SEO Search Keywords

WeCom:

  • Undoubtedly, WeCom will expand as well. WeCom, Weixin’s product specifically designed for businesses, offers practical office automation and communication tools. It is also being adopted by the education sector more and more.
  • According to the Industry Resilience and Recovery Potential Report 2023 that Weixin released at the Weixin Open Class PRO, SME businesses with fewer than 500 employees saw a 35% increase in the number of daily active WeCom enterprise users in the manufacturing sector year over year. 

 

AI development:

  • Lastly, it’s worth noting the advancements made by the WeChat AI team. In 2022, the AI team made improvements to the WeChat dialogue open platform called co-enterprise WeChat.
  • They also introduced a new service called “dialogue robot” for corporate WeChat. It will allow for more seamless integration between robots and artificial customer service in the customer service scene. This natural integration enabled companies to serve their users more efficiently.

 

Conclusion

Firstly, WeChat’s annual Open Class Pro conference is a crucial event for businesses seeking to stay ahead of the competition and expand their customer base in China. Moreover, we can expect continued growth and innovation from WeChat in 2023, with the 2022 conference focusing on mini-programs, payment, and search functions, and advancements in the app’s short video service, Channels. 

Furthermore, with Tencent’s commitment to investing in traffic and monetization tools, as well as advancements in ad formats and WeChat AI, businesses can anticipate new opportunities for engagement and growth on the platform. 

Meanwhile, if you want to know more about WeChat, please contact our team. We use our knowledge and expertise to help businesses build meaningful partnerships and develop their networks among Chinese customers. For additional information, please contact us at contact@thewechatagency.com.

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Maximizing WeChat Channels: An In-Depth Look at the Statistics and the Future Plans

February 16, 2023

WeChat, China’s biggest app, grew from just a chatting messanger to a major business platform a long time ago. And Channels, the video sub-platform of WeChat, is becoming one of users’ and businesses’ favorite features.

Channels advanced last year, with more services and content available to both consumers and businesses. Since the start of its internal beta testing on January 21, 2020, it has experienced significant user engagement. The feature, which enables anyone to record, create, and share videos, saw total user time exceed 80% of that of Moments, the latter of which offers mutual contacts with asynchronous photo, video, and audio sharing.

If you’re not very familiar with WeChat Channels yet, explore our introductory post for beginners here – A Beginner’s Guide to WeChat Channels.

Now, let’s analyze the WeChat Channel statistics and growth plan for 2023.

 

WeChat Channel Statistics

WeChat Channels have powerful tools for businesses to connect with their target audience and drive growth – with the help of innovative content.  The total number of views has skyrocketed, with a 200% YoY increase and a 400% YoY increase in video views based on AI recommendations.

The number of daily active creators and video uploads has also surged, with a 100% YoY increase, and significant growth in the number of viral videos and original video views. However, short videos are not all. 

Live streaming has also seen tremendous growth, with a 300% increase in users, a 156% increase in viewing time, a 614% increase in content creators, and an 83% increase in broadcast time.

🎥 Learn more about live-streaming on WeChat Channels

WeChat Channels continue to expand its support with new features like live streaming e-commerce, quick sharing, and product windows. This makes more brands eager to leverage a massive userbase to drive their sales and reach their target audience. 

The GMV of live-streaming e-commerce on Channels has grown by over 800% since 2021. Moreover, the average transactions now exceed RMB 200.

Top Events in 2023

WeChat Channels have become one of the most popular platforms for users to watch and share short videos. 

It’s clear that short videos are a hit among WeChat Channels users. The number of views for short videos in 2022 increased by 237% compared to the previous year, showing just how popular they have become.

When it comes to the most popular short videos, five topics stood out. These were the workplace, cultural history, financial management, eloquence/speech, and trivia. This shows that users are interested in a wide range of topics.

WEChat Channels Stats 2023

For those looking to be entertained, WeChat Channels has a plethora of options. The top five concerts in 2022 included “Yearning” by Li Jian, Cui Jian’s first online concert, the Backstreet Boys’ first-ever online concert, Luo Dayou’s “Childhood” concert, and “You Want a Good Concert.”

