WeChat’s monthly active user base reached 1.36 billion in 2024. The sales of WeChat advertising from Tencent increased by 26% in Q1 2024, indicating that an increasing number of companies are investing their marketing budgets in WeChat advertising.
In this article, we’ll explore how WeChat advertising can benefit your business and how you can maximize its potential to enhance brand awareness and drive leads in the Chinese market.
Table of contents
What is WeChat Advertising?
Launched in 2015 by Tencent, WeChat advertising offers a versatile and powerful advertising platform that enables businesses to reach a wide audience through various ad formats and targeting options in China, similar to Facebook advertising.
WeChat advertising offers international brands with a robust platform to promote their products and services in Chinese market or to overseas WeChat users. With its vast user base, advanced targeting capabilities, diverse ad formats, and integration with the WeChat ecosystem, brands can effectively reach and engage with Chinese consumers, driving brand awareness, trust, and sales.
There are two main portals to advertise on WeChat:
Through the backend platform of the WeChat official account;
Via the Tencent advertising portal (https://ad.qq.com/).
Who can Advertise on WeChat?
Only companies with a Chinese business registration can directly open a WeChat advertising account through the WeChat backend platform.
For foreign companies without a Chinese business registration, you must apply for authorization manually through Tencent’s customer service.
WeChat advertising is subject to strict industry regulations, especially for foreign companies. Below are the industries that are either prohibited or require special approval from Tencent:
Prohibited Industries:
Web portal (e.g., news community forums)
Merchant Services
Marriage and dating services
Prenatal care
Healthcare
Tabacco
Legal services
Police equipment
Casino and lotteries
Industry Required Special Approval:
Education
Financial services and banking
Real estate
Business service
Gaming
Agency associations
Sexual health products
Advertising Cost on WeChat
WeChat advertising cost can be categorized into two types:
Contract-based Cost Contract-based advertising cost involves advertisers signing a cooperation agreement with the WeChat platform (or its agents). This agreement stipulates that advertisements will be displayed for a certain period with a fixed amount of placement, specified advertisement positions, and other predefined conditions. In contract-based advertising, only two pricing models are currently supported:
CPM | Cost per thousand impression |
CPT | Cost per time (This pricing model allows advertisers to purchase exclusive use of a specific ad position on WeChat for a set period. The cost is based on the duration of the ad placement, rather than the number of impression or clicks.) |
Bidding-based Cost Bidding-based advertising cost determines the display position of ads through a bidding mechanism. In the WeChat advertising system, advertisers set their bid price and placement strategy according to their needs and budget. They then participate in the bidding for ad positions. Advertisers with higher bids and high-quality ads have the opportunity to gain more exposure. Bidding-based advertising on WeChat is sold under different rules depending on the type of WeChat ad. There are five pricing models:
CPM | Cost per thousand impression |
CPC | Cost per click |
CPA | Cost per action (e.g., download) |
oCPM | Optimized CPM |
oCPC | Optimized CPC |
In addition, the cost of WeChat advertising is also influenced by the target city where you plan to run your campaign. Cities are categorized into three groups:
Core Cities (Tier 1 Cities) | Beijing, Shanghai |
Key Cities (Tier 2 Cities) | Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Suzhou, Chongqing, Nanjing, Tianjin, Xian, Shenyang, Changsha, Qingdao, Ningbo, Zhengzhou, Dalian, Xiamen, Jinan, Harbin, Fuzhou |
Other Cities (Tier 3 Cities and more) | All other cities excluding the 22 mentioned above |
These classifications impact the cost of advertising, with core cities generally being more expensive due to higher competition and audience reach.
How to Set Up WeChat Advertising?
To set up WeChat advertising, you can access the platform through a WeChat official account or the Tencent Advertising Portal. Here’s an overview using the Tencent Advertising Portal, it involves several key sections:
Ads Objective
Select your campaign objective: product sales, brand promotion, increasing followers, lead collection, or user acquisition (for apps and mini-programs).
Choose the advertising subject: promote an offline store/shop or online platforms like WeChat Channels, WeChat Channels live streaming, or WeChat official accounts.
Ads Placement
Choose where your ads will appear: WeChat Channels, WeChat Moments, WeChat Official Accounts, or WeChat mini-programs.
Ads Targeting
Define your target audience by geography: province, city, district, or street in China. For overseas targeting, only Malaysia and Singapore are available via the portal. You need to contact Tencent's customer service if you want to target overseas countries beyond these two.
