Among China’s top social media platforms, WeChat remains the most influential digital marketing channel for businesses. Its capabilities go beyond a typical messaging app, from its content creation tools to its e-commerce functions that allow brands to sell products.
The app hosts 25 million WeChat official accounts, making it a good source of information and inspiration for launching a successful brand profile for your business.
In this post, we’ll discuss the importance of having an official WeChat account in China’s competitive digital space and the profiles from which you can draw inspiration before launching campaigns.
What are WeChat official accounts?
WeChat Official Accounts are verified profiles within China’s biggest super app. These accounts undergo a registration process that requires specific documents proving an individual’s identity or the legality of an organization.
These accounts are essentially the equivalent of a Facebook Page or a Twitter Profile, but they offer much more in terms of functionality and integration within the WeChat ecosystem.
The prevalence of WeChat business accounts among renowned global brands can be attributed to the app’s ability to adapt to the needs of both users and businesses.
With the WeChat platform evolving beyond typical messaging apps, a verified account gives you access to its extensive social networking, commerce, and content creation tools. It also allows direct communication with WeChat users through features such as Moments, Mini-Programs, Channels, Messaging, and News Feeds.
The integration of e-wallet features through WeChat Pay allows foreign brands with verified accounts to receive payments from local users when they purchase from any sales channel within the app.
5 Most Noteworthy WeChat Official Accounts in China
1. Sephora 丝芙兰
Almost every renowned beauty brand and distributor has a strong presence on the WeChat app, and among this crowd is Sephora. Through their business account, the global company communicates with the local customers effectively by sending them push notifications.
It’s where they send out messages to their followers about the latest product launches, promo discounts, and events happening around the brand.
Within the chat feed, you’ll see advanced features that tell consumers where nearby stores are located and what other services they can offer. One of the options that make their WeChat official account stand out is its evaluation section, where they provide customer service directly to users without using third-party channels.
Sephora’s official account also manages its own WeChat Mini-Program, which helps customers find and purchase products without leaving the platform. It’s also equipped with live-streaming features that not only increase engagement but drive sales for the brand.
Like other beauty brands on this sales channel, Sephora utilizes WeChat Mini-Programs as a platform for daily flash sales and membership programs.
The sub-application encourages their existing audience to register as members to gain exclusive perks and discounts. This strategy builds an engaged community and allows Sephora to tap into the benefits of having private domain traffic.
2. Airbnb 爱彼迎|
Among the 1.34 billion WeChat app users are Chinese tourists who are surfing online to plan their next trip. Accommodation and hotel brands, including the renowned travel marketplace Airbnb, are understandably eager to promote themselves within this platform due to its massive audience reach.
Through a WeChat official account, Airbnb maximized the platform’s cost-effective marketing funnel by posting enticing travel videos. They included the rental details under each video, encouraging their target audience to search for the property on the website or mini-program.
While they don’t have many push notifications like other corporate accounts on the WeChat platform, they cleverly use the chat feed to redirect users to their mini-program when checking their recent bookings or asking for recommendations.
Their WeChat mini-program serves as an online reservation channel where Chinese travelers can look for rental properties based on their preferred dates, locations, sceneries, etc.
Airbnb’s content marketing strategy on WeChat is also on point. Their articles provide in-depth information about destinations that Chinese people may be interested in visiting, often garnering thousands of reads and hundreds of comments per post.
3. Peking University 北京大学
Peking University has an edge in the local market for being a domestic educational institution, but it did not stop them from building a solid digital presence on China’s biggest social media platform.
The renowned local university uses a WeChat account to post events, important announcements, and student features. The institution also creates videos on Channels to showcase the active community inside the school and highlight the peaks of its campus life.
Marketers cannot overlook the importance of WeChat mini-programs, especially for international schools trying to recruit Chinese students.
Beyond its e-commerce functions, Peking University uses this feature to allow users to make appointments to visit the campus for various purposes. Their mini-program also hosts media materials that introduce audiences to the school’s culture, facilities, and departments.
4. KFC 肯德基
The best WeChat official accounts are the ones that have fully integrated their business operations within the platform’s ecosystem. And what better brand to showcase this perk than KFC, a global food brand that successfully gained a foothold in the Chinese market?
Part of its massive business growth in the country is its successful attempt to cut down order wait times through the brand’s official WeChat mini-programs. Right now, the brand runs three sub-applications, serving specific functions like home delivery, coffee options, store pickup, and discounted selections.
KFC also has multiple official accounts on WeChat, one specifically dedicated to promoting home food delivery services, while others are location-based. Nevertheless, the brand clearly maximized the purpose of business accounts in the platform.
Their WeChat Channels page also consistently posts promotions, from food-visual-centric videos to the latest limited-edition menus in both their physical and virtual storefronts.
