WeChat official accounts are a powerful marketing tool for companies looking to reach a Chinese audience. But with so many different types of accounts to choose from, which one is right for your business? Read on to find out more about the different types of WeChat official accounts and what they can offer your company.
Do you know the differences between all the WeChat accounts?
WeChat is a free messaging & calling app which allows you to easily connect with your family and friends across countries. This app is very popular in China and used by half a billion people. It’s the all-in-one communication app for free text (SMS/MMS), voice & video calls, Moments, photo sharing, and games.
WeChat is a huge opportunity for companies to keep in touch with consumers and to improve their popularity in China. But to succeed, you have to adapt your strategy to the Chinese expectations.
What is a subscription account on WeChat?
The account type “Subscription Account” is the basic choice if you are a company looking for an official account on WeChat. It allows a pretty simple method of communication which is very close to Facebook and Twitter in terms of social networks marketing.
However, this type of account is limited and offers less advanced features and integrated options than the “Service Account”. It does not allow mobile payments or interactive menu creation, which is very rewarding on WeChat and gives better visibility.
A major advantage of the “Subscription Account” is the opportunity to be more frequently in relation to a target. It allows you to send one message per day to your followers when it’s only one a week for the “Service Account”. However, the messages do not trigger a push notification to the user’s contact list, they are placed in a folder containing all the publications of “Subscription Accounts”. This implies that the follower has to check this folder to access the content. To create a long-term relationship with users and keep them coming back, the “Subscription Account” holders provide exclusive content, special offers, and discounts.
This type of account fulfills all criteria for companies focusing their marketing strategies on pushing content to users (Daily News, Information Broadcast…).
Read more: Market your brand on WeChat
Who should choose a Wechat Service Account?
The “Account Service” is made for big companies looking for an official account on WeChat. It offers many features such as the creation of a mini-application (China Southern Airlines has launched a game where you can fly a plane just by touching the touch screen) or mini-website enabling customers to search for a product, make a purchase or even search for a store’s locations. This type of account also allows mobile payments.
The number of messages you can send is limited to 4 per month (1 per week) but a push notification appears directly in the user’s contact list, which strongly improves the efficiency of the publications. In addition, the company can reply to all the requests through instant messaging within 48 hours.
This type of account is for businesses that want to provide maximum comfort to their clients by providing quality services such as integrated e-commerce applications, custom menus, or GPS locations.
Wechat Business Account Verification
Once you have registered your WeChat Official Account, you will have to verify it to access all of the advanced WeChat platform features. This includes users’ location, surveys, third-party apps, payments, and more. Verifying WeChat Official Accounts also allows followers to trust that they are dealing with a genuine account.
Chinese organizations
To verify WeChat Official Accounts, you will need the following:
- Your account manager’s Chinese ID
- Chinese Business License
- Chinese Organization Code
- Verification Application Letter
- A WeChat Payment account with at least ¥300 in credit
Foreign organizations
If your business is located outside of China, you will have to send an email to bd@wechat.com to request verification for your account. This email must include your account information and a tagline describing your business. This tagline will be published on your WeChat profile.
1 comment
Zara
I am glad to know the difference between subscription account and service account. I think for the small company who want to send “newsletter”, it’s better to have a subscription account. If you are a big company, it’s better to have a service account. Very interesting your article.