Did you know that WeChat is labeled as China’s application? Yes! For everything. even for paying! It’s like an all-in-one app. The question is, does your business already have an account on WeChat? If not, what are you waiting for?
WeChat is an app that has many features that can help your business gain new prospects for your business. When you sign in for a business account on WeChat, you can post original content and engage with your customers. It’s literally a “you’ve got it all” application. A combination of messaging, e-commerce, payments and so much more!
Continue reading to learn more about WeChat and how to leverage it for your business!
WeChat as a Business Tool
It is safe to say that WeChat is the Amazon, Paypal, and Facebook of China. It is literally labeled as their app for everything. You can sell, pay, purchase, sent messages, post content and so much more.
Entering the market of China means catering to millions of Chinese people who are using this app. Imagine, sing all these features, how much can you do with it for your business!
As you read, assess what aligns with the needs of your business and think about how you can leverage this platform for maximum results!
Types of WeChat Business Accounts and Which is the Right One for you
WeChat business account is divided into 3 types, read to learn which one is the best for your business!
Subscription Account
This kind of profile is perfect for participation and establishment because it focuses on communicating. Businesses are permitted to produce one story per day, ranging from one to six pieces, per publication. The best feature of this type of account is the way it gives posted material the highest priority and promotes it for display inside the WeChat SERP.s The unfortunate thing is that subscribers must access a different directory to view their enrolled profiles. Additionally, they do not receive a push notification whenever a subscribed-to page posts fresh materials.
Service Account
The greatest choice for companies looking to vigorously sell their goods and services on WeChat; this is the perfect type of account for you. It provides various excellent features for businesses, such as:
WeChat Pay
WeChat Pay is a feature in WeChat where people have digital wallets and can control and manage their money via the WeChat app. In WeChat Pay, you can:
- Send money to people
- Transfer payments to businesses
- Increase mobile phone balance
- Pay your bills
- Make online payments and others
How to set up a WeChat Pay (wallet) for your business:
- Download the WeChat App from Google Play Store
- You can only create a WeChat Pay if you are signed in to your WeChat official account
- Now, after signing in, go to your dashboard and tap the “pay” icon on the bottom left corner of the screen
- Start the process that is pretty much the same as setting up and accounting for regulars but you have to provide the following:
-
- Company registration number
- Copy of your business license
- Contact details
- Legal details
- Company bank account
- Company financial records
After entering all the necessary information, you will have to wait for a week or two. So that WeChat can verify your application for registration. When the application is approved, then you can start accepting payments from your customers.
WeChat Stores
Did you know that even big and well-known bands are using WeChat stores to sell products? Yes! Such as H&M, Gucci, and many other international brands. WeChat’s combined features will give your business a lot opportunities!
WeChat store is a feature that allows businesses to promote and sell its product that is within WeChat. It is safe to call it an e-commerce feature of WeChat, in there, users can:
- Search stores on WeChat
- Pay businesses using WeChat Pay
- Collaborate with influencers on WeChat
- Influencers are allowed to make links for WeChat content or store when promoting
- Let the shoppers have an excellent shopping experience
How To Set Up A WeChat Store:
Opening a WeChat Store means you are opening an e-commerce store in China. So keep in mind that this process may take months to be approved, come with fees, authorizations and etc.
1. Open a WeChat Bussiness Account
Depending on the type you need, if you want to set up a WeChat store then you should open a service account. Since this feature is only available in Service Account. Now after opening it you have 2 choices:
- Choice 1: Either utilize an independent agency or loan a company’s permit. To utilize this alternative, you will need to connect your transaction to a WeChat cross-border digital wallet, as your regular Digital wallet profile is connected to the company registration that created your profile.
- Choice 2: Or submit an application for an Authorized Membership using Tencent. The charge is $99, also the procedure could last 2 months.
This is like this because you are basically creating a store in China.
2. Open a WeChat cross-border account
When selling internationally using WeChat, businesses are required to have a cross-border cashless transaction system. With the help of this, your clients can use WeChat Pay to make RMB payments (make payments using the currency of their country), which are then transferred to your international bank account. You can submit an application straight with Tencent (because this parent company of WeChat), using your local banks and accredited payment companies, or both.
