By Hilary Montgomery, Research Associate
When I arrived in China to teach English at a university, I had no real idea of what to expect. People had given me many suggestions, including to get a VPN for my computer...which I did without any real understanding of what a VPN is or what it does. I must say, I am thankful for it. Without it, I wouldn’t have access to Skype, YouTube, or Facebook. Being an American in China is a very strange thing. I don’t understand much of what is going on around me. Since I’ve been here, though, I’ve learned a bit about the world outside of Facebook, for my students that is WeChat and QQ.
When I arrived in China to teach English at a university, I had no real idea of what to expect. People had given me many suggestions, including to get a VPN for my computer...which I did without any real understanding of what a VPN is or what it does. I must say, I am thankful for it. Without it, I wouldn’t have access to Skype, YouTube, or Facebook. Being an American in China is a very strange thing. I don’t understand much of what is going on around me. Since I’ve been here, though, I’ve learned a bit about the world outside of Facebook, for my students that is WeChat and QQ.
WeChat is a messaging system that is used by just about all of the people I’ve met here. According to its website, it is mainly used in Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Thailand, Indonesia, and China. In addition to its messaging ability, it also has a “moments” stream where users can post pictures and share links. Here, people share at least as much as I do on Facebook--often more. My WeChat friends post daily pictures ranging from food to the assignments written on the chalkboard.
QQ is also a messaging platform, but it also has an email option. I have not downloaded this yet, but it seems like all of my students use it. I often receive emails that read like text messages because they are sent from this platform. My students make video calls with QQ as often as they make voice calls.
QR Codes
Both WeChat and QQ use QR codes extensively for transferring information. If you don’t know what QR codes are, they are those weird little black and white boxes that are sometimes on advertisements. When I want to add someone to my WeChat, I can go to my profile and pull up my QR, and my new friend can use their phone to scan my phone. Then, I will get an invitation to be friends--no need to tell them how to spell my name or make sure they type my phone number correctly.
Understanding the different ways that customers use the internet outside of the little bubble in America can be extremely important for a business that is trying to grow. Even if your company is not trying to reach Asian markets, the customers that are currently in your market might be missed if you are only marketing using Twitter and Facebook.
What markets do you want to reach? Would WeChat and QQ be beneficial? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Understanding the different ways that customers use the internet outside of the little bubble in America can be extremely important for a business that is trying to grow. Even if your company is not trying to reach Asian markets, the customers that are currently in your market might be missed if you are only marketing using Twitter and Facebook.
What markets do you want to reach? Would WeChat and QQ be beneficial? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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