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Voodoo Lily’s Industry solutions

City Marketing and Investment Promotion

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What is WeChat?

What is WeChat?

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WeChat is the most important getaway to China. It is a super app that serves as a one-stop shop for consumers. It has become the dominant platform for communication and commerce in China, with over 1 billion monthly active users. WeChat’s user base is highly engaged, with half of them opening the app 10 times daily and spending an average of 120 minutes on it.

You can use WeChat for all aspects of running your business in China. From communication to marketing to sales to customer support, you can get just about anything done within WeChat.

You can think of WeChat as:

whatsapp Instant messages: connect family and friends.
Business network: Connect with colleagues and share career updates.
Slack Workspace communication: work related talk, file transfer, conference all, work schedule and report.

  • 90% of Chinese professionals prefer WeChat for workplace communications.
  • 70% of the Chinese rely on WeChat for work-related communications instead of email.
FacebookBrand Marketing & SCRM: deliver brand messaging via brand public accounts. Collect users data and build online community via embedded  SCRM function.
Instagram Photo Editing and Short Video: enable social content creation and sharing.
App stores Mini-Programs: digitalize service functions without the user-friction of app downloads.
Paypal Payment solution: WeChat Pay, connect consumers via both online and offline purchase scenarios.
Discord Community talk: gather people of same interest.
Twitch Livestream: live stream and live stream e-commerce.
Amazon E-commerce: independent sellers.

 

 

What is a WeChat Official Account?

What is a WeChat Official Account?

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A WeChat Official Account is similar to a brand’s Facebook page, but it provides brands with far more functions and opportunities to influence and engage with their followers. It is also comparable to a brand’s Chinese website, though it is more intimate. WeChat Official Account is a foundation for building upon your new relationship with Chinese audiences. Here are some examples of what a WeChat OA can be used for:

  1. Share basic information, like opening hours, directions, etc. A WeChat Official Account is like your Chinese website.
  2. Send articles and messages to your followers
  3. Automated keyword-based customer service
  4. Generate followers and leads offline and online with QR codes (printed materials, western social media, website, advertising)
  5. Mini-apps: audio tours, live streaming, interactive maps, etc. NO LIMITS!
  6. Commercial services, like ticket and merchandise sales.

WeChat Official Account

WeChat Official Account

WeChat Official Account

Chinese social media marketing case study: Helsinki Partners’ WeChat Official Account

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Market research and branding strategy are the first steps for any marketing effort. The same rules apply to Chinese social media accounts.

We built Helsinki Partners’ Chinese social media from ground zero. Our content focuses on cutting-edge technology, industry development, and investment opportunities aiming at audiences from startup and investment ecosystems.

Although we intended to appeal to a specific demographic, the content has piqued the interest of a broader audience. Each article published resulted in an average of 30 new followers, with a 50% open rate. This is significantly higher than the average WeChat OA open rate of 1.1%. (Photo credit: DongXing Securities)

The statistics of view number on the HP WeChat official account is on par with that of larger European cities’ business WeChat accounts.

Screenshots from Founders to Finland videos, to be found on Chinese social media.We recently ran a campaign for a program called “Founders to Finland” to attract Asian entrepreneurs and investors to relocate to Helsinki. We broadened Helsinki Partners’ social media platform beyond WeChat to include more short-video platforms such as Douyin (Tiktok) and Xiaohongshu (Red).

Client Introduction: Helsinki Partners

Helsinki Partners (previously Helsinki Business Hub) is a city marketing, investment, and talent attraction company owned by the City of Helsinki. Helsinki Partner’s mission is to promote the city’s sustainable growth, attract investments, businesses, talent, and visitors, conduct international sales and marketing, and build Helsinki’s global brand and reputation.

Helsinki Partners WeChat Account screenshots

Screenshots from Helsinki Partners WeChat Account (click to enlarge)

 

Why business institutions and investment companies should use Chinese social media

  • To share your business insights and opportunities with a Chinese audience. Since China is still under constant lockdown and international travel is currently difficult, maintaining communication is more critical than ever.
  • Almost all popular websites are banned in China, and company websites with Western servers tend to run slowly.
  • Authentic information about China is hidden from search engines.
  • The Chinese audience’s desire to understand the outside world is stronger than ever.

What should I and shouldn’t do with the Chinese business audience?

Shouldn’t:

  • No clickbait titles; the business audience is very immune to it
  • update too rarely
  • pay no attention to feedback.

Should:

  • Clear brand positioning
  • maintain the update frequency and rhythm, but throw in a surprise post now and then
  • community maintaining
  • build your core circle and manage communities
  • use guest posts to expand the audience at no costs
  • provide thought leadership when someone reaches for an interview.