WeChat is China’s most popular messaging app, owned by Chinese tech giant Tencent.
Currently, more than 1 billion people have downloaded the app, with more than 902 million daily users and over a staggering billion monthly users. This makes it one of the world’s most popular social networks.
WeChat Demographics
According to the Global State Of Digital 2021 report, current estimates suggest 90% of China’s population uses WeChat. But the app isn’t just popular in China. Approximately 100-250 million WeChat users live outside of the country giving it a strong foothold in Chinese-speaking communities and becoming a ‘one-stop shop’ for social and transactional moments in China.
WeChat users are pretty evenly distributed between genders, with 45.4% being female and 54.6% male. People under 30 years old account for over half of all WeChat users in China while those aged 36-40 years make up the smallest share, at just 8.6% of total users.
WeChat for Business
Businesses can market on WeChat either by requesting an Official Account that works like a mini-website with individual pages or partnering with third parties.
If you have an Official Account, you can create content on WeChat and get the ability to post daily updates. Taking the form of blog posts, videos, photos, and subscription accounts, you can directly interact with and sell to your followers and customers. There is also functionality for customers to pay for goods and services directly through their WeChat account.
Overseas enterprises can now apply for an Official Account, even if they don’t hold a Chinese Business License.
Advertise On WeChat
WeChat offers three types of ads:
Moments ads; equivalent to Facebook ads appearing on the timeline.
Banner ads; equivalent to ad banners on a website.
Key opinion leaders (KOL or influencer) ads; influencer post.
Set up an Official Account on WeChat
The most effective way to market your business on WeChat is by opening an Official Account. There are two types of accounts for WeChat marketing; Subscription account, and Service account.
A subscription account is designed for enterprises that are heavy on content as it allows daily posting with no restrictions.
A service account is made for sales and customer support. Service account holders can send four broadcast messages per month and have access to WeChat Pay and APIs.