WeChat, the super app from China, can be considered as the local equivalent of Facebook, but with much more advanced features. For B2B companies, WeChat can not only be a rich source for generating leads but also an essential tool to nurture them.
Choosing the right WeChat account for your B2B company
For B2B marketing in China, we recommend applying for a service account. Not only does it provide more visibility for businesses, but it also has more development functions — for example CRM, custom menus, mini websites, and payment integration. These functions are useful when pushing high-quality content to your target audience, to drive leads and encourage sales. Additionally, it is best to get a verified service account from the get-go because it builds more trust. It signals to users that your account is safe and real. It will also allow you to access all the advanced WeChat platform features.
Understanding WeChat’s most powerful features and functions
WeChat is widely used as a tool to promote businesses’ educational content and generate leads. For example, in some of your WeChat articles, you could offer certain resources for free to your followers if they repost one of your articles in their moments and get a certain number of likes. To claim the free materials, they need to take a screen shot of the repost and send it to the administrator. This reposting activity can be an effective approach to grow followers and capture leads. Furthermore, you can partner with other WeChat accounts to cross promote each other’s content.
Another powerful function provided by WeChat are mini programs, which are lightweight apps that you can develop to work within WeChat to showcase your products and services in a creative and interactive way. With most international trade shows being placed on hold, a mini program can be an effective way to differentiate yourself from your rivals. For example, apart from posting regular articles, you can use a mini program to add your business card, promote events registration, link to case studies and create a 365-degree VR tour of the factory to show some behind-the scene moments. In addition, you can design a VR display of your products. Livestreaming through mini programs is another increasingly popular way in the China B2B landscape and it might be worthwhile to incorporate this into your content strategy to mix up the formats.
Should you start a WeChat group?
After growing a following on WeChat, you may also want to consider building your brand’s private WeChat group. In fact, it has become a common practice for business in China, both B2C and B2B, to establish and capitalise on their WeChat communities as they find that it is easier to enhance brand loyalty within a tight-knit pool of leads/ customers. The group should be closely managed to ensure the quality of communication, so that members will be more likely to stay and engage in a value-added network. To achieve this, the group administrator should initiate weekly discussion based on latest trends in your industry, share exclusive business know-how, and hold occasional livestreaming events.
Want to learn more about WeChat marketing? Download our free WeChat 101 guide!
