Are you familiar with WeChat? It is a very popular social media platform released in China. It was released in January 2011 and has so many followers as of now.
Tech giants Tencent released this app. Like Facebook and WhatsApp, WeChat is a similar platform which you can use for instant messaging and video calls. You can connect with your family and friends through this platform easily.
In China, it is now the number one platform compared to all other social media network. The young generation of China is using this app as their primary communication medium. It has many features like sharing pictures and videos. You can also update the status under the name ‘Moments’.
You will be amazed by hearing all the excellent features you will get while using this app. It has a special feature, unlike WhatsApp and Facebook which offers you location-based services. You can order food, book a taxi and many other things through this app. So, you might now be wondering about the payment.
The best thing about WeChat is that you can link any of your Chinese bank accounts with this app. So, no need to worry about the payment anymore while ordering anything using this app. Also, you can share your location with your friends or any other contacts instantly through WeChat.
Where can you find apps like this which offers you so many exciting features?
Do you want to know more about WeChat? Read the full article and know more about this excellent app.
How To Download and Use WeChat?
You will get to download this app on Android, IOS, and windows device. You can get it from the play store directly. This app is completely free. Go to the app store and download it and then click on the Install button. Once after completing the installation, you can sign up to the app.
For that, you need to enter a user name and password that you can use while logging in. It might ask you to enter your country and phone number to which they send a verification code. You can use this to complete the login process. Now you are all set to use WeChat.
Connecting with friends:
After completing the set-up process, you can use it to find your friends. From the contact tab, you can select the + icon. Choose ‘Add contact’ from the drop-down. There you can search using the phone number, name, WeChat ID or business name. Then you can click on the ‘Follow’ button.
Using the QR code also, it is easy to find the contacts you search for. Scan the code using a built-in QR code reader which you can find from the ‘Discover’ tab.
It is a great app to meet strangers and connect with them. To find the people who use this app in your location, you can also do that by filtering your contact location. It is available in the Discover section of your app. Now you have to start communicating with people. You can simply type the message or record a 60-sec long audio message and hit the send button. It also will help you to translate your message to any language you want by tapping on the message longer. It will ask you which language you prefer, and you need to choose the language you want.
Just like WhatsApp emojis and stickers, you can also find stickers from WeChat. You can also download a new sticker to the app and use it while chatting with your friends. Also, challenge your friends to the game such as ‘Dick’ and ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ using WeChat app.
Features of WeChat:
WeChat is a very popular platform for communication in China. Here are some features you can get from this app
Chat with your friends:
You can use WeChat to connect with any of your friends. You can select ‘Contacts’ and send messages, videos, and images to your friends through WeChat. Other than that you can send smiley buttons, images and do video as well as audio call with your contacts also.
Post WeChat moments:
From Discover>>Moments you can add images and videos to your WeChat Moments. You can even post live pictures and videos on WeChat Moments. Like I already explained above it is more like updates you can include on the app. It will look like Facebook homepage and this can be found under Discover option.
You can go to ‘Me’ section and choose ‘My posts’ from it. There you can choose the image you want and post it on your WeChat profile. Add location to your posts and also enter comments on your friends post directly from this app. Get all your friends to update and reply to it instantly without leaving the platform. By taping on the camera icon, you also post text updates on the ‘Moments’.
Shop through WeChat:
Use WeChat to purchase anything you want online. To do that you need to add your bank account to it. For that you can follow this path Me>Wallet>Cards>Add back cards.
You can use this account to purchase anything online through WeChat. To make a payment you can go to WeChat Wallet and Discover>Scan QR code and scan the QR code while making purchases.
Offers business accounts:
Businesses in China are using this chance to promote their business. Someone who owns a smartphone will have WeChat app in China. So, it is a chance for businesses to promote it to their targeted audience. Create a business account in WeChat and start promoting your business through WeChat.
WeChat popularity:
The app got launched in 2011 and since then 1.1 billion people registered on it. There are more than 600 million active users for this app as of now. People use this app to connect with people, booking taxis, sharing images, purchasing something, etc. This is how the app became popular nowadays. Most people use this app from their phone and 200 million people linked their bank account to their WeChat app.
