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When thinking about advertisement on different social media platforms, WeChat isn’t really someones first thought to advertise on… although this Chinese multi-purpose messaging, social media and mobile payment app shouldn’t be left behind or under-rated. At first glance, WeChat can look a lot like WhatsApp, the messaging app, although it is much more than that.
Becoming the world’s largest standalone mobile app with over one billion monthly active users in 2018, WeChat has been described as the most powerful app by Forbes, also known as China’s “app for everything” or the “super app”. Previously WeChat only was used for souly sending messages, now forming the basis of daily digital life. Individuals can order food, check into the underground, transfer money, provide invoices for businesses, buy tickets, order a cab etc, all within one app.
WeChat keeps pace with the times as a strong business, communication and social tool, helping creators provide value. This article will cover:
WeChat’s Minimal Competitors within China
Is WeChat Business Friendly?
WeChat Short Video Sharing – “Time Capsule”
WeChat Moments Ads
1. WeChat’s Minimal Competitors within China
WeChat definitely has the upperhand when it comes to Chinese users, as potential competitors including Facebook, Google, Twitter, YouTube and many more foreign sites aren’t available. Having minimal app and social media competitors makes advertising on WeChat a key strategy to any business, as there are 902 million daily active users logging onto the app everyday. This amount of revenue makes WeChat a valuable marketing tool. Businesses need to create relatable, user friendly content in order for this tool to be effective.
2. Is WeChat Business Friendly?
WeChat isn’t the regular western messaging app, as it contains ten million third-party apps within its own app. Impressive right? Almost any business or organisation is eligible to create an app within WeChat, called an “official account” which allows them access to APIs for features such as voice messaging, direct messaging, payments and location. This concept has recently become extremely popular, even startups test their apps by launching them through WeChat first, before creating their very own solo app.
Unlike Facebook, where businesses are usually almost forced to pay for promoting their page or content in order for a wider variety of followers to see it, WeChat offers a zero cost policy to create an official account for business promotion. When companies sign up for an official account within the WeChat app, their account basically turns into a mini website with individual pages.
This format allows businesses to post daily updates, blog posts, videos, infographic and pictures to the subscription account. Businesses who have over 100 000 followers are also granted the option to purchase ads and promote their accounts, services and products.
3. WeChat Short Video Sharing – “Time Capsule”
WeChat recently launched a new short video sharing function called “Time Capsule”, as a more private, independent platform within the app. With the high-pressure social app having a mixture of friends, colleagues, community, leaders, business partners and relatives all being able to view your profile, some individuals had requested a feature to form a more private function.
Similar to Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram Stories, individuals can share short videos that last for only 24 hours. In regards to business marketing, brands can create short videos to promote their products and build brand awareness and post on their Time Capsule.
WeChat Stories are videos are full screen vertical videos that appear at the top of the feed. Ads can appear in between user’s stories.
WeChat Story Video Best Practices
Video File Size: 4GB Max
Video Length: 1 to 15 seconds (users can skip / dismiss ads)
Video Captions: Not available
Video Sound: Optional
WeChat Story Video Format
Recommended export size in Clipchamp: 1080p resolution
WeChat recommends a minimum of 500p in width and height.
Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV (Clipchamp always exports in MP4, but you can convert your non-compatible videos with the Clipchamp Video Converter.)
WeChat Story Video Dimensions
The accepted aspect ratios are 16:9 (widescreen), 1:1 (square) 4:5 (vertical), 2:3 (vertical), or 9:16 (full portrait).
Recommended ratio in Clipchamp: 9:16 (full portrait). Note, for videos under 9:16: colored gradient bars are rendered above and below. Content from the “Text” field is placed below video.
Consider leaving roughly 14% (250 pixels) of the top and bottom of the video free from text and logos to avoid covering these key elements with the profile icon or call-to-action. This means, if your video is 1080×1920, ensure key elements appear within a 1080×1420 title-safe area.
Edit this Gender Reveal Video Template
4. WeChat Moments Ads
WeChat Moments ads is almost an identical method of advertising to Facebook’s, as the app allows brands to place ads on the communities new feeds. This advertising method can be wither picture, text or video styles, although businesses choosing the video advertising method as the most popular approach. This provides advertisers the chance to share high quality user data, allowing marketers to define their target audience by age, location, gender, industry etc.
Most elements within the video moments ads are the same as normal text ads on WeChat, the only different is essentially the video element. Companies can post 6 – 15 second videos previews on the feed, and if the user clicks the video ad to see a full screen complete video can be up to 5 minutes long each campaign page.
WeChat Story Video Best Practices
Video File Size: 4GB Max
Video Length: 6 to 15 seconds preview or 5 minutes full video (users can dismiss ads)
Video Captions: Available
Video Sound: Optional
WeChat Story Video Format
Recommended export size in Clipchamp: 1080p resolution
WeChat recommends a minimum of 500p in width and height.
Recommended video formats: MP4, MOV (Clipchamp always exports in MP4, but you can convert your non-compatible videos with the Clipchamp Video Converter.)
WeChat Story Video Dimensions
The accepted aspect ratios are 16:9 (widescreen), 1:1 (square) 4:5 (vertical), 2:3 (vertical), or 9:16 (full portrait).
Recommended ratio in Clipchamp: 9:16 (full portrait). Note, for videos under 9:16: colored gradient bars are rendered above and below. Content from the “Text” field is placed below video.
Consider leaving roughly 14% (250 pixels) of the top and bottom of the video free from text and logos to avoid covering these key elements with the profile icon or call-to-action. This means, if your video is 1080×1920, ensure key elements appear within a 1080×1420 title-safe area.
Edit this Urban Sale Story Template
(agencychina.com)
