China´s app for everything
How to use Chinese WeChat
WeChat is China´s app for everything from messaging to mobile payment apps developed by Tencent. Below you will find 5 steps to get started or skip to this 5 minutes video.
- Download the app from App Store, Play Store, or to the computer.
- Search and add friends via WeChat ID or with a mobile number. Once your friend added you back, you can start chatting.
- You can send messages, videos, or share photos at any time and anywhere.
- Share moments with photos or videos.
- Start a video or voice call.
I bet you are wondering “Why I should read this post?”. WeChat is mostly used for marketing towards Chinese customers in Finland. Perhaps, you will be in a position someday where you need to think perfect marketing channel for Chinese travelers. Take a deep dive into this app for everything.
Content, communication, and target groups in WeChat
WeChat is China´s largest platform. There are over 1.2 billion monthly users and foreign brands should get to know WeChat as a platform. I have Chinese friends and I have worked in 2 different Chinese-owned companies. In my opinion, I would say that in China, the target group is 10-60 years old people.
In addition, WeChat is used by Chinese people and people, who work with them in foreign countries, You can also target users with the Moments section based on location, interest, age, or gender.
WeChat combines content-focused and relationship-focused apps. You can use it for business, ordering food, paying bills, calling shopping, or entertainment. Secondly, WeChat focuses on commercial activity. Companies can use it for e-commerce or customer service with the help of Mini Programs. On the other hand, users can buy for example electronics or view live streams. As said, WeChat is China´s app for everything.
You can also communicate with followers by below methods:
- Private messages
- Comments under push articles
- Remember interactive style and language
WeChat with tourism
You can use WeChat in many ways with tourism. If you have a Chinese customer base, it would be great for your company to make a WeChat account. In my experience working in a Chinese-owned hotel, WeChat is automatically included in our communication channels. For example at the end of the email, there is always WeChat contact information.
For marketing, WeChat added a new feature called WeChat channels. The WeChat channel is a way to share content in public. You can search content by using keywords and hashtags. In conclusion, it is good for the tourism business. Content can be shared among people with the same interest and it can bring more right audience to your company.
If you have already a WeChat account and you are using it actively, why not make a change with this channel?
In addition, here are some examples of using WeChat with tourism:
- The city of Helsinki created to Mini Programs-section custom app called MyHelsinki. It helps Chinese travelers in Finland.
- WeChat live streaming for popular travel destinations around the globe in WeChat Channels.
- WeChat campaign created by PromPeru. Talk shows and short videos to engage with audiences on WeChat channels.
Metrics, tips, and own experience with WeChat
Since WeChat is a large tool, there is plenty of metrics and analytics made by WeChat. Below you find the most common metrics:
- Number of views or followers
- Re-shares
- Information about followers
- The way followers find your content
- Unsubscribe rate
- Conversions through WeChat
And if you are interested more in statistics, check this website. Once you are familiar with basic things in WeChat, watch this 7 minutes video to get more useful tips such as live location or translator.
In conclusion, I chose WeChat- China´s app for everything to get familiar with it. I have used it before but it takes time to get to know it. It is definitely an app for everything and I bet it is going to be more familiar in Finland after COVID-19 is over and Asian people are back to travel.
Have you used this app or want to get to know it? Happy to hear your comments!
Best regards,
Mari Pulkkanen
Dear Mari,
what an interesting post about WeChat. I haven’t heard about it before, so I paid a lot of attention reading your post.
It truly seems to be a app for everything. The logo reminds me of WhatsApp, but the app is nothing like it. How easy it would be to have everything under one app.
I do believe, that when Covid-19 allows us all to travel again, we are going to have a lot of Chinese travelers in Lapland. Maybe mostly in Rovaniemi, but you never know. So maybe I will get to know this app at some point.
So have you used WeChat only where you work now? Or do you have any other kind of experience with the app?
Kind regards,
Sonja
Dear Sonja,
Thank you for your comment on my post. It is kind of similar to Whatsapp but a totally different tool. I got to know WeChat 3 years ago when I worked in my first Chinese-owned company. I used the app a lot and now it is a bit quiet since there are no Chinese travelers around. Now I work in a different Chinese owned company called Haawe hotel and there we use also this app 🙂 It is definetly worth trying since so many Chinese are using it.
Best regards,
Mari Pulkkanen
Dear Mari,
thank you for this post it was really good. I checked it with blogging checklist and everything seems to be right.
I haven’t heard about WeChat. This was a totally new thing to me. I learned a lot!
At the moment I live in Kuopio so we don’t have as many Chinese customers here than you have in Lapland. In my opinion it’s really important to know your target group and the channels they are using. Maybe someday I need this app also.
Best regards,
Enni Piippo
Dear Enni,
Thank you for your comment on my post. Glad to hear that everything seems to be okay with a checklist. I bet that in Lapland WeChat is used most but hopefully it is spreading around Finland since this is a great marketing tool also. Happy to hear that you learned a lot.
