Gone are the days of carrier pigeons and weird smoke signals: now if you want to communicate with someone it’s just a matter of seconds, technology has made it not only easier to connect but also has given humans the constant stimulation they desire.
The market is filled with a variety of apps nowadays and WeChat is one of the few chat apps in the market that can multitask. WeChat is an instant messaging, payment, and quick video-sharing platform that unites millions of users in China, it’s the king of apps only because of its tech-smart strategies and the Chinese also call is as the “Super app”.
Early Days Of WeChat
WeChat came into being in 2011 by the Chinese tech behemoth Tencent and they intended to compete with WhatsApp so it all started with an email sent to Tencent CEO, Pony. WeChat officially came into being in China as a simple messaging app where people would be able to connect, only 7 engineers were dedicated to designing WeChat and it was a quite bold project and an uphill struggle. But right after it was launched it became an instant sensation for the Chinese people.
Just in 433 days, it was able to draw 100 million users, however, due to the massive success of WeChat a bunch of new features were included that were optimized video clip sharing. This feature allowed the users to share their pics, videos, and short clips to their loved ones. Now comes the shift in WeChat popularity when the team leveraged this fame to expand the platform globally by changing the name from Weixin to WeChat and it was quite obvious that they wanted to change the name of the app in English and it caters to other languages as well.
WeChat is now available in Portuguese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Thai as well.
During this time Tencent came up with a new idea and decided to launch a WeChat official account in 2012, this occasion allowed international business owners to come forward and explore WeChat differently, now the loophole here was how to bring potential customers to follow them so QR codes were designed and the result was that a whopping 200 million user target was achieved. The success was massive but more was to come.
Then in 2013, WeChat came with the option of digital payments, WeChat promoted itself with large campaigns through TV ads and billboards, they left no stone unturned to make themself visible, WeChat also called prominent media stars and famous football players. After the Chinese tradition came into to picture where the developers incorporated the idea of red envelopes straight on the smartphone, fortunately, this scheme also worked and a whopping more than half a billion RMB of red envelopes was generated. Leveraging Chinese tradition was quite a clever move that paid off. Another major move came in 2014 when WeChat decided to launch its store which was followed by a bunch of ads in 2015. 2017 was a crucial year for WeChat as it decided to launch its mini-programs and after that many famous brands decided to launch their mini-programs in return for more users. WeChat kept improving, evolving, and updating itself according to the interests of the users until it broadened its horizons with a new feature known as “Channel” which allowed users to browse through videos, media accounts, stars, and celebrities. Channel gave a new direction to WeChat where it became more than just a platform and became one of the most liked and user-friendly apps in China.
How User Friendly Is WeChat?
When we talk about overall usability, accessibility, and ethics WeChat never fails to amaze us as it carries out a range of functions from chatting, video sharing, and live accessibility WeChat is worthy of studying deeper. WeChat might not have one of the best chat interfaces but WeChat Pay has compensated for this lack it has made the daily lives of its users by completely wiping out the idea of carrying cash.
WeChats Design Is Poor With Confusing UI
Some people say that WeChat is a half-baked dish while others think it is a complete package, according to Westerners WeChat is poorly designed and lacks the clarity other apps like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp offer while Chinese people think it has the best design and is packed with the best features. Over here you just have to understand the context WeChat is an app that has multipurposes which is why it is equipped with a lot of designs and styles, people who have used WeChat from day one think it’s pretty normal. It’s just a matter of getting comfortable with something with which you are unaware.
Top 8 WeChat Statistics
Apart from the criticism of the WeChat design philosophy WeChat has gained tremendous popularity in recent years. Let’s take this further and discuss some of the Statistics on WeChat.
- WeChat Users
The value of any platform is determined by its usability as in how much time the audience wants to spend on any app, WeChat users spend 90 minutes daily on the platform and it speaks of the success and likeability of the platform. Whenever the platform’s overall performance comes into the picture, this statistic will take a central role.
