Moving beyond social networking, WeChat has transformed itself into an enclosed, all-in-one platform with the new function ⁠— WeChat Mini Program. It takes pride in enhanced features ranging from e-commerce, games and news within the social networking app. In July 2019, we’ve expanded payment gateways for AJ Hackett, a bungee pioneer based in New Zealand with this build-in function.

Traditionally, WeChat official account is a business platform dedicated for content marketing only, while payment requests would be directed to external websites. With this mini-program embedded in our client’s account, users can now purchase admission tickets directly within the app while browsing creative content. In other words, we’ve achieved content marketing and e-commerce in one single platform. This equates to elevated customer experience and extra revenue to the business.

More about WeChat Mini Program

WeChat Mini Programs are considered to be “sub-applications” operating within WeChat, allowing access to web apps without the need to leave the main app.

The mini-programs can serve four main purposes, including e-commerce, utility, mini-games and news. More advanced features are available such as geolocation, task management, coupon redemption, etc.

The Main Benefits of Mini Programs for businesses

-Massive user base

As announced on 15 May 2019, WeChat Monthly Active Users in Q1 2019 has exceeded 1.1 billion

-Less expensive than traditional apps

Mini programs cost less to develop due to its reduced size and complexity. It also runs smoother and faster.

-Easy access to various functionalities

Users gain quick access via multiple entry points without prior installation, such as scanning QR code, direct message or searching nearby programs.

WeChat Mini Programs have almost limitless potential. Connect with us to find out more about how WeChat Mini Program can benefit your business today!

Facebook announced on 02 July 2019 that it has changed its ranking algorithm in an attempt to curb “sensational health claims.”

“In our ongoing efforts to improve the quality of information in News Feed, we consider ranking changes based on how they affect people, publishers and our community as a whole. We know that people don’t like posts that are sensational or spammy, and misleading health content is particularly bad for our community.” the announcement said, explaining the reason behind the move.

Facebook said the updates were designed to minimize the number of posts with misleading health claims, as well as posts that seek to promote sales of products or services based on health-related claims, e.g. pills that claim to contribute to weight loss.

Facebook implements this by predicting which posts are likely to contain health misinformation or solicitation based on phrases frequently used in such posts, and placing these posts lower in News Feed.

The announcement came only a week after an investigative report by The Wall Street Journal, which showed that Facebook and YouTube were inundated with false health claims.

One such claim is treating cancer with baking soda by a salesperson named Robert O. Young, who was convicted in 2016 in the US for practicing medicine without a license. Young got back on Facebook weeks after getting out of prison towards the end of 2017.  According to The Wall Street Journal, back in 2012, a cancer patient flew from the UK to the US to seek treatment from Young. After 12 weeks of treatments comprising baking soda injections and low acid foods which came to a total cost of USD 70,000, the patient passed away. Young now has a number of Facebook pages through which he and his affiliate sell products and services both nationally and internationally.

It should be noted that Facebook is not removing these posts or pages that are repeatedly posting health misinformation. In other words, while the ranking updates make it harder for these posts to reach their target readers, such misinformation is certainly still out there.

If you advertise on Facebook and Instagram, it’s time to update yourself with some of the latest creative tools.

Video creation

In Facebook’s Video Creation Kit, you will now have even more visually-engaging templates to choose from.

What’s more, seasonal stickers and templates are now available in the Effects tab to help “freshen up” your ads. Your ads will never be “the same old thing all year round” anymore!

Meanwhile, 20 new font options have been introduced, making it easier to add text overlays that tie in with your brand guidelines better.

Ever felt “trapped” working on a video because the moment you start, you can’t step away as you don’t want to lose all your work?  The Video Creation Kit has made it possible to save drafts of videos, so you can work on your video whenever you have a moment and pick up exactly where you left off later on.

Video editing

Ads Manager allows selection of an aspect ratio  (4:5, 2:3, 9:16, 1:1 or 16:9) to crop your video according to requirements of different placements (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger or Audience Network).

Similarly, you can trim the duration of a video for different platforms as well.

Dynamic ads

Whether you’re selling products, hotels, flights or vehicles, a dynamic ad might just work for you. Available in single-image, carousel and collection format, dynamic ads can be used across Facebook, Instagram, Audience Network and Messenger.

Branded content ads

Advertisers can now promote branded content posts as feed ads, reaching a wider audience. “Paid partnership with” along with the brand name will appear to ensure ads transparency.

ThruPlay

Available for Facebook, Instagram and Audience Network, ThruPlay allows advertisers to pay only when ads are played to completion or for at least 15 seconds. Optimize your video ad campaign for ThruPlay, and Facebook will deliver it to users that are likely to watch 15 seconds or the whole video.

Let your creativity run amok and have fun experimenting with these creative tools!

The overseas property market used to be dominant by parents who have sent or are planning to send their children to study abroad and those who plan to retire overseas. Not anymore.

