WeChat is not just another messaging app, it’s the super app in China. Its function covers those of Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Apple Pay, Venmo, Tinder, Flipboard, Banking Apps & the App Store – it’s that powerful.
Like how WhatsApp differs from WhatsApp Business, WeChat has Official Accounts for business use along with their normal consumer accounts. Businesses use the WeChat Official Accounts Platform to manage them.
There are three main types of WeChat Official Accounts:
Read on as we go through what each of these accounts entails and how to get started with one!
WeChat Service Accounts usually used by small, medium or even enterprise size businesses such as airlines, cruise lines and hotels.
This is because unlike WeChat Subscription Accounts where you can only post updates, a WeChat Service Account gives you access to many more sales and service-oriented functions.
These include interesting features such as customer service, API integration, CRMs as well as opening a WeChat store and processing payments. Imagine adding your own Mini Programs and processing booking services, customer service functions and online check-in all from WeChat!
However, with a WeChat Service Account, you can only publish up to 4 times per month, with 1-6 articles each time.
That being said, as the WeChat Service Account sits on the first level of contacts, you are no longer hidden behind the subscriptions folder. This means that when the posts are published, your WeChat Official Account will jump to the top of the contact list and a push notification will be sent.
WeChat enterprise accounts are primarily for internal communication and management, similar to workplace apps like Slack. There are countless intonations and functions available, such as internal chat rooms, video conferencing and shared files.
Users of corporate accounts must be verified by internal staff in order to follow the corporate account. As such, they are not available to the public and are not used for marketing.
Compared to creating accounts on other instant messengers, a sign-up fee is charged for verified WeChat Official Accounts.
Creating the account itself is rather easy. Start by visiting the WeChat Official Accounts Platform page and click register now at the top.
We’d advise you to open a service account, which is best of both worlds between supporting your customers and sending them marketing messages.
Simply provide an email to log into and manage your WeChat Official Account. WeChat will then send you a verification code before you can proceed to the next step.
The next step requires you to choose your country from a dropdown list.
Then, you’ll need to confirm the type of account you are registering for. Click “Select & Continue”.
Following, you will have to submit your business information for verification. The documents required to register your account are slightly different depending on if you are creating an account as a mainland company or as an overseas company.
Provide the identification information of the person who will operate the WeChat Official Account as well as the company that will own it.
To create your WeChat Official Account you’ll need to provide:
Once you have filled in all the required information, you will then create an account name. As this will become your WeChat account ID, make sure you put some thought into it! After deciding on an account name, you will need to write a short description for your account.
Congratulations! You’re done creating a WeChat Official Account. You can now use the login details to enter the WeChat Official Accounts Platform. Once you’re logged in, you will receive the following notification:
Remember to verify your account! Because if you don’t, you cannot send any broadcasts until you verify your account. Yikes!
Did you think the hard part was over? Take a deep breath – and maybe a 5-minute coffee break – before we jump right back in!
The good news is that you can start the verification process right from the notification.
You’ll need to fill in the following information:
Next, you will have to provide information about a company contact person. It is vital to fill in the information accurately and precisely. This is because the verification staff will contact you to go over the verification documents.
You’ll need to provide:
Following, you’ll need to provide the supporting documents for all the information you have provided earlier on. Do note that you will have to scan all your documents in colour before submission to ensure a smooth verification process!
You’ll then need to provide:
Once all the documents have been submitted, WeChat will ask for your account’s display name. We suggest going with “optional vocabulary” as you will not have to provide additional documentation.
However, if your brand name is trademarked, select “trademark name” instead and upload the relevant documentation. If you’re a news agency, use the “media name” option and upload your broadcast license.
Once everything’s done and submitted, you will be asked to pay a $99 USD fee. Do ensure that you enter the bank information given to you as is to prevent your payment from being rejected. A bank fee may be charged in the process.
In 5-10 business days, you’ll receive a call from a third party agency who reviews the documents.
Now that you have a verified WeChat Official Account it’s time to integrate that to SleekFlow for support and marketing! Read more about that with our guide here.
SleekFlow is an Omni-Channel Social Commerce Platform that helps companies manage communication channels such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, Line, Live Chat, SMS and Email all in one place. Use smart routing rules and targeted campaign messages to streamline sales, customer support and marketing workflows while integrating with 2500+ tools including eCommerce platforms and payment gateways to automate the whole customer journey with ease.
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