Backstreet Boys WeChat Channels

In addition to entertainment, WeChat Channels users are also looking for ways to improve their physical health. The top six fitness keywords searched by users were yoga, bodybuilding, boxing, body, aerobics, and diet meals.

For those looking to explore, WeChat Channels offer a wealth of travel content. For example, the top 10 most popular destinations in WeChat Channels included: 

  1. Yellow River Xiaolangdi Reservoir,
  2. Huashan Long Sky Boardwalk,
  3. Tiananmen,
  4. Leshan Giant Buddha,
  5. Yellow River Hukou Waterfall,
  6. Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie,
  7. Forbidden City,
  8. Gulangyu Island in Xiamen,
  9. Macao Green Mao Port,
  10. Former Residence of Chairman Mao in Shaoshan.

 

WeChat Channels’ Growth Plan 

In the fast-paced digital world, it’s essential for businesses to keep up with the latest trends and technologies to reach their target audience. WeChat Channels is one such platform that provides a unique opportunity for businesses to reach a vast audience through its innovative features and rich content ecosystem. According to WeChat Weixin Pro Class 2023 (our coverage of the 2022 edition available here), Tencent plans to invest more into Channels in the coming years. 

 

Short Video

The short video feature on WeChat Channels has seen significant growth in the past year. As a result, with more and more creators joining the platform, the content ecosystem has become more diverse and prosperous. 

Moreover, the time spent by WeChat Channels users has also increased and is now approaching that of WeChat Moments. The video views based on recommendation algorithms have increased by over 400% YoY, making it a great opportunity for businesses to reach a vast audience.

To provide comprehensive author services, WeChat Channels has upgraded its creator traffic and honor incentives, with new product capabilities such as online content heating, video product sharing, and video monetization tasks.

These tools will provide creators with more monetization options and help them grow and get better returns on WeChat Channels. 

In 2022, the number of daily active creators and video uploads increased by more than 100% YoY, original content played increased by 350% YoY, and the number of creators with 10,000+ fans increased by 308%. 

 

🗺 Learn how to optimize your WeChat Channels posting with our quick guide

WeChat Channels Video

Live Streaming

WeChat Channels’ live broadcasts have become an integral part of users’ social lives, covering a range of content from hot events to daily information communication and celebrity speeches. Above all, it provides a platform for individuals to start broadcasting and showing themselves, encouraging diverse content production. 

The platform provides a rich live broadcasting ecosystem:

  • the viewing scale increasing by 300%,
  • the viewing time by 156%,
  • and high-quality launch time by 614%.

WeChat Channels has always encouraged the production of diversified and high-quality content. In order words, providing a platform for “every individual to pick up his mobile phone and start broadcasting.” 

As a result, this led to a significant increase of 101% in 2022 and total anchor revenue growth by 447%.

To sum up, live streaming will invest 5 billion in traffic incentives and more rich and perfect realization tools and incentive policies to help every individual have a good start, growth, and income. 

E-commerce Live Streaming

Live Streaming Channels

The commercial potential of WeChat Channels live broadcast has continued to grow. With sales increasing by more than 8 times YoY and the platform’s public purchase conversion rate by more than 100%. 

The top three categories of consumption are clothing, food, and beauty. Finally, it’s worth noting that the purchasing power on WeChat Channels is split between 20% male and 80% female users. This information is useful for businesses and content creators looking to target specific demographics with their products and services.

The launch of WeChat Channels stores provides businesses with convenient and efficient business tools, with over 90% of sales coming from the WeChat Channels store. The platform has connected over 1,000 service providers, contributing over 30% to Channels’ sales.

Firstly to better support brand merchants, WeChat Channels will soon release an incentive plan for merchants. Secondly, Tencent will provide more opportunities, including traffic, brand identity, and other services. For instance, the platform will also continue to increase its support for service providers and focus on investment. For example, in areas of identity authentication, traffic incentives, and operational tools.

Conclusion

WeChat Channels have come a long way, with improvements in short video, live broadcasting, and e-commerce. Above all, with the continued development of the ecosystem and the implementation of incentive policies, WeChat Channels will continue to attract more users and creators, providing a platform for rich and diverse content. 

