In this guide, we will detail how to do advertising on WeChat, WeChat advertising, along with the main options available to brands. We will then focus on WeChat Moments, as it is the most effective tool for advertising on WeChat.
1. What is WeChat?
WeChat is one of the most well-known and widely used social networks in Asia, developed by Tencent in 2011. It offers various features, including instant messaging, sending text and voice messages, playing games, mobile payments with WeChat Pay, and the ability to promote a brand.
This social network has over 1.2 billion monthly active users, making it the most used social network in China. Advertising on WeChat is crucial for brands aiming to enter the Chinese market, as it is also the only Chinese platform that allows direct connection with Chinese consumers.
Types of advertising on WeChat
WeChat offers three main types of advertising: through articles, in Mini Programs, and the most effective method, through WeChat Moments.
Advertising in WeChat Mini Programs
Advertising through WeChat Mini Programs appears within the interface of these mini-applications, providing a seamless user experience. Mini Programs are essentially lightweight apps that run within WeChat and offer various interactive features to enhance user engagement. Brands can leverage this by creating interactive and engaging advertisements that can lead to higher conversion rates.
Advertising through WeChat Articles
Advertising in WeChat articles involves banner ads placed within the content itself, typically in the middle or at the bottom of the article published by an official account. This method targets users who are already engaged with the content, making them more likely to interact with the ads. Banner ads in articles can include images, videos, and links to external websites or WeChat Mini Programs.
Advertising in WeChat Moments
In WeChat Moments, brands can create ads that appear in users’ social feeds, functioning similarly to Instagram’s feed. These ads use “templated cards,” a format primarily used for friend posts but also available for advertisements. Moments ads are highly effective because they blend naturally into the user’s feed, making them less intrusive and more likely to engage users. Additionally, Moments ads can include interactive elements such as likes, comments, and shares, which can further increase user engagement.
Source: wikiwechat
2. Advertising on WeChat Moments
WeChat Moments advertising allows brands to pay for ad placements in the Moments feed of WeChat users. These native ads are displayed in the feed in a similar way to friends’ posts.
Through Moments, you can advertise a product or service, but it is crucial to understand the attributes and different tactics to design an effective strategy for advertising on WeChat Moments.
- Interaction-Based Visibility: The ad will automatically disappear from users’ timelines if they do not comment, like, or interact with it within 6 hours of its posting.
- Ad Frequency Limit: Currently, WeChat limits the number of ads shown to users to three per day.
Understanding these key elements can help brands effectively use WeChat Moments to reach and engage their target audience in China.
Requirements for advertising on WeChat Moments
When it comes to advertising laws in China and the specific limitations set by Tencent for running ads on its platform, several restrictions need to be observed:
- No Absolute Terms: Avoid using absolute terms such as “national level,” “highest level,” and “best.”
- No False or Misleading Ads: Ads must not be false or misleading.
- Accuracy of Data: Any data, statistics, survey results, summaries, and quotes used in ads must be true and accurate, and the source must be indicated.
- No Fake Patents: False patented products or methods must not appear in ads.
- Avoid Misleading Ideas: Do not use advertising ideas that can be easily misinterpreted and intentionally mislead consumers.
- Respect for Competitors: Do not disparage the products or services of other producers or operators.
- Quality Exemption Content: “National products exempt from inspection” and other related quality exemption content must not appear in ads.
- No Unauthorized Third-Party Content: Do not use unauthorized images or logos of third parties.
- Respect for State and Society: Ads must not harm the image and security of the state, nation, and society.
- Social and Moral Compliance: Ads should not go against the requirements of building social and spiritual civilization or against societal good customs.
- No Violation of Endorsement Rules: Ads must not violate the rules of advertising endorsements.
Additional requirements for launching ad campaigns
In addition to these laws, WeChat also has rules for launching ad campaigns:
- Limited Campaign Types:
- High-risk promotional activities with strong incentives.
- Activities not involving the purchase of physical goods.
- Selection of spokespeople, models, actors, etc.
- Prohibited Activities:
- Crowdfunding.
- Purchases for 1 RMB, etc.
- Basic Content Requirements:
- The description of the ad content must be clear and detail the campaign rules.
- The prize value for campaign lotteries must be less than 5000 RMB.
