WeChat Official Accounts represent a crucial resource for companies and organizations aiming to strengthen their presence in the Chinese market.
As the most widely used mobile application in China, WeChat plays a fundamental role in all stages of the marketing funnel, providing a solid foundation for building a potential customer base. Opening an official account is the first step companies must take to begin leveraging the WeChat ecosystem.
Why open an Official Account?
Opening a WeChat Official Account offers numerous advantages for brands operating in the Chinese market. The OA acts as the company’s business card in China, functioning like a website where the brand showcases its story, services, and products. This significantly contributes to increasing brand visibility.
With the ability to initiate personal communication through messaging features, Official Accounts are particularly useful for providing customer support and strengthening client relationships. Moreover, sharing various types of content—such as articles, videos, images, and audio—helps position the brand as an industry expert and enhances credibility.
Official Accounts can be fully integrated with other WeChat functions such as WeChat Pay and Mini Programs, enabling businesses to offer additional services to Chinese consumers, including direct product sales. Integration with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools and data analytics provides detailed insights into the audience, allowing companies to tailor marketing strategies based on user behavior.
WeChat Account Type
Before exploring the procedures for opening an Official Account, it’s important to understand that WeChat offers two available options: the Service Account and the Subscription Account.
Subscription Account (订阅号 – Dìngyuè hào)
These accounts are primarily intended for sharing news and allow frequent content publishing—up to once a day—with the ability to group multiple articles together. They have limited functionality and very low levels of customization.
Moreover, their visibility is reduced because they are located in a separate subfolder within WeChat, and followers do not receive direct notifications about updates.
This type of account is recommended for companies that share daily updates, such as news outlets, government organizations, and event agencies, and it is available only to businesses with a Chinese license.
Service Account (服务号 – Fúwù hào)
These accounts are primarily dedicated to providing services and establishing personalized communication with customers. Companies can customize their accounts by creating ad hoc menus to suit their needs and gain access to advanced features such as WeChat Pay, CRM, Mini Programs, and paid advertising.
With the ability to publish up to four pieces of content per month, Service Accounts keep followers informed through push notifications. This type of account is ideal for companies that want to focus on customer relationship management, enabling one-on-one communication based on CRM data
How Open your WeChat Official Account?
Opening an Official Account (OA) follows a procedure that may seem complicated. First of all, the platform requires specific information and documents, which are best gathered before starting the process.
The required information and documents are:
The details of the Contact Person, i.e., the company representative who will become the account administrator—name and mobile number, to which a verification code will be sent.
A phone bill for the Contact Person covering the last 3 months, with signature and stamp on each page.
Front and back photo of the Contact Person’s passport.
Company registration certificate (Visura Camerale) with the Contact Person’s stamp and handwritten signature.
Trademark registration certificate in China.
Steps to open your account
To create an account, you need to:
- Enter basic information such as the email address that will be used to access the platform (a verification code will be sent to it) and a password.
- Register company details: company type, the name as stated on the registration certificate or business license issued by the local government, and the company registration number.
- Provide account administrator information: full name, mobile number (a verification code will be sent to it), and ID or passport number.
- Enter account information: the name of the account that will be displayed to the Chinese public.
- Add a brief introduction (4–120 characters) to define the features and services of the Official Account.
- Indicate the region/country where the business operates.
Once the account has been created, you can proceed with the verification request. Verified Official Accounts are marked with a blue check next to the account name.
To begin the verification process, two forms must be completed, signed in block letters by the contact person, and stamped with the company seal. WeChat will then conduct a series of verifications via SMS and phone call to the contact person’s mobile number, and by email to the company address. The Official Account is subject to annual verification. This ensures the account remains official and continues to enjoy all the benefits of a verified account.
How to Choose the Type of Account to Open
Considering the differences in functionality between Service Accounts and Subscription Accounts, it’s essential to carefully evaluate your strategic goals. For companies aiming to build deeper relationships with customers and achieve broad visibility, the Service Account is the best choice.
Opening a Subscription Account can be useful for businesses that want to focus on sharing informational content. These accounts are well-suited for media outlets, government organizations, or event companies. They may also be a smart option for well-known brands seeking to share promotional offers and coupons with their large consumer base.