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WeChat marketing tips for 2024

By Amy Chan on February 19, 2024

What is WeChat?

WeChat is a very popular platform in China. It has over 1.3 billion monthly active accounts, which is nearly the entire population of China.

Users can perform a wide variety of activities on WeChat, including socialising, messaging, accessing news, shopping and making payments – all within the same app. WeChat is considered the “super app” of China. It has evolved from a simple social messaging app into a comprehensive app packed full of different features.

For brands, two of the main features you should use include WeChat Channels accounts (where you can publish videos) and official accounts (where you can publish content and send messages to your followers to keep them updated with your brand news, as well as interact with them to build engagement and brand loyalty).

What is new with WeChat marketing in 2024?

1. WeChat’s new recommendation mechanism

The first WeChat marketing update for 2024 that I would like to talk about is WeChat’s new recommendation mechanism.

In late 2023, WeChat official accounts introduced a new recommendation mechanism for subscription accounts. Under this new update, if the algorithm thinks your content is of a high quality, it will recommend your content to a broader audience, even if they do not follow your account.

The screenshot below shows some examples of recommended content outlined with a yellow box:

This new update is particularly advantageous for newer accounts with fewer followers, shifting the focus towards content quality for increased visibility.

This means two things for brands. On the one hand, your content is being given a higher chance of being discovered by non-followers. On the other hand, it also means more fierce competition with the need to pay more attention to content quality in order to be recommended by the system, since your competitors will also be working hard to create more quality content in order to gain exposure.

2. The growth of WeChat Channels accounts

The second update or trend from WeChat that I would like to talk about is the rising popularity of WeChat Channels accounts. WeChat Channels is WeChat’s in-app video platform.

(My colleague Sivan Hu recently wrote a separate blog post about WeChat Channels that went into more detail about the platform, you can check it out here.)

Since its launch in 2020, WeChat Channels accounts have gained immense popularity, with 813 million monthly active users according to the latest figures.

Popular video categories on WeChat Channels include news, knowledge-based content, entertainment and lifestyle.

Looking ahead, Tencent (the parent company of WeChat) plans to enhance WeChat Channels even further by increasing investment, diversifying content types, promoting high-quality content, and fostering further growth.

Final thoughts and tips for marketing on WeChat in 2024

Although WeChat is still the undisputed “super app” in China, in recent years it has faced increasing competition from other evolving platforms, which explains why WeChat’s policies are constantly changing – because it is working hard to encourage accounts to publish more quality content, in order to keep users on the platform.

So, for brands using WeChat in 2024, you may want to take a closer look at your WeChat article data to discover insights into what WeChat considers quality content for your audience. The higher quality content you produce, the more likely WeChat is to recommend it to users.

You may also want to make use of different content types on WeChat, such as posting videos on your WeChat Channels account, or even creating mini-programs to engage with your audience, depending on your industry.

Need help with marketing on WeChat?

I hope this blog post has been a useful overview of the key tips and trends to think about when doing WeChat marketing in 2024.

If you would like assistance with any aspect of WeChat marketing, reach out to Webcertain today! Our friendly team of international social media marketing specialists will be happy to help.

Want to learn more?

This blog post is part of a series on APAC digital platforms in 2024. Check out the others below:

You can also watch our webinar recording on this topic here.

You can also read our full-length guide to marketing on WeChat here. From reading this guide, you will learn:

  • what WeChat is
  • how WeChat can help you achieve your marketing goals
  • how to get started on WeChat
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Amy Chan

Social Media Specialist at Webcertain
Amy is a Social Media Specialist at Webcertain. She is an alumna of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where she majored in Marketing and Operations Management. Following graduation, she dived into the world of marketing, starting her journey as a Marketing Executive in local startups, before making her mark in international companies. These experiences have been instrumental in shaping her expertise in digital marketing campaign management. Amy’s diverse background, coupled with her education and professional experiences, positions her as a versatile and adept professional in the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing. Originally from Hong Kong, Amy is now based in Japan.

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