Set demographics: age (14-66+), gender, and network types (WiFi, 5G, 4G or more).
Customized audience: upload your own audience list from previous WeChat ads for precise targeting or exclusions.
Ads Bidding and Budget
Choose between oCPM and CPM bidding.
Select bidding types: stabilized conversion or maximized conversion. Input your bid price and review the bidding reference to gauge the likelihood of your campaign running at that price.
Ads Setting
Set the ad duration and specific display times.
After submitting these settings, you'll be redirected to the ads content creation section to design your ads and landing page.
Ads Content Creation
Upload ad materials: upload your ad materials, including banner designs, copywriting, and display formats. Ensure that all elements are correctly formatted for optimal display.
Design landing page: create a landing page that aligns with your ad’s goals and provides a smooth user experience.
Content compliance check: before running your ads, click ‘Detect Content Creation’ to verify that your ads meet Tencent’s advertising requirements and rules.
Preview your ads: preview your WeChat ads on a desktop or scan the QR code to view them on your mobile device to ensure everything appears as intended.
Types of WeChat Advertising
WeChat offers six different ad formats for businesses to choose from:
WeChat Moments Ads
WeChat Moments Ads are one of the most popular and essential advertising formats on WeChat. These ads are displayed within users' Moments, similar to Facebook news feed ads, and seamlessly blend with friend-generated content within the WeChat moments.
WeChat Moments is a highly engaging social feature that users frequently use to stay updated on their friends’ and relatives’ activities. According to 2021 data from WeChat, 780 million user engage with WeChat Moments and 120 million users post on WeChat Moments. With this high level of engagement, WeChat Moments Ads become the premier choice for advertisers, known for their effectiveness in reaching target audiences.
Cost of WeChat Moments Ads
Contract-based Cost
Minimum budget for WeChat Moments contract-based ads starting from CNY 50,000/ campaign (approximately USD 6895/ campaign);
Advertisers can start placing advertisements within 1-28 calendar days;
The duration of the advertisement ranges from 12 hours to 6 calendar days (4-6 hours for time-limited promotional advertisements).
Video advertising content | Image advertising content | |
Core cities | USD 25/ CPM | USD 21/ CPM |
Key cities | USD 17/ CPM | USD 14/ CPM |
Other cities | USD 9/ CPM | USD 7/ CPM |
Bidding-based Cost
Minimum budget for WeChat Moments bidding-based ads starting from CNY CNY 50/ day (approximately USD 7/ day);
The cost is between USD 2/ CPM - USD 13/ CPM (specific price will fluctuate based on industry, target audience and bidding situation).
WeChat Moments Ads Specs - Image
Format | Image Specs | Image Format | Image Size | Remark | Example |
Classic | 800*800px 640*800px 800*640px | png/ jpg/ jpeg | less than 300k | Text content should occupy no more than 30% of the image.
QR codes in the image cannot be recognized by long-pressing.
|  |
Card | 800*450px | png/ jpg/ jpeg | less than 300k | Text content should occupy no more than 30% of the image. QR codes in the image cannot be recognized by long-pressing. |  |
Multi image | 800*800px 640*960px 640*1136px | png/ jpg/ jpeg | less than 300k | Text content should occupy no more than 30% of the image. QR codes in the image cannot be recognized by long-pressing. |  |
WeChat Moments Ads Specs - Video
Support for External Style | Video Type | Video Specs | Video Parameters | Other |
Card (full-screen card ads, swipe card ads, long-press card ads) | Long video | Width: 750px Height: less than 1536px (suggested height: 422px/ 1334px/ 1500px/ 1536px) | Format type: High Profile Video bitrate: less than 2000kbit/s Duration: less than 600s (suggest 90s) File size: less than 30M | Video format: MP4 Video codec: H.264/ AVC Frame rate: less than 30fps (24fps) Video bitrate: larger than 800kbit/s Audio format: AAC Audio bitrate: less than 96kbit/sec Audio sample rate: 44.1 kHz Maximum keyframe interval keyint: 10 Minimum keyframe interval min-keyint: 5 |
