Why Advertise Your WeChat Channel?

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past two years, livestreams and short-videos are the latest forms of online content that people (noticeably millennials and Gen Zers) are consuming in their pastime. You can thank companies like ByteDance, the creator of Douyin and TikTok respectively, for revitalizing short-form videos since Vine discontinued in 2016. Since the launch of these two apps, average consumers to popular content creators and brands have transitioned towards producing short videos and broadcasting livestreams of themselves on these apps for the world to see.

Unsurprisingly, competitors want a slice of the financial pie and have launched their own iterations that are virtually identical to Douyin/TikTok. This includes WeChat, who launched their own short-video streaming platform within the app, WeChat Channels, in early 2020. So far, WeChat Channels has been a major success for Tencent and has been well received by WeChat users. It’s clear that Tencent has huge hopes for WeChat Channels, and has been promoting its livestreaming feature vehemently.

WeChat Channels Are Getting Popular

Towards the end of 2021, acclaimed Irish boy band Westlife had livestreamed their online concert exclusively on WeChat Channels, which reached over 27 million viewers and 1.5 million people watching at the same time. WeChat Channels currently accrues 450 million daily active users (DAU) and is expected to increase this year. A contributor towards its popularity is that content makers, livestream hosts, and KOLs are now using the platform to reach viewers.

Brands should take note and consider leveraging WeChat Channels’ popularity to the fullest extent, especially if your goal is to elevate your brand image, raise brand awareness, and appeal to young consumers in the Chinese market. This can be done by either producing video content or livestreaming on your channel, and then paying WeChat to advertise your content to WeChat users all over the world.

This article is a step-by-step, comprehensive guide on how to begin advertising your WeChat Channels’ content on WeChat. As you’ll be sorting through various pages written in Chinese, we recommend hiring a Chinese agency (like us!) that can help streamline this process for you (contact us now for your free consultation).

If you’re having trouble reading Chinese, you can screenshot the pages and translate them via a translation app such as Google Translate or WeChat’s built-in translation tool.

WeChat Channels Ad

As you can see, WeChat Channels ads are conveniently placed within a users’ WeChat Feed, and are cleverly disguised to look like your typical WeChat post shared by your friends. Clicking on the profile photo located in the top left corner will take you directly to the advertised WeChat Channel, in which you can proceed to browse through its content and even follow the channel.

Pressing the actual video or livestream on display will fully enlarge the content on your screen for you to watch further. From there, you can proceed to press the follow button below for more updates.

Step 1: Open an account

First, you’ll need to access WeChat Channel’s promotion service Mini Program within the WeChat app that you can enter by simply scanning the QR code below. You’ll then be taken to the main menu in which you can select to register an advertising account. Users have the choice of registering a Personal account or a Business account, but if you intend on paying money to advertise your brand/business’ channel on WeChat, then choose a Business account.

Once you’ve chosen which account to sign up for, you will then be required to submit information based on the guidelines (such as your business’ industry, contact information, business license, and ID). Once you have provided the following information, you can submit your application and wait for it to be reviewed and approved. Don’t worry, amendments can be made to your application if it gets rejected).

Step 2: Top Up your Account

Now for the part you’ve been waiting for! But before you can start advertising your WeChat Channels’ livestream or video content, you’ll need to top up money on your account. First, click on the wallet logo which can be found on the right side of your interface. From there, press the orange button below which will direct you to top up money on your account. You can choose a set amount from as little as 100 to 2000 RMB, or a customized amount. As you are paying for a WeChat service, payments can only be conducted within the WeChat app and not through competitors such as Alipay.

Step 3: Advertise Your Video/Livestream

If you go back to the home page, you will notice two buttons in the center. On the left hand side, you will find a camera icon. To advertise your WeChat Channels’ video content, click this button. On the right hand side you will find a record button icon. To advertise your WeChat Channels’ livestream, click this button. Whichever option you choose, the process of advertising your content and refining your target audience is virtually the same.

If you intend on advertising your WeChat Channels’ videos, choose which video to advertise. From there, you will be directed to a menu in which you can modify your target demographic and then be given a quote for how much your advert will cost to run. First, select how many WeChat users will see your ad. The price for this will depend on how many users you want to target. Reaching 10,000 users will cost 200 RMB, and targeting more users will result in a higher cost. If you’re going to advertise a livestream, the prices will be different and more expensive.

Next, choose which gender you want to target, and which geographic locations you want your ad to be distributed. You can either select the whole country or select certain provinces (it may be useful to find out where your target consumers are located!). Choose which date your ad will run and the duration of the ad. Finally, create an engaging and eye-catching caption that will accompany your ad below – but keep it short and sweet as there is a character limit.

Once you’ve entered all your requirements, WeChat will calculate an accumulated final price. Once you’re happy with your settings and price, make sure that your account has enough money topped up and complete the payment. Once WeChat reviews and processes your ad, it’s ready to go!

Things to Know

If you’re livestreaming, your live ad will automatically go offline once the live broadcast goes offline. Therefore, if your livestream goes offline, you will need to pay for a new ad.

Your WeChat Channels ad will guarantee impressions by your target audience, but it does not guarantee that your target audience will click on your ad and either watch the video or livestream. Therefore, it is important that the content you’re advertising is enticing, conveys a strong message, and is worth watching.

For more questions regarding advertising your WeChat Channels, contact Gab China.