3. Make a WeChat-based international e-commerce website.
You can start and build yourself a WeChat shop. If you want to open your personal business, you must undertake a customer experience study to determine what the current industry’s demands are.
Yet, the majority of businesses depend on outside suppliers ( like how Shopify is utilized). Through third-party systems, anyone may quickly create an excellent WeChat storefront.
4. Upload Your Products
The good news is that third-party WeChat shop operators give a wide range of item posting alternatives. WeChat is linked with famous e-commerce websites including Shopify, Magento, and Drupal. Your inventories and items will be instantly and directly published to WeChat.
But unless your business doesn’t desire to employ a third-party platform to construct your WeChat shop, you may also use the customized API integration.
5. Design your WeChat Store
WeChat stores’ designs frequently reflect their brands, however, there are certain design conventions that must be adhered to. WeChat shops frequently feature a large number of intricate images. Chinese characters can cause the information about your business to load slowly the information, thus product specifications must be entered with discretion.
Therefore it’s suggested to hire professional help if your business is truly committed to selling in China and ensure that your business is localized and offers a fantastic customer experience. The reason why the majority of WeChat shops are popular is for they offer a quick and easy shopping process for the users.
Instant Customer Service
Given the fact that WeChat is primarily a messaging app, it is a no-brainer that this can be used as an excellent tool for customer service. You do not need to use a different platform for attending to your customers because WeChat serves it all for you.
Also knowing that customer service is extremely important in this business, WeChat makes it easier for you! Features such as being able to make a group chat with 500 people in it have a call with up to 9 people in it, send text messages, video clips, pictures and etc. You can also do voice and video calls, send fun emojis, voice mails and so much more.
Customer Service has never been this easy with WeChat! Tools are easy to use and are used by billions of people!
Geo-location Services
With Service Accounts, you can share locations with people! Just click the plus sign from your dashboard and then hit the Location and choose Real-time Location. Your location is shared, and potential customers can view it and see for themselves where you are located.
HTML 5 campaigns
Customers will probably read materials on HTML5 ads or (Wechat H5 Brochure) and the amount of engagement is also greater. Multiple social media platforms can be used in addition to communicating with individuals.
4 publishing times per month (1-6 articles at once) with push notifications
A service account allows you to create content (article) once a day which means 6 articles per publishing. This means that you have more opportunities to publish high-quality content and publish them all at once with push notifications. This means that clients are more likely to see your content. Ensuring that the articles you produce are high-quality, engaging, and helpful for your audiences is in your hands.
WeChat Mini-Programs
The Chinese internet environment is still blooming thanks to mini-programs. There will be around 4.3 million mini-programs available by 2021, bringing in about 410 million users. Mini-programs are indeed a highly complicated technological feature. Inside the WeChat environment, mini-programs are referred to as “sub-applications”. They make it possible to offer people cutting-edge features like online shopping, online retail tours, workflow, discounts, etc. Explore these mini-programs inside WeChat to know which of the features of these applications they offer have the best features to help your business.
URL shortening
It is a no-brainer that shortened links are so much better thanks to longer and more complex-looking links. First, it looks more pleasing to the eye and is not intimidating for the customers to look at. Imagine looking at a URL that looks like it has no end and then thinking maybe it has a virus in it that might damage your device so you end up exiting as fast as you can. Shorter links will always look so much better, and aside from this, the customers will immediately know what the link is all about or where the link is from and it will be easier for them to trust it. Shorter links often mean for visitors that it is from credible sources and that it is safe to open.
Make sure to utilize this feature of the service account and make sure to shorten your URLs so you do not intimidate the customers and build trust for your business.
Multiple QR codes per account
WeChat is able to follow businesses, personalities, and WeChat Verified Accounts by scanning QR codes in addition to adding contacts. QR codes allow users to send and accept payments. They can also effortlessly switch between offline and digital interactions. Multiple QR codes per account scream safety for every completed transaction. Especially in today’s setting where almost all the transactions are performed online and are most of the time money involved.
Enterprise Account (WeChat Work)
This user profile sometimes referred to as the WeChat Work, is best suited for the registering of business clients. An effective business system for managing offices is the WeChat business profile feature.