Best regards,
Mari Pulkkanen
Dear Mari,
This post was highly interesting! I don’t think I have heard about WeChat before so this post was very informative. It truly sounds like an app for everything with the various things you can do in it. Thank you!
I can certainly see how the app would be/is useful here in Lapland and Finland as a whole, especially after the covid-19 restrictions are lifted and people travel more again. Maybe I should look into the app some more later, it sounds like it could be a very valuable asset.
Thank you for this great post!
Br,
Enni
Dear Enni,
Thank you for your comment on my post. I can definitely agree with you that we need more knowledge about this app in Lapland. It was great to hear that you learned about this app.
Best regards,
Mari Pulkkanen
Hi Mari,
WOW, Thanks for this post! I´ve never heard of this WeChat before. So it caught my attention right away. Very nice to read about totally new things and especially which is useful in tourism business.
Finland will have in a future lots of Asians travellers, so this is good to remember.
Post is very well written. You didn´t have any featured image or maybe it was hard to find?
Br,
Mirka
Dear Mirka,
Thank you for your comment on my post. Glad to hear that you learned something new about WeChat. I am very suprised that most of the people haven´t heard about WeChat. I can totally agree with you that this app is good to remember since we have many Asian turists in normal situation. I didn´t put any featured image to this post.
Best regards,
Mari Pulkkanen
Hi Mari!
Thank you for this blog post, i learned a lot. Post was easy to read and the seo was optimized well.
I have heard about WeChat before, but i thought it is like a Whatsapp. Turns out it is much more. Post was interesting to read, and especially how the app is used in marketing. China is a growing market, and it is useful to know about this app.
Best regards, Sarianna
Dear Sarianna,
Thank you for your comment on my post. I also thought at the beginning that it is like Whatsapp. I learned also a lot while doing this post. I can totally agree with you that China is a growing market.
Best regards,
Mari Pulkkanen
Dear Mari,
I really enjoyed reading your blog and it was so informative!
I have never heard of WeChat before and thanks to your text I could just start using it right now. You explained every step from downloading the app to using it in tourism business.
It was just great to read!
Since I want to start my own business one day, I believe WeChat will be useful to me.
Best Regards
Sarai
Dear Sarai,
Thank you for your comment on my post. I really appreciate your feedback and am glad to hear that this post gave you something new. I can totally agree with you that if you start your own business, you will need WeChat, especially with Asian guests.
Best regards,
Mari Pulkkanen
Hi Mari!
This app was totally new to me! Looks like with WeChat you can do almost anything. Thank you for good post I got so much new information!
Regards Oona
Dear Oona,
Thank you for your comment on my post. Glad to hear that you learned something new.
Best regards,
Mari Pulkkanen
Dear Mari,
Thank you for your blog post. It was very fascinating to read, since I have never heard about this social media platform. It sounds so brilliant for all of the features it has. Very beneficial information!
You also did excellent job with the SEO 🙂
Best regards,
Jasmin
Dear Jasmin,
Thank you for your comment on my post. I am glad to hear that you find my post fascinating. I can agree with you that WeChat is brilliant.
Best regards,
Mari Pulkkanen
Dear Mari,
You have done a very good job!
The text looks nicely written, with lots of apropriate graphics and links.
As WeChat is something I have never heard about before, was really nice to be introduced to this app.
No wonder, that it may bring the tourism to the new level, as there are many tourists from China visiting Lapland.
Also SEO and readability are nicely done and customized.
Kind regards,
Inese
Dear Inese,
Thank you for your wide feedback on my post. It is indeed a great app with Asian markets.
Best regards,
Mari Pulkkanen
Hi Mari,
this post was really interesting! I haven’t heard about WeChat beforehand so this was all new information to me. It was surprising how much you can do in this app!
Thank you for posting!
Best regards,
Jenni
Dear Jenni,
Thank you for your comment on my post. I can definitely agree with you that you can do anything with this app.
Best regards,
Mari Pulkkanen
Hi Mari,
Thank you for an enlightening blog post.
I liked how you used images and videos to separate the content. Using links within your text was a good idea and let your post spread outwards.
It was nice that you started with the absolute basics, like how to even install WeChat as people like me are not familiar with the software.
You also used statistical information well to argue, why we should look into WeChat.
It was also smart to open up about your own background with WeChat since that helped to personalize your post and lend credibility to what you said.
Also well done with providing case examples on WeChat usage outside of this blog.
Best regards,
Henrik
Dear Henrik,
Thank you for your wide comment on my post. I really appreciate such wide feedback. I am glad to hear that you learned something new.
Best regards,
Mari Pulkkanen
Hi Mari,
Thank you for this very interesting post. I don’t think that I’ve ever even heard from this We chat before but this information is definitely going to be important in the future.
I liked that your text was clean and nice, with good headings and nice pictures and links. I also think that this video was nice extra to help filling in the reader.
Great job!
-Jessica-
Dear Jessica,
Thank you for your comment on my post. I am glad to hear that you enjoyed it and learned something new.
Best regards,
Mari Pulkkanen