On August 14, 2024, Tencent dropped its Q2 financial report, and the numbers speak for themselves: WeChat, along with its international version, reached a combined 1.371 billion monthly active users. As China’s biggest social platform, WeChat isn’t just another app. It’s your must-have super-app. For businesses, it’s the primary touchpoint with customers, and if you’re planning to crack the Chinese market, having a presence on WeChat is as vital as your website.
WeChat a Key Platform in China’s B2B Market
WeChat goes beyond social media. It’s an entire ecosystem—offering everything from local services and ads to shopping, CRM, and more. If you’re a B2B company looking to tap into the Chinese market, you need to see your WeChat presence as a key gateway, on par with your official site.
Below, we’ll take you through essential WeChat features, explain what each can do for your business, and how you can utilize them effectively.
Building Your Brand Presence on WeChat – What Can You Do?
You’ve probably heard about WeChat Official Accounts, but there’s a lot more to building success on this platform. Whether it’s brand building, growing followers, lead generation, or closing sales, there’s a whole range of tools you should be aware of: WeChat Channels, Mini Programs, WeCom (WeChat Work), and Tencent Ads.
WeChat Official Accounts
- Menu Tabs and Auto-Replies: This is where followers can quickly interact with your business. With menu tabs and auto-replies, users can easily find essential info, browse key posts, navigate to your site, or even connect directly with your WeCom customer service team.
- Organic Posts: Craft a solid content strategy with engaging topics, localized trends, and timely themes. Think holidays, industry insights, and hot topics. Your visuals should reflect a consistent brand aesthetic—no need for fancy design, just clean and cohesive. Most importantly, clear calls-to-action (CTAs) are crucial. Encourage readers to click through to your site, connect on WeCom, or follow any other action you want. This is especially key when working with influencers or media for reposts.
WeChat Channels
WeChat Channels are gaining serious traction, and it’s easy to see why. Think of them as WeChat’s answer to TikTok, where user engagement has been soaring. While Channels and Official Accounts are separate, they can be connected under the same brand.
- Use WeChat Index: Check out trending keywords related to your business to see what’s hot on Channels.
- Research Popular Topics and Video Types: A little prep work here goes a long way in shaping your content strategy.
- Identify Key Influencers: Partnering with influencers can help your brand reach a wider audience, especially when you’re just starting out.
WeChat Mini Programs
You could direct users to your website, sure. But most Chinese users would rather keep the entire experience within WeChat. And if your site is slow to load in China, this is definitely the better route. With Mini Programs, you can deliver:
- Micro-Sites: Mobile-optimized pages for product info, tech specs, or customer support.
- Content Downloads/Booking Forms: B2B companies can offer whitepapers, case studies, or industry reports to capture leads through quick sign-ups or logins.
Mini Programs aren’t just tied to Official Accounts. Users can find them independently through search, simplifying the entire journey and keeping everything within WeChat’s ecosystem.
WeCom
WeCom is like WeChat’s business-enhanced cousin, widely used for customer management and internal communications. It’s especially popular among B2B companies, but you’ll also find it in the B2C sector, like retail, hospitality, and services.
- Consistent Communication Experience: Engage customers via one-on-one chats, group chats, and even WeCom Moments, just like on regular WeChat. You can integrate Mini Programs, payments, and more. There’s even a “WeChat Customer Service” feature for quick, on-the-go queries.
- Verified Business Identity: Adds a layer of trust, showing customers that they’re dealing with a legitimate business and not some random account.
- Seamless Integration with Content and Ads: Chinese customers prefer reaching out via WeChat or phone over email, so use your WeCom to encourage leads, combining organic content and ads to build a consistent flow of communication.
Tencent Ads
Tencent’s ad platform covers WeChat and a whole lot more. Through this one-stop system, you can tap into the full range of Tencent’s ecosystem, including:
- WeChat Moments (similar to Facebook’s news feed)
- Official Accounts
- Mini Programs
- QQ, Tencent’s other messaging platform
- Other media platforms like QQ Music, Tencent Video, and Tencent News
This setup supports various marketing goals:
- Lead Generation: Collect data from potential clients who show interest.
- Follower Growth: Grow your Official Account or Channels.
- Brand Promotion: Amplify brand awareness and engagement.
- Product Sales: Drive sales with promotions, special offers, and more.
WeChat is Your Gateway in China’s B2B Market
WeChat isn’t just a communication tool; it’s an entire ecosystem designed to help businesses grow. For B2B companies, it covers everything from branding to lead generation, customer engagement to sales. Using the right mix of WeChat features—Official Accounts, Mini Programs, Channels, WeCom, and Tencent Ads—can help you establish a strong, integrated presence in China.