The young generation in China uses this app to purchase online. This is something to make the app unique from other social media apps. They don’t have to go anywhere to purchase something. They will get what they want from this app itself. Among the active users of WeChat app, 83% of them uses WeChat app for their purchases which is excellent for the app’s popularity.
Benefits of using WeChat:
WeChat is a very popular platform any businesses can use. The main reason behind the success of WeChat is the huge followers base. Here are the benefits you can see get by using it for your business
Massive audience base:
This app comes with a huge audience base. Business can use this chance to promote their business. It has more than 100 million users all over the world.
All-in-One app:
Among all other communication apps, you can get almost all features in WeChat, use it to communicate with your friends, shop anything you want, business promotion and many more.
Reach beyond social:
Other than connecting with your friends, you can use WeChat to reach out to your customers and connect with them. Use it for online shopping, taxi booking, utility bill, etc.
WeChat for purchases:
Users can link their bank account on WeChat. It also allows customers to do online as well as offline payments whenever they want. All payments are through a secured channel. Almost all WeChat users in China do their shopping via WeChat platform.
Shake and use any feature:
You can use WeChat and just shake it to get any business near you. They have implemented interactive features for their customers to enhance their experience while using this app.
WeChat for business:
You know this fact that WeChat is a very effective platform someone can use for promoting their business. As I mentioned earlies among 83% of active users of WeChat use to purchase stuff online. This is a good chance you can use to promote your business properly on this app. Here are some strategies you can follow while using WeChat business account
Location-based marketing:
Among WeChat features we already discussed that you can set up the location on this app. By using this feature, you can promote your business. You can identify the user location using this app and send them appropriate promotional offers.
Content curation and personalized offers:
You can use geo-specific contents to promote your business. Many big businesses like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Huffington post uses this strategy to promote their contents to appropriate users. This is not only applicable to content marketers, but any businesses can also use this feature to provide personalized contents for their customers. After doing proper research, you will get to know the customers’ expectation and it is easy for you to figure out what they want from your business.
Engaging customers:
This is another feature you can use this app for. When you promote your business through WeChat make sure to keep it as engaging as possible. It will increase your customer participation and your business popularity thereby. You can share GIFs which are animated and engage your customers to click on it and use it whenever they want.
Use QR code and be creative:
QR Code is something you will get while creating an account on WeChat app. Brands can create personal QR code both inside and outside the app. You can try to do something creative on your brands QR code. Users can try this QR code while making any purchases online.
Use WeChat for advertising:
You can also use the special feature of WeChat such as moments to promote your brand. 83% of users purchase brands through WeChat in China. You can use user-generated contents to promote your brands. People always believe in real reviews and you can use your followers to feature products, you can also choose advertising option from WeChat. They offer advertising option from industries such as education, clothing, beauty, sports, internal/IT, cars, real estate, home products, lifestyle and many more. Get featured and use this chance to expand your business using WeChat.
How to Get People to your Account:
Many people use this app for business purpose only. They can turn the followers as their members by just purchasing the membership. This is a verified platform where you can do anything you want. It is a secured channel of payment where you can get anything you want.
Also, one more interesting feature of WeChat is that you can get your account verified by the app so that you can promote your business or service through their platform. Most popular contents of promotion are videos, images, audio messages, and text.
Subscribe to WeChat membership and get attractive features from them. Using membership cards, you can develop new strategies to promote your product and services through this platform. You can use the membership by promoting the following ways
- Using virtual VIP card
- Send promotion notification
- Send e-coupons
Try any of the above options to see how it can impact your business. You can try and wait for the response to happen. Make your customers happy by offering customized offers to your customers.
Conclusion:
WeChat is a very popular and useful app if you can use it properly. It allows you to expand your business as well as social connections. Try its business account feature which is specially designed for businesses based in China to reach to their targeted audience. You should use it in the right way to get the benefits as you expect.
You can also provide a tailored experience to your targeted audience through WeChat. Are you ready to explore this platform? If you are convinced about the features of WeChat, download it as soon as possible from your device’s Play store. Share your experience with WeChat with us in the comment section below.