WeChat 101 - A Guide to China's Everything App

What is WeChat? ??

WeChat is China’s most popular powerhouse app. With over 1.28 billion monthly active users, WeChat has become an integrated part of everyday life in China. WeChat’s name (Weixin or 微信 in Chinese) is Mandarin for ‘micro-message’, which is an appropriate throw-back to this app’s humble beginnings as an instant messaging app in 2011. Fast forward to the present day, this all-in-one super app is now used to buy groceries, hail a taxi, book movie tickets, read the news, pay utility bills, order delivery, play games and the list goes on. You can find a more comprehensive list of WeChat’s features below.

A quick clarification: WeChat and Weixin are technically different versions of the same app. Weixin is the version used in China while WeChat is the version used overseas. They don’t belong to the same system or servers but have a similar interface and share common functions. For simplicity's sake, in this article we’ll be referring to ‘WeChat’ as a whole, including relative talking points for both versions.

Who Owns WeChat? ??

WeChat’s parent company is Tencent, a world-leading internet and technology company founded in 1998 with its headquarters based in Shenzhen, China. While not a household name to many outside of China, Tencent is actually the world’s biggest games company, as well as one of the world’s most financially valuable companies with a market value of 545 Billion USD. In China, Tencent is as widely known as companies like Amazon and Meta in the West, which makes sense considering its 1.2 billion WeChat users, the massively successful qq.com website portal and its very own Tencent music with 604 million monthly active users. According to their website, “Tencent publishes some of the world's most popular video games and other high-quality digital content, enriching interactive entertainment experiences for people around the globe.” It’s no wonder then that Tencent’s brainchild WeChat has such a massive reach in China. According to Tencent’s May 2022 Corporate Overview, 35% of user’s time spent on apps in China is captured by apps owned by Tencent.

Who Uses WeChat? ??

WeChat is by far China’s largest communication and social service platform, used daily by a whopping 78% of people in China between 16-64 years old. In fact, WeChat is China’s first app to boast over 1 billion active users, one of only six apps in the world that have surpassed that milestone. WeChat makes for an outstanding share of total mobile traffic in China, with some estimating 34% of traffic is generated from the app itself. According to analytics provider App Annie, WeChat has 2.3 million weekly active users in the U.S. While there isn’t any specific data for WeChat users in Canada, it’s safe to assume that the vast majority of Chinese students, tourists and/or immigrants actively use WeChat in Canada as well.

How does WeChat Work? ??

WeChat is referred to as a super app because it offers a plethora of services that users can access all within the same platform. Instead of operating multiple apps on their own, WeChat has created a wrinkle-free ecosystem that allows users to have a ton of functionality at the tip of their fingertips without having to switch from app to app. In many ways, WeChat is the ‘Apple’ of apps: iMessage, iTunes, Facetime, Apple Pay, Apple Maps, Safari - are all part of a closed ecosystem that operates independently. WeChat embraces the same self-reliant concept, providing solutions to all your needs within a single app.

WeChat Features ??

It’s difficult to find a truly comprehensive list that encompasses everything you can do on WeChat. In broad terms, WeChat encompasses the features of WhatsApp, Google, Facebook and Apple Pay all into one convenient platform without having to leave the app. It’s important to note that WeChat features differ depending on whether you’re using the China-based version (Weixin) or the overseas version (WeChat). Here’s a list that includes (but not limited to) some of WeChat’s services:

? Instant Messaging: Similar to WhatsApp and Messenger, you have a list of conversations that you’re engaged in. Both 1:1 or group messages are possible. Customers and brands can also send/respond to messages.

? Video and Voice Calling: 1:1 or group calling

? Moments: Similar to a Facebook timeline, WeChat Moments are status updates that include photos, videos and text that users share with their circle of friends on WeChat. Friends can comment, like or favorite any ‘moment’ published by other friends. When a post is published on Moments, users have the option of selecting which friends among their network can see which posts.