If you want to know more about WeChat channels and help create a content strategy for WeChat, contact our team. We use our knowledge and expertise to help businesses build meaningful partnerships and develop their networks among Chinese customers. For additional information, please contact us at contact@thewechatagency.com.

 

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Chinese Market Updates

February 7, 2023

Chinese internet search giant Baidu plans to launch a ChatGPT-style bot in March

Despite having a heavily censored domestic internet that is largely cut off from the rest of the world, ChatGPT has captured the attention of Chinese internet users. On regional social media, many people posted screenshots of the AI bot having unexpected conversations.

The application from Baidu will at first be integrated into its web search services. The combination will enable users to obtain search results in the form of conversations, similar to the well-known platform from OpenAI.

https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3208420/chinese-internet-search-giant-baidu-plans-launch-chatgpt-style-bot-march-source-says

 

China B2B Marketing in the Year of the Rabbit

 

Since trade shows and in-person meetings had to be canceled due to lockdowns and other circumstances, businesses had to find new ways to reach their target audiences.

New trends emerged:

  • Using trade publications for KOL marketing
  • Experiments with video and accelerated their WeChat content creation efforts using the WeChat Channels video platform,
  • Businesses can connect remotely with their clients and business partners thanks to webinars.
  • Digital-only trade shows and hybrid trade shows.

With COVID-19 still a major concern and vaccination efforts ongoing, it is more than likely that digital channels – especially newer channels – will to play a significant role

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/RG2S6bSwLJnQxwPz0Vvhdg 

 

Data report of LV, Chanel, Burberry, Prada and other official account in 2022

 

Service numbers include FENDI, Prada, HERMES, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Burberry. In 2022, Chanel has the most mass-produced items (totaling 72), while Louis Vuitton has the fewest (totaling 35), more than twice as many as the latter.

The opportunity is effectively not wasted because the service number can be pushed four times per month and all brands can send in groups three to four times per month.

Burberry, which has the second-highest number of mass-market articles, has the most likes and views, with totals that are 269.95% and 429.05% higher than the benchmark FENDI, respectively. Chanel, which has the most articles published in groups, won the challenge with 180.54% more reading than the benchmark, FENDI. 

However, Louis Vuitton, which has the fewest articles published in groups, has launched a counterattack, placing second overall among the six brands in terms of reading, liking, and viewing.

It can be seen on the mass distribution time distribution histogram that luxury brands tend to push more frequently in the second half of the week, occasionally on Saturday, and not as much on Sunday.

LINK: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/0bWYZZhJePNMCMHSEWiuBA

 

Spring Festival shoppers shift to 3 new trends in post-covid China

 

This year, the burgeoning young generation of consumers has turned away from the traditional idea of New Year’s goods  such as red gift boxes filled with roasted nuts and candies and biscuits in favor of contemporary trends in the post-pandemic era.

First and foremost, healthcare products were in high demand among Chinese people of all ages as health became a priority for everyone for reasons that were unmistakably related to the pandemic. 

The “firework” bubble gun machine was another popular item during the Spring Festival because most cities continued to impose stringent regulations on all kinds of fireworks. Young customers took an immediate liking to the firework substitute that closely resembled the sound and sight of the genuine article.

Thirdly, young shoppers this year exhibited a strong desire for distinctive and fashionable Chinese New Year gift boxes.

https://daoinsights.com/news/spring-festival-shoppers-shift-to-3-new-trends-in-post-covid-china/ 

 

Tencent carves out niche with new Brand Discovery mini program

 

Tencent Huiju will be replaced by WeChat’s new mini-program “Brand Discovery,” which will be introduced soon. 

The new program will concentrate on information aggregation and act as a hub from which users can find other smaller programs and get suggestions. Users interested in further browsing or purchasing a particular brand’s products will be redirected to the relevant mini program of that brand or shopping site.

Ma Huateng, the CEO of Tencent, has hinted that the company plans to take advantage of the popularity of short-form video content in the future, perhaps by using it to increase brand awareness and traffic to suggested products on the Brand Discovery mini program. 

https://daoinsights.com/news/tencent-carves-out-niche-with-new-brand-discovery-mini-program/ 

 

The male beauty market in China is developing fast and should not be overlooked

 

From 2016 to 2019, retail sales in China’s male beauty market were significantly higher than the global average (13.5% versus 5.8%).

