Navigating WeChat Official Accounts for Global Businesses: Local vs. Overseas

This guide gives a detailed description of the three main WeChat Official Accounts as a marketing platform, namely Subscription accounts, Service accounts, and Enterprise accounts, popularly referred to as WeChat Work, with the classification of local and overseas accounts.

Kinds of WeChat Official Accounts

Subscription Accounts

As a model, subscription accounts are most suitable for any individual, media company, business, governmental body, or any other organization with the purpose of providing long-term and effective communication with readers, using an account that will provide an efficient way of information distribution.

As a model, subscription accounts are most suitable for any individual, media company, business, governmental body, or any other organization with the purpose of providing long-term and effective communication with readers, using an account that will provide an efficient way of information distribution.

Service Accounts

Service accounts are targeted at media companies, enterprises, governments, or any organization that wants to provide various business services and better manage users. It is this range of accounts that ensures the business's various operations as it offers a complete service package.

Enterprise Accounts (WeChat Work)

Enterprise accounts, also known as WeChat Work, are established for use by the companies ‘employees. It is these accounts that help distinguish work-related communication from personal management life by including business-oriented tools, such as internal chats, video conferences, and file sharing, along with general chat tools. These account types can all be opened and registered at no fee through the WeChat official signup page. The initial structure of an account can also be changed, but only if the account in question is a subscription account.

Features of WeChat Official Accounts

Comparing Subscription Accounts and Service Accounts The features available for Subscription and Service accounts differ significantly

Local vs. Overseas Accounts

Local official accounts were only available to registered companies with Chinese business licenses until 2018. However, since May 2018, WeChat has extended its services to organizations and individuals from over two hundred nations and regions. This change allows companies to open overseas official accounts using their foreign business licenses, providing access to the Chinese market.

Benefits for Foreign Businesses

Registering for a WeChat Official Account offers several benefits for foreign businesses:

• Visibility: This will make it possible for foreign companies to get exposed to all the Chinese mainland WeChat users.
• Marketing Campaigns: They can conduct marketing operations and business activities right within the Chinese market.
• Cost Efficiency: To spread a brand via WeChat, the propagation costs are drastically low.
• Brand Popularity: Some of the goals of running follower accumulation campaigns include; Thus, improving brand popularity.
• Influential Branding: Realizing a stronger brand image in China without having to establish a company of its own.

Features Comparison: Domestic and Overseas Government & Official WeChat Account

Official accounts from a locality provide more functions than overseas official accounts, while both of them have necessary WeChat functions.

Feature Comparison

Exception for WeChat Pay

WeChat Pay service is not compatible with overseas accounts most of the time. However, there are exceptions; for instance, Galeries Lafayette has WeChat Pay, though it is not directly connected with the backend.

The Ways to Create an Official WeChat Account

For international companies looking to expand and develop their business in China, there are three available options for registering an Official WeChat Account:

Register a Company in China: Verification of a legal personality in China opens all options for the activity of local official accounts, including access to all the features available.

Use a Third-Party Business License: A local business license can be obtained if a new establishment partners with a reliable China-based entity.

Use Your Own International Business License: Opening an overseas official account with a foreign business license is less complicated in terms of operation but comparatively lacks interactive functions than the local accounts.

Choosing the Right Option

There are two major registration options based on the nature of the company’s business and strategic plan. We can see that each of the options has its benefits and disadvantages, and choosing the course of action depends on the objectives and available tools in the hands of the business. It is possible to seek advice from professionals as to what strategy will be best for the company when entering the Chinese market.

Conclusion

Opportunities are opening with the availability of overseas official accounts in WeChat, and more opportunities have been availed for international companies. With awareness of the differences between local Chinese accounts and overseas Chinese accounts and with the correct account type that is needed by businesses, China’s market population can be efficiently accessed. Whether local access, cooperation or direct registration in China, WeChat provides businesses with many opportunities to reach out to Chinese customers and develop their business in this competitive market.