- Gift activities must clearly state the variety, specification, quantity, time limit, and form of the goods or services provided as gifts.
- Coupon Activities:
- Activities cannot be used to induce sharing, attract attention to gain fans quickly, or seek undue interests.
- No format clause such as “XXX has the right to interpret this activity” should appear in the activity content.
Advertising formats in WeChat Moments
To create ads on WeChat Moments, brands have three available format options:
- Media (videos or images) + ad description + link: This format aims to maximize the friendliness of the ad to encourage engagement.
Source: wikiwechat
2.Media (card image/video) + ad description: This format seeks to create an eye-catching area in the user’s WeChat Moments feed.
Source: wikiwechat
3.Special Formats: WeChat offers special formats and features, such as A/B testing and full-frame options, to selected advertisers. These features are unlocked depending on the advertising investment.
Additionally, ads sponsored in WeChat Moments consist of the following components:
- Official WeChat Account Name: The brand’s official account name along with the profile picture.
- Media Content:
- Images: Up to 6 photos.
- Videos: Short videos ranging from 6 to 15 seconds.
- Cover Image.
- Ad Description: Limited to 40 characters.
- Links to:
- WeChat Article.
- WeChat Account.
- Mini Program.
- Other destinations.
Source: wikiwechat
Landing pages for advertising on WeChat Moments
When users click on a WeChat Moments ad, the brand or business that owns the ad can choose where to redirect users. The following options are available:
- Event Detail Page: Provides users with detailed information about the event.
- Registration Page: Allows users to register for the brand’s page.
- Article Page: Redirects users to an article from the company’s official account.
- Follow and Start Page: Directs users to follow and engage with the company’s official account.
- Location-Based Service Store Page: Redirects to a service store page based on the user’s location (not available for ads placed at the bottom).
- Mini Program: Developed by the brand for an interactive experience.
- Other Landing Pages: These include discount coupon pages, the company or brand’s website, app stores, and more.
The objective of redirecting users to a specific page can vary, such as promoting the WeChat account, showcasing products or services, marketing brand events, or driving sales opportunities. Therefore, it is crucial to clearly define a robust marketing strategy.
Source: wikiwechat
How much does advertising on WeChat Moments cost?
The cost of advertising on WeChat Moments depends on the pricing model chosen: CPM (cost per thousand impressions) or real-time bidding. It’s important to note that the minimum investment for advertising on WeChat Moments is 50,000 yuan, which is approximately €6,500.
CPM (Cost Per Thousand Impressions)
The CPM is calculated using the following formula:
cost ÷ number of impressions × 1,000.
The CPM is a fixed cost but varies depending on the city tier where the ad is displayed. The pricing is as follows:
City Tier | CPM Cost (CNY) | Approximate Cost (EUR) |
Tier 1 Cities | 180 – 200 CNY | 23 – 26 EUR |
Tier 2 Cities | 120 – 150 CNY | 16 – 19 EUR |
Tier 3 Cities | 60 – 100 CNY | 8 – 13 EUR |
Real-time bidding
In the real-time bidding model, advertisers bid for ad placements in real-time. The cost can fluctuate based on the competition for the targeted audience segment. This model allows for more flexibility and can potentially lead to more cost-effective ad placements, depending on the demand.
Audience targeting options in WeChat Moments
Depending on the advertisement’s objective, advertisers can analyze various parameters to target the right group of people. The possibilities and opportunities vary based on the criteria used.
User behavior and interests
Understanding the likes and activities of WeChat Moments users is crucial for selecting the appropriate interest categories (news, entertainment, food, cosmetics, etc.) and common behaviors (news consumption, education, fashion, finance, health, food, and beverages).
Geographic location
With WeChat’s location-based service technology, advertisers can identify commercial areas and points of interest for users. Advertisers can target WeChat users based on their location in two ways:
- Inbound China: This refers to selling within China, targeting users in small third-tier cities, major key cities like Wuhan, Junan, or Shenyang, or central cities like Beijing and Shanghai.
- Outbound China: This refers to users outside of China, segmented by country.
Personal characteristics
Defining the target audience based on personal characteristics is essential. This includes specifying whether the audience is male or female, age group, education level, and marital status.
