WeChat marketing in Singapore: how to engage over 1.4 billion consumers in China?

WeChat, the largest social network in China, has over 1.3 billion monthly active users globally. With more businesses in Singapore implementing WeChat marketing services as part of their omnichannel strategy, it can be an excellent social platform not just for customer communication, but also for marketing your products and services. However, marketing on WeChat is not a walk in the park. It requires careful planning, execution, and continuous monitoring to yield the desired results.

There are more than 500,000 active WeChat users in Singapore.

What is WeChat?

WeChat is a Chinese multi-purpose messaging and social media app developed by Tencent, a Chinese conglomerate. WeChat is often referred to as a super app because of its many features, including messaging, mobile payments, social networking, and e-commerce. The app is highly popular in China, and it has gradually expanded its presence in other countries, including Singapore.

Features of WeChat for Business

WeChat for Business, also known as WeChat Work, offers several features that help market products and services to customers. Some of the features include:

1. WeChat Official Accounts: WeChat Official Accounts are similar to Facebook Pages, and they allow businesses to share news, promotions, and other content with their followers.

2. WeChat Pay: WeChat Pay is an e-wallet service integrated into the WeChat app. It allows businesses to accept payments from customers who have linked their bank account or credit card to their WeChat account.

3. WeChat Ads: WeChat Ads are targeted ads that appear on users' timelines. Businesses can target users based on their location, gender, age, interests, and more.

4. WeChat Mini Programs: WeChat Mini Programs are lightweight apps that run within the WeChat app. Businesses can use Mini Programs to provide services such as e-commerce, bookings, and more.

How to do marketing on WeChat 

Now that we have a basic understanding of WeChat and its features let's dive into some WeChat marketing strategies that can help businesses in Singapore reach their Chinese customers.

1. Set up a WeChat Official account

Setting up a WeChat Official Account is the first step in WeChat Marketing. Businesses can choose between a Subscription Account, a Service Account, a Mini Program, or a WeChat Work Account. 

Jump to the following section to find the one best suited for your business in Singapore.

2. Provide valuable content

Once a business has set up a WeChat Official account, the next step is to provide valuable content to its followers. Content can include news, promotions, and other information related to the business. It is crucial to create content that is relevant and valuable to the followers to keep them engaged.

3. Use WeChat Pay

WeChat Pay is a convenient way for businesses to accept payments from Chinese customers. It is important to note that WeChat Pay can be troublesome to set up if you do not have a Mainland China bank account. You can still connect to your credit or debit card, but functions may be limited. 

Explore SleekFlow Payment Links to collect payments easily from customers on WeChat.

4. Use WeChat Ads and WeChat QR code

WeChat Ads are a great way to reach a wider audience on WeChat. Businesses can target users based on their location, age, gender, interests, and more. It is important to create targeted and engaging ads to increase the chances of users clicking on the ads. You can also create a WeChat QR code to put on event posters or ad banners to encourage customers to reach out to you on WeChat. WeChat marketing automation bots can then be set up to engage the potential customers who reach out to you through these QR codes.

5. Use WeChat Mini Programs

WeChat Mini Programs are an excellent way for businesses to provide services to their customers through WeChat. Mini Programs can include e-commerce, bookings, and more. It is important to create Mini Programs that are easy to use and provide value to the customers.

WeChat marketing Singapore: how to set up an official WeChat account

If you’d like to register for a WeChat Official Account and get verified, you will need to spend around USD 90 and provide the required documents for the application. Follow the steps below to get started:

Step 1: Create a WeChat official account

Click on “Register Now” on the official website of WeChat for Business. Select the type of account you would like to create:

Subscription  Account

For broadcasting information (e.g. news or magazines), but only one message can be sent daily

Service Account

Mainly for customer support (e.g. banks), but only 4 messages can be sent each month

Mini Program

For developers to create a mini app on WeChat to increase exposure and user experience

WeChat Work

Designed for businesses and enterprises to improve internal communication

Our recommendation is for businesses to apply for a service account, which is effective for both marketing and customer support on WeChat.

