February 2023

Maximizing WeChat Channels: An In-Depth Look at the Statistics and the Future Plans

February 16, 2023

WeChat, China’s biggest app, grew from just a chatting messanger to a major business platform a long time ago. And Channels, the video sub-platform of WeChat, is becoming one of users’ and businesses’ favorite features.

Channels advanced last year, with more services and content available to both consumers and businesses. Since the start of its internal beta testing on January 21, 2020, it has experienced significant user engagement. The feature, which enables anyone to record, create, and share videos, saw total user time exceed 80% of that of Moments, the latter of which offers mutual contacts with asynchronous photo, video, and audio sharing.

If you’re not very familiar with WeChat Channels yet, explore our introductory post for beginners here – A Beginner’s Guide to WeChat Channels.

Now, let’s analyze the WeChat Channel statistics and growth plan for 2023.

WeChat Channel Statistics

WeChat Channels have powerful tools for businesses to connect with their target audience and drive growth – with the help of innovative content. The total number of views has skyrocketed, with a 200% YoY increase and a 400% YoY increase in video views based on AI recommendations.

The number of daily active creators and video uploads has also surged, with a 100% YoY increase, and significant growth in the number of viral videos and original video views. However, short videos are not all.

Live streaming has also seen tremendous growth, with a 300% increase in users, a 156% increase in viewing time, a 614% increase in content creators, and an 83% increase in broadcast time.

🎥 Learn more about live-streaming on WeChat Channels

WeChat Channels continue to expand its support with new features like live streaming e-commerce, quick sharing, and product windows. This makes more brands eager to leverage a massive userbase to drive their sales and reach their target audience.

The GMV of live-streaming e-commerce on Channels has grown by over 800% since 2021. Moreover, the average transactions now exceed RMB 200.

Top Events in 2023

WeChat Channels have become one of the most popular platforms for users to watch and share short videos.

It’s clear that short videos are a hit among WeChat Channels users. The number of views for short videos in 2022 increased by 237% compared to the previous year, showing just how popular they have become.

When it comes to the most popular short videos, five topics stood out. These were the workplace, cultural history, financial management, eloquence/speech, and trivia. This shows that users are interested in a wide range of topics.

WEChat Channels Stats 2023

For those looking to be entertained, WeChat Channels has a plethora of options. The top five concerts in 2022 included “Yearning” by Li Jian, Cui Jian’s first online concert, the Backstreet Boys’ first-ever online concert, Luo Dayou’s “Childhood” concert, and “You Want a Good Concert.”

Backstreet Boys WeChat Channels

In addition to entertainment, WeChat Channels users are also looking for ways to improve their physical health. The top six fitness keywords searched by users were yoga, bodybuilding, boxing, body, aerobics, and diet meals.

For those looking to explore, WeChat Channels offer a wealth of travel content. For example, the top 10 most popular destinations in WeChat Channels included:

Yellow River Xiaolangdi Reservoir,
Huashan Long Sky Boardwalk,
Tiananmen,
Leshan Giant Buddha,
Yellow River Hukou Waterfall,
Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie,
Forbidden City,
Gulangyu Island in Xiamen,
Macao Green Mao Port,
Former Residence of Chairman Mao in Shaoshan.

WeChat Channels’ Growth Plan

In the fast-paced digital world, it’s essential for businesses to keep up with the latest trends and technologies to reach their target audience. WeChat Channels is one such platform that provides a unique opportunity for businesses to reach a vast audience through its innovative features and rich content ecosystem. According to WeChat Weixin Pro Class 2023 (our coverage of the 2022 edition available here), Tencent plans to invest more into Channels in the coming years.

Short Video

The short video feature on WeChat Channels has seen significant growth in the past year. As a result, with more and more creators joining the platform, the content ecosystem has become more diverse and prosperous.

Moreover, the time spent by WeChat Channels users has also increased and is now approaching that of WeChat Moments. The video views based on recommendation algorithms have increased by over 400% YoY, making it a great opportunity for businesses to reach a vast audience.

To provide comprehensive author services, WeChat Channels has upgraded its creator traffic and honor incentives, with new product capabilities such as online content heating, video product sharing, and video monetization tasks.

