Weixin: China’s Hottest Mobile Communication Tool in 2012

 This article was written by Kendra Jin, who is an Associate Director at Flamingo in china, he focuses on social networking

        Weixin is a free mobile app for instant communication launched in 2011 by Chinese Internet communication conglomerate, Tencent. It is available for iPhone, Android, Windows Phone and Symbian systems and can be used to communicate cross-platform. Different from past text-based only mobile instant communication tools mobile QQ, mobile phone SMS, MMS, etc., Weixin supports mobile instant communication through voice chatting (one to one and group chatting), photo and video sharing, and of course – traditional text messages.

        From January to November in 2011, Weixin’s user base increased to over 50 million in China – well ahead of Miliao, Kik and other similar services data-based messaging systems. It is predicted to increase to over 200 million (globally and in China) during 2012. It’s popularity is even spreading Pan-Asian – as of January 2012, it is the no. 1 social communication app downloaded in Hong Kong’s iPhone App Store. It’s growth is not accidental and likely attributed to a confluence of events. Let’s take a look at Weixin’s influence and dominance in the mobile space.

Leveraging and Extending Tencent’s Existing Communication Network

        Much of Weixin’s success is linked to lateral integration across its numerous communication tools. Weixin is integrated and linked automatically with QQ, e-mail and Tencent’s Weibo platform – all used extensively by students, lower-tier mobile users, even celebrities. These represent Tencent’s core user. What makes Weixin one to watch is its expanded use by China’s white collar and business mobile users.

Weixin Makes Communication More Intimate and Emotive

‘When I heard the voice of my friend in the US, I feel she’s so close to me.’ – Chinese Weixin User

        Weixin’s ability to leverage smartphone technology makes the peer to peer communication more intuitive, vivid, intimate and emotive for Chinese users.

         Audio and video messages is an intimate and immediate form of communication. It mimics the real and most instinctive dynamic of communication. With the ability to communicate in this way, Chines users have stronger ability for conversational comprehension and peer-empathy – all vital characteristics of relationship building in Chinese society.

          The written Chinese language is heavy on interpretation – each character carries numerous literal and dual meanings. Weixin’s ability to connect peers on a more intimate level promotes greater ability to share content – photos, videos, emoticons, and voice; removing barriers of communication and sophistication required. The visual, sound, tone helps connote mood and context of the message by itself, and often says more than words.

‘I use Weixin for voice chatting, it’s much more convenient and interesting than typing a mobile phone text message.’ – Chinese Weixin User

         Essentially, Weixin enables more intuitive and engaging way of communication (through voice, images, videos) with more time and location flexibility (through mobile phone in and outside China), and is more cost effective (comparing with telecommunication operators’ services) for its users.

 Eyeing Lower-Tier Growth

         There’s no doubt that Weixin will continue to see massive expansion in 2012. The ever-allusive lower-tier markets will most likely drive much of this growth.

         A recent article by Shanghai Securities News predicts that in 2012, over 164 million smartphones will be sold, almost double the amount sold in 2011. The majority of these will also be mid to low-end smart phones – almost 84%. Weixin’s presence on multiple platforms places it in perfect position to capitalize on this growth.

Implications for Social-Brand Interaction

        We identify two thought-starters for brands to think about based on Weixin’s successful penetration rate and introduction of a more emotive form of communication.

1. Is it possible for brand’s to extend its user community to the platform of Weixin, helping it to create stronger intimacy, interaction and involvement?

2. With the impending growth of mid to low-end smartphone usage and accessibility to mobile networks in Tier 3 and Tier 4 markets in China, is it possible for Weixin to be an effective touchpoint for consumers in these lower-tiers?

        Weixin is at the head of the pack in 2012, but strong competition looms from other communication apps – making innovation and penetration key areas to focus on for Weixin in 2012.

i am agree with what the author is saying, because china has the largest population in the world,and weixin is attached to the QQ, so all the customers of QQ will become the weixin's customers, and customers will saving money through using the weixin, so weixin will continue to be China’s Hottest Mobile Communication Tool,it will change the chinese people's communicative means. it is a revolution of social networking.