Wonders of Wechat: Why it’s number 1 in China
WeChat is one of the most powerful business tools in China — WeChat is a multifunctional Chinese app developed by Tencent, launched in 2011. Initially only a messaging platform, it has evolved into an all-in-one super app combining social media, instant messaging, mobile payments (WeChat Pay), e-commerce, and mini-programs. With over a billion users, mainly in China, WeChat allows people to chat, shop, pay bills, book services, and follow brand accounts—all within one ecosystem. It also supports business functions like customer service, advertising, and CRM tools. For both individuals and companies, WeChat is essential for daily communication, digital transactions, and online presence in the Chinese digital landscape.
Interestingly, in China, the number of users is estimated at around 845 million in 2024, rising to about 865 million projected in 2025. You might wonder, what about the whole world? It is estimated to be around about 1.38–1.40 billion monthly active users globally, thats like Europe & Russia combined! Most users are in China, but there’s also steady adoption among Chinese speakers and businesses abroad, the growth is said to increase about ~3% year over year in recent years.
“DID YOU KNOW? Popular Chinese apps such as Pinduoduo, JD.com, DiDi, and Meituan have mini programs on WeChat. Tencent earns a small fee from each mini program and offers the payment system.”
Here’s how WeChat works for a business, whether you're a local Chinese brand or an international company entering the Chinese market:
🔧 1. Business Account Types
To operate on WeChat as a business, you need an official account:
👉 WeChat Official Accounts
Service Account (best for businesses):
Supports advanced features like payments, customer service, and mini programs
Higher visibility in search and chat
Can send 4 push messages/month to followers
Subscription Account:
Good for media or content-driven brands
Can post daily, but buried in the “Subscription” folder
Enterprise Account (internal use):
Used for internal communication (like Slack)
✅ For most businesses, Service Accounts are the best choice.
🧰 2. Key Functions for Businesses, what can Wechat really do?
💬 Messaging & Customer Service
One-on-one chats with customers (customer service bots or live agents)
Automated replies for FAQs, support, etc.
📣 Content Marketing
Post articles, videos, product updates to followers
Share blog-like content via “Moments” (like Facebook feeds)
💰 WeChat Pay Integration
Accept payments inside WeChat (for e-commerce, food, retail, etc.)
QR code-based in-store payments
🛍️ WeChat Mini Programs
Lightweight apps within WeChat
You can build:
Online shops
Booking systems
Loyalty cards
Event registrations
No need to download a separate app — they open inside WeChat
📊 CRM & Data
Track user behavior, views, location, demographics
Segment your audience for personalized marketing
🌏 3. Business Use Cases. Let’s explore functionalities of Wechat for different types of businesses.
🛒 E-commerce Brands
Sell directly through mini-program stores
Promote via influencers (KOLs) on WeChat
Run flash sales and exclusive promotions
🧑💼 B2B Companies
Use content (whitepapers, articles) to attract leads
Provide support or onboarding through chat
Host live webinars via WeChat
🍜 Restaurants / Retail
QR code ordering and checkout
Loyalty programs and digital coupons
Location-based promotions
Now we look closely at brands that used these strategies and successfully promoted their products.
SWISSE Wechat. Logo copyrights reserved for third parties
Swisse, a leading Australian health supplements brand, has grown its private domain traffic in China using a unified "Official Account + Mini-program + WeChat Business + Community" strategy, supported by public platforms like Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and Weibo. Its WeChat official account uses automated welcome messages to engage users, encouraging membership, joining the "SI Family" community, consulting nutrition experts, and connecting with company reps via QR codes. The mini-program "Swisse Luxury Enjoyment" offers rich interactive features such as:
Personal Health Assessment: Users answer questions to get a personal health report, review nutrition plans, and receive Swisse product recommendations. They can also add corporate WeChat accounts and chat one-on-one with a nutritionist for a detailed report explanation.
Members Center: Shows the user's membership level, each with different benefits and a points system to reward loyalty.
Health Recommender Program: Encourages users to share product info with friends to earn coupons, commissions, gifts, and access to advanced nutrition courses. This helps users promote products within their social circles, driving new customers at a lower cost.
Another example is KFC. If you find distribution and fan economy outdated, it's likely you haven't used them well. KFC has found the way to connect with fans via gamification. Below the mini program displays the four major sections in 2.5D, which are celebrity stores (stores based on Intellectual Property (IP) of popular celebrities), themed stores (KFC branding stores), follower stores (user’s friends’ stores), and leaderboard (ranking of popular fried chicken stores).
Celebrities’ IP to be the spokesperson of KFC. Logo copyrights reserved for third parties
Celebrity Stores/Themed Stores
The stores operate under the name of KFC’s spokesperson and sell all KFC products. The intellectual property associated with celebrities helps to attract more traffic and increase sales by encouraging fans to engage daily, such as by giving likes to their favorite idol’s store. Additionally, some stores organize special promotions like lucky draws and offer exclusive posters as gifts whenever customers make a purchase.
Gifts for friends
Users can share the vouchers/hongbaos (red packets) they got with their friends to build stronger relationships with KFC! Although not the first to use this method, KFC innovated for its customers by leveraging spokespersons' intellectual property, minimizing the brand's personality for easier setup, offering rebates in various formats, and achieving excellent results.This is a good example of combining different strategies to achieve great results.
4. Marketing on WeChat
👥 Build a Follower Base
Offer incentives for users to follow your account such as Freebies, Discounted memberships and etc.
Use QR codes on packaging, ads, or websites.
💼 Paid Advertising (WeChat Ads)
Display ads in Moments (this means posts where your followers can like, view, and comment) or mini-programs.
Target users by location, age, gender, device, interests.
🤝 Collaborate with KOLs (Influencers)
Partner with Chinese influencers to promote your brand via their WeChat content.
🎯 Retargeting and CRM
Segment audiences and retarget based on interactions.
Use built-in analytics to fine-tune your messaging and your ads (what works and what doesn't).