WeChat: the new key to Social Media Marketing in East Asia.

Abstract

Social media platforms, and in particular, WeChat, has further transformed this communication channel and has now made it possible for brands to not only reach all customers, but also to direct marketing and promotions to the right segments of customers in an informed and efficient way. Brands and marketers in China can use WeChat differently than they use any other tool for interacting with customers. As an example, without WeChat, a brand can make an account on Facebook, promote that account, get users to like the account, and send a promotion to people who have liked it. Using WeChat, the experience is totally different: for example, Starbucks can post an offer for all users on its Facebook page, but on WeChat, it may also allow users to inquire after their gift card balance, place drink orders, find the closest store, or receive a specific promotion based on the weather in their city. The innovative factor here is that customers don’t need to switch from Facebook to WeChat to a Starbucks app and so on. All the apps are in one place, in one platform.