59.50% of the total are between the ages of 18 and 25, while 21.30% are between the ages of 26 and 30.

Male beauty consumers can also find information on websites like Xiaohongshu and Douyin.

The top online stores for male beauty are Taobao and Tmall.

In China’s male beauty market, daily moisturizing creams and facial cleansers are crucial.

https://daxueconsulting.com/male-beauty-market-china/

 

 

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How to Make a Great First Impression on WeChat with an Official Account?

November 4, 2022

WeChat’s active users are steadily increasing, and it has over 1.29 billion monthly users. Today, WeChat is one of the leading social networks worldwide, ranking fifth in terms of active users. As literally, everyone in China is on WeChat so are the brands using the official account function to connect with their fans, business partners, and potential prospects. On average, most of the users followed between 10 and 20 WeChat official accounts. So, it is very crucial for businesses to stand out in order to attract potential customers, and it is not easy.

Here are a few things you can do to make the best first impression on WeChat as the brand’s official WeChat account

How do WeChat users discover and start following official accounts?

How do users come across a WeChat account? There are different ways one might come across a brand’s official WeChat account. People might find official accounts thanks to QR codes which are ubiquitous in China and can be placed on: 

  • Marketing materials,
  • Web sites,
  • Newsletters,
  • Brochures,
  • Business cards. 

The target audience that is using the WeChat app can reach the Official accounts through:

Other methods of fan acquisition

There are even other ways a user can reach an official account inside the WeChat app. However, WeChat users may also be reached through paid promotions, collaborations with KOLs, and other partners. KOL marketing is huge and can benefit businesses by creating awareness. If you think that KOL/influencer marketing is only for lifestyle brands, you might want to rethink your approach. Since WeChat brand marketing is all about official accounts, you can also collaborate with bigger accounts to promote your brand. You can subscribe to our newsletter to receive information about new posts or follow our official WeChat account at KRDS-Agency.

How to make the best first impression on WeChat?

When the audience lands on the account, they first see the main page. It is the flagship of a brand presence on WeChat and it creates the first impression on the audience about the style and the message of the brand. A brand’s official account can be an equivalent of an official website. 

Firstly, the main page showcases the brand logo, description, and menu, and has the latest articles published. It is very important to keep in mind that the information is accurate and stays aligned with the brand. Secondly, you should make sure it is presented in a clear and user-friendly way.

Moreover, there is a welcome message. When a user starts following an official account, a welcome message will be prompted automatically. Typically, the welcome message contains information about the company, the current campaign, a link to the mini-program, and more.

Along with the welcome message, you can see a menu at the bottom. A proper and well-maintained menu is critical as it is one of the most frequently clicked items on the entire WeChat account.

Many users want to get the information right away that they are looking for. It is the first place people reach out and navigate through the account. Therefore, menu tabs should be embedded within WeChat or link to a website hosted on the Chinese server. You can also mirror the menu from the official website.

 

User’s journey through the WeChat official account

Stage 1: First impressions

Regardless of how users found your account, they will land on your main WeChat page and will make a decision if they want to follow your account. They will see the account name, brand logo, description, your company name as on the business license. They will also see how many of their friends are also following your account. Still, even before following you, they can see the latest articles (make sure the thumbnails look nice and eye-catching), interact with the menu tabs and see if you have a dedicated video Channels account.

🎥 What are WeChat Channels and how you can incorporate them in your WeChat planning?

Stage 2: Why should I follow?

When someone first follows an account, they immediately come across the automatic welcome message. In the welcome message, clearly and simply inform what kind of content they can expect from the account. For example, it’s a good idea to include a brief introduction to your company, quick links to your offerings, and contact methods. 

WeChat Welcome message

Stage 3: Did I find what I was looking for?

There is a WeChat menu to help with this. The WeChat menu is an extremely important part of the official account. It is actually quite often overlooked or not updated regularly. For instance even inactive accounts, still see considerable traffic each month just to their menu tabs. 