Source: wikiwechat
These targeting options allow advertisers to reach their desired audience more effectively, ensuring that their ads are seen by the most relevant users, thereby increasing the chances of engagement and conversion.
Steps to advertise on WeChat Moments
To effectively implement advertising on WeChat Moments, follow these eight simple steps:
- Define the Advertisement Objective: Clearly outline what you aim to achieve with your ad campaign (brand awareness, product promotion, etc.).
- Choose the Ad Format: Decide on the format that best suits your campaign goals, such as media (videos or images) + description + link, card image/video + description, or special formats like full-frame.
- Select Target Audiences: Identify your target audience based on behavior, interests, geographic location, and personal characteristics.
- Recharge and Schedule Ad Position: Use the WeChat back-end to allocate your budget and schedule your ad placements.
- Upload Ad Assets: Upload all necessary ad assets, including images, videos, and text descriptions, through the WeChat back-end.
- Pass Tencent’s Ad Verification: Ensure your ad complies with Tencent’s guidelines and submit it for approval. Preview the ad to see how it will appear to users.
- Launch the Ad: Once approved, launch your ad campaign on WeChat Moments.
- Monitor Ads and Conduct A/B Testing: Regularly monitor your ad performance and conduct A/B testing to optimize your ads for better results.
By following these steps, you can create and launch effective ad campaigns on WeChat Moments, reaching your target audience and achieving your marketing objectives.
4. Key tips for advertising on WeChat Moments
Now that we understand the fundamentals of advertising on WeChat, let’s explore four key tips for creating the most efficient and optimal advertising campaigns on WeChat Moments.
Clearly define advertising bbjectives
Brands aiming to advertise on WeChat Moments must clearly define the objectives of their ads in advance, as different objectives require different strategies. In the table below, you will see the objectives based on the brand’s commercial intent.
Use positive and visually attractive campaigns
According to data from Jing Daily, the most favored WeChat Moments ads among users were those featuring optimistic campaign videos and visually appealing images. Originality was also highly appreciated by users. Tencent provides detailed guidelines for ad creatives, including the use of images, videos, and text. Ads should be visually appealing, concise, and should include a clear call-to-action.
Optimize content duration and format
Jing Daily’s data shows that WeChat Moments ads that last less than two minutes and include mixed media content (text, images, videos, shopping links) were the most successful and went viral more often. WeChat encourages the use of interactive elements in ads, such as mini-games or quizzes, to increase user engagement. These elements should be designed to enhance the user experience rather than distract from it.
Collaborate with a specialized WeChat Agency
Advertising on WeChat is highly complex, particularly due to the extensive knowledge required to execute it optimally and reach the maximum audience. All ads must go through a strict approval process by Tencent, which includes verifying the authenticity of the content, compliance with Chinese advertising laws, and ensuring the ad aligns with WeChat’s guidelines. Given the diverse user base in China, ads must be culturally sensitive and avoid any content that could be seen as offensive or inappropriate.
If you are interested in advertising on WeChat, you can connect with Influchina, an agency specializing in creating marketing strategies for Chinese social networks. If you want to optimize your presence in the Chinese market, don’t hesitate to contact us.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions About Advertising on WeChat Moments
What is WeChat?
WeChat is one of the most well-known and widely used social networks in China, boasting over 1.2 billion users.
How Much Does Advertising on WeChat Cost?
The cost depends on whether you choose CPM (cost per thousand impressions) or real-time bidding, but a minimum investment of 50,000 yuan (approximately €6,500) is required.
How Can I Advertise on WeChat?
One of the best options is through a specialized agency in Chinese social networks, such as Influchina.
What Are the Requirements for Advertising on WeChat?
The requirements for advertising on WeChat include, among others, having an official service account, opening a WeChat Advertising account, a minimum deposit of 50,000 RMB, and avoiding advertising restricted themes in China.
What Types of Advertising Are There on WeChat?
Advertising on WeChat can be done in three ways: through WeChat articles, via WeChat Mini Programs, or on WeChat Moments, with the latter being the most effective.
Where Can I Redirect WeChat Users in an Ad?
When redirecting WeChat users via an ad link, there are several options: event detail page, registration page, article, store, brand Mini Program, company website, and others.