In this post we are picking up from the last week article on how to grow your WeChat followers base organically.
In an earlier post on WeChat marketing we’ve discussed limitations of WeChat based advertising and its low ROI. Therefore, acquiring subscribers organically remains a much more cost effective way to grow your brand following.
WeChat marketing can be tricky but there are some ways to make it work. In addition to the list from the last week, here are five more tips:
Share content for free gift
An example of effective WeChat marketing is encouraging customers to share a piece of content from your account in their WeChat moment. For example, a restaurant could offer its patrons a free desert or a discount off the bill if they present proof of sharing a photo of a restaurant or a meal with their friends.
WeChat marketing with virtual loyalty card
Offering a virtual loyalty card in WeChat is another way to get more followers and can also become an effective WeChat marketing strategy. Owners of such loyalty cards can have their QR code scanned at the location for discounts or points collection. Here is an example of such virtual card used by Wagas, a popular western restaurant in China:
Free wifi to WeChat followers
WeChat official accounts now have a feature that allows displaying the closest Wi-Fi network directly in users contacts. This feature works great with businesses that have a physical location, such as stores and restaurants. Prompting users to connect to a free Wi-Fi in exchange for a basic info or signing up as a follower is another opportunity for effective WeChat marketing.
Get creative with QR codes
QR codes have just one drawback – they are ugly! Having a tiny logo in the center still doesn’t doesn’t improve their visual appeal. Fortunately, thanks to the new technology developed by Israeli company Visualead, it doesn’t have to be that way anymore.
Visualead provides online QR generator to combine a QR code with any imagery, such as a logo or a picture. Here is an example of such QR which is perfectly scannable, just like its boring black and white equivalent:
Don’t delay communicating with followers
There is a feature of WeChat official accounts that is known as “48 hours rule”. It means that you only have 48 hours to engage with a follower directly after he/she subscribed to your channel or communicated to it via sending a message. It’s important not to miss the opportunity to connect with a new follower within that time frame. Offering a targeted content such as a coupon or a personalized invitation to an event would keep new followers engaged and minimize chances of losing them.
Every new follower is a potential sales lead and it is in your interest to keep that lead hot. After all, unsubscribing from a WeChat channel is always just “a swipe” away.
Stay tuned for our upcoming posts on how to use KOLs to grow your WeChat followers base.