ℹ️ Learn more about the menu

ℹ️ How to optimize your WeChat menu?

WeChat Menu

Stage 4: Auto-replies

It happens that users don’t find the information they were looking for in the menu. Sometimes they simply prefer a one-on-one and direct conversation. In order to facilitate your customer service work, you can set up automatic replies prompted by the most frequently asked questions and relevant keywords. In other words, your followers don’t need to wait and get an instant reply.

Conclusion

WeChat is a huge deal if you want to attract an audience. The audience can judge a business through the WeChat official account. So, it is very important to understand how to maintain the account in a better way to attract and make the audience follow the WeChat official account.

If you wish to know more about WeChat marketing and content creation or other marketing techniques in China, please contact our team. We use our knowledge and expertise to help businesses build meaningful partnerships and develop their networks among Chinese customers. For additional information, please contact us at contact@thewechatagency.com.

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What’s new happening in China?

August 29, 2022

WeChat Channels and WeCom – Perfect Partners

Utilizing short videos and live streaming can be difficult. WeChat Channels introduce fresh approaches to improve interactions with fans and viewers thanks to WeCom solutions:

  • Buttons for adding the chat to the customer service account
  • Pushing business cards during a live broadcast
  • Employees at WeCom can have up to 50 profiles connected to a single WeChat Channels account.
  • Users can share the stream directly with their moments or groups.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/T0LAvsiVkXRLQ_kSzt-sUA

 

China’s cross-border e-commerce for first-time market entry

The Chinese government has promoted CBeC (cross-border e-commerce) in China over the past ten years by enacting legislative incentives like preferential tax rates and cross-border e-commerce pilot zones.

Cross-border e-commerce has lower regulatory barriers than traditional trade, which requires a significant initial investment, making it a quicker, lower-risk, and more accessible way for foreign brands to begin selling in China.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/0KxWcwmp4piKlS_rLQu4YA

 

ByteDance quietly launches search app Wukong in China, where Google is banned

Owner of the popular short video app TikTok, ByteDance, has quietly introduced a new search engine that guarantees there will be no ads online. ByteDance and Baidu, the dominant search engine in China, are now more directly competing thanks to Wukong, which is currently offered on the Chinese Apple App Store and various Chinese Android app stores.

According to the new app’s advertising, it offers “quality information and search without ads.” It’s possible to read the phrase as a subtle dig at Baidu, which has long drawn flak for its use of paid listings in search results.

Wukong offers a variety of search categories, including news, images, and video, just like other well-known search engines. Additionally, it offers a feature similar to web browsers’ “incognito mode” that does not save search history and lets users bookmark pages.

Link: https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2022/08/tiktoks-parent-firm-bytedance-quietly.html

ByteDance rival Kuaishou narrows losses, boosts revenue at overseas operations amid gains made in domestic business

After beginning to restructure its international business in March, Kuaishou Technology, owner of the second-largest short video platform in China, narrowed losses at its overseas operations in the three months that ended June 30 while seeing revenue rise by more than 1,000% year over year.

Compared to the 4.4 billion yuan loss experienced during the same period last year, the operating loss at Kuaishou’s overseas operations significantly decreased to 1.6 billion yuan in the second quarter. Revenue increased by 1,328 percent to 103.4 million yuan from 7.2 million yuan a year earlier.

Currently, Kuaishou’s international operations are concentrated in Indonesia with its SnackVideo app and Brazil where it runs the short video app Kwai. In August of last year, the company removed its Zynn short video app from the US after failing to compete with TikTok, which is owned by ByteDance and has more than 1 billion users worldwide.

Link:https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3190023/bytedance-rival-kuaishou-narrows-losses-boosts-revenue-oversea

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Live Streaming on WeChat Channels

June 7, 2022

Live streaming is the new Holy Grail for brands and businesses that are constantly looking for new methods to better engage their customers. This allows businesses to better understand their customer preferences, which aids in sales conversion and increases brand awareness. 

WeChat is a great medium for getting to know your customers and providing them with a variety of content that keeps them engaged and connected to your brand.

