![]() “Short-form content is what we will work on going forward. Zhang first mentioned short-video content during WeChat’s flagship annual conference in Guangzhou in January. Under the current testing mode, the platform has been gradually opening the function to more users. KrASIA learned that the first batch of users allowed to post short-videos consists of WeChat public account owners, brands, and multi-channel networks (MCNs). On the other hand, some users shy away from the feature because all activities will be exposed to their WeChat’s contacts, who are not only friends and family members but may also be work colleagues or clients.Ĭurrently, not everyone can be a Channels creator. On one hand, underpinned by WeChat’s strong network effect, content on Channels could be easily spread among one’s WeChat contacts. The system recommends content that a user’s friends liked or commented on. There are four ways for users to navigate Channels-”following”, “friends”, “hot”, and “nearby”-which distinguishes its recommendation mechanism from Douyin’s. In the latest version of WeChat, comments are displayed like a news ticker at the bottom of videos. This short-form content is open to comments, likes, and forwards. In addition to allowing videos under 60 seconds, creators can also post up to nine photos (a function similar to Moments). Videos, either square, horizontal or vertical, take up less space. Unlike ByteDance’s app’s full-screen display, Channels’ interface is less eye-catching. The short-video section looks totally different from Douyin. The “red spot” notifies users of your friends’ new activities and pops up every now and then. WeChat’s users can easily find access to Channels on the Discover tab, just under Moments. Source: Screenshot of WeChat How is WeChat introducing short-video content? Read more: The top Chinese short-video apps in 2020 vying to grab your attention with fast content The button for Channels is right under the access to Moments on WeChat, while the interface is quite different from Douyin. Some of them, perhaps just unintentionally, clicked into the section instead of becoming dedicated users of the function, putting some doubt over the 200 million users milestone. ![]() However, will Channels be able to engage and retain users? After all, compared to other standalone apps, Channels is backed by WeChat’s 1.2 billion active users. Other than Zhang’s announcement, WeChat hasn’t promoted Channels, keeping a low-profile about its short-video attempt. Zhang’s Moments post marks a decent debut for this feature, although the “200 million” is relatively vague and does not specify whether that number is DAU or monthly active users (MAU). Creators can simply film, edit, and upload videos by phone, while tools, templates, and filters provided by platforms further enhance accessibility for video creators.Ī couple of weeks after the conference, WeChat started to beta test Channels. On the contrary, short-video platforms like Douyin and Kuaishou, born in the era of mobile internet, are more flexible. Firstly, it initially only allowed its creators to edit content from a PC, and secondly, the current text-based form of WeChat public accounts limited the use of other multimedia formats. He said WeChat would soon allow users to “create short-form content,” in a keynote address delivered via video conference.Īt the time, Zhang pointed out that WeChat has done two things wrong. Zhang announced the rollout of Channels, or “Shiping Hao,” in Chinese meaning “Video Account”, at WeChat’s flagship annual conference held in Guangzhou, the app’s birthplace, in January. The market is currently dominated by ByteDance’s Douyin and Tencent-backed Kuaishou, with over 400 million DAUs and 300 million DAUs, respectively. He is talking about “Channels”, the short-video section of WeChat-still in beta mode-that is considered by many as Tencent’s last shot to compete against ByteDance’s Douyin (known overseas as TikTok), as short-video content is proving to be such a money-spinner in China’s online industry.ĭuring the Chinese New Year festive period (January 24 to February 2), the average daily active users (DAUs) of short-video applications reached 574 million in China, according to a report from research firm Questmobile, as citizens spent more time on these apps due the COVID-19 pandemic. Gotta mark this,” reads a widely-circulated screenshot on social media, from a post on WeChat’s Moments by Allen Zhang, the man who built the ubiquitous Chinese messaging app WeChat from the ground up.
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