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Why Adding the WeChat Mini Program to Your Business Will Make All the Difference?

July 21, 2022

Need to switch between different apps for different services?

The process can be time-consuming and inconvenient, and you might end up with a number of apps that you rarely use.

They eat up a lot of storage too. 🙄

Additionally, having multiple apps can be challenging for businesses as it requires additional resources and expenses. This has led to “Mini-Programs”.

Global corporations are now creating their own mini-programs because it benefits both service providers and ends users equally. Tencent, WeChat’s owner and operator, a major Chinese tech company, has also added mini-programs to their applications.

The WeChat Mini-Programs: What Are They?

WeChat mini-programs are “sub-applications” within the WeChat ecosystem. In 2017, Tencent added mini-programs to WeChat.

As of 2021, over 4.3 million WeChat mini-programs with 410 million daily active users existed. WeChat mini-programs have altered how companies conduct business on the platform.

WeChat mini-games, lifestyle mini-apps, and e-commerce mini-programs are just some of the various kinds of mini-programs. A few of the popular mini-programs are

A restaurant mini program has multiple sections: to order delivery, pick-up, and dine-in along with the full menu and membership program.

Restaurant mini program

A local hospital mini program allows users to check the hospital location, doctors’ availability, book appointment, and process payments.

hospital mini program

Housing-app mini program allows users to search for short and long-term leases, chat with apartment owners and explore the city maps to search for places.

housing mini program

Accessing WeChat Mini Program

WeChat mini-programs can be accessed in a variety of ways.

Swiping down on WeChat to access a list of recently used or saved Mini programs is the most popular method.

Youzan, a WeChat shop platform, reports that this swipe down the interface accounts for 27% of Mini Program traffic. Users can also access WeChat mini-programs via:

WeChat Official Account menu
Placed inside a WeChat article
WeChat’s Discover tab
Sharing cards on WeChat groups
Mini Program QR Code Scan
Search

Interesting Facts About WeChat Mini-Programs

50% of the top WeChat mini-programs also have a native app. Brands can still use a mini-program to draw WeChat users to their app or website even though they already have their own apps.
The WeChat mini-programs age ranges are fairly evenly distributed. Therefore, the mini-programs need not be limited to a particular age group and its preferences.
Women make up 71% of users of the WeChat E-Commerce Mini program. This is an opportunity for companies in the fashion, cosmetics, beauty, health, and wellness sectors to advertise their goods in WeChat mini-programs.
Mainland of China is home to 98.6% of WeChat’s users. The use of this feature can increase sales for businesses that are attempting to market their products.
Europe and Russia account for 56.98% of all WeChat mini-program users outside of China. Brands can use WeChat mini-programs to advertise their products in Europe and Russia since it is simpler to obtain permission for one app than for many when using WeChat.

User Participation In Wechat Mini-Programs

WeChat mini-program usage has grown significantly over time. There is an even greater increase in time spent thanks to WeChat mini-games. 67% of WeChat’s mini-program users use them more than four times per day, making them the majority of heavy users. WeChat mini-programs now account for 42% of all orders between 200 and 1,000 RMB, an increase in the percentage of small orders over time. 16.6% of users spend more than 1,000 RMB via mini-programs each month.

This could be a result of the fact that 7.4% of WeChat mini-program users only make over 10,000 RMB per month.

Why Should Businesses Use The WeChat Mini-Program?

Users can purchase items within the WeChat app with the aid of mini-programs. Increased conversion rates may result from this. Because of that the app’s key opinion leaders are crucial for utilizing the e-commerce mini-programs.

It is challenging to turn content into e-commerce because WeChat advertisements aren’t very good at identifying consumers and linking to products in the articles. It was made possible by WeChat by connecting products to eCommerce mini-programs.

In addition to these eCommerce conversions, WeChat mini-programs can be helpful in offline use-cases. For instance, unlocking a shared bike or paying for gas at a gas station.

WeChat Mini-programs will probably still be a crucial component of your marketing ecosystem if you’re aiming to attract higher-end users because they make converting new users easier. Users who try out your offerings through the WeChat Mini program will be much more likely to switch to a native app after that.

In reality, half of the most popular WeChat Mini-programs have a native app as well. This is particularly true in the E-commerce and lifestyle services sectors, where over 80% of the top 100 WeChat mini-programs have a corresponding native application.

Conclusion

Mini-programs can be very beneficial as social media platforms start to emerge as a business tool. Though WeChat has numerous mini-programs for different purposes, E-commerce mini-programs steal the show as they facilitate better conversion within the app.

So when it comes to the big question, “Do we need them?”, well, that depends on the requirements of the business.

If you wish to know more about WeChat mini-programs 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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Weekly China Updates

July 12, 2022

JD.com Announces Renewed Strategic Cooperation With Tencent

Tencent will keep providing JD.com with main entry points on its WeChat platform in order to maintain traffic. It also includes collaboration in areas like membership services, marketing and advertising, technology services, and communications.

The deal will carry out business cooperation in the areas of e-commerce portals, cloud technology and cloud services, membership systems, online conferences, enterprise services, smart retail and advertising, supply chain, and other areas. It will also strengthen technical exchanges and cooperation in artificial intelligence and other fields.

JD.com and Tencent are collaborating strategically for the third time at this time. The contract is extended for another three years.