Card (full-screen card ads, swipe card ads, long-press card ads) | Short video | Width: 750px Height: less than 1536px (suggested height: 422px/ 1334px/ 1500px/ 1536px) | Format type: High Profile Video bitrate: less than 1200kbit/s Duration: 6-30s File size: less than 5M | Video format: MP4 Video codec: H.264/ AVC Frame rate: less than 30fps (24fps) Video bitrate: larger than 800kbit/s Audio format: AAC Audio bitrate: less than 96kbit/sec Audio sample rate: 44.1 kHz Maximum keyframe interval keyint: 10 Minimum keyframe interval min-keyint: 5 |
Card ( basic card ads, label card ads, action card ads, choice card ads) | Long video | When the video used as ad cover: 640*360px When the video used as ad content: Width: 750px Height: less than 1536px (suggested height: 422px/ 1334px/ 1500px/ 1536px) | Format type: High Profile Video bitrate: less than 2000kbit/s Duration: less than 600s (suggest 90s) File size: less than 30M | Video format: MP4 Video codec: H.264/ AVC Frame rate: less than 30fps (24fps) Video bitrate: larger than 800kbit/s Audio format: AAC Audio bitrate: less than 96kbit/sec Audio sample rate: 44.1 kHz Maximum keyframe interval keyint: 10 Minimum keyframe interval min-keyint: 5 |
Card ( basic card ads, label card ads, action card ads, choice card ads) | Short video | When the video used as ad cover: 640*360px When the video used as ad content: Width: 750pxHeight: less than 1536px (suggested height: 422px/ 1334px/ 1500px/ 1536px) | Format type: High Profile Video bitrate: less than 1200kbit/s Duration: 6-30s File size: less than 5M | Video format: MP4 Video codec: H.264/ AVC Frame rate: less than 30fps (24fps) Video bitrate: larger than 800kbit/s Audio format: AACAudio bitrate: less than 96kbit/sec Audio sample rate: 44.1 kHz Maximum keyframe interval keyint: 10 Minimum keyframe interval min-keyint: 5 |
Who Should Advertise on WeChat Moments?
Companies with a large budget: businesses with substantial budgets are ideal for WeChat Moments Ads, which require significant investment.
Companies seeking rapid visibility: brands wanting a quick boost in impressions and brand awareness will benefit from WeChat Moments Ads.
Companies launching major campaigns: brands running crucial annual campaigns aiming to reach a broad audience of Chinese consumers are well-suited for WeChat Moments Ads.
WeChat Moments Ads Case Studies
Smart | Dior |
The auto brand Smart has launched WeChat Moments Ads to promote their new product, the Smart #1. The brand used a short promotional video as compelling advertising material to attract target customers. When users click on the video, they are redirected to a sales leads collection form. | Dior launched a limited edition gift package for Chinese Valentine's Day and advertised it on WeChat Moments. The engaging ad allows WeChat users to shake their phones to reveal a Chinese Valentine's Day red envelope. Additionally, it redirects user to purchase the gift package through Dior's WeChat Mini Program store. |
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Scan for QR code to view the ad | Scan for QR code to view the ad |
WeChat Channels Ads
Short video have become the dominant force in Chinese social media market, leading to the launch of WeChat Channels in 2020. In 2022, WeChat Channels Ads were introduced, with several brands including BMW, Yili Dairy and Armani participating in the beta testing of this new ad format.
With WeChat Channels Ads, companies can advertise through in-feed video ads, short videos and live-streaming. Alternatively, they can collaborate with WeChat channels influencer to create advertisement on WeChat Channels.
Cost of WeChat Channels Ads
Contract-based Cost
Minimum budget for WeChat Channels contract-based ads starting from CNY 50,000/ campaign (approximately USD 6895/ campaign);
Advertisers can start placing advertisements within 1-28 calendar days;
The duration of the advertisement ranges from 1-15 calendar days.