In this article, let’s look at another type of content to broadcast within the WeChat ecosystem beyond the WeChat Article and WeChat Channels video feeds: live streaming on WeChat. Tencent offers two different ways to stream live video: 

  • Through own mini programs’ integrated live streaming capability,
  • WeChat Channels’ built-in feature.

Brands that decide to use their own mini-programs to live stream have more flexibility when it comes to the live stream format but on the downside, these sessions won’t be discoverable on the growing Channels tab. Tencent has ambitious plans for Channels as it was highlighted during the Weixin Pro class earlier this year with already more than 450 million Daily Active Users. 

In the last couple of months, we’ve seen WeChat boosting its live steaming feature by providing brands with more ways of promoting their live streams and increasing the number of touchpoints where users can discover them. WeChat Channels accounts’ main page even shows how many live streams each account hosted.

In our blog post today we will focus on how to live-stream using WeChat Channels. 

What Are the Benefits of Using WeChat Channels Live Streaming?

WeChat live streaming is a new feature that allows you to live stream videos directly from your WeChat account. It’s an amazing tool for businesses and individuals who want to get their content out into the world and engage with their audience. Here are just some of the benefits of using WeChat live streaming:

  • It’s easy to use. Unlike other streaming platforms, WeChat has an intuitive interface that makes it easy for anyone to create a live broadcast.
  • The platform is free and easy to access on any device (desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile). You can even access it from multiple devices at once.
  • Businesses can learn about the feelings of the audience right away by looking at their comments and reactions. They can also get honest customer feedback in real-time.
  • Learn what matters to customers when it comes to product selection.
  • Brands can reach a larger audience with less effort than ever before.
  • Companies can increase brand awareness and build a loyal fanbase.
  • Accounts can seamlessly incorporate e-commerce into their live streams and conserve with the clients. 

Top Live-Streaming Formats & Approaches

WeChat Channels Live Streaming Formats

Top WeChat Channels Live Streaming Formats

  • KOLs, live streamers 

Format: The host of the Livestream introduces and tests products.

Objective: Mainly to drive sales

Examples: Lee, Only

  • Fashion show

Format: A Livestream of a fashion show, with no host for the most part.

Objective: Awareness

Examples: Armani, Givenchy

  • Discussion rooms

Format: Hosts speak about various topics and respond to questions

Objective: Awareness, sometimes sales

Examples: HEYTEA, Shiseido

Livestream – Discovery: How Do Users Find Out About Live Streams?

Users can learn about your live streams in a variety of ways, including:

  1. A brand can add a plate informing about the upcoming live stream into the article. 
  2. WeChat displays a red dot and the name of the account that is currently live-streaming on the ‘Discover’ page.
  3. The streams of subscription accounts are promoted within the subscription folder with the currently streaming accounts encircled in red.
  4. A button to ‘reserve‘ (be alerted) when the live stream begins is included in all accounts.
  5. On the main channel page of WeChat Channels that are now streaming, there is a tile displaying the stream cover.
  6. Brand zone when searching for the brand through WeChat Search.
  7. And potentially more to come.
WeChat Channels Live Streaming Discovery Touchpoints

WeChat Channels Live Streaming Discovery Touchpoints

💬 If you are new to WeChat Channels you might want to get more familiar with the best tactics and grow your fanbase before organizing your first live-streaming sessions: WeChat Channels – How to Post for Success? 

Notable Livestream Features

  • Livestream – Purchase Path: When visitors enter the live-stream room, a floating window displays on the screen with a link to a direct e-commerce product page. By clicking on the ‘shopping bag’ icon, users can browse additional products. Users can look up additional information about a product and add it to their cart, or they can buy it right away and pay.

    WeChat Channels Live Streaming Purchase Path

    WeChat Channels Live Streaming Purchase Path

  • Livestream – Customer Service: Users can use the ‘comment’ function to ask questions, and they can also go to ‘customer service from the product page. Brands can also include a button to add a WeCom customer service contact to talk to the sales team one-on-one. By clicking on the ‘phone’ symbol (a rarely utilized feature), users can call the host live. Users can also participate in a live video or audio call with the host in real-time.
  • Livestream – Sharing a Stream: The stream can be shared with friends or uploaded to Moments. The user will be given a preview similar to WeChat Channels (live-stream cover). The preview will be blurred if the live stream has already ended. Users can click to reserve a live stream if a brand has already planned one.
WeChat Channels Live Streaming Sharing

WeChat Channels Live Streaming Sharing

  • Other features of a live stream: Livestream also offers the ability to hold lucky draws and create red packets. Users are invited to ‘comment’ (typically a brief message) to enter a random drawing for a prize – usually a tiny e-commerce coupon (which is quite popular). Red packets gifts can also be set up by hosts for their guests (Not very popular)

How to apply for WeChat Live Streaming?