Link: https://pandaily.com/jd-com-announces-renewed-strategic-cooperation-with-tencent/

Navigating Douyin — A Guide For Luxury

The mainland’s TikTok has already solidified its position in the market despite just having launched its e-marketplace in June 2020; it is currently ranked among the top five e-commerce applications with the greatest market shares.

600 million DAUs are on Douyin. The innovative consumer journey that Douyin delivers is what makes it so intriguing since it is completely changing the e-tail landscape. By connecting interest to final transactions, the software completes the cycle.

Link: https://jingdaily.com/douyin-guide-for-luxury/

Head & Shoulders Father’s Day Campaign Taps Into Paternal Pathos

Despite the fact that Father’s Day is not a recognised holiday in mainland China, it is nonetheless observed there in accordance with Western custom. On this day, the majority of Chinese advertisements are usually more sentimental than those in the West and focus on father-child connections. That said, it is remarkable how the Head & Shoulders commercial managed to stir up laughter in its viewers while also bringing them to tears.

For this very reason, family marketing is a common motif in Chinese ads. The good or service could be marketed to the whole family as a shared activity that is consumed together.

This video promo is not only directed at men who lose their hair but also at kids of all ages who value their father figures. In reality, sons and daughters wrote the majority of the posts under the Weibo hashtag #Dadsloveistoobald, which received an astounding 10 million views.

Link: https://daoinsights.com/works/head-shoulders-fathers-day-campaign-taps-into-paternal-pathos/

Weibo to Launch New Interest-Driven Social App

Several reports claim that Planet, a new interest-based social app, will be released by Weibo. An improved version of Planet Video, which already includes millions of communities covering a variety of themes, is the new app. Importantly, it will primarily serve as a tool for Weibo users to follow famous people and influencers while immersing themselves in groups of people who share their interests.

At the moment, Planet Video is divided into five categories: Home, Discover, Shoot, News, and My. The app immediately demonstrates Weibo’s interest in short video content. The move comes as no surprise given China’s tremendous demand for live streaming and brief video content.

On the other hand, some social circles may view the affiliation with a platform that promotes fan interaction and celebrity culture as disrespectful of the government’s efforts to curtail “excessive fan culture.” As a result, the luxury brands associated with Planet may find themselves in a sticky situation, dealing with criticism and reputational issues.

Link: https://jingdaily.com/weibo-planet-app-celebrities-short-video/

China’s All-Purpose Wechat App Lets Users Register Two Accounts With One Phone Number In Pilot Test

Tencent Holdings’ all-purpose social media platform WeChat is currently pilot testing a feature that enables users to sign up for an additional account using their existing mobile number. This could make it easier for users to balance their use of the app between their personal and professional lives.

According to a report by Chinese media outlet Thepaper.cn, the new capability has been in experimental testing with a small group of users since last year, and it is unclear if or when it will be formally released.

Some welcomed the move as a way to better separate work and life, while others were not impressed. However, some complained that the two accounts cannot work concurrently and they could miss the message on the main account when switching to the other one.

Link: https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3184348/chinas-all-purpose-wechat-app-lets-users-register-two-accounts-one

WeChat Service Marketing

The service market is an official platform to help find cooperation. At present, millions of companies are looking for small program development, customer service and other high-quality services here.

In the article, the marketing managers of two companies recommended this platform. They said that after they applied to join this platform, they signed a lot of customer resources and got a lot of cooperation service providers who meet the following standards to enter the service market-content service area:

It must be an independent corporate legal person, with fixed office space, and be qualified as a general taxpayer;
Has been registered and operated for more than 1 year;
The business scope should include: Daren, celebrity, self-media and other related businesses, providing market planning and publicity services, providing supply chain or e-commerce agency operations, etc., and engaging in related businesses for more than half a year;
The registered capital is more than 500,000 yuan;

He has experience in providing live broadcasts, short videos, and graphic operations for merchants in the WeChat ecosystem. One of the following conditions is met:

Sign a real and effective live broadcast operation business contract with at least 3 or more mini-program merchants, the live broadcast cooperation relationship can be checked, and the live broadcast comprehensive data performance during the service period is good;
Possess an agency operation business contract based on short videos and pictures and texts signed with more than 3 merchants in the WeChat ecosystem.
If neither of ① and ② is available, it is necessary to prove other materials that can prove the serviceability in the WeChat content service field.

Link: https://developers.weixin.qq.com/doc/oplatform/service_market/provider_guideline/enter_guideline/mcn_enter_guideline.html

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WeChat Interactive Articles – Introduction & Examples

July 1, 2022

WeChat Interactive Articles (WIA) are a relatively new and highly engaging way of presenting content on WeChat. They are created by brands and are designed to be quick, easy, and fun! Thanks to different features they can be used to engage with your audience in a very unique way.

What exactly are interactive posts?

You might have seen WeChat posts embellished with GIFs or other eye-catching graphics. Creators can upload such elements into articles directly in the WeChat backend when creating an article. However, WeChat’s native backend offers extremely limited options. That’s why many brands decide to use third-party platforms to create their posts. For example, you can add some features like swiping or ‘click to reveal’ to your posts using popular browser-based editing tools like xiumi.

More advanced interactive features require coding and are increasingly popular among WeChat brands.

What Are Animated SVGs?

Let’s begin with a technical explanation here. Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is a vector picture format for two-dimensional graphics that is based on Extensible Markup Language (XML) and supports animation and interactivity. A less technical explanation is that it is a special kind of image format – a Scalable Vector Graphic. We know, TL;DR. Let’s move to a more practical explanation.

