WeChat monetization takes a celebrity twist
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E-mail Xinhua, September 23, 2013
China's most popular instant-messaging service now offers a more intimate way for fans to interact with celebrities -- and it comes with a price.
For a membership fee, WeChat users can now have their favorite movie stars wake them up in the morning, see unretouched celebrity photos, and read books published by famous writers.
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[Photo / Technode.com] |
The official WeChat account of Chinese actor Chen Kun now asks users to pay 18 yuan (2.92 U.S. dollars) a month for exclusive content. Given Chen's massive popularity and WeChat's 400 million-plus users, analysts say the account could generate a substantial amount of revenue.
Many celebrities in China have turned to WeChat to engage with the public after the messaging app, launched by Chinese Internet company Tencent in early 2011, gained instant popularity among mobile users.
Despite WeChat's rising popularity, much of the revenue for parent company Tencent comes from gaming. Morgan Stanley said in June that the Chinese Internet giant's profit margins are likely to narrow further in 2013 as the company invests aggressively in e-commerce and mobile Internet.
While users of the company's WeChat app have been on a steep rise in the years since its launch, the company has yet to develop a clear vision on how to monetize WeChat's sprawling user base.
The latest version of the app has laid groundwork for future monetization efforts. The update enables a mobile payment service through the company's payment subsidiary, Tenpay. Tencent also charges users for premium stickers and emoticons, while its barcode scanning function has been improved to assist mobile purchasing.
The renewed platform also sets the stage for in-app gaming, a channel widely deemed a potential source of revenue.
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