Set up WeChat ads in 2024: Inside the Advertising Account

Set up WeChat ads and reach millions of Chinese consumers during their everyday activities related to your brand, products, and services.

Following our in-depth article on WeChat advertising formats (Moments, Official Account, Video, Mini-Program, Search), we are now showing you how to set up these ads in the WeChat backoffice.

This guide lays out how to set up your WeChat ad to reach your target demographics and users with specific interests and behaviors.

Discover the features and power of WeChat ads for your business based on real-life strategies and best practice examples. 

How to Set Up WeChat Ads

First things first.

1. Set Up Your WeChat Advertising Account

After you log in to your WeChat advertising account, you need to complete a few simple steps before you can get started with setting up ads.

1. Accept the terms and conditions
2. Select your industry type
3. Provide additional industry information as required
4. Add contact details of the person managing your company’s advertising account
5. Verify your account
6. Add a payment method, e.g. WeChat Pay, Chinese bank account

Excellent. Next, let’s take a look at your goals.

2. Define Your Advertising Goals

Before we dive into the details, be sure to have clear goals for your ads. This helps you to select the right parameters for your individual situation, measure the success of your campaign, and make adjustments if necessary.

• Brand awareness: grow your Chinese audience among your existing demographic or tap into new consumer bases
• Drive Leads and sales: Engage millions of ready-to-buy prospects and convert them to buyers on your brand’s landing page

You are almost ready to create ads. Just one more thing.

3. Set Your Budget

Now, with this knowledge in mind, let’s take a look at creating ads in WeChat. 

4. WeChat advertising dashboard

When you log in to your WeChat ad account, this is the first menu that you see. Choose your WeChat advertising goal from these options:

1. Tencent Ads – Create a new ad
2. Sell & Live Streaming
   1. Sell goods directly
   2. Live streaming to sell goods
3. Get new users
   1. Form retention
   2. Shopping guide plus micro
   3. Add power to the official account
   4. iOS app to get new users
   5. Android app to get new users
   6. Live broadcast plus micro
4. Channels & Campaigns
   1. Channels content promotion
   2. Brand campaign promotion
5. Search Ads

So, this is what the dashboard looks like in Wechat.

After you choose your promotion goal, click on “Next step” at the bottom.

Then, you can select between

1. Video Account Ads
2. Moment Ads
3. Official Account/Mini-Program Ads

For Search ads, remember to select them in the initial dashboard (screenshot above).

Now, let’s take a look at real-life examples of successful WeChat ads.

1. WeChat Video Account Ads

Let us show you how to set up a Video Account ad based on the real-life example of the brand Loqate, an address capture and verification solution for cross-border e-commerce companies.

Then, choose your format/size in the dashboard, and add your media files.

This is what the final Loqate video ad looks like:

Now, here come your special tips.

Pro Tips

The video must

• be between 5 and 180 seconds (3 minutes)
• have a sound (music, voiceover, etc.)

Next, let’s take a look at Moments Ads for WeChat.

2. WeChat Moment Ads

Set up the Moments ad in the WeChat dashboard by choosing the “manual” ad format. Choose from the ad layout and format (text only, image, video) that is suitable for your brand and purpose. Add your media files and click on publish. Here is an example of Loqate.

Next, select the format.

Now, it’s time to choose your target audience and budget, start and end date, online time of the ad, and more.

This is what the final ad for the brand Loqate looks like:

Wait, we’ve got more for you!

Pro Tip:

Pay close attention to the image design: Limit the number of words so that the image will remain large and well-visible when scrolling.

3. WeChat Official Account Ads & Mini-Program Ads

Here is an example of a banner ad by WeChat.

Set up the Official account ad in the WeChat dashboard by choosing the “manual” ad format. Then, choose from the ad layout/format (text only, image, video), and add your media files.

Now, this is the final Official Accounts Ad for Loqate:

Again, we have a distinct tip only for the readers of this article:

Pro Tip

WeChat Official Account ads are ideal for increasing followers, but less suitable for lead generation.

4. WeChat Search Ads

In the WeChat dashboard, click on “Search ads”. Let us walk you through based on the brand Loqate.