Let us share with you some of the coolest examples of interactive posts. The effects can include tapping, long-pressing, selecting an answer (micro quizzes), and more.

Montagut interactive post

Why Interactive Posts Are a Great Alternative?

First of all, they are extremely engaging! A social media post with a picture is 10 times more likely to receive interaction. This is due to the fact that our brains process images and colors more quickly than other types of information. Therefore, advancing the idea and animating your image will also boost engagement. If your post hit the sweet spot, there is a good chance that your readers will share it further with their friends.

Classic static content no longer do especially when users are constantly inundated with new posts from brands.

Secondly, they can also be an interesting alternative to H5 mini-sites.

Creating an H5 mini-page requires much more effort in terms of time and budget. An interactive post can be a good option for smaller budgets and quick turnaround.
User journey doesn’t require WeChat readers to leave the article as it happens when redirecting to an H5 page.

Montagut interactive post

Naturally, H5 is still a great option for bigger campaigns that need to pack varied special effects or more complex interactions. Tracking clicks is also possible on an interactive article. It is worth mentioning that interactive features on the articles, even with coding, will still be quite basic but nonetheless fun.

groz beckert interactive post

You can also add a call to action (CTA) to demonstrate to readers the benefits they will receive; it should also be rewarding, contextually appropriate, and consistent with the official account’s branding and content style. When you catch readers’ attention, you can try to redirect them to e.g. your e-shop mini-program.

blackrock interactive post

Conclusion

When creating interactive WeChat articles, keep in mind these essential components. You might feel tempted to add too many interactive elements. We suggest keeping them to around 5 but well-thought-out and creative ones. Make sure your content is on-brand and that the interactions are clearly indicated.

Always remember that a brand’s engagement and conversion rate are better the more interactive it is.

If you wish to know more about WeChat articles & other marketing techniques in China, 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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Selling On WeChat: How Brands Can Do and Is it Better Than Other E-commerce Platforms?

June 28, 2022

When you’re entering the Chinese market you might wonder if selling on WeChat is a good strategy. With over 1.26 billion monthly active users and 78% of Chinese people aged 16 to 64 using WeChat, the Chinese application is definitely a key player in Chinese social networks and e-commerce.

Before Tencent announced the new birth of “WeChat shop” in July of 2014, the phrase “WeChat e-commerce” didn’t even exist. Now, after several years, it’s the sweatiest pie in town, and every company wants a piece. Can it be that WeChat e-commerce is even more attractive for foreign brands than well-established players like Tmall? Or even new solutions of cross-border e-commerce available on RED?

🇨🇳 What is Cross-border e-commerce?

What makes WeChat particularly attractive for foreign brands looking to connect and sell in China apart from its huge size, it’s the uniquely smooth user journey. Paraphrasing Ariana Grande it’s literally an ‘I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it’ approach and let us tell you why. In the second part of this article, you will see why it might be even more beneficial for you to start with a WeChat e-commerce instead of other shopping platforms.

WeChat Journey

A quick note, brands still cannot share links to their Taobao or Tmall stores on their official WeChat account. We might see it coming soon as relations between Alibaba and Tencent are slowly warming up.

Selling on WeChat – Owned E-commerce

The e-commerce landscape has changed a lot over the years: from the Yellow Pages-style online catalogs to one-click, same-day delivery.

The transition away from the classic search-based model of selling on WeChat is continuing at a rapid pace in China. China has the world’s most advanced e-commerce business. New interactive experiences replace the old ones that more closely resemble how people buy in the real world while still being entertaining.

WeChat offers a variety of strategic services to assist businesses to compete in the Chinese e-commerce sector.

First Things First

The first stage is to create a store with a user-friendly localized design and extensive selling capabilities including campaign marketing, coupons, flash deals, group purchasing, and a membership loyalty program.

WeChat’s mini-program, which is backed by a marketing automation platform, allows advertisers to automatically uncover sales opportunities among WeChat followers based on behavioral and purchase data analysis, as customers want increasingly personalized experiences. Brands can better nurture high-potential clients at all phases of the customer journey, from WeChat Official Account to WeChat Mini-Program, as well as automate promotional activities, reducing conversion time and increasing conversion rates.

Step 1: Register an official account

Brand posts on WeChat, unlike Facebook or Instagram, do not appear on the main social feed. Instead, they appear in the chat interface of WeChat. WeChat Official Accounts can be used for marketing in one of two ways:

Service accounts on WeChat: For WeChat users, these accounts show alongside “friends.” They are highly prominent, however, you can only receive four push alerts per month.
Accounts for WeChat subscriptions: These accounts have the ability to publish items on a daily basis (one push notification per day), but they are less prominent than service accounts. They show up in a “subscription” folder that readers must open to see the most recent articles.

Step 2: Start a WeChat mini-program store

WeChat mini-program stores are e-commerce experiences that are integrated into the WeChat app. By launching a WeChat store, a company can make its products available on the platform through a myriad of touchpoints. These include articles, WeChat search, live-streaming, and QR codes, which are constantly developing.