The messaging interaction is identical to WeChat’s, to start. Additionally, it provides access to the WeChat environment and a number of tools from the public profile. Currently, it has developed into a fintech industry that effectively connects businesses, resources, and customers.
Which One is the Best for you?
Subscription membership is the best option if you wish to utilize postings and content to advertise your business. You can conveniently make immediate purchases from your accounts by using a service account. An enterprise profile improves office productivity and information dissemination for enterprises.
The type of account that suits you will depend on the primary goal of your business. Choose which one resonates for you and leverage it!
How To Use WeChat to Gain Customers
First of all, congratulations on deciding to set up a WeChat account for your business! This is one of the best tools for your business to prosper and get customers. Entering the Chinese market means catering to Chinese customers.
After creating your WeChat account, set up everything you need such as WeChat pay, cross-border payments, lines, connection, authentications and etc. Your account can also upload your products on your WeChat store and designed them according to your liking, what’s next?
You can’t just make an account and expect sales to come rushing down on you. YOu have to make action to be able to grow your following, drive traffic to your WeChat account, have customers, and therefore have sales!
Here is what you need to do to gain customers through WeChat:
Spark The Interest of Your Target Market
As a business owner, it is important that you perform your research about your target market and that you know everything you need to know about them. Then and only then you will be able to spark the interest of your target market. Depending on which industry of business you are in, it is important that you are aware of what interests them. This can be determined according to their ages, what are the trends, and timeless things you can apply.
For example, you are in the Fashion industry and you sell clothes. You sell various types of clothes, therefore it means you have numerous types of audiences. You got babies, kids, teens, pre-teens, young adults, men and women, professionals and etc. Now, you will have to incorporate what may interest them. Map your target audience’s potential interests and apply them.
-
Babies
Mostly with this market parents are the ones that you need to spark interest with. And since it’s for their babies. Since parents shops for babies, you can spark their interest for example by making a contest and the one who wins will become the model or baby face of the baby clothing line of your business. Or think of some things that parents with babies love, for example, for every purchase of a certain amount, there is a free one-pack of diapers. Some things that will make the parents go “WOW”
-
Kids
Kids are highly interested in this age’s cartoons. Such as Spongebob, fairly odd parents, Phineas and Ferb and so much more. You can incorporate these cartoon characters into the layouts and postings. Incorporate them in pictures of the products or make products of them exactly.
-
Teens
Today, teens are not fond of skinny jeans but wide-leg pants are the way to go. Their aesthetic is very oldie goodies and goes back to the Y2k era. What you can do to incorporate this makes your products aligned with their aesthetic. For example, take a picture of wide-legged pair of jeans and then put a vintage jacket and shades beside it. It makes it more aesthetic looking and will surely spark the interest of teens that will see it
- Professionals
This type of audience does not really care much about the layouts, style of posting and etc since most of them don’t really have time because of work or business. As long as they see it looks good and looks high-quality, they will get it. All they care about is the accuracy of the product from the picture. Teens will buy clothes that looked good in pictures and will not wear them. But this group of audiences just care about the quality of the product and the content. Since as mentioned earlier that this group of audiences is mostly climbing the corporate ladder, then it means that office outfits are the way to spark their interest. You can use it in the sense that they want to look professional and not look old. They want to appear professional and still stylish. It’s up to you how to do it.
Market Your Brand
Your company’s narrative is just as crucial as the item you are promoting. It’s necessary to provide a full story of how the business started in your WeChat shop. Add manufacturing and logistical images as well to strengthen the legitimacy of your business. In order to turn clicks into sales, it might be really helpful to promote your history.
Your business would have the ability to connect with 1.2 Billion prospective clients by marketing on WeChat. To successfully advertise the product on WeChat, you simply have to come up with a unique advertising strategy. YOu can take your time with this one and make sure that you have an incredible marketing strategy to employ on WeChat so that you will be able to feel maximum results.