After you have selected your search ad type, the next screen shows you where your ad will be displayed.

In the dashboard, choose the keywords you want to use. To make life easier for you, you can simply type your service and the system will show related keywords and their estimated monthly search volume and clicks.

Example: These are the keyword results for the term “study abroad in America”.

This is the final WeChat search ad for Loqate:

So, what are the expert tips?

Pro Tip

Use as few words as possible and big fonts. Make sure the image is large and well-readable when scrolling on mobile devices.

Monitoring Results

This is the screen after logging on to the WeChat official account backend.

Dashboard with analysis of ads:

Here’s what else to consider.

Tips: What makes a WeChat Ad Successful

Based on our real-life experience, a successful WeChat ad that raises brand awareness and/or drives leads and sales has these five characteristics:

1. Mobile First: Almost all content is consumed on the go on mobile phones or tablets. Keep this in mind when creating any type of content, especially for the Chinese market.
2. Visual is Key: High-quality attention-grabbing images, videos, and animations make content consumers stop scrolling in the information overload and pay attention to your message.
3. Write Concisely: Create compelling ad copy with your brand’s clear USP and added value for Chinese users.
4. Clear Call-to-Action: Prompt users to engage with your ad: like, share, comment, shop now, download the app, visit website, etc.
5. Localization: Tailor your ad to the Chinese cultural preferences, needs, and trends.

Adhere to these tips to create a successful WeChat ad.

Effective Targeting of WeChat Ads

Make sure to target the right audience according to your advertising goals. WeChat offers the following targeting options:

• Demographic: age, gender, location, language
• Interests: specific hobbies and other preferences
• User Behavior: browsing history, app usage, purchase behavior
• Lookalike Audiences: users with similar characteristics to your existing customer base

Ok, and how does this impact my budget?

WeChat Ad Pricing

Keep in mind that WeChat ad pricing depends on target location and ad format. 

Higher rates

• Core cities, e.g. Beijing, Shanghai
• First and second-tier cities
• Ads with multiple images or videos

Lower rates

• Third-tier cities and below
• Single-image ads

Makes sense, but wait. What does Tier city mean again?

About Tier Cities in China

Cities in China are categorized based on a variety of factors, including population, economy, infrastructure, and more. There are four Tiers in China.

• Tier 1 Cities: Most developed and populous cities with international influence, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.
• Tier 2 Cities: These cities include Chengdu, Hangzhou, Wuhan, and Tianjin.
• Tier 3 Cities: Emerging areas with growing consumer demand, including Changsha, Xiamen, Ningbo, and Foshan.
• Tier 4 Cities: Smallest and least developed cities in China, including Anshun, Jinchang, Xiangyang, and Ji’an.

The Tier City concept helps brands determine market potential, consumer behavior, and other opportunities in the Chinese market.

Optimizing Your WeChat Campaigns Effectively

Continuous improvement is essential to ensure optimal results for your WeChat ads. Try these four strategies to make the most of your WeChat ads:

1. A/B Testing: Experiment with different ad creatives, targeting options, and bidding strategies to find out what your audience likes the most. Then, do more of that.
2. Performance Monitoring: Assess KPIs like click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, and return on ad spend (ROAS). Make adjustments to maximize the impact of your WeChat ads.
3. Budget Allocation: Spread your ad spending strategically among ad formats, targeting, and campaign objectives.
4. Ad Scheduling: Run your ads when your target audience is most active on WeChat.

This brings us to the end of the article on how to set up WeChat ads. If all of this is too overwhelming or you would like help with getting started, the China specialists at WeChat Advertising are here for you!

The Takeaway – Set up WeChat Ads

WeChat Ads present an unparalleled opportunity for global brands to tap into the Chinese consumer market. Leverage the real-life experience of the China marketing experts at WeChat advertising to unlock the full potential of your business.

Master the setup of WeChat ads:

• Create your WeChat ads account
• Define your ad goals, which determine your strategy
• Set a budget
• Start WeChat advertising: Moments, Official Account, Video, Mini-Program, Search
• Consider the five must-dos of successful WeChat ads
• Apply four effective optimization strategies
• Consult an expert

Do you require assistance? Our team is here for you with a FREE initial consultation.