WeChat, the popular Chinese social media platform, has become a powerful marketing tool for businesses. With over 1.2 billion monthly active users (MAU) and a wide range of features, WeChat offers various advertising options for companies to promote their products and services.
Having a comprehensive WeChat advertising strategy is crucial for effectively connecting with Chinese consumers. This strategy should include both organic and paid WeChat ads to maximize brand exposure and reach.
Here are the top available types of WeChat advertising:
1. WeChat Moments Ads
2. WeChat Video Channel Ads
3. WeChat Official Account Ads
4. WeChat Mini Program Ads
5. WeChat Search Ads
Advertising on WeChat: WeChat Official Account
Advertising on WeChat is simple.
To advertise on WeChat, businesses must first obtain a verified WeChat Official Account. (A Chinese business license is not a must) for overseas businesses.)
Unsure how to proceed? Explore our comprehensive guide here.
Once you have a WeChat Official Account, you can utilize Tencent’s all-in-one advertising management system to oversee all your WeChat advertising campaigns.
Previously, advertisers could manage their WeChat advertising campaigns directly through the WeChat Official Account backend.
However, following a recent system update aimed at consolidating the WeChat advertising management system, all future ads—including those for WeChat and other Tencent products—will be managed through the centralized platform, Tencent Ad Center.
1. WeChat Moment Ads
Moment Ads are the top ad option of WeChat Ads.
It’s natively displayed in users’ Moment Feed (similar to Facebook Feed, where users can see posts by their friends or following accounts), appearing seamlessly alongside original content shared by friends.
WeChat Moment Ads allow businesses to place targeted ads in various ad formats in between these user-generated content, reaching a wide audience of potential customers in the most non-invasive way.
One of the key advantages of WeChat Moments advertising is its precise targeting options, allowing businesses to reach specific demographics based on user behavior and interests.
Top WeChat Moment Ads formats:
- Standard In-Feed Ad (Single image, text, simple action button)
- “Shop Window” Collage In-Feed Ad (Multiple images, text, simple action button)
- Multi-Plugin In-Feed Ad Card (Multiple plugins, highlighted image and text)
- Display In-Feed Ad (sophisticated visual display, including video, gif, gallery, carousel, out-of-frame, 360-degree view, etc.)
2. WeChat Video Channel Ads
Video marketing has become increasingly popular in recent years, and WeChat has also launched a Tik Tok-like, vertical video feed inside WeChat, called WeChat Video Channel, or simply called Channel in the English version of WeChat.
WeChat Video Channel Ads allow companies to place short video ads in the feed, where users can see the ads while browsing and watching short videos.
These ads are perfect for showcasing products or services in a visually appealing way.
Top WeChat Video Channel Ads formats:
- Carousel Ad (multiple still images)
- Native Short Video Ad
- Native Live-stream Ad (for live-streaming session)
3. WeChat Official Account Ads
WeChat Official Accounts are similar to business pages on Facebook, where companies can share updates, articles, and promotions in the newsletter-style long-form articles with their followers.
WeChat Official Account Ads allow advertisers to insert WeChat banner ads in various places in other relevant publishers’ posts.
WeChat Official Account Ads appear as sponsored posts within these accounts, reaching a targeted audience based on user demographics.
WeChat banner ads are an effective way to promote brand activities, stores, and applications (Mini Programs), with costs varying based on factors like targeting and ad format.
Businesses can use these ads to drive traffic to their Official Accounts to grow followers or increase brand awareness. This is a great way to build brand loyalty and increase customer engagement.
Top WeChat Official Account Ads formats:
- Official Account Feed Ads (appears in the feed of Official Account posts, Subscription Account only) - In-Line WeChat Banner Ads (appears in the middle of a post) - Bottom WeChat Banner Ads (appears at the bottom of a post) - Exchange Ads (shows in other advertisers’ posts while theirs appear in your posts) - Pre-Roll and Mid-Roll Video Ads (shows in videos published by other Official Accounts)
4. WeChat Mini Program Ads
WeChat Mini Programs are lightweight mobile apps within the WeChat ecosystem that allow businesses to provide a seamless user experience for their customers.
Within these Mini Programs, businesses can strategically place WeChat banner ads or interactive ads to capture the user's attention during their interaction with the program.
The advantage of using Mini Program Ads is their ability to integrate with other features of WeChat, such as in-app payments using WeChat Pay, service booking, order placing, social sharing, etc.
Top Mini Program Ads formats:
- Cover Ads (appears full-screen when users enter the Mini Program section in WeChat)
- Pop Up Ads (appears when users change sessions while using Mini Programs)
- Banner Ads
5. WeChat Search Ads
WeChat Search Ads are displayed to relevant users within the WeChat app SERP (Search Engine Results Page) based on their search queries.
In recent years, WeChat's in-app search ability has matured a lot and has become one of teh most common ways for Chinese social users to perform searches.
By covering over 10 search scenarios within the WeChat ecosystem, these ads provide advertisers with a comprehensive platform to capture and respond to users' commercial search intentions.
By integrating seamlessly into the user's search activity, WeChat Search Ads ensure that businesses can target potential customers effectively and increase their visibility within relevant search results.
Top WeChat Search Ads formats:
- Brand Zone Ad (complete solution for brands who want to build a shop in WeChat)
- SERP Ad (appears as a search result along with related keywords)
How to Convert A Customer Using WeChat Ads?
Advertising on WeChat should be an integral part of your strategy when it comes to marketing your services and products in China.
All advertising formats on WeChat are designed to cater to different marketing objectives, offering flexibility and customization to better engage with the target audience and maximize advertising impact.
Apart from the various ad formats, WeChat also offers full-suite solutions to complete the buying journey.
Advertisers can direct interest users to their WeChat Official Accounts, external links (restrictions apply), Mini Programs and landing pages.
Once a user has clicked on an ad, WeChat provides the option to buy directly within the app through in-app purchases, or redirect them to a landing page where they can complete their purchase.
The cost and pricing models of WeChat banner advertising vary, with details on minimum entry price, CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions), and different pricing models based on city size.
Additionally, advertisers can also incorporate customer service features such as chatbots and live chats to provide real-time assistance and ultimately convert the customer.
By incorporating these features into their ads, businesses can create a seamless buying experience for potential customers on WeChat.
Overall, using WeChat Ads not only increases visibility and brand awareness but also provides an efficient way to convert interested users into paying customers.
Brands Without Borders provides full services to help you register and verify your official accounts on WeChat and other popular Chinese social apps.
Ready to take your brand to the next level? Don’t miss out on the incredible opportunities that WeChat advertising offers. Contact us today to start advertising on WeChat to reach and convert your customers in China! 🚀
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