WeChat: The Chinese App that Does Everything
By Chris, Account Executive | May 13, 2019
We’ve come a long way from a time when you couldn’t use the phone and the internet simultaneously—unless you were one of those lucky people who had DSL. In 2019, not only can you use the phone and internet at the same time, but on a portable device that provides access to a myriad of social media platforms.
It’s no surprise that people are consuming an ever-increasing amount of content via smart phone—after all, keeping up with your family, friends, and acquaintances requires doing so across multiple social media platforms. Not only is this alarmingly time consuming, but also it often leads to digesting the same content from the same people. Not a particularly efficient use of your time, is it?
One thing’s for sure: content consumption via smart phone isn’t going to decline any time soon. With that in mind, China has created a far more efficient and integrated means of communication—WeChat.
First Glance
Created as an alternative to banned western social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, WeChat combines the features of several apps—most notably, Facebook, Instagram, What’s App, Yelp, and Venmo, while maintaining a user-friendly interface.
If you value efficiency, try this on for size:
- Looking for the best place to grab lunch when you’re in New York City on business next week Find a hidden gem on WeChat, and pay for it later using WeChat Pay.
- Send an important document to your client, respond to your mother’s urgent text, and comment on the picture your best friend posted on vacation, all within the same app.
These are just some examples of how you can use WeChat in your day-to-day needs – all in the same app!
The Chinese Market
Not only is WeChat an incredibly efficient medium of communication, it’s the most effective way to deliver a message to the Chinese market.
One of the tour operators I’ve been working with rarely responded to my emails, but as soon as I started a conversation with him on WeChat, he responded within 5 minutes.
If you want to work with the Chinese market, you need to be
on WeChat!
- WeChat has 1 billion active users…it only started in 2011!
- The average user checks WeChat 10 times a day.
- WeChat has more users than China Internet users
- 70 million users outside of China use WeChat
Interested in working with this market to expand your business or destination? Connect with me on WeChat! WeChat ID: ChrisGoodman7.