Check out our complete step-by-step guide to creating a WeChat Official account.

Which WeChat account should you choose?

Before selecting the appropriate account type for your business, it is crucial to consider your specific requirements. For example, it will be better for a B2B business to create a WeChat for Business account to generate more leads and establish relationships with partners. On the other hand, B2C brands should opt for WeChat Service Accounts to offer an exceptional customer experience. 

Looking to improve CX? Find out how to automate customer service and maintain customer satisfaction while scaling your business in Singapore.

WeChat marketing Singapore: tips for growing your business

To take full advantage of WeChat's marketing potential in Singapore, you must have a solid strategy in place. With several features available, including WeChat Official Accounts, WeChat Pay, WeChat Ads, and WeChat Mini Programs, it can be overwhelming for businesses to know where to start. Here are some additional tips to keep in mind before and after your WeChat marketing campaign is set in place:

1. Define your goals: Before starting any WeChat marketing campaign, you need to first define your goals. Decide what you want to achieve with your WeChat marketing campaign and create a plan to help you reach your goals.

2. Research your target audience: Research your target audience thoroughly to understand their needs and preferences. Tailor your WeChat marketing campaign to suit the Chinese audience and their interests.

After launching your WeChat marketing campaign, it is also critical that you continue working on them by tracking the performance and making improvements to drive the best results. Choose WeChat marketing services that will allow you to gain valuable insights into user behaviour and demographics with detailed analytics.

Successful examples of WeChat marketing campaigns

With WeChat marketing, businesses can leverage the unique features of the popular messaging app to create effective marketing campaigns that resonate with their target audience. Here are a few successful examples of a WeChat marketing campaign:

Burberry tripled their sales growth for a new product launch by marketing on WeChat

Burberry, the luxury fashion brand, ran a successful WeChat marketing campaign for the product launch of DK88 by partnering with Mr. Bags. Other than making the product available on WeChat Shop, they connected with their brand community on WeChat by organising a WeChat game in which users can shake their phones to change the colour of the bag. A description is also provided with each colour, painting the personality of the product in a captivating light. The users can even customise a message and send the bag in a specific colour to their friends or visit the WeChat shop and make a purchase using WeChat Pay. As a result, their sales growth tripled. 

Eau Thermale Avène integrates WeChat marketing services for membership and rewards

Eau Thermale Avène achieved significant growth in Hong Kong through successful WeChat marketing strategies. By leveraging social CRM and connecting their WeChat Official account to SleekFlow, they managed 60,000 members and implemented a chatbot on WeChat, allowing members to access Avène Smart Assistant for support. The brand also offered a membership portal on WhatsApp and WeChat for redeeming points and utilized segmentation and automated messages for premium customer support.

Read the full success story of Eau Thermale Avène to find out how they achieved WeChat for business marketing on SleekFlow.

Manage your WeChat marketing campaign on SleekFlow for a complete omnichannel strategy 

Marketing on WeChat requires effort, but it is absolutely essential, especially for businesses that want to target the Chinese market. Using an omnichannel tool like SleekFlow, you can take its WeChat marketing services to your advantage and manage your WeChat marketing campaign to grow your business in Singapore. Other than the all-in-one inbox that allows you to integrate your WeChat Official account, you can also set up automation rules and customise a chatbot for WeChat marketing automation. Other features available on SleekFlow include:

• Team inbox for seamless team communication and collaboration

• Omnichannel messaging, including WeChat, WhatsApp, Telegram and more, to reach customers on their preferred platform

• Broadcast personalised messages to customers on WeChat

• Advanced reporting and analytics for monitoring campaign performance and making data-driven decisions

• Stripe payment integration for easy and secure transactions if WeChat Pay fails

• Chat labels and tools for proper customer segmentation

• A free, no-code omnichannel live chat widget with WeChat as one of the messaging channels