Cost of Contract-based WeChat Channels Ads | |
Core cities | USD 14/ CPM |
Key cities | USD 11/ CPM |
Other cities | USD 7/ CPM |
Bidding-based Cost
The cost is between USD 2/ CPM - USD 13/ CPM (specific price will fluctuate based on industry, target audience and bidding situation)
WeChat Channels Ads Specs
Video Type | Video Specs | Video Parameters | Other |
Short video | Width: 750px Height: less than 1536px | Format type: Main Profile Video bitrate: less than 800kbit/s Duration: less than 15s File size: less than 1.7M | Video format: MP4 Video codec: H.264/ AVC Frame rate: less than 30fps (24fps) Audio format: AAC Audio bitrate: less than 96kbit/secAudio sample rate: 44.1 kHz Maximum keyframe interval keyint: 10 Minimum keyframe interval min-keyint: 5 |
Long video | Width: 750px Height: less than 1536px | Format type: Baseline Profile Video bitrate: less than 1600kbit/s Duration: less than 90s File size: less than 20M | Video format: MP4 Video codec: H.264/ AVC Frame rate: less than 30fps (24fps) Audio format: AAC Audio bitrate: less than 96kbit/sec Audio sample rate: 44.1 kHz Maximum keyframe interval keyint: 10 Minimum keyframe interval min-keyint: 5 |
Who Should Advertise on WeChat Channels?
Companies with a short video marketing strategy: businesses producing a lot of video content for short video channels can leverage WeChat Channels ads to maximize their reach and engagement.
Companies with established WeChat Official Accounts: brands with a presence on WeChat Official Accounts for over a year looking to significantly boost their brand awareness and increase their followers.
Brands launching comprehensive campaigns: businesses planning a campaign and seeking a comprehensive marketing strategy to promote it across all Chinese marketing channels will benefit from using WeChat Channels Ads
WeChat Banner Ads
WeChat Banner Ads, also known as WeChat Official Account Ads, are widely used by international brands and companies. These ads offer various placements within the WeChat official account article to maximize visbility and engagement.
There are four placements for WeChat banner ads:
Cost of WeChat Banner Ads
Contract-based Cost
Ads Placement | Subscription account list | At the bottom of official account articles | In the middle of official account articles |
Minimum Entry Budget | Starting from USD 138/ campaign | Starting from USD 138/ campaign | Starting from USD 138/ campaign |
Core cities | USD 6/ CPM | USD 6/ CPM | USD 4/ CPM |
Key cities | USD 5.5/ CPM | USD 5.5/ CPM | USD 3/ CPM |
Other cities | USD 5/ CPM | USD 5/ CPM | USD 2.06/ CPM |
Bidding-based Cost
The cost is between USD 0.06/ CPC - USD 2/ CPC (specific price will fluctuate based on industry, target audience and bidding situation)
The cost is between USD 2/ CPM - USD 5/ CPM (specific price will fluctuate based on industry, target audience and bidding situation)
WeChat Banner Ads Specs - Image
Image Specs | Image Format | Image Size | Remark |
800*800px 640*800px 800*640px 800*450px | png/ jpg/ jpeg | less than 300k | Text content should occupy no more than 30% of the image. QR codes in the image cannot be recognized by long-pressing. |
WeChat Banner Ads Specs - Video
Video Type | Video Specs | Video Parameters | Other |
Short video | 640*480px 640*360px | Format type: Main Profile Video bitrate: less than 800kbit/s Duration: less than 15s File size: less than 1.7M | Video format: MP4 Video codec: H.264/ AVC Frame rate: less than 30fps (suggest to 24fps) Audio format: AAC Audio bitrate: less than 96kbit/sec Audio sample rate: 44.1 kHz Maximum keyframe interval keyint: 10 Minimum keyframe interval min-keyint: 5 |
Who Should Advertise on WeChat Banner?
Companies with a limited budget: ideal for businesses with a smaller budget for WeChat advertising.
First-time WeChat advertisers: suitable for brands new to paid advertising in the Chinese digital market, looking to test the waters.
Brands seeking alternatives: perfect for companies that have tried ads on other digital channels like Douyin, Weibo or Xiaohongshu and found them ineffective.
Long-term advertisers: suitable for businesses implementing a long-term advertising strategy with a fixed annual budget.
WeChat Mini Program Ads
WeChat Mini-Program Advertising refers to ad formats displayed within WeChat Mini-Programs. These ads can be directly embedded into the pages or scenarios of the Mini-Program, integrating seamlessly with its content and functions. This provides users with a more native and smooth advertising experience.