Hong Kong property investors recognize the stable growth rate and rental value of properties in cities like Vancouver, Toronto and London. The higher profit margin attracts investors to switch their investment to overseas from the local market, where there are ever-increasing investment costs and a slower rate of return.

Let’s not forget the reverse migrants. For instance, there are an estimated 300,000 Canadian passports holders in Hong Kong. After their emigration to Canada in the 90s and return to Hong Kong, thousands are moving back to Canada with their children, Canadian census data shows.

Given the high demand for overseas properties, this is a great opportunity for overseas property investment businesses to build an online presence to capture business growth via effective digital marketing.

Seminars and trade shows are mainly where conversion occurs. And while many agencies still stick to promoting these offline events via traditional media platforms such as printing pamphlets and placing newspaper ads, potential buyers of the digital era are doing their research and obtaining information online. By appealing to your target audience with an engaging O2O campaign, forward-thinking agencies can be ahead of the game in no time.

NDN Group has been helping to build brand awareness for SQM Global Properties, a real estate agent focusing on overseas sales and marketing services in Hong Kong. Our campaign delivers curated content driven by comprehensive digital marketing strategies that encompass social media, media placement, search engine optimization, geo-targeting and data management.

We also utilize instant messaging applications such as Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp for Business. It gives SQM an enriched, more personal way of communicating with its customers — photos, videos, documents and more — all within the messaging App. All of these, in turn, help SQM raise the number of attendees in its seminars and trade shows with promising results.

Do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you are aspired to expand your overseas property investment business. We are more than happy to offer professional advice to help you achieve your goals. We look forward to working with you in this new digital era.

Advertising is more than how much money you spent; it’s about reaching out to the right audience at the right time. Earlier in March, McCafé owned by Mcdonald’s piloted coffee delivery service in Hong Kong, exclusively available on the McCafé App. We’ve helped our client to launch a large-scale advertising campaign on social media with geo-targeting, an advertising effort combining online and offline technology based on geographic location.

Case study

The campaign is divided into two phases, first to activate seamless touch points in specific areas in Hong Kong to identify our target audience. Three core business districts were targeted: Central, Causeway Bay, and Quarry Bay. Seamless touch points were placed at all the McCafé branches in the above locations, plus some of the nearby commercial buildings and competitor stores. Whenever someone carrying a mobile device passes by one of the touchpoints, anonymized data of that device will be captured instantly. In total, we’ve captured over 500,000 device ID to proceed to the next phase.

For the second phase, we pushed an offer “Buy 4 coffee, get 2 free” via Facebook to our target audience, i.e. the captured ID. In order to maximize click-through rates and ROI, we also conducted A/B testing to refine our creative designs and improve user experience. In addition, the customers are required to use the McCafé app to enjoy the offer, thereby promoting the app downloads. The mobile app has been listed on the “trending” searches on the App Store for at least 2 days.

More about geo-targeting

Geo-targeting offers a personalized customer experience, delivering ads, offers and shopping information to a large number of high-potential, relevant customers. The technology monetizes online social networks and offline location data to drive brand engagement and actual sales at the same time.

With the massive amount of customer data collected, geo-targeting also provides valuable insights for market research on shopping patterns, e.g. the best time to push an ad and the popularity of physical stores.

We’d love to hear your creative thoughts on how to make use of the location-based technology. Let’s get inspired together and see how our team can help to transform your business.

In order to maintain the integrity of content across its family of apps, Facebook has been adopting a strategy called “remove, reduce, and inform” since 2016. The strategy involves removing the content in violation of its policies, reducing the spread of problematic content that’s not in violation of its policies, and providing users with information so that they make informed choices when deciding what to click, read or share.

Remove

Facebook’s Community Standards page sets out what content is or is not permitted, and is designed to create a communication environment that embraces real-world safety, diversity, and equity.

Facebook has recently introduced a new section on this Community Standards page where users are regularly informed of the latest updates. A new feature named “Group Quality” has also been implemented to help admins of Facebook groups understand better how Facebook enforces its standards.

Reduce

While some types of content might not violate the Community Standards, they are not exactly popular among Facebook users, e.g. misinformation and clickbait. Utilizing technology and people in its fight against photo and video-based false news, Facebook has been gaining momentum enforcing against fake accounts and coordinated inauthentic behavior. Measures have been introduced to help users identify false news. Certified fact-checking partners are also used to assess content in 24 languages.

Going forward, Facebook is to continue consulting academics, fact-checking experts, journalists, and other organizations to find new ways to snuff out fake news stories. Groups found to have repeatedly shared false content will have their overall News Feed distribution reduced.

Inform

Features, e.g. the Context Button, have been launched to provide background information related to News Feed content to help users evaluate source credibility.

As part of its upcoming plan, Facebook is set to expand the Context Button to images as well. Existing features, e.g. the Page Quality tab, will be enhanced, and more features like the Trust Indicators will be added in order to provide clarity on a news organization’s ethics and standards.

Messenger

Facebook will be bringing its Verified Badge to Messenger, helping users avoid scammers. Messenger users will be given more control over who can reach them and whom to block. In a move to curb the spread of false news, Messenger will also have its own Context Button and Forward Indicator.

