WeChat Mini Programs: expanding your brand’s influence in China and beyond

The social media landscape in China has developed into a very popular and in-demand territory.

Today, we are taking a closer look at the WeChat Mini Program, a service that debuted only two and a half years ago but has already reached 300 million DAU (daily active users). If we compare that number to WeChat’s 1.15 billion monthly active users (as of 2019), Mini Program is fairing very well.

WeChat Mini Programs are sub-applications within the WeChat ecosystem that are accessible to users without having to leave WeChat. Mini Programs are small in size and are only 10MB. This excludes images and videos hosted on the server and no installation is needed. Imagine combining Facebook and its little extras with Instagram’s shopping function. WeChat Mini Programs are similar, but they offer much more.

Whether your brand is using Mini Program or not, here are 4 tips to take your brand strategy to the next level:

1. What is your incentive for users?

Because Mini Program is an add-on, this means you need to create an incentive for users to use your Mini Program, and it also needs to differentiate from the WeChat account. Most Mini Programs fall under the following categories: Games, News, Utility, and E-Commerce. It is important to keep in mind that Mini Programs should motivate your users to engage, not complicate actions or add redundant features that are unnecessary. So, make it simple and easy to navigate.

2. Gamification and personalization

Gamification and personalization are key buzzwords for retail in China, especially for luxury retail. Brands can create little games on Mini Programs that allow users to share them with their friends on their WeChat. This is a unique phenomenon in China, and it is a great way to enhance brand loyalty and to raise brand awareness. For example, on Chinese Valentine’s Day, Calvin Klein let users customize their own underwear with unique love letters and stickers, Burberry opened a limited pop-up store along with an interactive commercial video, and Dior allowed users to send customized gift cards to their loved ones.

3. Loyalty program and customer support

While Mini Programs provide many services, from hailing a cab to booking a hotel room, a Mini Program is also a great tool to provide customer support. Michael Kors uses its Mini Program as a platform for its membership services and loyalty programs.

4. An ally to your e-commerce platform

Opening an online store via Wechat Mini Program offers two major advantages: getting access to WeChat users and the payment system, Wechat Pay. While many are very cautious about not compromising their brands, some brands use Mini Programs as strategic complements or add-ons to their e-commerce platform. This allows brands to channel traffic and utilize the convenience of WeChat Pay.

WeChat Mini Programs can be the key to expanding your brand’s influence in China and beyond. Datawords can help you find the best localization strategy while scaling your brand globally.