Cost of WeChat Mini Program Ads
Contract-based Cost
WeChat Mini program banner ads | WeChat Mini program pop-up ads | |
Minimum Entry Budget | Starting from USD 138/ campaign | Starting from USD 138/ campaign |
Core cities | USD 3.4/ CPM | USD 9.7/ CPMM |
Key cities | USD 2.8/ CPM | USD 9/ CPM |
Other cities | USD 2.1/ CPM | USD 8.3/ CPM |
Bidding-based Cost
The cost is between USD 0.06/ CPC - USD 2/ CPC (specific price will fluctuate based on industry, target audience and bidding situation)
The cost is between USD 2/ CPM - USD 5/ CPM (specific price will fluctuate based on industry, target audience and bidding situation)
WeChat Mini Program Ads Specs - Image
Image Specs | Image Format | Image Size | Remark |
Width: 750px Height: less than 1536px | png/ jpg/ jpeg | less than 300k | QR codes in the image cannot be recognized by long-pressing. |
WeChat Mini Program Ads Specs - Video
Video Type | Video Specs | Video Parameters | Other |
Short video | 640*480px 640*360px | Format type: Main Profile Video bitrate: less than 800kbit/s Duration: less than 15s File size: less than 1.7M | Video format: MP4 Video codec: H.264/ AVC Frame rate: less than 30fps (suggest to 24fps) Audio format: AAC Audio bitrate: less than 96kbit/sec Audio sample rate: 44.1 kHz Maximum keyframe interval keyint: 10 Minimum keyframe interval min-keyint: 5 |
Who Should Advertise on WeChat Mini Program?
E-commerce Companies: Businesses in the e-commerce industry using WeChat Mini-Programs as e-stores can effectively redirect potential customers through Mini-Program advertisements.
B2C Businesses: Companies looking to attract customers to their online or offline shops can use WeChat Mini-Program advertisements to send coupons as advertising content, driving traffic and engagement.
WeChat Search Ads
WeChat offers a search feature called '搜一搜,' meaning 'search' in Chinese. This functions like a search engine within the WeChat ecosystem. Ads can be placed in WeChat search results, known as WeChat Search Ads. There are two types: Brand zone Ads and in-feed ads.
Brand zone ads prominently feature a brand within the search results, providing high visibility. These ads provide a comprehensive WeChat advertising strategy, allowing you to promote all your brand information, including your WeChat Official Account, WeChat Mini-Program, WeChat Channels, store information (address and contact), and recent marketing activities, all in one place.
In-feed ads appear within the search results feed, blending seamlessly with the organic content. These ads increase the visibility of your WeChat ads when users search for information within the WeChat search feature.
Cost of WeChat Search Ads
Contract-based Cost
The minimum budget for Brand Zone WeChat Search Ads starts at CNY 50,000 (around USD 6,895). The pricing is based on the CPT (Cost Per Time) model.
Bidding-based Cost
The cost is between USD 0.06/ CPC - USD 2/ CPC (specific price will fluctuate based on industry, target audience and bidding situation).
Who Should Advertise on WeChat Search?
Brand Zone WeChat Search Ads
Companies with sufficient budget: Businesses with a monthly budget exceeding USD 7,000 should consider Brand Zone WeChat Search Ads for maximum impression and brand exposure. Brand Zone ads offer a unique and prominent advertising effect that other WeChat ad types cannot provide. Unlike other WeChat ads that typically redirect users to a single channel, Brand Zone ads can present multiple channels, enhancing visibility and engagement.
In-feed WeChat Search Ads
Business consultancy companies: ideal for companies in the business consultancy industry, as potential customers frequently search for questions and information within the WeChat search engine.
Brands adding value through content: brands can use in-feed WeChat Search Ads to enhance their product's value by promoting case studies or user stories. For example, a coffee machine manufacturer can advertise not only their products but also content like "10 Tips to Make a Great Cup of Coffee." This way, the ad will appear when potential customers search for related information in the WeChat search engine.
WeChat Watching Ads
WeChat Watching Ads appear within the "watching" areas of the WeChat ecosystem. These in-feed ads blend naturally with other "watching" content, making them highly engaging. Potential customers are more likely to click on ads that interest them while browsing other news and content within the watching area.
Cost of WeChat Watching Ads
Contract-based Cost
Minimum budget for brand zone WeChat search ads starting from CNY 50,000 (approximately USD 6895).
Bidding-based Cost
The cost is between USD 0.06/ CPC - USD 2/ CPC (specific price will fluctuate based on industry, target audience and bidding situation).
Who Should Advertise on WeChat Watching?
Companies promoting new products: ideal for businesses looking to promote new products, product evaluations, or events.
Targeting older audiences: perfect for companies whose target customers are over 40, as WeChat Watching Ads are highly engaging for users in this age group.
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