These tools will provide creators with more monetization options and help them grow and get better returns on WeChat Channels.

In 2022, the number of daily active creators and video uploads increased by more than 100% YoY, original content played increased by 350% YoY, and the number of creators with 10,000+ fans increased by 308%.

🗺 Learn how to optimize your WeChat Channels posting with our quick guide

Live Streaming

WeChat Channels’ live broadcasts have become an integral part of users’ social lives, covering a range of content from hot events to daily information communication and celebrity speeches. Above all, it provides a platform for individuals to start broadcasting and showing themselves, encouraging diverse content production.

The platform provides a rich live broadcasting ecosystem:

the viewing scale increasing by 300%,
the viewing time by 156%,
and high-quality launch time by 614%.

WeChat Channels has always encouraged the production of diversified and high-quality content. In order words, providing a platform for “every individual to pick up his mobile phone and start broadcasting.”

As a result, this led to a significant increase of 101% in 2022 and total anchor revenue growth by 447%.

To sum up, live streaming will invest 5 billion in traffic incentives and more rich and perfect realization tools and incentive policies to help every individual have a good start, growth, and income.

E-commerce Live Streaming

Live Streaming Channels

The commercial potential of WeChat Channels live broadcast has continued to grow. With sales increasing by more than 8 times YoY and the platform’s public purchase conversion rate by more than 100%.

The top three categories of consumption are clothing, food, and beauty. Finally, it’s worth noting that the purchasing power on WeChat Channels is split between 20% male and 80% female users. This information is useful for businesses and content creators looking to target specific demographics with their products and services.

The launch of WeChat Channels stores provides businesses with convenient and efficient business tools, with over 90% of sales coming from the WeChat Channels store. The platform has connected over 1,000 service providers, contributing over 30% to Channels’ sales.

Firstly to better support brand merchants, WeChat Channels will soon release an incentive plan for merchants. Secondly, Tencent will provide more opportunities, including traffic, brand identity, and other services. For instance, the platform will also continue to increase its support for service providers and focus on investment. For example, in areas of identity authentication, traffic incentives, and operational tools.

Conclusion

WeChat Channels have come a long way, with improvements in short video, live broadcasting, and e-commerce. Above all, with the continued development of the ecosystem and the implementation of incentive policies, WeChat Channels will continue to attract more users and creators, providing a platform for rich and diverse content.

If you want to know more about WeChat channels and help create a content strategy for WeChat, contact our team. We use our knowledge and expertise to help businesses build meaningful partnerships and develop their networks among Chinese customers. For additional information, please contact us at contact@thewechatagency.com.

Chinese Market Updates

February 7, 2023

Chinese internet search giant Baidu plans to launch a ChatGPT-style bot in March

Despite having a heavily censored domestic internet that is largely cut off from the rest of the world, ChatGPT has captured the attention of Chinese internet users. On regional social media, many people posted screenshots of the AI bot having unexpected conversations.

The application from Baidu will at first be integrated into its web search services. The combination will enable users to obtain search results in the form of conversations, similar to the well-known platform from OpenAI.

https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3208420/chinese-internet-search-giant-baidu-plans-launch-chatgpt-style-bot-march-source-says

China B2B Marketing in the Year of the Rabbit

Since trade shows and in-person meetings had to be canceled due to lockdowns and other circumstances, businesses had to find new ways to reach their target audiences.

New trends emerged:

Using trade publications for KOL marketing
Experiments with video and accelerated their WeChat content creation efforts using the WeChat Channels video platform,
Businesses can connect remotely with their clients and business partners thanks to webinars.
Digital-only trade shows and hybrid trade shows.

With COVID-19 still a major concern and vaccination efforts ongoing, it is more than likely that digital channels – especially newer channels – will to play a significant role

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/RG2S6bSwLJnQxwPz0Vvhdg

Data report of LV, Chanel, Burberry, Prada and other official account in 2022

Service numbers include FENDI, Prada, HERMES, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Burberry. In 2022, Chanel has the most mass-produced items (totaling 72), while Louis Vuitton has the fewest (totaling 35), more than twice as many as the latter.

The opportunity is effectively not wasted because the service number can be pushed four times per month and all brands can send in groups three to four times per month.

