WeChat hires Jackson Wang for advertorial engagement
BEIJING: WeChat is leveraging the influence of singer Jackson Wang to sell BMWs.
It’s a marketing strategy that’s proving to be very effective, given WeChat’s pervasive epayment presence throughout China.
The app known as WeChat Moments is making the ads more social.
Since February, many WeChat users have been surprised to discover these personal messages in their Moments updates, as if they had friended the stars on WeChat. But they hadn’t.
Turns out that it’s just a new gimmick by WeChat to boost the visibility of Moments ads.
Posting an imitation celebrity profile that links to a company’s marketing campaign on WeChat Moments is another new form of making the ads more social.
In one Moments ad for BMW, Jackson Wang invites users for a test drive.
Once the user clicks the post, they are directed to the test drive sign-up page, where they also have the chance to win Jackson’s autograph or to meet him in person.
According to Tencent, celebrities drive attention — the click rate for such posts has increased from six to 10 times.
The Moments ads is an advertising option offered by WeChat, similar to what Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter has.
The ads are posted on users’ homepages, where they spend most of their time browsing their friends’ latest updates – it’s valuable real estate for advertisers.
WeChat founder Allen Zhang is known for obsessing over user experience in all strategic decisions. So, WeChat’s developers have been tasked with the challenge of designing ads that come across as natural and authentic for users.
For one, similar to Instagram, Moments ads are shown based on engagement. If a user doesn’t engage with an ad (either liking, commenting, or clicking), it will disappear within six hours. If they engage with it, there is an increased chance that their WeChat friends will see the same ads, triggering online buzz.
In one Moments ad for BMW, Jackson Wang invites users for a test drive. Once the user clicks the post, they are directed to the test drive sign-up page, where they also have the chance to win Jackson’s autograph or to meet him in person.