WeChat stores have various distinct advantages:

Within WeChat, you may search for stores.
Customers can pay with WeChat during the checkout process.
Customers can authenticate themselves using WeChat’s one-click log-in feature.
Your store can use WeChat to pre-fill the user’s shipping addresses.
Improved WeChat influencer campaigns integration
Influencers can link directly to a WeChat store from a WeChat article.
You may provide your customers with a native in-app shopping experience
Clients can save on special deals, coupons and more.

Additionally, the WeChat mini-program, which can be integrated with a cross-border payment function, allows Chinese users to pay in RMB using WeChat Pay. After that, the funds will be sent to the brands in their respective currencies. The mini-program also offers cross-border logistical services to help with international shipping and legal customs clearance.

Accessible through over 60 alternative entry points…

Since every stage of the user route is optimized for WeChat, conversion rates are also substantially higher. Because of the intimate closed-loop luxury purchases are increasingly growing on WeChat. Brands like Gucci or Dior are regularly leveraging Moments ads.

How to set up a WeChat store

WeChat stores are not directly provided by WeChat. They’re not the same as Facebook Shops or Google Listings in that regard. WeChat, on the other hand, provides a toolset (SDK and API) that allows merchants to construct WeChat stores using a proprietary programming language. The WeChat store was built using a framework based on the widely popular JavaScript programming language.

You have two alternatives as a merchant when it comes to setting up a WeChat mini-program store:

Develop a fully customized mini-program
Use of a software-as-a-service WeChat store provider like Youzan or Weidian

Step 3: Promote your WeChat shop

As WeChat posts are not visible to people who don’t follow you on WeChat, a thorough marketing plan is equally necessary to make your mini-program accessible and approachable.

Marketers may use KOLs’ live-streaming and advertising, especially Moment Ad, in the Tencent ecosystem to drive high-quality traffic and sales conversions.

WeChat offers three different forms of ads: WeChat Moment ads, WeChat Mini-program ads, and WeChat article ads.

WeChat is a great SEO tool as well. Its social search engines can have a significant impact on word-of-mouth marketing for firms as they attempt to be relevant. WeChat keeps expanding the reach of its ecosystem, which already connects one billion active monthly users, using its own search feature.

WeChat Channels are becoming the next big thing when it comes to social commerce. We covered live streaming selling and how to prepare the best strategies to attract customers and increase sales. Check it here >>> Live Streaming on WeChat Channels 🔥

What Sets WeChat Apart From Other e-commerce Platforms?

WeChat is superior to other Chinese e-commerce platforms because it combines the reach of a giant with the convenience of a smaller platform. When you use WeChat, it’s much easier to reach out to buyers, especially if you’re selling shoes or apparel.

WeChat’s social features are also greatly beneficial to your business. With just one click, you may send personalized messages to customers, such as “I’m attempting to figure out what size shoe I need.”

Another benefit is that you can tell which things are selling well by looking at the demographics of the people who are buying them—for example, if the majority of your customers are women over 30, there may be something about that age group that works for your business.

Plus, on WeChat, there’s always something fresh to see! While browsing merchandise, you may keep up with the latest news stories or watch hilarious videos.

However, the most important thing for any business entering China or trying to expand its sales would be entry barriers. Requirements and fees for Tmall and its solutions for cross-border e-commerce are notoriously steep. They start from a 4,500 USD security deposit, high sales commissions (up to 12%), and often require dedicated warehouses. Major platforms also highly restrict data ownership and advertising options.

On the contrary, creating your own mini-program means you own your data and you have full flexibility in terms of your store operations and promotions. You don’t need to pay any upfront fees to the platform or pay commissions on sales. The drawback is that you will need to secure your own traffic to the store which is normally much easier to achieve when you go with the e-commerce players like JD or Tmall.

Conclusion

Customers on a number of e-commerce platforms, including WeChat, Weibo, Xiaohongshu, etc., enjoy the rapidly evolving Chinese market. Chinese consumers spend a lot of time reading about other people’s shopping experiences and avoid purchasing unfamiliar things. To keep the brand’s reputation positive, customer word-of-mouth is crucial.

However, the Western market and the marketing techniques that support it are significantly dissimilar from the Chinese market. Thus, in order to successfully join the Chinese market, it is crucial to adjust your marketing methods in addition to localizing your products. To keep up a healthy relationship with users, brands need to establish a strong online presence and engage with them frequently.

Additionally, now WeChat allows for Shopify integration so you can keep all information within one place. Get in touch with us for more details.

When it comes to e-commerce platforms, WeChat appears to be the ideal choice in China. WeChat is a strong ecosystem for brand launches in China. Companies can expand swiftly in the Chinese market by utilizing influencers and cross-border payments, positioning themselves for future growth through collaborations with offline distributors or other platforms like Tmall.

If you wish to know more about marketing in China, 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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Case Study: Grand Hyatt (APAC Wedding Planning Campaign)

June 14, 2022

ABOUT GRAND HYATT

Hyatt, an international hospitality firm that maintains and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts, and vacation homes, has a 5-star premium line of hotels called Grand Hyatt. It operates over 1,100 hotels and all-inclusive resorts across 69 countries on six continents.

Grand Hyatt – Baidu Ads

THE SCOPE OF WORK

Grand Hyatt wanted to raise awareness for its new wedding offering and get the target audience to visualize how their special day can be spectacular in order to generate leads.