Burberry, which has the second-highest number of mass-market articles, has the most likes and views, with totals that are 269.95% and 429.05% higher than the benchmark FENDI, respectively. Chanel, which has the most articles published in groups, won the challenge with 180.54% more reading than the benchmark, FENDI.

However, Louis Vuitton, which has the fewest articles published in groups, has launched a counterattack, placing second overall among the six brands in terms of reading, liking, and viewing.

It can be seen on the mass distribution time distribution histogram that luxury brands tend to push more frequently in the second half of the week, occasionally on Saturday, and not as much on Sunday.

LINK: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/0bWYZZhJePNMCMHSEWiuBA

Spring Festival shoppers shift to 3 new trends in post-covid China

This year, the burgeoning young generation of consumers has turned away from the traditional idea of New Year’s goods such as red gift boxes filled with roasted nuts and candies and biscuits in favor of contemporary trends in the post-pandemic era.

First and foremost, healthcare products were in high demand among Chinese people of all ages as health became a priority for everyone for reasons that were unmistakably related to the pandemic.

The “firework” bubble gun machine was another popular item during the Spring Festival because most cities continued to impose stringent regulations on all kinds of fireworks. Young customers took an immediate liking to the firework substitute that closely resembled the sound and sight of the genuine article.

Thirdly, young shoppers this year exhibited a strong desire for distinctive and fashionable Chinese New Year gift boxes.

https://daoinsights.com/news/spring-festival-shoppers-shift-to-3-new-trends-in-post-covid-china/

Tencent carves out niche with new Brand Discovery mini program

Tencent Huiju will be replaced by WeChat’s new mini-program “Brand Discovery,” which will be introduced soon.

The new program will concentrate on information aggregation and act as a hub from which users can find other smaller programs and get suggestions. Users interested in further browsing or purchasing a particular brand’s products will be redirected to the relevant mini program of that brand or shopping site.

Ma Huateng, the CEO of Tencent, has hinted that the company plans to take advantage of the popularity of short-form video content in the future, perhaps by using it to increase brand awareness and traffic to suggested products on the Brand Discovery mini program.

https://daoinsights.com/news/tencent-carves-out-niche-with-new-brand-discovery-mini-program/

The male beauty market in China is developing fast and should not be overlooked

From 2016 to 2019, retail sales in China’s male beauty market were significantly higher than the global average (13.5% versus 5.8%).

59.50% of the total are between the ages of 18 and 25, while 21.30% are between the ages of 26 and 30.

Male beauty consumers can also find information on websites like Xiaohongshu and Douyin.

The top online stores for male beauty are Taobao and Tmall.

In China’s male beauty market, daily moisturizing creams and facial cleansers are crucial.

https://daxueconsulting.com/male-beauty-market-china/

International official WeChat account vs local WeChat official account

February 1, 2023

Opening an official account can be a daunting task for companies, especially those based overseas. Until a few years, it wasn’t possible for foreign entities to register their official WeChat account or they had to use 3rd party business license in order to do so. Still, many online sources insist that an account created with a foreign business license is not visible to users based in China.

We are happy to let you know that none of the above is true.

Firstly, foreign companies have been permitted to open and legally own a WeChat official account entirely controlled by their overseas entity since 2018. We have helped dozens of our clients to register an official account with their overseas paperwork.

Secondly, all of their content is visible to their followers based in and outside of China. Let’s see how to get started with the WeChat official accounts!

International vs Local WeChat official account

When it comes to WeChat official accounts, be they international or local, it looks the same for the audience. To clarify, the difference is only in the account creation and features of the WeChat services.

Type and number of official accounts

Brands with a Chinese business license have the option of a service or subscription account, the two types of official WeChat accounts available, whereas brands with an international business license can only choose a service account.

>>> We explain more about the differences between service and subscription accounts here

Furthermore, only one international official account can be created under one license, but with a Chinese business license, you can create two official accounts under one license.

Other services

Chinese WeChat accounts get easier access to additional services like advertising, whitelisting or WeChat Pay, etc., while it is slightly more complex for international accounts to access these services, although some are still available.

For example, overseas businesses might be restricted from advertising in certain industries and application for an advertising account on WeChat is not automatic but granted on a case-by-case basis. Since we are working directly with Tencent, we are able to help with these issues and troubleshoot immediately.