Brands cannot start a live stream automatically. WeChat requires a formal application in the WeChat Channels backend to open the live streaming function.

Fill in:

  • The type of live streaming, 
  • Short-term and long-term plans, 
  • Contact information.
WeChat Channels Live Streaming Application

WeChat Channels Live Streaming Application

For the live stream, the WeChat Channel operator can stream directly from their mobile phone or computer desktop. 

When the application is approved in the WeChat Channels backend will share the streaming address and key provided by the video account assistant to output live streams through third-party platforms such as OBS.

Additional options: 

  1. Target Audience: when applying for the broadcasting, the brand can choose to allow only users on the list to watch your live broadcast – this requires uploading a list of WeChat IDs of selected users. 
  2. Products & Coupons: brand can upload a list of products and coupons in the backend that can be later on used and shared with the viewers during the session. 
  3. Teasers & reservations: brand can create a live steaming reservation and fill in the live steaming time and introduction. After successful creation, a brand can then insert the reservation card into the official account posts. At the same time, it can also be directly displayed in the video of the channel. A QR code is also available to download.
  4. Additional links: there are 4 types of links that that account can place during the live streaming:
    • Link to the next live stream and its reservation (to receive notification)
    • Link to the official account article
    • WeCom customer service contact card
    • Hongbao – red packet.
WeChat Channels Live Streaming Links

WeChat Channels Live Streaming Links

Before preparing your next live streaming session don’t forget to read out article on live streaming dos and don’ts.

Conclusion

WeChat has emerged as an extremely useful and powerful tool for businesses looking to expand to the Chinese market. From its live-streaming feature to its various other content, WeChat represents the growing trend of mobile-first social media. 

Its continued success is evident in the way it has already become an indispensable platform for businesses to market their products and build brand influence, not just in China but across Asia. That’s something brands would be wise not to overlook. 

If you wish to know more about WeChat and its various features, please contact our team. We use our knowledge and expertise to help businesses build meaningful partnerships and develop their network among Chinese customers. For additional information, please contact at contact@thewechatagency.com.

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WeChat Channels – How to Post for Success?

May 7, 2022

WeChat Channels, which was released for beta testing in early 2020, is a relatively new short and largely untapped video platform within WeChat that allows users to produce and share short video clips and photographs to their own WeChat Channel.

The WeChat Channels feed also allows users to discover information posted to other Channels (by their friends and other WeChat accounts). Here’s our Beginners Guide to WeChat Channels if you want a shorter version or TL: DR one

WeChat Marketing Strategies

WeChat Channels, with over 200 million MAUs (Monthly Active Users), are becoming an increasingly essential touchpoint for marketers in China. They greatly aid in brand discovery because the content is displayed to all users rather than just followers, as is the case with articles on official accounts. With fully open content dissemination and adoption of hashtags, content is discovered in a whole new way on WeChat. Compared to official accounts where updates are only visible to followers, this is truly a gamechanger. 

What Are Some of the Advantages of WeChat Channels?

Channels provide numerous options to promote your brand by encouraging people to share with their friends or in their Moments. Viewers can like and comment on the post, as well as on the remarks of others. Channels content liked by your contacts will be automatically shown to you in the tab ‘Liked by friends’ and they will see content liked by you too (unless you change your privacy settings). 

Each WeChat Channel post may have the following elements:

  • A short description 
  • A number of relevant, popular, branded and contextual hashtags
  • A location tag
  • A link to an article on WeChat Official Account or a red packet 
  • A link to an online event (live streaming)

Trending Content on WeChat Channels

The most popular WeChat channel content is very similar to that found on Douyin or TikTok. It is viral in nature and is driven by trends and hashtags such as dancing challenges, lip-sync skits, memes, and fashion and food-related videos. 