We created an APAC campaign across 12 markets, 5 languages, 6 social media platforms,+200 Creative posts and 2 dedicated websites with a mobile-first approach and a SalesForce integration:
• One for China (H5 – WeChat Compatible)
• One for the rest of APAC

Grand Hyatt – Wedding Planning Dedicated Website

Grand Hyatt – Static Content Brought to Life With Romantic Animations

Our approach was to give the audience an immersive digital experience by building visibility on social & digital platforms and drive users to a visual-led-content website where they could curate content to design their wedding dream and even apply dedicated filters to their photos.

THE RESULTS & TESTIMONIAL

Dear KRDS Team,
I want to thank all of you for your hard work and dedication to this project and the campaign. It was a long and fruitful process and completely worth it. It was definitely a successful campaign, and the learnings will only help us improve and optimize as we evolve the wedding and events digital campaigns at Hyatt.

AQUIN MATHEW
Social Media – Hyatt Asia Pacific

If you wish to know more about APAC campaigns and various options, 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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Digital Strategy Case Study : GIC Singapore Sovereign Fund

June 14, 2022

WHAT IS GIC?

Singapore’s foreign reserves are managed by GIC, a sovereign wealth fund with assets of $744 billion dollars. GIC invests internationally in developed market shares, emerging market equities, nominal bonds and cash, inflation-linked bonds, private equity, and real estate. It was founded by the Singapore government in 1981 and has a network of 10 offices in significant financial capitals around the world.

SCOPE OF WORK FOR THE CHINESE MARKET

The WeChat Agency has been hired by GIC to advise and manage its digital operations in China. The biggest problem we faced for the brand was how to create brand recognition without using paid advertising, given China’s tight laws on the finance industry. This was accomplished through a combination of strategic initiatives, such as playbooks and workshops, focusing on WeChat and covering topics such as the platform’s overall evolution, audience characteristics, user journey, content strategy, and comprehensive execution plans.

GIC – Content Creation

RESULTS

The GIC team got full training on WeChat marketing with a detailed plan covering content pillars, campaign themes, and distribution of the content. A detailed playbook serves as an ongoing consulting tool for GIC but can be also readily used for any in-house developed activities.

At the same time, the WeChat Agency has been regularly creating and localizing content for the local market.

After the first year, GIC reappointed The WeChat Agency for management for the second consecutive year.

GIC – Holiday Greetings

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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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

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:

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

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
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

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

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:

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.
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.
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.
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

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.

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Weibo & Twitter: Are They Comparable?

May 26, 2022

Weibo is often called China’s answer to Twitter but is that actually true? Let’s dig into the specifics of both of the platforms and understand what Weibo is really about.

With over 140 million active users, Twitter is one of the most popular social media platforms in the United States, and the platform was acquired by Elon Musk for $44 billion, about a month ago. In China, Weibo is regarded as Twitter’s equivalent. There are a number of Chinese microblogging sites. The most popular of these is Sina Weibo.

Unlike Twitter, Sina Weibo, which debuted in 2009, was not the first in this space. However, it has increased its user base during the last three years.

Twitter Vs. Weibo: Features

Rich Media
Weibo: Sina Weibo allows users to insert extra material such as photographs, videos, music, emoticons, and polls. The site also allows you to see links from video streaming sites such as Youku Tudou, without leaving the site.
Twitter: Twitter, like Facebook, allows you to include video URLs in your tweets and reshare videos. It also allows you to download videos on occasion, but only at a very low level. Here, it might take a page from Weibo and implement a feature that allows users to view videos linked to tweets without leaving the platform, so increasing user retention.
Comment Threads
Weibo: Weibo has capitalized on its platform’s social validation feature by making its comment thread user-friendly. You can see comments properly sorted out under a tweet with a single click. You can also include your @username in the comment to remind the audience about your brand and company. In this way, Weibo supports corporations in raising brand awareness.
Twitter: Twitter, on the other hand, is still unorganized in that sector because you have to take the time out to browse and track who has responded to your tweets. The ones commenting on the tweets mix with other comments about different topics. The thread is sorted under one umbrella.
Trending Categorization
Weibo: Weibo’s hall of fame is a dedicated page that tells you what’s ‘trending,’ similar to Twitter’s except for this one. Weibo dominates the trending game because it divides its trends into categories such as sports, entertainment, finance, and travel, making it more user-specific.
Twitter: Since the hashtags that appear on a user’s feed are generally news or brand-related issues, Twitter has yet to categorize its trending hashtags based on user preferences.
Contests
Weibo: Weibo includes a function called ‘event,’ which is the virtual equivalent of a party, but in sections (as usual). The feature aggregates everyone’s ideas, increasing engagement by a factor of ten. The Weibo event allows you to participate in local events, prized events, forum events, and other great events highlighted at the top of the website, as well as spark Weibo messages (weebs).
Twitter: Twitter hasn’t yet reached this level of engagement, but it has managed to generate interest through contests and meet-and-greets with influencers. These sponsored contests have provided marketers with an exciting way to reach out to their consumers, but they could learn a thing or two from Weibo on how to organize it on a larger scale.
Number of Characters
Sina Weibo, like Twitter, has a character limit of 140 characters. Nonetheless, it makes a significant difference. A Chinese character, like an English word, has a meaning. A string of 140 characters might mean a lot of different things. In English, however, each word consists of many characters. The 140-character constraint restricts the expression of thoughts. As a result, you cannot use extended words to explain complex concepts on Twitter. According to the most recent Economist research, Chinese is great for microblogging.