Time and fees

The registration time for an account using a Chinese business license is usually a few working days. For accounts registering with an overseas account, each application is reviewed individually and it can take more time. Normally, the process of registration takes up to 14 days and is relatively smooth.

However, in recent months, the next step – verification of the account, can take a couple of weeks. Verification is required for the account to be recognized as official and in order to unlock key account features. From the user’s perspective, a verified WeChat account also means that it’s legitimate and can be trusted.

When it comes to the fee that brands need to pay WeChat for yearly account validation, Chinese WeChat official accounts need to pay a fee of 299 RMB, and international official accounts have to pay a fee of 99 USD per year.

Admin

An extremely important role, the admin will scan the QR codes to approve any major changes o the account, appoint article editors, and more. Every WeChat account must have an admin. Admin must approve all major account operations by scanning a QR code, including adding operators with limited authorizations but who can fully prepare and publish articles.

For accounts using a local business license, Tencent requires a Chinese citizen (Chinese local ID) to be the admin, it’s best to have a trusted employee appointed.

For the accounts using the international business license, the admin can be a foreigner. A personal WeChat account verified with a bank card (can be overseas and can be unlinked after the procedure and passport information will be required.

It’s extremely important to hand over the admin role if an employee is leaving a company, otherwise, the process is quite troublesome. But nevertheless, it’s the company that is always the owner of the account and not the admin. It’s just quite hard to appoint the new admin without the previous one scanning the approval codes.

Pros and cons of Chinese and international WeChat official accounts

From the user’s / follower’s perspective, there is absolutely no difference. Brand followers based in China or abroad will receive exactly the same updates and articles.
For international accounts, an additional application is required to start media buying (WeChat ads) or WeChat payments (WeChat pay for e-commerce).
Apart from admin, there are operators (in this case e.g. agency or other company employees) who can post but cannot approve major changes on the account.
Both types of accounts have the same login page and backend, which are available in Chinese and (partially) English.
So apart from some minor inconveniences like additional verifications for media buying, the international account has exactly the same functions. It’s just the legal setup behind it is a bit different e.g. allowing a non-Chinese to be the admin. Apart from that, the login page for creators and articles shown to fans look the same.

If your company has a local branch in China, we strongly suggest you consider opening an account using local paperwork as the process is much faster and smoother. Locally-created accounts have access to more features too.

On the other side, if you can’t appoint a local person to be an admin, you might prefer to go with an international account. Alternatively, we can also support you to appoint a trusted admin on our side while you’ll be 100% the legal owner of the account.

Under any circumstances, we don’t recommend registering an official account using 3rd party business license as in this case you won’t be the legal owner of the account. In the worst-case scenario, your account can be suspended and all articles and followers lost.

Introduction to WeChat Official accounts

WeChat official accounts are one of the easiest ways for brands and businesses to reach their target audience. You can use it to build a customer database as well as attract and retain customers for your business.

There are two types of WeChat official accounts available, they are

WeChat subscription account
WeChat service account

Service and subscription accounts offer very different user experiences hence the user journey and landing on the article vary.

Subscription accounts are gathered in a separate folder where accounts are shown according to an algorithm (most often read accounts) compared to chronological order before. Moreover, service accounts have the same priority as user contacts in terms of notification status and appear on the main page in chronological order.

WeChat subscription account

A content-centric approach to consumer activation and interaction with limited features but a high potential for reaching consumers

A subscription account can push once per day with up to 8 articles in each push (but only the top 2 articles are visible in the feed),

More frequently posting accounts are gathered within one folder.

Originally in chronological order, now switched to algorithmically sorted with most read at the top of the user’s feed.

As there is no direct notification (users see a red dot implying that there are some new updates) frequent pushes are less obtrusive for users.

Pros:
- Frequent posting possibilities.
- Less annoying to users.
Cons:
- Dramatically lower exposure as the account is tucked inside the subscription folder with other accounts causing a multiple-step user journey.
- Advanced coding options or CRMs not available.
Good for: news, FMCG, daily updates, etc.

WeChat service account

Provide a service or tool to customers.

