Using WeChat as a mini-website, newsletter, e-mail, business card and much more…

While talking with customers I often see that there is still a lack of knowledge about how WeChat can be used for your business in China. Most people still see WeChat only as a chat app and a payment tool. However, that is just a minor part of what WeChat can do for your business in China. WeChat should be an indispensable tool for your business in China and can function as your window to China, but also as an important communication and marketing tool.

WeChat, called 微信 (‘Weixin’) in Chinese, is owned by Tencent and originally started as a messaging app in 2011. In 2023 WeChat had 1,26 billion monthly active users and was China’s most popular app. It really is a super-app, there is no single western app or platform that can be compared with WeChat. You need dozens of western apps to have the same functionalities as WeChat. In the following paragraphs we explain how WeChat can be used as a mini-website, but also as a newsletter and e-mail. Even if you don’t do a lot of business with China and you don’t speak Chinese, you should seriously consider using WeChat.

Using WeChat as an alternative to e-mail and business cards.

Since a few years, WeChat has replaced the traditional e-mail system in China. Many Chinese people working with foreign companies still use e-mail, because they know that most foreigners prefer to use e-mail. However, within China e-mail is used much less. All colleagues in our Chinese office only use WeChat when communicating with Chinese business partners. Usually, when I am in Belgium, the first few hours of the working day consist of chatting or (video)calling with my colleagues or business partners in China through WeChat. I am a member of multiple WeChat groups, which is a very useful tool in project management and business development.

WeChat has a very efficient translation function. This helps a lot to communicate with Chinese people who don’t speak English: you can send a WeChat message in English; your Chinese contact can use the translation function within WeChat and send you a reply in the Chinese language. Likewise, you can then translate the other person’s message into English and continue the dialogue.

When you visit China, your business card is of less value than your WeChat ID. Be prepared that most of the Chinese people you meet will not ask for your business card any longer, they prefer to connect with you in WeChat. To conclude, make sure you install WeChat and create your personal WeChat ID. Then you can start connecting with your stakeholders in China and build your network in China. After having installed WeChat, you should also connect your credit card to it, then you can start using WeChat Pay while traveling in China.

Using WeChat as a mini website.

Apart from using WeChat as a one-to-one communication tool, any company or organization can also set up a WeChat official account. There are 2 types of accounts: WeChat service accounts and WeChat subscription accounts. Service accounts appear in the chat inbox like any incoming message. As a result, they offer better visibility than subscription accounts. It is also the only available account type for registration on overseas business licenses. A subscription account is grouped in a folder called “subscriptions”, so less visible for your followers. Subscription accounts cannot be registered through a foreign business license. You need to have your own legal entity in China, or alternatively register the account on the business license of a third party. Since 2015 Horsten has registered dozens of WeChat accounts on the business license of our own Chinese legal entity.

A screenshot of a typical WeChat home screen, with service accounts, subscription accounts and chats

After you have set up your company’s WeChat official account, you can create a customized menu. This customized menu can have up to 15 tabs (3 main tabs, each having 5 sub-tabs) and will turn the WeChat account into an interactive website-like place. In this way, considering that China is a mobile-first country, your Chinese customers, partners, suppliers or any other stakeholders will be able to find your company within the Chinese internet ecosystem. After setting up the WeChat menu, you can build an online community where you share information about your company and products, and customers can post their experiences and invite friends to follow your WeChat account. Consequently, same as what a website represents in western marketing and business development, WeChat will be your main gateway to China and the most important window to your Chinese stakeholders.

A screenshot of the WeChat service account of the Belgian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce (BCECC)

Sometimes our customers ask me: should we invest in a Chinese website or rather in a WeChat official account? My answer to this question is quite straightforward: you should give priority to a WeChat official account, as it will be found easier by your Chinese stakeholders. Your Chinese website will probably not be hosted on a Chinese server. Hence, your Chinese target audience will not find you and your website may load slowly behind the ‘Great Firewall of China’.

Using WeChat as a newsletter.

As soon as you have registered your WeChat account and set up the customized menu, you can start posting articles in the WeChat media centre. This functionality can be compared with e-mail newsletters in the western world. If your WeChat account is a service account, you can only post four articles per month, but that is more than enough for 95% of our customers. We recommend starting with two posts per month. If you have a subscription account, you can send more than one push notification per day.

An example of how to use WeChat as a newsletter

The content of the articles should be well prepared. Being successful on WeChat starts with creating content that appeals to your target audience. The way you reach out to your Chinese followers online should be carefully aligned with the western online strategy on one side and the expectations from the Chinese stakeholders on the other side. Typically, through these publications you can inform your followers about new products, events, special discounts, or any other interesting content. After publication of the posts, you can share these articles through your WeChat Moments and invite others to share them as well, thus creating more exposure for your company or brand and increasing the number of followers of the WeChat account.

Is WeChat a risk for your business?

Amongst western businesspeople and companies there is a lot of fear of WeChat (same as with any other app from China). Indeed, if you are a government official or engaged in sensitive technologies, you must be careful and be vigilant for possible data and security breaches. However, if you are a European SME and you are not active in sensitive or strategic technologies, the benefits of WeChat far outweigh the disadvantages or potential risks. Just use your common sense when using WeChat, same as you do when using Facebook, Instagram or any other social media app.

Other functionalities.

The features mentioned in this article only show a small part of the multiple functionalities that WeChat has to offer for your business. For example, you can also set up mini-programs for customer service or e-commerce, you can do marketing campaigns and advertising, use WeChat for CRM solutions or perform surveys. Additionally, while traveling in China, you can use your personal WeChat account to buy tickets for public transportation, get a taxi, share pictures and information through WeChat Moments, etc.

Please contact us for more information about how to efficiently use WeChat for your business in China.

Bart Horsten

« PREVIOUS ARTICLE BACK TO NEWS NEXT ARTICLE »