WeChat - It's Vital To Have It If You Are To Succeed In China!

Hi everyone, hope you are having a wonderful day today, welcome back to my channel!

I'm Yuri O, as in ' Oh seriously? You haven’t heard of WeChat? ‘

Yes, in this video, we’re looking at the APP-cum-daily staple that is WeChat, or WeiXin as it is known in Chinese and just how vital it is to have it if you are to succeed in business in China, or indeed survive on a day-to-day basis (I’m exaggerating here, but it does seriously make life so convenient to have it)

Topic Today: WeChat - It's Vital To Have It If You Are To Succeed In China!

It is quite mind boggling to many Chinese people when they hear that so many Western people not only don’t use it, but also haven’t even heard of it!

Of course, with it often referred to as the ‘Chinese WhatsApp’, it comes with all the features you might expect in terms of messaging, voice and video calls, file sharing, group chats and so on.

However, these basic features are certainly not what sets WeChat apart as the must-have APP, but of course they are all useful, nonetheless.

No, what sets WeChat apart from WhatsApp and other APPs is how all-encompassing the features are. The pure amount of different activities, tasks and chores you can complete on this one APP is truly astounding.

To date, you can do anything from buy movie, train or plane tickets, order flowers, donate money to charity, book a car or cab, store member cards to shops and restaurants, play games, and so much more.

Effectively, you could order a car to a restaurant where you have already booked a table and have flowers delivered to THAT restaurant all through the same APP!

On top of all this, you can share a lovely picture of the flowers on WeChat’s Moments feature that allows users to share their day-to-day activities with pictures and videos.

It would be doing the APP a disservice if I didn’t mention too the incredible convenience of WeChat Pay, with it making carrying a wallet or cash almost unnecessary these days in China.

Through this function, you can make and receive payments instantly, while also indulging in the very Chinese tradition of sending money in digital ‘red envelopes’, or hong bao, to your friends and family.

However, while as part of your day-to-day WeChat makes things very convenient, it holds just as much power in your business life too.

Indeed, while most western companies stick to email communication for work, almost all companies rely heavily on messaging via WeChat, whether that’s to colleagues in the same city or from other offices across China, or chatting with clients, suppliers, vendors, and more.

The efficiency this allows for, is beneficial for all parties involved.

With WeChat also providing an option for businesses to operate official accounts too, this means that users can easily learn about information regarding your business, while not needing to navigate away from the app itself.

Additionally, it is very easy to share QR codes with other users that can be extracted and direct you seamlessly to a company’s official account or alternatively its website, meaning you can promote your business swiftly and get to the point just as quickly as prospective clients want as well.

Another great feature for businesses, particularly involved in retail, is the APP’s ‘Mini Programs’ feature which allows users to create a mini website and e-commerce platform all while still operating within 1 app This can then easily be shared to other users and friends with a tap of your mobile or tablet screen.

The number of WeChat’s active accounts has been increasing steadily. In the first quarter of 2020, Tencent's WeChat had over 1.2 billion monthly active users from a wide range of age groups.

This only serves to demonstrate just how integral people living or doing business in China find this APP!

It’s also worth noting that this number mentioned is set to surge as improved cellular coverage in rural areas in the coming years will allow a whole host of new users to start ‘wechatting’!

Sooooooo while the key message may be obvious in this instance, it’s important to recognize just how influential and almost standard WeChat has become as a means of not only enjoying a seamless, convenient lifestyle in China, but also as a vital means of conducting and succeeding in business as well.

That’s it for today, do let me know in the comments whether you have WeChat, or have you tried it before?

I appreciate you, if you haven't subscribed yet, take a moment, click the subscribe button, because this channel is all about China, genuine insights from me and my team, who have all spent time living in both UK and China.

Take care my friends, have a wonderful day today, and I will see you soon!

Yuri O x