However, Channels are also a great brand discovery tool for B2B brands with a much more mature audience that uses WeChat on a daily basis for professional communication – educational content and news are among the top content. That’s why visual and video professional content has much higher chances to resonate on WeChat compared to other short video platforms. 

According to the Weixin Class pro, Tencent will pay even more emphasis on Channels in the coming months, and there are already some modifications in the works, such as the addition of WeChat’s own services menus.

Read about WeChat Class PRO 2022 (WeChat creator’s annual competition)

A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Channels on WeChat

Step 1: Open your WeChat account.

To begin, log in to your personal WeChat account using the WeChat app.

Even if you have an Official Account on WeChat, Channels must first be launched by personal accounts before they can be linked to brands.

Pro tip: Before you start, keep in mind that if you want to link between your Official Account and Channel account (these two are not automatically connected), the admin of the OA and Channel account must be the same. 

Step 2: Proceed to the WeChat Channels tab.

Once you’ve logged into your personal account, go to the main navigation bar and click on the ‘Discover’ button, then select ‘WeChat Channels.’ This will take you to the WeChat Channels feed.

Step 3: Select the camera icon in the upper right corner.

You should see a small camera icon in the upper right corner of the WeChat Channels feed – click on it, and then the ‘new channel’ option appears.

Step 4: Complete your WeChat Channel profile.

You will then be prompted to submit the following information:

  • Name (use your brand name)
  • Bio
  • Gender
  • Location 

Fill these in and click ‘create’.

Next steps: As a next step you might want to connect your official account with the newly created Channels account and apply for verification (blue tick). 

Posting on WeChat Channels

Today, we’ll go through how to post on channels to get the most out of your efforts.

There are two methods for posting to Channels.

  • One from the mobile (for brands account only for the admin mobile)
  • One from the computer (operators can be added in the backend)

Apart from a number of video editing capabilities that are useful for on-the-go artists (adding music, cropping video), both offer the same options for post-production optimization.

WeChat Channels

WeChat Channels Backend View

WeChat Channels Content Types – Formats

What goes into a post on a WeChat Channel?

  • Up to 9 images can be uploaded.
  • Videos can be up to one hour long, 2GB in size, and in mp4 format.

Pictures function similarly to Instagram carousel posts, but video footage can be preferred by the algorithm. So, if you have a few photos, you can try to edit them into a film to get better results.

When it comes to videos, bear in mind that the attention span on WeChat is relatively short, so while you can publish extended movies, try to make them brief and relevant.

Choose a vertical format whenever possible! Users usually check WeChat Channels on mobile devices, therefore horizontal may not be attractive for viewers.

WeChat Channels

Tips to Optimize Post Description 

  • Length – Keep it brief and to the point, just like you would for Instagram. Keep in mind that only the first few lines of our copy will display, therefore hook.
  • Hashtags – will help to increase your visibility, but Channels are not entirely hashtag-driven platforms. Concentrate on a few well-chosen hashtags, such as your business name, campaign topic, or broad topic. Put the hashtags at the beginning or end of the copy.
  • Mentions – In your post, you can tag the accounts of other Channels. Excellent for collaboration. 
  • Location – you can include it to boost exposure, but it’s optional.
  • Link – From an official account or a red cover, you can link to an article. To find your article link, open it in WeChat and click (…) in the upper right corner, then ‘copy link.’ Use this feature to direct traffic to your official account.
  • Activity – you can add a link to a live-streaming event 
  • Time of publication – You can schedule your post or publish it immediately.

Conclusion

Short video content has become the latest trend in China and is growing at an astonishing speed. It is reported that the number of short video users has reached 920 million by end of 2021.*  

WeChat has been pushing users to make and watch videos on WeChat Channels, so it may see increased traffic in the near future. If you wish to know more about WeChat channels or need assistance in optimising your WeChat account, please contact our team. We use our knowledge and expertise to help businesses build meaningful partnerships and develop their network among Chinese customers. For additional information, please contact at contact@thewechatagency.com.

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