Today on The Negotiation, Olivia Plotnick talks about her entry into China as an entrepreneur from the United States. She shares how she was able to grow WeChat accounts at a massive rate in a fast-paced marketplace whose consumer culture is so different from her home country’s. She also explains how brands can capitalize on certain WeChat features, such as Top Stories, the “Wow” function, and WeChat groups.

When asked how companies should look at WeChat in 2020, Olivia recalls how WeChat gradually transitioned from a purely consumer-based social media platform to a brand-building tool. Before, you could only receive messages from friends and family. Now, Nike and Under Armor can reach out to you. Olivia calls this a “sacred space” in that brands can now develop personal relationships with consumers. This is why it is important for brands to put out relevant content, or risk being unfollowed.

In China, there are a large number of social platforms—or what Olivia likes to refer to as “ecosystems”. Olivia prefers to divide these platforms into two different categories. There are eCommerce platforms such as Tmall.com and JD.com, social media platforms such as WeChat, Weibo, and Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok). Each of these two categories serves a different purpose.

How does WeChat stand out in this sea of platforms? According to Olivia, while Douyin is an “awareness-building platform”, WeChat is more of a “relationship-building platform”. Many brands use WeChat to educate their audience and provide loyalty programs. Ecommerce platforms like Taobao, on the other hand, are where “you push to sell”. Ultimately, you need to be aware of what most people use the platform for and produce content appropriate to user activity.