How WeChat Permeates China’s Society

In the old days, when mobile phones were not as ground-breaking as nowadays, people could hardly stay connected in a vast community network. It took days to send a letter and months if your receiver lived many miles away. It sounded even more intimidating to think about traveling in a foreign country with only a map and a compass (if these were enough). But then Google and Facebook made our lives far more convenient!

However, if you would like to visit China, you shouldn’t miss out on this crucial social media: WeChat!

WeChat has blended in and changed the Chinese people’s social culture. It has 1.15 billion active users. It experiences an increase in the number of users every year. It reached one billion monthly active users one year earlier than Facebook!

How does WeChat permeate China’s society?

Before WeChat was introduced to Chinese users, a competitor named Weibo – Twitter-like social media platform – used to be one of the most influential apps. Weibo was used for microblogging, brewing hot debates, interacting with those outside China, etc. Nevertheless, WeChat has created a whole new impact on Chinese society. By emphasizing peer-to-peer communication, this platform has invested in higher privacy and more stable networks. Its essential functions, such as text sending, photos, videos, and name cards, have fulfilled bonding, bridging, and linking roles. People engage with each other from sending funny stickers to liking their friends’ posts.

Bring family closer through WeChat “Red Packet”

A red packet (hong bao) symbolizes happiness and good luck. From generation to generation, it has been a tradition that the adults distribute red envelopes containing cash to kids during the Chinese New Year.

To date, this tradition has been “leveled-up” to a sort of social game on WeChat. Families play the “red packet war”; Each personal account joins in a group chat, and any member can send the red packet at any time and at any places. The more participants in the group, the more competitive this game can be. The distributor can limit the number of people, and the total amount of cash the members can snatch. The money received will be transferred to their WeChat Pay (a personal electronic wallet) while the money paid to a red packet is deducted from the distributor’s WeChat Pay.

As WeChat charges 0% interest per transaction, the “red packet” activity promulgated people to register WeChat and redeem these funds. During the first two days of the Spring festival in 2014, more than 5 million users exchanged 20 million of red packets. 585,000 attempts were made in snatching these packets. 121,000 red packets were sent in 5 minutes during peak time.

Up to now, Wechat hong bao has been used in digital marketing. Taking an example of Starbucks, users can now send a gift card to someone they care about in the form of an electronic red packet.

WeChat is not all about “Privacy”

A company needs to survive with a more creative business model. Just as Alibaba’s founder Jack Ma once said, “If you want to grow, find a good opportunity. Today, if you want to be a great company, think about what social problems you could solve.”

WeChat is not just about building a chat-bot or a family network. Its services have surpassed everyone’s expectations. WeChat partnered with several e-commerce enterprises to link their platforms to its app. China became the most prominent food delivery services market because of Alibaba and WeChat. People no longer need to queue up in a restaurant. There’s no need to collect leaflets to call the delivery. If public transportation is not a good option for you, then open your WeChat and call a luxurious car from DiDi (Taxi-booking platform).

Most importantly, electronic money has substantially influenced our lifestyles. People find it easier to manage their expenses. It’s also safer to use electronic money than carrying around a lump sum of cash.

Create values through WeChat

WeChat accommodates more rooms for companies that seek for business opportunities through WeChat Ads, WeChat Store, and WeChat Mini-Programs. Therefore, not only does it bring individuals closer to each other but also products and brands. Customers engage by subscribing and liking some companies’ channels, featured stories, and sale information. Many restaurants ask newcomers to follow their official accounts before ordering food. This strategy is often used to build a customer base. The un-follow rate is low since customers will need to find these accounts the next time when they order the same service, and it is faster to order food on the app.

A lot of e-commerce enterprises choose WeChat Mini Programs as their selling channels to build customer loyalty. They generate revenues through content marketing. Gift cards, membership points, product features, and more information can be shared on the Mini Program as well. Such an all-in-one service has been used by many well-known companies, such as Starbucks, McDonald’s, and KFC.

Conclusion

WeChat is a revolutionary platform that has slowly transformed Chinese people’s consumption behavior and social culture, from bridging networks to promoting products and services. Chinese people nowadays even exchange WeChat contacts as a form of business card formally and informally. All in all, WeChat has won the Chinese users’ hearts who pretty much enjoy a whole lot of benefits from using WeChat.

What’s up next

If you are interested in learning more about WeChat marketing, do not hesitate to contact us and stay tuned for more similar content!

Author’s Bio

Katie is a Thai Bachelor’s graduate who used to live in China for 4 years before she began her college life at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Recently, she came back to China to start a new chapter of her life. As China leaps forward in innovation, she is intrigued by the technological advancement the country has to offer. Thus, she becomes motivated to share some knowledge about Chinese marketing!

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