What is WeChat?

WeChat is a multifunctional social media independently developed by China, integrating social networking, e-commerce, and payment solutions like WeChat Pay. WeChat is the most popular social media platform in China and one of the top ten social media globally.

WeChat is very important to users' daily life, users can make appointments for medical examinations, taxi rides, shopping, chat, and so on. In the past 10 years, WeChat has become an indispensable application for the Chinese people. In addition, it is an important social and business tool for millions of people around the world.

What you must know about WeChat:

It is one of the most used e-wallets for online payments in China, largely due to the convenience of WeChat Pay.
It is the everyday virtual home screen for all consumers in China

Chinese consumers will expect to find your store’s name in WeChat!

How popular is WeChat in China?

WeChat is a platform that can help you attract and interact with more Chinese users by posting adapted content that meets their needs and responds to new consumer trends. Notably, its integrated payment service, WeChat Pay, is one of the most convenient and trusted options for online and offline purchases in China.

WeChat is one of the most popular apps in China, and Chinese people are fun of it because it allows them to share content, but also make phone and video calls, having fun while playing online games, and can also make an online purchase and pay automaticaly, thanks to WeChat Pay!
Services offered by the app make it one of the most successful apps in China.

The number of users of WeChat is increasing at an alarming rate every day. Judging from current trends, young people have become accustomed to keeping in touch via WeChat instead of exchanging phone numbers. Thereby, French companies must adapt their promotional campaign by integrating Wechat in to their sales strategy.

WeChat statistics

According to the latest data from 2023, WeChat now has approximately 1.67 billion active users globally, a significant increase from 2021's numbers. The platform continues to dominate in China, where 93% of its users are located. Outside China, there are about 250 million users, indicating the app's broad appeal internationally.

When it comes to demographics, the gender distribution remains nearly equal, with male users making up 53.5% and female users accounting for 46.5%.

Younger generations dominate the platform, with users under 30 still representing a large portion of the total user base. Moreover, the app’s Mini Programs continue to grow in popularity, with 614 million daily active users as of 2023.

WeChat ecosystem

WeChat has always been committed to simplifying people’s lives, and has now developed into a WeChat ecosystem integrating social networking and business. The WeChat ecosystem has several major components, WeChat public platform, WeChat merchant platform, WeChat open platform, and WeChat advertising.

WeChat public platform

There is different kinds of Wechat accounts, to choose the one that suit the most to your companie’s need:

- Service account: It is more suitable for enterprises and organizations with stronger business services and user management capabilities. The number of group messages becomes 4 per month, but it supports complete official account development capabilities, which means service accounts can develop WeChat-side websites, sell their own services and products to WeChat users, have more interaction with users, maintain users, and complete business closed loops.

- Subscription account: It is mainly used to provide media and individuals with information dissemination methods. Subscription account can send a group message to the following users every day, has basic receiving and replying information functions. The ability to develop is relatively weak. Therefore, it is generally applicable to self-media.

- Mini-programs account: WeChat mini-programs can be used to search for information, read articles, watch streaming videos, play video games or shop online. Users can enjoy all these features without ever leaving WeChat. They do not require downloads or installation.

- Professional account: It is an enterprise auxiliary tool, mainly used for internal communication and internal office management.

WeChat merchant platform

- Pay with payment code: It means that the user displays the "payment code" in the WeChat wallet and scans it to the merchant system to directly complete the payment. It is suitable for face-to-face cashier scenarios in offline locations, such as supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants…

- Mini-program payment: It means that the merchant realizes the payment function in the WeChat mini-program. The user opens mini-program to place an order, enters the payment password and completes the payment, and then returns to the mini-program.

If you want to attract more than one Chinese tourist you definitely have to start first by creating an official Wechat account, and no worries for the license knowing that France is one of the countries able to ask for it, with Russia, USA, Canada but also UK and Italy.

How WeChat can help you promote your business?

Once your WeChat official account is created, a QR code will be available. WeChat is the must-have platform to increase your sales with Chinese customers, leveraging WeChat Pay to simplify payments and drive conversions. Connecting with your audience in real time can increase your visibility and help you target more prospects efficiently.

- Localization. There are many ways to do it. One of its tools is localization wish is the most efficient, because it allows you to localize the user in real time, what better way to target a maximum number of Chinese tourists around you shop? But also address a personalized and adapted content for your prospects.

- Loyalty program. In order to have a sophisticated and successful customer loyalty program that assist in refining and personalizing the relationship with Chinese customers you have to connect with them to build a strong relationship and get them informed and aware of your last products and services wish will probably a must for them and will be your best brand ambassador ever thanks to WOM(word of mouth).

- Advertise on WeChat. There are three main ways, Moments ads, Banner ads, and Key opinion leader (KOL or influencer) ads. WeChat limits the number of advertisements that appear in the user's field of vision. For example, each user can only see three Moments ads within 24 hours.

- Work with influencers (KOL) on WeChat. WeChat’s key opinion leaders (KOL) are bloggers, actors and other celebrities who have a certain degree of influence on the platform. Any company can cooperate with KOL through WeChat. KOLs can recommend your products and services, which means you don’t need to build your own products or services on the platform to reach their audience.

We do have the best advisors for your business.
Silkpay is a fintech company, partner of Alipay and WeChat pay, the main Chinese e-wallets. We offer mobile payment services on points of sale in France and Europe. Silkpay also offers marketing and communication services via Chinese social networks that allow merchants attract and sell to Chinese customers.
Our very large KOL's (Key Opinion Leaders) catalog will allow you to choose the KOL's most suitable for your activity. Thanks to our experienced copywriting teams, Silkpay will help you distribute clean and relevant content for your brand.

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