With many offices adopting a hybrid work structure, businesses are actively searching for online messaging and video-conferencing tools that can simplify the experience. However, what works globally may not work as effectively in China. Enter WeCom.
One of the most popular business communication platforms in China is called ‘WeCom’ (formally known as WeChat Work before Nov 2020). According to Statista, WeCom received approximately 22.7 million app downloads in China in 2023. In addition to China, the workplace app was also popular in other key markets, such as the United States, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. This article will help introduce the WeCom platform in detail, outlining everything you need to know about implementing WeCom for your business.
What is WeCom? (WeChat Work)
WeCom is a corporate communication and office tool created by the Tencent WeChat team. It has the same communication experience as WeChat, rich OA applications, and the ability to connect with WeChat ecosystem. It can help companies connect internally, connect with ecosystem partners, and connect with consumers. It is also important to note that WeCom has an API, allowing you to access and integrate the functionality of WeChat with other applications (however, in most cases this API allows data into WeChat, but only allows limited data out).
Features of WeCom
Communication experience consistent with WeChat
Chinese users spend an average of two hours a day on WeChat. There are approximately 1.3 billion WeChat users as of March 2023. This covers more than 92% of China's population. WeCom's messaging interface is more or less the same as WeChat, which greatly reduces the difficulty of using WeCom and makes it easier for employees to start work directly.
New Features (2024)
In the past year, WeCom has introduced several new features aimed at enhancing business communication and productivity. Here are some of the key updates:
- Enhanced Video Conferencing: WeCom has improved its video conferencing capabilities, adding features such as virtual backgrounds, breakout rooms, and enhanced screen sharing options. These updates make remote meetings more engaging and efficient.
- AI-Powered Chatbots: WeCom has integrated advanced AI-powered chatbots that can assist with customer service, automate routine tasks, and provide instant responses to common queries, streamlining workflow and increasing efficiency.
- Workflow Automation: New automation tools have been introduced to help users automate repetitive tasks. This includes automated approval processes, reminders, and task assignments, which can be customized to fit specific business needs.
- Security Enhancements: To ensure data security, WeCom has implemented end-to-end encryption for all messages and files shared on the platform. This upgrade provides an additional layer of security for sensitive business communications.
- Integration with Third-Party Apps: WeCom now offers seamless integration with a wider range of third-party applications, including popular CRM and project management tools. This allows for a more cohesive workflow across different platforms.
Connect with WeChat
Contact with Customers
- WeCom can directly add customers' WeChat as friends, and provide customers with services through single chats or group chats. Enterprises can view and manage WeChat customers added by members, and reassign customers of departing members.
Customer groups
- Enterprises can view and manage group chats of employees, and can also directly invite customers using WeChat to join group chats. The maximum number of members for a customer group is 200.
WeChat moments
- WeCom has enabled of WeChat moments which can post promotional information, product dynamics, professional knowledge and other content to customers' WeChat moments, and interact with customer reviews.
Mini-Programs
- Enterprises can develop WeChat mini-programs that can be run and used in WeCom. It can also be sent to customers directly through WeChat messages.
Corporate payments
Enterprises can bind WeChat payment merchants to activate corporate payments. The employee collects the payment from the WeChat customer and collects it into the corporate account, instead of receiving the payment through the employee's personal bank account.
Efficiency tools and office applications
WeCom provides a wealth of OA functions and applications, such as attendance check-in, process approval, financial reimbursement, job reporting and document management. These functions help enterprises to conveniently and efficiently manage employees and customer interactions.
Employees can check the read and unread status of each other by using the messages sent by WeCom, making work communication more efficient.
Video conferencing
- Employees can also use WeCom to schedule appointments, start online video/voice conferences, and screen-share – providing a "Zoom for China" that works reliably both sides of the China firewall.
Live Streaming
- You can now live stream directly from WeCom conversations to reach wider audiences directly into WeChat Channels.
Information security guarantee
WeCom is the first enterprise office product in China that has passed the SOC2Type2 audit. It has international authority certification and bank-level encryption level, which provides a reliable guarantee for corporate data security.
WeCom also is a CRM tool
“Regarding WeCom, if it is positioned as a communication tool within the company, I think its scene and meaning will be much smaller, and it will only generate greater value when it is extended outside the enterprise. The subsequent new changes of the WeCom are based on a new concept: I hope that every employee of the enterprise will become a window for enterprise services. People are services and they are certified services.”
—Allan Zhang, Founder of WeChat
WeCom is not only a tool for internal collaboration of the enterprise but also connected with external customers and turned into a CRM tool. In other words, you can directly reach 1.15 billion WeChat users through WeCom.
Unlike personal WeChat accounts, WeCom accounts belong to corporate accounts, which means that customer information will not be taken away by the departure of the sales staff— protecting the company's digital assets.
Customer information belongs to the company
In the past, when sales staff communicated with customers, they needed to download and forward the sales plan through personal WeChat accounts – much like managing sales interactions on personal WhatsApps. It was difficult for the company to collect and manage customer information in a unified manner, and it was tedious for employees to forward on sales data.
Now, sales can use WeCom to add customers’ WeChat accounts and send sales plans with one click from the workbench. Customer information is stored on WeCom to protect corporate customer assets. More often than not, when salespeople leave or quit a company for another, they take some of their clients with them. WeCom solves this issue, ensuring that your customer lists are owned by the company, not by the salespeople.
If you want to learn more about WeCom’s functions to improve employee management and protect corporate customer information assets, please contact our experts here at Oxygen.
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