? WeChat Pay: WeChat Pay is Apple Pay on steroids. It’s one of the most popular payment methods used nearly everywhere in China, from major supermarkets to mom-and-pop street vendors. Users can link their Chinese bank cards to the payment system, scan barcodes to complete transactions, and send and receive money instantly. WeChat Pay also allows for instant money transfers to WeChat contacts via text. WeChat Pay works both within and outside of China, with many North American businesses accepting WeChat Pay as an additional method to encourage more Chinese consumer spending. Customers pay in CNY and then the transaction is directly settled in the foreign currency.

? Translation Services: WeChat can translate Chinese text into the native language on a user’s phone, providing an easy method of communication with Chinese friends and clients.

? Mini Program: Mini Programs are essentially mini-apps within WeChat. Just like Apple allows developers to create iOS apps for the Apple App Store, WeChat allows 3rd party companies to develop mini apps that run seamlessly within the WeChat framework that guarantee instant loading times and ease of use without taking up any memory on your phone.

? Services: Services offered through the app are broken down into (1) Financial Services, (2) Daily Services, (3) Travel & Transportation and (4) Shopping & Entertainment. These services include anything from applying for a loan, paying a utility bill, booking a hotel or ordering food delivery. Currently, these services are only available to China Weixin users.

? Search: Unlike searches using Google or Baidu, WeChat Search doesn’t index the whole Internet, but instead focuses on the content accessible within WeChat including WeChat moment, WeChat articles, and WeChat Official Accounts

? Channel: WeChat channel is a video app within WeChat, somewhat similar in look to TikTok and Instagram. Launched in January 2020, this new feature allows users to post short video content and then distribute via WeChat.

? QR Codes: WeChat QR codes have countless applications, for example: add friends, join a WeChat group, join an official WeChat account, open a mini program, receive special promotions, send or receive payments

? WeChat Mini Games: Easy-to-play mobile games played within WeChat that don’t require download or installation. Mini-games are the number one category in terms of time users spend on WeChat Mini Programs. They are often used by brands to engage with consumers.

WeChat Official Account ??

A WeChat Official Account (sometimes referred to as “OA”) is the Chinese version of a Facebook page for your business. Whereas a personal WeChat account is great for staying connected to your friends, a WeChat Official Account allows businesses to leverage the power of WeChat by directly communicating with Chinese-speaking audiences, build brand loyalty, increase readership and convert potential clients into active customers, as well as use WeChat Ads. Businesses can amass followers, provide them with engaging content, send them push notifications, and direct them to a website or e-commerce store via WeChat. Among other things, the backend of a WeChat Official Account page allows administrators to: (1) Broadcast messages, (2) Send direct messages, (3) Set-up auto reply, (4) Create a customized homepage menu, (5) Provide customer service, (6) Access analytics, (7) Manage followers.

Service Account (服务号) vs. Subscription Account (订阅好) ??

There are two types of WeChat accounts, (1) Service Account and (2) Subscription Account. Each account type has its own goals and features, so it’s important to understand the differences, benefits and drawbacks of each. In general terms, Service Accounts are highly visible with posts appearing as content in your friends “Chat” page, whereas Subscription Accounts posts show up in users’ subscription folders without any notifications sent.?

Here’s a quick guide to the main difference between the two ??

Is WeChat For You? ??

Before launching a WeChat strategy, it's important to think about the needs of your target audience. Although WeChat is widely used among Chinese (both within and outside of China), there may be other Chinese apps that are a better fit for your product. For example, Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu 小红书) is one of China’s most trusted social shopping platform and is a go-to choice for a lot of beauty and health brands. Then there's Weibo (China's Twitter), Douyin (China's TikTok), Bilibili (China's YouTube) and the list goes on and on. The key: do your research. Try to learn a bit about how the Chinese digital landscape works and which platforms will work best for your audience. ??

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