Service accounts show directly in main screen with contact-level notification priority.
Service accounts can push 4 times per month with up to 8 articles.
Appear in chronological, real-time order.
Direct notifications (users see a red dot among chats from their contacts) make each notification much more noticeable for users.
Pros:
- Direct notifications.
- Greater exposure.
- Bespoke solutions like CRM integration, WeChat Pay integration, etc.
Cons:
- Direct notifications can be much more obtrusive for users and each push can cause efflux of followers if they find the content is not interesting enough for them.
- Good for: B2B, luxury, e-commerce.

How to Open a WeChat Official Account Abroad

There are two ways to create an international WeChat official account

You can directly go to WeChat and create your own account for your brand
Collaborate with agencies like The WeChat Agency, where we help businesses to set up WeChat accounts using their own paperwork.

Here’s how to create an international WeChat Official account directly through WeChat

Step 1: Register an account on WeChat’s Official Account platform

Step 2: Pick your account type (The default account type for the international official account is “Service account)

If you prefer a subscription account, you will can only do it with a Chinese business license.

Step 3: Fill in the registration form

In this step, you fill in the basic information for example registration email. Be careful as you won’t be able to change this email later on.

Step 4: Confirm account type

Step 5: Register your Official account

Businesses need to provide their company name, registration number, the admin’s name, and mobile number along with the admin’s ID card number, passport number, or driver’s license number

Step 6: Fill in your account info

In this stage, businesses have to choose a name for their WeChat official account, write a bio or introduction, and confirm the country the business is operating from.

Verification

Step 7: Verify your WeChat Official account

Businesses have access to the WeChat Official Accounts platform once they’ve finished filling out the account information. Account authentication happens here.

Since unverified accounts are deleted after 30 days, this is significant. Additionally, they have restricted access to basic functions like the verification tick.

Select the “WeChat verification” option from the “Settings” menu to verify the account.

Then, on the verification page that appears, click “Enable.”

Step 8: Begin the verification process

After clicking “Enable,” a prompt to download the verification letter and start the official application process will appear.

Step 9: Complete and sign the verification letter.

Businesses need to certify the following in the verification letter:

Company name
A point-of-contact
The passport number
Country of citizenship
The WeChat Account ID

Please note that at this step you will need the signature of the legal representative of the company’s team as well as the contact person.

Please note that the point-of-contact does not need to be the confirmed account administrator from step five. It can be if the business wants it to be, but it’s not a requirement.

Businesses should print the verification letter, sign it, then scan and send it back to the computer so that it can be processed in the next step.

Step 10: Fill in the requested information for verification

Businesses must supply the following information to verify the company:

Name
Company registration number
Company address
Upload both a scan of the business license and the verification letter from the previous step.

Businesses must offer the following in order to verify the point of contact:

Their full name
Mobile number (which will need to be verified via SMS)
Landline number
Email address
ID card number, passport number and/or driver’s license number
Businesses must upload copies of their identification documents and most recent mobile phone bill as well.

The mobile phone bill must have the contact information (name, phone number, company name, and at least three months of payment history) and be uploaded in English.

Step 11: Confirm the business account name

You will now receive a prompt to confirm the name on the official account. Most importantly, you must confirm that any custom names you choose do not conflict with any trademarks held by other businesses or WeChat account names that have already been registered.

Tencent can reject your application if you fail to meet either of these two conditions.

Step 12: Choose whether you want an invoice

Click “E-invoice” if a business would like an invoice for their registration fee. Once the account has been verified, they will receive this in ten days.

Step 13: Pay the registration fee

Now it’s time to pay the registration fee of $99.

Businesses can pay this via WeChat Pay or bank card, whichever they prefer.

Step 14: Review and setup

The WeChat team will review your application for verification over the coming weeks and get in touch by phone during Chinese business hours.

Businesses’ official accounts will be verified and ready to use if all of the preceding steps are followed correctly!

In conclusion, WeChat is a great choice for international businesses to set their foot in China. With the help of WeChat’s official account, businesses can create and publish content from their own country and create a customer base in the Chinese market.

If you want to know more about WeChat international accounts and want help setting up an official account, please contact our team. We use our knowledge and expertise to help businesses build meaningful partnerships and develop their networks among Chinese customers. For additional information, please contact us at contact@thewechatagency.com.