It you are using a smartphone, its likely that you are using, or at least, heard of this mobile messaging app called “WhatsApp”. WhatsApp Messenger is a cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS. WhatsApp Messenger is available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone and Nokia. Because WhatsApp Messenger uses the same internet data plan that you use for email and web browsing, there is no cost to message and stay in touch with your friends. It was launched in September 2011.

WeChat, the Chinese version of WhatsApp, launched in January 2011, slightly earlier than the launch of WhatsApp. At the beginning stage, the functionality of the two apps was basically the same: messaging, photo sharing, and voice messaging. The idea of “free” and instant texting and sharing photos quickly captured a large user base, and the two apps became one of the most popular apps in app store.

As time went by, WeChat started to differentiate itself from its competitor, WhatsApp, by adding additional functions to its app. Some of the functions were innovative and eye-catching. For example, one of the biggest and most differentiating features of WeChat was ” Moments”. Moments works the same as Fecebook news feeds where it enables users to upload photos and status onto their own profile (moments) and allows friends to like and comment on photos.  One interesting factor of the function is that the user can classify his or her friends into different category, and share moments according to category. For instance, if the users were to post some photos which might be inappropriate for their boss and colleagues to see, they could classify them into a category, and avoid having the photos to appear on their moments moment board. This feature is not only innovative, but also extremely convenient and useful. It a marketing sense, it allows marketers (us) to target the specific segment of audience. 

 

As more and more people started to us WeChat, some smart marketers recognize the potential of this new marketing channel “WeChat Marketing” . People start to promote all sorts of products on their moments to their “target categories”. You can literally sell anything on Wechat: small products from facial products, clothing, shoes, designer bags to big objects like houses and cars. A lot food bloggers and restaurant owners also use this platform to promote their food to their friends. Another handy feature within WeChat was the “sharing moment” function. It allows users to repost somebody else’s moment onto their on moment feeds. This online sharing community is the virtual form of “word of mouth” marketing. It created a huge network of B2B, B2C, C2C for direct marketing.

 

Some examples:

 

 

This US-based Chinese fashion buyer sells designer handbags, clothing, and shoes on her Wechat Moment.

 

 

 

 

Although its all in Chinese, but we can still tell this friend of mine is selling facial and hair product on her WeChat moment.

 

WeChat moment created a brand new marketing channel for small business to expand their market and increase their brand awareness. In the next blog, i will talk more about the marketing platform for bigger companies and public figures.