Twitter Vs. Weibo: Revenue

Twitter: At first glance, Twitter’s business appears to be in good shape. Its revenue increased by 7% in 2020 due to the pandemic but increased by 45% year over year in the first nine months of 2021 as those challenges faded.

Twitter’s total monetizable daily active users (mDAUs) increased by 27% to 192 million in 2020. It had 211 million mDAUs at the end of the third quarter of 2021, up 13% from the previous year. This expansion was driven by its expansion in other markets, particularly Japan.

However, Twitter became unprofitable in 2020 and continues to lose money in the first nine months of 2021. A substantial chunk of the losses was due to tax and legal charges, but they were also exacerbated by a 30% rise in staff this year.

Twitter also anticipates that the forthcoming sale of MoPub will cut revenue by $200-$250 million next year, making it more difficult to meet its target of producing more than $7.5 billion in annual revenue by 2023.

Weibo: Weibo’s income declined 4% in 2020 due to the pandemic, which lowered ad sales. Its live streaming business has also slowed. However, Weibo’s income increased 39% year on year in the first nine months of 2021 as those businesses recovered. Analysts anticipate a 37% increase in sales for the full year.

Weibo’s total monthly active users (MAUs) increased by less than 1% year on year to 521 million at the end of 2020. However, it concluded the third quarter of 2021 with 573 million MAUs, a 12% increase from the previous year.

Weibo, unlike Twitter, has been consistently profitable under generally accepted accounting rules (GAAP). Its net income fell 37% in 2020 but increased 10% year on year in the first nine months of 2021 as pandemic-related challenges faded. Analysts predict that its net income will grow faster in the fourth quarter and by 54% for the year.

They predict Weibo’s revenue and earnings to climb 12% and 29%, respectively, in the coming year, which is still outstanding growth for a stock that trades at only ten times forward earnings

Weibo Twitter

Conclusion

If you’re a business looking to expand globally, or considering entering the Chinese market for the first time, this article should be a good guide. Both Twitter and Weibo have their advantages and disadvantages, so there’s no one-size-fits-all solution here; instead, it’s a matter of researching your target audience and deciding which platform is best to your needs. It may even make sense to maintain a presence on both—if nothing else, that will allow you to reach customers at both ends of the spectrum.

Both platforms are popular worldwide, and their differences open avenues for different types of businesses. For example, Chinese businesses would benefit from a Weibo account to attract Chinese customers and global firms should rather create a Twitter account to attract customers worldwide.

Though the features of Weibo outnumber those of Twitter, and revenue for the Chinese platform appears to be increasing, it is still too early to determine whether Twitter will be replaced (or at least complemented) by Weibo. However, with Weibo’s recent development and expansion, it is certainly a unique alternative to Twitter.

Read more about Weibo and its recent status here.

If you wish to know more about Weibo and other Chinese social media platforms, 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 Stickers – A Quick Guide

May 18, 2022

WeChat (微信, Weixin) is China’s most popular social media platform – no less than 1.27 billion users use the app on a monthly basis. It has outgrown its initial messaging functionality a long time ago and now is a powerhouse offering a myriad of options for users including interacting with brands on different levels.

By 2023, the predicted e-commerce gross merchandise value (GVM) on WeChat would be 13 trillion RMB (more than 2 trillion USD). Hence, making it a vital platform for brands to connect with their target audience.

WeChat has various features that help brands increase engagement and interact more effectively with their customers. The WeChat Sticker is one such tool that brands can leverage.

What Are WeChat Stickers?

Global consumers devote significant time to social media and instant messaging applications. Every internet user has sent an emoji at some point, and over 10 billion emojis are transmitted each day. Emojis and stickers in messaging apps are quickly becoming an important element of our online language, if not our culture. Netizens use this special “language” to communicate with one another while also having fun. Chinese netizens, particularly Chinese millennials, are no exception.

With 50 billion messages sent on WeChat every day, many of them are WeChat stickers. WeChat stickers are simply light-weighted png or GIF files shared directly from the keyboard in the WeChat message window. It’s not surprising to see stickers appearing in both personal and professional conversations and group chats. In fact, many users proudly boast their sticker collections or even create their own. While most of the stickers take the form of cute animals, brand mascots, and animated delicacies, some of them can express a deeper sense of humor or irony.

Behaviors Around Stickers

Chat interactions on WeChat are frequently sprinkled with animated stickers, in both professional and personal contexts. Stickers are used to express emotions (such as joy or pity), infuse humor into a conversation, and deliver seasonal holiday greetings.

In reality, because outward expression of sentiments and attitudes is discouraged, as well as a predilection for an obscure sense of humor, Chinese users are even more passionate about the so-called 表情包 (Biao qing bao=facial expression pack, Chinese for stickers pack used on messaging applications).

How users can get stickers?

WeChat stickers can be found through browsing the app’s sticker section, searching for keywords, or bookmarking stickers and sticker packs provided by friends. Users can store sticker packs (collections of 16 or 24 stickers) or individual stickers on their accounts so they can use them readily in chats.

How Brands Are Utilising Them?

Businesses are repurposing the WeChat sticker frenzy as marketing tools to help their brands expand. Brands looking to digitalize their image and engage with consumers throughout their everyday activities are discovering that stickers can make their messaging stick.

Many social networking networks provide emojis, GIFs, and sticker sets to express emotions via mobile app messaging functions. WeChat stickers are widely used in mobile messaging platforms.