5. Ctrip 携程
Another prevalent travel platform that chose to build a strong digital presence on the WeChat app is Ctrip. With its entire online booking system integrated within the app’s mini-program feature and e-wallet function, the brand greatly benefits from the reach and conversions WeChat provides for its business.
Through Ctrip Ads Alliance, advertisers from this third-party platform can launch advertising campaigns that specifically target WeChat users. This option even allows them to customize promotional content to appear for specific consumer segments based on age, user behavior, location, etc.
Ctrip’s WeChat official account also stands as a direct brand communication line with its target audience. When users follow their corporate accounts, the auto-reply function provides links for recommended hotels, destinations, and plane ticket options.
In addition, the brand highlights special offers and rewards to encourage users to engage with Ctrip’s WeChat accounts. The more consumers click on their offerings, the more they can determine how their audience perceives their marketing campaign.
How to effectively manage a WeChat official account for your brand
- Create or Join Group Chats For Your Target Audience
Posting promotions on social media platforms is an outdated strategy that most younger consumers don’t find convincing. These demographics prefer recommendations from their peers and organic engagements.
Fortunately, WeChat has a one-to-one marketing model that serves as an internal communication channel, bringing brands closer to their target audience. Through these exclusive in-app groups, you can create hyper-specific deals and promos dedicated to a particular consumer segment.
Source: WeChat Official Website
Regular users who don’t follow your brand’s WeChat account won’t be able to access any content or promos sent in these group chats. The exclusivity of these channels not only boosts brand loyalty but also their retention of the same products and services you’re offering.
- Localize Your Brand Communication Channels
As we always say, brand localization is key to resonating with the Chinese audience, especially with your WeChat official account. This process goes beyond translating your content into Chinese but also adapting it to local cultural nuances and preferences.
Remember, all content posted using your WeChat official account is publicly discoverable through the app’s search functions. To maximize this visibility, create content that feels timely and relevant, like local festivals and upcoming holidays.
Leffe’s Shanghai Oktoberfest Promotions on WeChat
- Diversify Your Content Marketing Strategy
WeChat supports various content formats, including text, images, videos, and interactive mini-programs. Utilize this versatility to your advantage by creating a mix of content types.
For example, share informative articles, engaging videos, customer testimonials, and interactive polls. Diversifying your content keeps your audience interested and encourages different types of interactions with your WeChat official account.
- Utilize Data Analytics For Better Marketing Results
As a WeChat official account holder, you have access to the platform’s in-depth analytical tools. It can offer valuable insights into your audience’s behavior, preferences, and engagement patterns.
You can monitor platform metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and user interactions to identify what content resonates most with your audience. Use this information to optimize your posts, tailor your promotions, and improve customer segmentation.
Data-driven decision-making can help you stay agile and responsive to market changes, ensuring your WeChat Official Account remains effective and relevant.
Source: Nanjing Marketing Group
Which WeChat Official Account suits your business?
There are three main types of WeChat Official Accounts: Subscription, Service, and Enterprise. WeChat Subscription Accounts are designed for frequent content updates and are ideal for media and content creators.
Content from a WeChat subscription account appears in a dedicated folder within the user’s contact list and is limited to one push notification daily. This setup ensures Chinese users receive consistent updates without overwhelming their main chat feed.
Meanwhile, WeChat service accounts are geared towards businesses that require deeper connections with their customers. They are more feature-rich and offer advanced functionalities such as customer service, e-commerce integration, and API capabilities.
Service Accounts can push four notifications per month, but their messages appear directly in the main chat interface, making them more prominent and accessible to users.
WeChat Official Account Classification (Source: Weixin)
The last official account type you can consider is WeChat Business, intended for internal company use and facilitates communication and management within organizations.
These accounts provide tools for office automation, HR management, and other business operations, streamlining business workflows and improving efficiency.
Quick Q&A
What are the benefits of WeChat Official Accounts?
If you’re establishing a cross-border e-commerce store on WeChat, your official account’s capability to integrate with a local e-wallet system is one of the several benefits that make the platform user-friendly for foreign businesses.
These accounts also provide direct access to over a billion monthly active users, allowing brands to build and maintain a strong presence within China’s most popular social media platform.
Your Trusted WeChat Marketing Partner in the Chinese Market!
WeChat is a super app with extensive social networking and e-commerce functions. So, it’s a platform you can’t skip if you want to successfully attract Chinese consumers into patronizing your brand. With an official account, you get access to the app’s content creation tools, advertising network, and sales channels.
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At Sekkei Digital Group, we understand the importance of having an official WeChat account, especially for brands trying to break into China’s competitive business scene. Fortunately, our team is highly equipped with the right skills and experience to help your brand stand out in the country’s most extensive super app.
Whether you want to set up an official WeChat account or launch advertising campaigns, we have all the digital solutions you need. Contact us today, and let’s start working together!
Great and informative. Gives alot of good ideas what WeChat is capable of with some additional programming. I’m going to go back and read the other articles you posted right now.