Users can pay directly into the brand’s account, using WeChat pay.Ĭustomizable content maintains brand independence, and its structure allows for simple setup of multiple mini platforms to promote different products and campaigns.Īccording to WeChat, 95% of eCommerce platform brands, including JD, Pinduoduo, and Mogujie, have created a mini program – testament to its value as a marketplace. Mini programs are easy to find through a number of channels, from branded QR codes and shared details on group chats to access through Moments, articles and menu/discovery facilities such as ‘mini program nearby’ – cross-app promotion is part of the package.ĭevelopment, marketing and operational factors such as payment are part of an established ecosystem:īuilt-in social sharing: product pages can easily be shared with friends or via Moments, and any store page can be inserted in WeChat and KOL articles, increasing exposure. There are no downloads, no subscriptions and all browsing and buying can be completed without ever leaving WeChat’s familiar (and trusted) platform.

No amount of investment in developing and marketing even the most carefully-crafted standalone branded app can buy that kind of exposure – leveraging the convenience and popularity of China’s most popular platform is without doubt a smart move. One billion monthly users, accessing messaging, shopping, booking and any number of related services through one app – WeChat wants to be everything to everyone, and it certainly seems to be getting there. So what are the pros and cons brands should consider before taking the mini program route? Pros: Now that mobile users are moving away from app downloads (according to analytics platform Umeng, the majority of mobile apps launched in China struggle to retain users), they’re increasingly popular with brands looking for a cost-effective way to reach customers without the potential costs and pitfalls of launching a standalone app.īut, as with any platform run by a business as huge and powerful as Tencent, there are downsides – mini programs aren’t a ‘one size fits all’ solution.

Launched in 2017, WeChat mini programs have posed a major disruption to digital marketing in China. WeChat mini programs, is it time to believe the hype? September 7, 2020

Tencent mini program