Example: The luxury company Louis Vuitton celebrated its founder’s 200th birthday in August 2021. Louis Vuitton devised a game for their global audience to commemorate the occasion and this game is available for download via WeChat and is available in both English and Chinese. In “Louis the Game,” players must find 200 collectible candles to mark the anniversary; each one unlocks stories about Louis’ life and family. The game also includes 30 NFTs that players can gather along the journey. Moreover, Louis Vuitton designed a limited-edition series of WeChat stickers that users can share with their friends. The set includes Louis Vuitton-branded game items such as a key and candle.

WeChat Stickers Offer Key Advantages for WeChat Marketing in China

Stickers are an excellent tool for promoting your WeChat marketing in China.

Stickers are great tools for:

Raising brand awareness
Interacting with your followers in a playful way
Promoting your brand, brand elements, and more importantly brand mascot
Connecting better with tech-enthusiastic Gen Z

Who Should Create WeChat Stickers?

The great news is that virtually all brands can create their own sticker collections and leverage them in their communication. Obvious candidates are tourism destinations, the F&B industry or fashion but branded sticker collections for B2B brands are a great idea too. Employees cannot only use more fun ways to say ‘Thank You’ or ‘Meeting room is ready’ but also to use stickers with conversations with their contacts outside of the company.

Stickers promoting a Chinese tourist destination, French culture, Japanese food

How Brands Can Create Stickers?

Brands have two options to share their stickers with their fans.

(1) Publish a WeChat post with branded stickers for users to download. Users can long-press each sticker and save them one by one.

This method doesn’t require setting an enterprise account therefore you can be more creative with your stickers and include your brand logo.

(2) Launch stickers without the brand/product name directly on the WeChat Stickers Gallery. Users will be able to download the whole pack or selected ones.

In this scenario, you might have to remove your brand name or logos to pass the verification so your creations do not fall under the promotional stickers category. Alternatively, you can submit more documentation for Tencent.

Stickers from Starbucks, Tiffany’s and Montagut The latter posted within an article

Registration materials required by Tencent:

Go to the WeChat stickers portal
Account information: company name and e-mail
Registered company information: business license, license registration number, merchant ID (optional)
Authorization Letter
Operator information: name, ID card number and scan, phone number, active WeChat linked to a bank card

Submitted stickers must respect WeChat’s audit standards and do not fall within the list of restricted topics like medicine or finance. WeChat doesn’t allow stickers with clear promotional and advertising content. We can help you navigate through these requirements.

The general review period is ten working days.

WeChat Stickers

Conclusion

Emojis and stickers have become an integral component of internet conversations all around the world, and they have altered how teenagers and the younger generation connect with one another. A picture is worth a thousand words and can assist to lighten the mood, making online communication more engaging and fun. How can international brands use this instrument to enter into the lives of Chinese consumers?

The following are some major takeaways for international companies looking to leverage branded stickers in China:

In China, stickers are more popular than emojis.
WeChat dominates the Chinese internet messaging app market. International companies should release their branded emojis and stickers on WeChat rather than the App Store or Google Play Store.
Before designing customised emojis and stickers, international firms should be very explicit about their aim and target audience. When customers can relate to the stickers, they are considerably more inclined to share them.
Learn about the habits of Chinese millennials and the Chinese communication culture. Incorporating buzzwords or famous phrases into branded stickers could be a smart approach but requires understanding and cultural sensitivity.
Branded stickers should have a good balance of product and brand marketing and intriguing content (e.g., witty messages, cute graphics) to make them more appealing to consumers.

Find more news related to WeChat on our blog

If you wish to know more about WeChat stickers and other engagement tools, 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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China News for the Week

May 11, 2022

Top 5 Chinese Tech Firms Have Lost Nearly Half of Their Combined Market Cap in 2 Years

Why it matters: After two decades of phenomenal expansion, the top five Chinese tech behemoths have lost at least 46% of their total market capitalisation.

In April 2020, Apple’s valuation = Alibaba+Tencent+Meituan+JD.com+Pinduoduo the top five Chinese tech firms
In April 2022, Apple’s valuation = 49 top Chinese tech firms combined. Apple’s valuation has more than doubled while many Chinese tech firms’ valuation has decreased or stagnated

What are the reasons?

A saturating local market
Pandemic outbreaks
US-China trade tensions
Rigorous government regulations
The loss of the “upbeat spirit” of China’s business world.

Link: https://technode.com/2022/05/09/top-5-chinese-tech-firms-have-lost-nearly-half-of-combined-market-cap-in-2-years/

Chinese Internet Users Buy Fake Covers After Social Media Forcefully Reveal Their Locations

Why it matters: Chinese internet users are playing cat and mouse with the country’s social media sites, which have violated users’ privacy by requiring them to give their geolocation.

Many people have been surprised by the new rules. Many popular marketing personas with international pictures and selling qualities, for example, are demonstrated to be based in China.

As a result, several enterprises are now selling services that change IP addresses on e-commerce platforms like Taobao for as little as RMB 6 ($0.9) per day. Many of these businesses claim to be able to change location information (in Chinese) on platforms such as Weibo and Douyin.

Link: https://technode.com/2022/05/07/chinese-internet-users-buy-fake-covers-after-social-media-forcefully-reveal-their-locations/

Why Is Email Marketing Ineffective in China?

