WECHAT: The Super App Exceed 1 Billion Daily Active Users

Why your phone has many apps but rarely used? Why the services and functionality of these apps can\’t be all in one social or payments apps? In China, there is a super app that exactly resolves all the problems above!

Many people outside China still haven\’t heard of WeChat. Moreover, they think WeChat is just a popular messaging app like WhatsApp or social media giant Facebook.

WeChat is China\’s biggest social network for mobile devices. This Super-app offers free video calls, images, games, stickers and message texting to stay connected with everyone who matters. Additionally, users can call a taxi, order train and flight tickets, do online shopping, buy cinema tickets, book a hotel, pay household bills, and many other features…

For many people in China, WeChat Super App is much more! Not only an another messaging app, but it\’s also a necessary part of their lives. It\’s not an overstatement to describe opening WeChat in the morning and leaving it until midnight!

WeChat hit 1 billion monthly active users

In 2010, Chinese Government banned US internet giants like Facebook, Google, Youtube and Instagram,… With this intention, Wechat first launched in 2011 to allow locals filling the social network gap.

Tencent\’s WeChat Super app has increased dramatically – Just 1 year to reach 100M monthly active users, 4 years to 500M and 6 years to 900M. According to Statista, as the third quarter of 2018, WeChat was up to 1.08 billion users.

In fact, that\’s more than the population of Europe and Russia combined! This China\’s everyday mobile app ranks fifth of the most popular social networking sites worldwide.

WeChat – the only app above three Facebook platforms (WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook) and Youtube. On the other hand, many popular social platforms like Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn score below WeChat in terms of daily active users.

WeChat – A Super app you can’t live without

In the West, you will need many apps to meet your needs. For example, you want to hang out with friends, might open and close as islands of apps. Before the event, using WhatsApp to make a plan, Google to find a restaurant to eat, Instagram and Facebook to check in, PayPal to pay the bill or Uber to get there…

But in China, that entire functionality can be completed within WeChat. These cover all aspects of a person’s daily life and are seamlessly integrated into WeChat.

At first glance, WeChat looks a lot like WhatsApp. Besides, it has grown into a vast ecosystem of features from communications to shopping, gaming, banking, appointments and travel.

Despite Facebook, the world\’s largest social network, you can see why WeChat has become so popular. Using this multi-purpose platform, both companies and users can conveniently perform everyday activities without needing to switch between apps.

WeChat Pay

WeChat Pay was introduced in 2014. And it took only 3 years to capture 40% of China\’s mobile market. According to Chinese newspapers, 70% of internet users no longer carry cash by 2017.

Together with WeChat wallet and payments, you never have to leave the app on making payment for the grab or sending money to friends. Because of the ease and convenience of mobile payments, the credit card wasn\’t widely adopted in China.

WeChat Pay empowers people to live, socialise and use money in new ways!

Through QR codes, a quick scan and payment is done. If come to China, you will see QR codes everywhere. It is fair to say that the Chinese super app take a big step forward by launching its \’digital wallet\’. In less than a decade, WeChat Pay has turned China from a cash-only into an increasingly cash-free society.

Social Commerce

Social commerce is becoming more dynamic as the market grows and more brands are entering. Through WeChat Super App, companies can build official accounts and then sell products directly. So that, users don\’t have to go out of the app to proceed with the selling process.

You can interact easily with the accounts of company as well as get information about products, promotions or the benefits. Therefore, the gap between customers and brands seem to be reduced.

Here is the example – Sephora
“I think to be successful in China, we have to make sure we always look for the next channel, that you are able to connect back to the heart of your business, which for us is about building the community.”

And as a billion users super app for chatting and sharing, WeChat is the potential space to build – Sephora mini program. With the help of Sephora\’s beauty account on WeChat, followers can find endless tips. Including how to find the best foundation, which lipsticks are the hottest and so on.

For me, WeChat is China\’s super app which makes my life more convenient!

1 Million Mini Programs

\”Mini programs\” is WeChat \”app within an app\”. It sits within the WeChat ecosystem, facilitating a wide range of advanced functions without downloading separate applications. This mini-program turns platforms into super apps and bring more convenience to consumers in the world’s largest market.

Without the need to download an external app, mini programs are aimed at driving customer loyalty, or stickiness, within the WeChat app. it presents an opportunity to give consumers a more immersive experience and build a deeper connection with their audience.

In the second quarter of 2018, a total 1,000,000 mini programs were put online! According to the survey, 64.4% of subscribers considered mini programs more convenient and 65.1% thought that mini programs can partially replace the corresponding applications on mobile phones.