- WeChat Users In China
When it comes to the platform reach and experience around 82% of the users in China use WeChat, this means that more and more users in China are using WeChat regularly, and it’s quite an achievement for WeChat.
- WeChat Is The 6th Most Known Social Media Channel
WeChat has established itself as the most popular brand in China but in the international market it’s still struggling to grab its audience. WeChat has not managed to enter the top five popular apps internationally. Facebook comes first as it has a user base of 2.8 billion monthly YouTube is second, Instagram third, and WhatsApp fourth. We can say that WeChat ranks behind YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger. WeChat has only around 60 million monthly active users, and that’s not a surprisingly huge number.
- 45 Billion Messages On WeChat
On WhatsApp, 100 million messages are sent each day, but on WeChat, 45 billion messages are sent, and it’s an impressive number.
- WeChat Makes Over 410 Million Calls
Through WeChat, around 410 million audio and video calls are made every day. WeChat is just like another WhatsApp. WeChat allows users to make free WiFi calls and video messages with audio calls as it’s an affordable alternative compared to regular cell phone calls.
- Surprisingly 20 Million WeChat Official Accounts
WeChat answered Facebook pages with the advent of its WeChat Official Accounts. They are WeChat’s ‘business’ accounts and they offer brands a platform to engage with existing followers, attract new customers, and interact effectively.
- 78% of 16 to 64-year-olds Using WeChats In China
WeChat Social says that it is popular Among All Age Groups ranging from 16 to 64 years old, this means WeChat has all the necessary characteristics that allow it to tap into the needs of all these folks.
- 47% of Users Of WeChat Are Female
In 2014, 64.3% of WeChat users were male, while only 35.7% were female. Now, 47% are female, indicating WeChat is therefore successful in reducing the gender gap and attracting a more equal user base.
- 1 Million Mini Apps On WeChat
WeChat stands out from other messaging apps with its unique Mini App feature and these features act like an app store within WeChat as they enable users to install lightweight apps directly within the platform. In this way, third-party developers and brands can create their own Mini Apps to broaden their customer reach.
The popularity of Mini Apps is evident from the vast number available. With over 1 million apps on the platform, WeChat’s Mini App database gives tough competition to Apple’s App Store.
- 61% of WeChat users check Moments every time On WeChat
Over 61% of people who use WeChat check Moments every time they open the app and about 76.4% of WeChat users use Moments to share their experiences and keep up with their friends’ stories. This is the reason why advertising in Moments works better than other places like WeChat mini-programs and official accounts.
WeChat For Businesses In China
If you want to do business in China, you need to be on WeChat. It’s like the super app of China, with over 1.2 BILLION people using it. Now that’s a huge audience for your business. Here’s the less-known fact: WeChat isn’t just for chatting with friends. It’s like your one-stop shop with social media, online payment and even online shopping all built right in.
This lets you connect with potential customers in all sorts of ways, making it super easy for them to learn about your business and your being seen and heard. WeChat isn’t just about talking to lots of people. It’s like having a direct line to your customers. With features like Official Accounts and chat, businesses can chat with potential customers right away and this makes people like your brand more and helps you deal with any questions or problems they have.
So, it’s a great chance for businesses to catch their eye and show them what they’ve got. WeChat isn’t just a place where people hang out instead it’s also a goldmine of information about what people like and how they behave. It’s like the big data right in front of your eyes. Businesses can use this info to make their ads super personalized and target exactly the right people. Plus, WeChat can help businesses find customers nearby if they have a physical store in China. So if you have a physical store in China it’s really beneficial.
By using WeChat as part of their marketing plan, businesses can uncover opportunities in China. They can reach tons of people, talk to them directly, and use data to make their ads more effective. It’s like having a toolbox full of everything you need to make people notice your brand, stick with it, and buy your stuff. In conclusion, WeChat is a multidimensional app and it adds magic to the life of its audience.
