Tencent, the Chinese largest internet services provider and the parent company of the popular messaging app WeChat announced that its messaging app now has 500 million active users. Inching that much closer to becoming the world’s largest online messaging community – only second to Facebook-owned Whatsapp which has 700 Million Active users.
WeChat, along with the other chat app owned by Tencent QQ, grossed revenues of CNY 11.96 billion (the equivalent of US$ 1.2 Billion) via social media games, etc in Q4, registering an increase of 41% in the same quarter last year.
Smartphones have become a critical part of cosmetic brands’ marketing strategies.
Market Research Company Global web index, in a blog post published in November of 2014 presents an interesting analysis of the trends responsible for the phenomenal growth of the Wechat community. Some highlights of the post are:
Smartphones and the internet have become an integral part of our daily life. A majority of the One billion smartphone users across the globe access internet on their mobiles. Mobile internet users appreciate the value of messaging apps, as they are free to download, easy & fun-to-use, also offer privacy.
Wechat is a smartphone app that is taking over the social media market for promoting cosmetic brands
WeChat has gained strength in the year 2014 experiencing a growth rate of 55.42%. With a special emphasis on the APAC (Asia- Pacific region excluding China), this messaging platform has recorded a growth of 63.21% from Q2 of 2013 to Q2 of 2014. On home turf, China WeChat grew by about 39.47%, while in neighboring Hong Kong, the app with a penetration rate of 40.18% showed a growth rate of 220%, last year. Similar growth rates registered across the APAC region countries such as Indonesia, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and India.
The report also mentions the gender usage patterns of mobile app users and reveals that what’s gender-wise distribution matches the average usage gender-wise in the APAC region. WeChat’s user community comprises 61% males and 39% females.
The growing popularity of this app has compelled many businesses to set up groups and communities for their businesses on the app. Tencent’s management says, everyone is using the app, marketers are looking forward to taping the enormous opportunities this platform offers them, and are incorporating it into their business as a communication tool.
Wechat helps you get closer to your customer engagement
For example, major corporations such as luxury cosmetic brand Coco Chanel that let the brand have close contact with anyone who has subscribed to its brand account
This type of media is very important for brands that need to instigate a VIP feeling to their customers by sending news directly to them as well as being able to have a one on one dialogue with the brand.
Many other companies such as Nike, Gucci, Yves Rocher have started similar initiatives to create an awareness of their brand and bring the brand closer to the people.
With millions of new mobile apps mushrooming in the smartphone world, the field is getting highly competitive. WeChat is looking towards more and more innovative methods to attract new users while keeping the existing users intact. WeChat’s new and exciting features include the ability to recall a message. Wechat is definitely on the rise but has yet to overcome several important challenges such as Facebook outside China to become a worldwide key player for cosmetic brands not just a major player in China.
Our agency provides wechat services for your cosmetic brand
You are a cosmetic brand wanting to enter the Chinese cosmetic market? Come to us and discuss your project with us. We can help you set up your WeChat account for the best integrated Wechat strategy for your marketing strategy in China
More information
- Find out more about the Chinese cosmetic market as well as how to make it on this market here.
- Essential social media for your beauty brand
- Entering in the cosmetic market : 7 step you must know
1 comment
ITAKI
So much potential on WeChat!! Just created my first e-brochure and it’s actually very funny. I would read with pleasure more WeChat-related content