The Advent of WeChat Video Channels
Although it is a new entry into the short video form social media scene, WeChat, with its 1.2 billion users, could open video streaming to an enormous market. WeChat has traditionally functioned as an instant messaging app, hosting up to 500 people in each group, with additional audio and video call functionality with as many as nine people at once. Its Moments section functions more like a social networking platform like Facebook or Instagram: users can share photos, sub-one minute videos, and links. Like on Instagram, users can add hashtags to define topics and improve discoverability, and WeChat friends can comment and react to the posts.
WeChat video accounts were rolled out in early 2020, but this feature is still heavily restricted to established influencers and brands that regularly produce high-quality content. It offers a great opportunity to add contacts and grow followings. While WeChat has traditionally been a closed ecosystem, the WeChat video channel (available in “Discover” > “Channels”) enables users to explore content from users that they do not follow. These videos also serve as a bridge to official accounts. The algorithm that determines the display takes into account the number of likes on the video, geo-location, users’ WeChat friends’ engagement, and followed accounts.
Foreign WeChat accounts are wholly precluded from video accounts, but there are additional certification requirements that pose significant barriers to entry. These suggest that Tencent seeks to limit this function to top influencers and give users the opportunity to engage with top content creators within WeChat. It may be several more months before foreign universities can leverage this feature. However, several private accounts offer video tours of foreign universities. A Canadian travel account that primarily posts videos of Canada universities regularly racks up thousands of likes. To appeal to a Chinese audience, all its titles, captions, and subtitles are written in Chinese. A link below the caption directs viewers to the account’s private WeChat group for more intimate engagement, while a comment ticker at the bottom of the video conveys positive feedback from the audience.
Moreover, domestic universities are already leveraging the WeChat video feature. For instance, Tsinghua University, one of China’s leading universities, regularly posts to its verified video channel. Its most popular post, featuring a group of alumni singing in celebration of the Chinese New Year, garnered hundreds of thousands of likes and thousands of comments. In general, its videos showcasing its culture and relating to social media trends tend to be more popular.
In addition, by integrating the video channel with WeChat shops, WeChat is enabling more ecommerce. In 2020, Prada launched a “Mathematics of Love” campaign starring brand ambassador Cai Xukun, which introduced a line of products dedicated to 5/20, a Chinese holiday celebrating love. The campaign was very successful, as its hashtag “Embracing New Norm” was used 410 million times by May 2020.
Another hugely successful campaign was McDonald’s Spring Festival campaign. To celebrate the occasion, McDonald’s released an interactive video that invited viewers to trace a bucket on the screen in order to secure good luck for the next year. In general, interactive content and videos celebrating Chinese holidays tend to be more successful. WeChat’s marketing applications are continuing to grow; for tailored advice for you, email contact@sieconnection.com.
