WeChat – how to turn it into profit

How Australian businesses, organisations and individuals manage WeChat to their advantage.
Some tips and tricks and good examples to inspire.

WeChat has been called the super app, Chinese see it as a lifeline and are rarely separated from it.

Whether it is messaging friends and family, reading nes, digesting government policies, company updates, product introductions, special offers and discounts, entertainment, making payments or just chilling out, you won’t find a Chinese person in Australia who doesn’t use it.

According to the recent Lowy Institute poll, 84% of Chinese in Australia use it. The other 16% are likely to be young children or elderly people who don’t have a mobile.  Out of 1.2 million Chinese that is a very large cohort that we can set about reaching. You won’t find them on LinkedIn or WhatsApp or even Facebook – they are wanting to read content in Chinese and keep up with their friends (who are all on WeChat too).

What do they post?

Let’s have a look at who is on there and what they are writing about:

Scott Morrison: mostly posts government policies, media statements and what he is promoting. For example regional tourism grants, Australia’s economic recovery, and, of course, Chinese New Year greetings. Nothing controversial – all good news stories.

The Chinese Embassy in Australia: government policies, services for local Chinese or visitors, notices (including a recent one advising Chinese not to visit Australia!), economic progress and achievements.

City Discount: news, videos and services, but most importantly discounts on products such as Cosco, Estee Lauder, Hungry Jacks, etc.

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: concert offerings and information, links to ticket sales, stories about their artists and music.

Dairy Australia: updates about dairying and agriculture in Australia, recipes, stories about farmers, environmental protection, dairy product awareness, videos and recordings

Business Events Geelong: benefits and offerings, travel tips and tricks, local restaurants and events, gourmet introductions, and a list of attractions.

Topic Inspirations

If you don’t know what to post on WeChat, here are four topics that work for all brands:

  1. Scientific articles

If your brand specialises in one simple area, it is likely that your audience would appreciate industry knowledge from you. Make industry knowledge accessible to your audiences with the language they speak. Make sure you avoid any jargon or fuzzy words.

  1. Special offers and surprise gifts

Everyone loves a good deal. Whenever you are having a big discount, seasonal sales, or just a special offer for a weekend, put it on WeChat. Link your website to the article for a quicker conversion.

  1. Events announcements and summary

Your own WeChat account is a great place to announce your upcoming events. Use it as one of your social media channels and use it effectively.

  1. Use competitors’ account as a source for topics

No matter what industry you are in, competitor accounts are a good place to start. Check what they are doing and use it as your inspiration. You might figure what to do or at least, what to avoid.

A general theme is that the stories are positive, there are special offers and respect is shown towards Chinese culture with Chinese New Year wishes, for example. Good accounts use a mixture of story, images and video and appeal to the interests of the audience. Brands can use coupons or QR codes to track sales to chart the progress of their WeChat.  Like any social media, you need to spend time crafting the content and growing interest or doing promotions so more people can find you.

Which format to choose?

Another commonly asked question is the format of the post. Should I post image, posters, videos, gif, or pure text?

Here is our recommendation:

Gif > video > image

Infographic > poster > carefully designed typesetting > pure text

No one wants to read an academic paper on their phone, so make it visual and informative at the same time.

If you want to link your website landing page to the article, WeChat has the “read more” function at the end of every article so that you can redirect audience to your website.

Another bonus is that there isn’t as much competition on WeChat in Australia as, say, in China. If the locals find you and like what you are doing, they can also help expand your reach into China. Another good reason to take a look at WeChat.

Fancy a try at a WeChat account, or like to know more? Contact Chin Communications for a consultation session today.

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