An email has never been popular in China in comparison to the West. Experian Market Services statistics from 2015, which examined email marketing success in selected Asia Pacific nations, showed that China’s total opening rate was barely 10.5%, compared to 33.1% in New Zealand.

Chinese users check their emails 22% less frequently than users worldwide. Smartphones have mostly overtaken desktops as the primary computing device in China. The country was a late adoption of computers, and as internet cafés began to develop in the 1990s and early 2000s, young people began to engage with one another using social messaging apps such as QQ.

Email marketing frequently disappoints marketers because the majority of Chinese do not regularly check their personal emails (if they have one at all) and would expect the brands they care about to meet them in their native digital environment.

WeChat brand accounts are far more engaging than email and can provide information on several elements of the brand.

Link: https://daoinsights.com/opinions/why-does-email-marketing-not-work-in-china/

The Future of E-Commerce on Douyin and 5 Tips on How to Prepare

In China, TikTok is known as Douyin. With over 600 million active daily users, it’s a hugely popular short video app. That equates to half of China’s population.

Unlike TikTok, Douyin clearly integrates e-commerce. Douyin users can complete purchases within the app by clicking links within each short video. Douyin thus becomes a viable sales channel, perfectly adapted to impulse purchases.

Link: https://agencychina.com/blog/e-commerce-on-douyin-5-tips-how-to-prepare/

WeChat to Reveal Users’ IP Location on a Public Posts

WeChat announced on Friday that it will begin displaying users’ whereabouts when they post on a public account.

WeChat, which is controlled by Tencent, said it would soon begin testing the setting, which only applies to users of its “public platform,” where they can comment on news, essays, and other written content published by official accounts.

The new settings will show the province or municipality of Chinese users who post on public accounts. Posts made by users from other countries on public accounts will show the nation indicated by their IP address.

WeChat, which has over 1.2 billion monthly users, stated in a notification that the action targeted misinformation about “local and international hot-topic topics,” but did not elaborate.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/-utfIpLwq7Iq6GKqldKRhw

A Part of Gen Z Decides to Give Up Filters on Social Media

Posting on WeChat is becoming increasingly tiresome for many individuals. Typically, it takes them 5 minutes to take photos and 1 hour to edit them in Photoshop, plus they have to think of an interesting environment to write in. Finally, it appears to be extra labour.

As a result, as more people become dissatisfied with social media, they want a platform that is easier and less stressful. Then, all of a sudden, a new app becomes extremely popular. It’s called “BeReal,” and it was created in France.

Users cannot upload photos to this platform. Instead, they can only utilise the app’s camera to snap a live photo. Furthermore, the platform lacks a filter and editing tool, so users may only send original photographs. Furthermore, BeReal does not allow users to choose when they want to snap photos and share them. Instead, the system tells every user to perform everything at once. Every time, users have only 2 minutes to shoot photos and upload them before it is too late. BeReal wishes to save the most genuine moment in your life. Furthermore, you cannot choose not to be genuine because both of your phone’s cameras will be activated, allowing people to see both your face and where you are. Finally, there are no “like,” “share,” or “comment” buttons on BeReal; the only way to communicate with your friend is to take a picture of yourself and send emoji.

The concept of BeReal is that they want people to calm down and forget those annoying data, while just focusing on what is happening in real life. Perhaps because of that, BeReal suddenly became popular. In the first quarter of 2022, the number of users increased by 315%. And it has become the Top 4th app in America, France, and England, just behind Instagram, Snapchat and Pinterest.

In France, 80% of the users are Gen Z, mainly because they are tired of pretending and being identified by others. They are not afraid of being “ugly”, they just want to be themselves rather than live in other people’s comments.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/5L0JpmtmXZ-j7Va2sVB-xQ

Glamping Swept China’s Social Media This Labor Day Holiday

Because of the COVID-19 control measures and continued domestic travel limitations, Chinese people spent their Labor Day holiday this year on short getaways and staycations. The most popular topic these days is “glamping” (glamorous camping). According to Ctrip data, online traffic for “camping” reached a historic high on the first day of the holiday, and search volume jumped by 90% over the previous week. There are nearly three million campaign-related UGC (user-generated content) entries on Xiaohongshu, ranging from gear photos to the journey itself.

From January to April of this year, the number of participants on Ctrip was five times that of the entire year of 2021. In addition, the number of camping facilities has increased by 800% since this year.

Camping can be classified into two categories: luxurious camping and survival camping. The first emphasises quality, whereas the second emphasises the difficulty of surviving in the field. The most popular is luxury camping because most people prefer to explore nature rather than build a genuine fire. And those stunning photographs on social media have had a huge influence on individuals who have never gone camping before, making camping a new fashion trend among young Chinese visitors.

This brisk growth portends a bright future for the outdoor equipment and apparel business. According to Daxue Consulting, the sector would be worth $100 billion (666.8 billion RMB) by 2025. Luxury residences were eager to seize this opportunity. Prada debuted its Outdoor Collection last year, a distinctive ready-to-wear line inspired by the great outdoors.

However, this part still has many obstacles, such as style, functioning, colours, activities, and so on. Players in this game should think outside the box and be more creative while maintaining quality.

Link: https://jingdaily.com/glamping-labor-day-china-prada-beast/?utm_source=Jing+Daily+Subscriber+List&utm_campaign=069f57ad7b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_03_12_06_39_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8dec01cd8d-069f57ad7b-40884038

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