For anyone working with Chinese business partners, you know how important apps are in China. Smartphones play a big role in Chinese people’s lives. In fact, some daily life necessities cannot be completed without the use of these apps!
This is particularly true for WeChat. WeChat, the super-app of China, is utilized for many different purposes by millions of Chinese people every single day. What makes WeChat a superpower is that it is an all-inclusive app, covering functions that you would normally need several different apps to serve.
WeChat groups are basic chat groups for individuals to get together around a specific topic. You can use WeChat groups for marketing purposes by sharing specific information or simply connecting and chatting. From small groups of close friends and family to larger professional networks, WeChat group sizes can differ.
How are WeChat groups significant for your business?
WeChat is integral for businesses attempting to reach consumers in China as well as increase brand awareness and sales. A key advantage of using WeChat is the high engagement from members; meaning that more people will see your messages.
To begin with, it might be time-consuming to find and join the groups that are related or relevant to your brand’s business in China but it is worth the effort. There are a numberless amount of groups out there that will serve as a great marketing space for you.
Best ways to use WeChat groups for promoting your business
Create your own group
You can set up your own WeChat groups once you’re familiar with how they work. You are the leader, it’s your responsibility to keep the conversations going by posting relevant messages regularly. If you’re not available all the time, you can use schedule options to post messages ahead of time.
Also, start discussions about topics related to your products or industry to get people talking. And finally, don’t forget that you can remove anyone from the group who isn’t using it appropriately or whose presence could damage the brand in some way.
Create exclusive sales for the group
WeChat groups are magic when it comes to connecting with customers. Brands can alert their customers about exclusive discounts, promotions, special deals, or quick sales. Sales associates of the brand send messages to the group. Group member receives this message like receiving a message from a friend. It is indeed more effective than receiving messages from a brand name.
Add influencers to your group
Adding a group member who would influence the other members is a very effective way to increase your brand’s awareness. These influencers will be highly active in the group, promoting the brand by joining discussions and adding new members or simply answering back text messages. These influencers are engaged customers of your brand and are the backbone of any profitable business. You can show your appreciation for their efforts in recruiting new members by sending them a small gift.
Automate your frequently asked questions
Your customers will surely ask you some questions. How about creating an informative introduction for your group members about the things they would like to know? Automating your frequently asked questions will not only save you plenty of time and resources in the long run but also make your brand look more professional.
How do WeChat groups work?
Sending Invitations
To join a WeChat group, you have to be invited by another member of the group. You can’t discover groups independently. One of your contacts or your friends who are already in the group has to add you. For groups with less than 100 people in, you can be invited with a QR code. Or else you have to be invited directly through the app.
The best way to learn about which groups exist is probably just to ask your network of friends and contacts in China, particularly those who live in the same city as you.
Setting the Admins
The person who creates the group automatically becomes its leader. The leader is akin to an administrator, with the power to add and remove members from the chat as they see fit. You can identify who the current group leader is by clicking on group information on the right top of your screen.
Managing the size of the groups
A WeChat group is limited to 500 members. Up to 100 members can be added without restriction, but after that, an invitation must be accepted before the person joins the group. If a group reaches its 100-person limit, then anyone wishing to join must link their bank account to their WeChat if they want to access it. This promotes people using the WeChat wallet for payments and enables businesses bigger opportunities to direct customers to other WeChat shopping channels such as WeChat mini-programs.
Setting sticky on top feature
Using the Sticky on the top option, you can keep the specific group on top of your WeChat app. This is handy to access the group quickly if you are active in it.
Muting Notifications
Setting the mute notifications on, this setting is useful when you end up in a group that is very noisy and sends irrelevant text messages all the time. It can be annoying and distractive. With this setting, you can mute the group without leaving it together.
Saving WeChat group to your contacts list
This setting allows you to add the WeChat group to your contacts list. This can be beneficial for businesses that need to quickly send messages to multiple groups since they’ll be compiled in an easily accessible list.
Using QR codes
You can join groups by scanning their QR code with your phone. This is a quick and easy way to find new groups or promote your own group by sharing and promoting your unique QR code on your space.
Advertise on WeChat with our help
WeChat is a powerful marketing tool for businesses. It allows you to reach out to potential customers who are already using the platform and engage with them in a variety of ways. WeChat advertising can help you promote your brand, products, or services to a wider audience, and it can also be used to drive traffic to your website or online store.
GMA can help you get started with WeChat advertising easily. We have a team of experienced professionals who can assist you with creating and managing your WeChat account, as well as developing and executing your advertising campaign.
Discover how to use WeChat groups for marketing purposes! Contact us today and grow your business in China.