6 Lessons To Learn From WeChat
So let’s move on to the lessons we can learn from WeChat. WeChat has gone through a long journey and its success is massive. There are definitely a lot of things that can be learned from it for people who want to be aspiring businessmen.
- Create Your Own Competition
What if you got to know that WeChat was a side project? Tencent was a major Chinese company that was already successful as it had a popular desktop messaging app named QQ, but it wanted to innovate so it developed WeChat in three months. Although there was a lot of competition, they managed to compete. This teaches us that we should never stop innovating regardless of how successful or well-established we are.
- Group Effect
WeChat had a different way of conducting research. They observed how users used to behave in groups and created features that suited group dynamics, boosted adoption rates, and boosted adoption rates. They came up with initiatives like people nearby and account linking with QQ, backed connections, and accelerated user acquisition.
Other features like shake and messaging in a bottle also gave a boost to engagement and added to the connections among the users. Only by focusing on group interactions, WeChat was able to reach a record of 200k new users each day till November 2011. Isn’t it impressive?
- User Intent
Identifying users’ motivations behind communicating was something that we wanted to dive deeper into. The word inner desires was really important. For example, they introduced moments just like friend circles, which were inspired by the Chinese philosophy of cultures and circles, and they emphasized groups.
Along with their team, they also launched features like official accounts for celebrities and brands, as they would lead to direct communication with fans and customers. Other features like sticker stores also came into the picture, which users could use to express themselves openly and at the same time create a marketplace for their work. So in short, it was all about enhancing the user experience or meeting their needs.
- Solving Their Own Problems
WeChat’s Red Packets started when managers needed a solution for cash gifts after Chinese New Year. They quickly developed and tested and surprisingly gained popularity during the holiday, reaching over 5 million users. They provided various options such as random cash amounts and made them appealing, along with increasing their usage in group chats. It showed the group effect.
WeChat Pay at first focused on peer-to-peer transactions and it expanded with partnerships until it became a leading mobile payment platform with a whopping 600 million monthly users. And this completely changed China’s payment landscape.
- Slow Monetization
WeChat shows how this platform effectively integrates making money and attracting more users at the same time. That too even without compromising on the overall experience. But this was possible only due to features like Game Center that not only made social gaming appealing but also made huge profits for both WeChat and creators. In the same way, they introduced native ads in WeChat moments and integrated advertisements without disturbing the user’s experiences smoothly.
These ads were just like regular content that helped users to engage even without them being aware. WeChat also made use of the coupon model effectively, allowing users to share offers with their friends and loved ones.
It benefitted both the vendors and the users and established a unique credit system of coupons. So, this was something new and innovative. But it clicked well with the users. In short, WeChat monetizes the platform but it does not do so at the cost of its user satisfaction rate.
- Providing Value
WeChat is not about just measuring value. Instead, it also measures value and focuses on what it is offering. WeChat believes in making a rapport with its users and tapping into their daily lives, rather than just increasing its user number count. There are key performance indicators that are tracked and analyzed in order to create more value for the users.
WeChat has promoted QR codes, facilitated China’s online-to-offline boom, and offers seamless access to services. Many programs are just like an extension of WeChat that allows users to access services that do without downloading apps. This results in user convenience and the users are drawn to WeChat, therefore increasing their conversion rates.
Again, profit. This approach seems to prioritize value and enhance the user experience, which is a precious asset when it comes to marketing. It shows that WeChat is committed to providing value to its users rather than only driving large amounts of profits from them.
Conclusion
WeChat, China’s super app, is simply a game changer because it emphasizes providing value rather than just extracting profits from its users. WeChat is unique because it taps into the daily lives of its users, whether they want to order food, pay bills, or have a chat with someone, it’s all there on WeChat.
The future seems to be bright for WeChat because it’s constantly innovating and improving, and there are no chances of it slowing down. So, we wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes much more popular and drives great revenue as it’s already expanding and trying out new avenues.