WeChat Public Account
A Facebook Page and a WeChat Official Account are both types of WeChat public accounts. Having a public account enables people or organizations to market their goods or service, create materials, and gain supporters. Discoverability is one of the best things with a Public Account for businesses on WeChat. Imagine everyone can search for you, view your content, and follow or message your business account on the platform. Aside from it builds your brand identity, it makes sense. Because if you make a “business” account on WeChat for your business then why would you keep it private? The light shines in the dark.
Cross-promotion
In order to increase visitors to your WeChat store, cross-promotion using other WeChat Official Accounts can be quite helpful. For business-to-client firms, collaborating with famous personalities or employing the KOL ( key opinion leaders) marketing technique works wonders, while for business-to-business organizations, collaborating with other organizations in comparable sectors also gives good results.
Your business can advertise a fresh WeChat page using any of your company’s existing WeChat profiles. By doing this, you can persuade some of the current subscribers to follow brand-new WeChat channels, particularly if it offers similar but distinct material.
WeChat profiles can be cross-promoted in a similar way by using the profiles of your collaborators; they will publish links to your material, and you will do the same.
Utilize promoting your business through different accounts on WeChat. Brand mention will be of big help, especially with the accounts that are already established and verified in WeChat.
Collaborations
The world of influencer collaborations is such a fast-growing industry. Who doesn’t want to use products that are endorsed by their favorite influencers? From, clothes, nails, food, perfume, make-up, everything!
Chinese consumers love celebrity endorsements. Collaborating with Chinese influencers has many advantages for an international company. You first gain a personal perspective local on the demands and preferences of your audience.
In addition, you get to benefit from the devotion and trust that influencers have developed with their following, which is perfect for new businesses joining the Chinese market.
Shareable Content
Posting material is what might possibly earn you the most following, which is simpler said than done. Creating large amounts of generic information that isn’t distributed isn’t really valuable. But a single article that went viral on social has the power to gain thousands of followers in a few moments.
The ideal strategy is to spend money on research and education about the targeted niche’s population. Once you determine what matters most to them, your attention should be solely on it
Employee Networks
You can only work with this one if you have Chinese employees or some Chinese people around your network.
Urge your Chinese workers to follow the profile and frequently promote the content to their colleagues. This is one of the quickest ways to gain large sustained. This technique, at the very least, can quickly increase the number of followers on your page, some could later help spread the word about your content to a bigger audience.
Loyalty Appreciation
Who doesn’t want rewards for loyalty? This one does not just appreciate your customers but this can also be the beginning of having new ones. WeChat profiles are progressive including rewards programs for loyal customers. They frequently include a digital membership card and a mechanism for accumulating points. Conducting such a feature on WeChat will assist in retaining current subscribers while also bringing in new customers.
Toda, making digital loyalty cards for customers is just as easy as 123. Utilize the tutorials left and right, in different platforms on how to deploy and make this type of activity to further take good care of your customers and to make sure they know you see them.
Discounts and Coupons
WeChat information may be made more pertinent, useful, and accessible in this way. To generate a heightened sense of urgency, vouchers and rebates might be time-limited—a clever advertising gimmick. If you let the customers know that an offer is limited and is not going to be accessible to everyone, they will feel that they have to get it as soon as they can. This is the power of scarcity and words. You can make them feel like they will miss something if they did not grab the offer right there and then.
Utilizing Other Social Media Platforms
Obtaining a huge WeChat following can be greatly aided by utilizing other social media networks. Just like how you can promote your TikTok account on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and every single social media platform you can think of, you can also do it in WeChat.
o can promote your WeChat account by posting QR codes so that potential followers and customers that are interested can just easily scan it and be redirected to your Service Account Public Business Profile.
KOLs (key opinion leaders)
In this platform, there really are numerous KOLs who will share your material with their following, who frequently number in the tens of thousands, in exchange for payment. Prominent KOLs having millions of supporters can be quite costly to work with because their prices rise the more following they have.
Marketing from KOLs is particularly successful in fashion, beauty, and entertainment such as music, dance, theatres, and related industries. This is the reason why not everyone should watch this channel.
Sometimes entering a different market isn’t a bad decision. You just have to learn and do a lot of research in order to be able to provide what the need. You might just be doing the best decision for your business! Try and try until you get the formula and the grasp of what your business need, until then, be patient and do your best!