As scammers are constantly evolving their techniques, Facebook is determined to continuously step up its efforts in its war against misinformation.

You have a product that is sure to sweep customers in China off their feet. Your Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have always helped you reach out to customers everywhere else in the world, but if you think you can pull the same tricks again, think again. The social media market in China is a completely different digital landscape. To start with, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter are not available in the country. It is wise to equip yourself with the latest social media strategies in China before launching your product.

1. WeChat

WeChat is an all-in-one messaging app that is like a combination of Facebook, Whatsapp, Google News and more. Businesses can create accounts for promotions and implement CRM functionality. WeChat is so big in China that many businesses don’t even have traditional websites and choose to focus on maintaining their WeChat accounts only.

2. Sina Weibo

China’s answer to Twitter, Sina Weibo is a micro-blogging platform particularly popular among young white-collar workers and KOLs. Businesses can communicate directly with followers and can even sell their products through Weibo.

3. Tencent QQ

QQ is an instant messaging app particularly popular among the younger generation in 3rd and 4th tier cities. Businesses can pay to have marketing content created and published for them. QQ is great for businesses selling non-luxury products.

4. Youku Tudou

Dubbed Chinese Youtube, Youku offers an online viewing analytics tool, making it possible for businesses to identify audience by demographics, location, and other information. Paid advertisement is also available.

5. Baidu Tieba

Similar to Reddit, Baidu Tieba is a keyword-based discussion forum where discussions on any and every topic can be found. It makes a great social media marketing tool for new businesses.

6. Douban

Douban used to be a film and series rating platform like IMDB. As it scales, it has turned into an interest-oriented social networking platform expanding into paid learning content, podcast channel and more. Users use the platform for reviews, ratings and discussions, and for that very reason, it’s a great place for word-of-mouth marketing.

7. Zhihu

Quora-like question-and-answer site Zhihu often sees lengthy posts that cover very specific questions and has outstanding trust rankings on search engines. Businesses can raise brand awareness by answering questions and providing content on Zhihu.

8. Meituan-Dianping

Similar to Yelp, Meituan-Dianping provides a platform for users to share reviews of restaurants, except Meituan-Dianping reviews businesses like beauty salons, hotels, and gyms as well. Being the largest review service provider in China, Meituan-Dianping is an excellent channel to advertise and offer location-based promotions.

9. Momo

Seen as a clone of Tinder, Momo is the largest dating app in China that offers advanced targeting for its advertisers based on location, interest, demographics, etc.

10. Meitu

Meitu is an image-editing app and has recently announced its plan to become a social media platform as well. Currently, the new social media features are in beta and have been receiving encouraging responses. It is set to become a powerful advertising tool, especially for businesses with a focus on women.

Understand the social media tools available in China is crucial to building connections with your target customers. Our team based in Shanghai is ready to help if you need any advice for the mainland market. On a further note, some of our clients work closely with our Hong Kong team for China marketing service.

Virtual banking is nothing new. It started to gain recognition 20 years ago in the West and soon later in Asian countries like Japan and China. In late March 2019, Hong Kong issued the city’s first-ever virtual banking licenses. Still, we’ve got a lot of work to do to catch up with the rest of the world.

Competing with a time-proven traditional banking system, the advantage of virtual banking comes down to customer experience (CX). Imagine there is no more confusion over opening hours and waiting in line, with everything replaced by real-time consultation and online transactions over clicks and taps with your mobile devices anytime, anywhere. A smooth, seamless customer experience is what makes all the difference.

With our expertise in digital transformation and omnichannel marketing for financial institutions, we are presenting the ideal model to bridge the gap between agile virtual platforms and traditional financial services: VIBE.

Referring to Virtual Insurance and Banking Experience in its full form, VIBE is an all-in-one CX platform for digital banking and insurance services. From development to system maintenance, sales, and marketing, VIBE is a full package — covering customer experience, community management, and digital transformation.

Customer experience

A customer experience that involves any human-computer interaction (HCI) like mobile devices or kiosks is often associated with user experience (UX). Our UX approach follows a systemic process to understand needs and deliver the best possible experience for the end users.

Our 5 step UX approach:

1. Empathize and understand the needs of clients and users

2. Define our goals, customer journey, personas, etc.

3. Ideate solutions and strategies

4. Develop prototypes for testing

5. Conduct continuous test-and-learn to optimize usability and utility

To decide whether your business should invest in UX, one can consider the benefits and positive ROI generated by the methodology. A UX process focuses on improving usability, navigation, minimizing errors and load time. A user-friendly experience not only appeals to your customers, but also the search engine, which will likely result in a sustainable increase in organic search rankings and traffic.

Community management

The next step is to ensure our customers stay loyal and engaged. Supported by measurable analytics and management platforms, our team provides customized social media strategies catering to the brand’s unique positioning, values, and audience interests. The engagement channels available range from content marketing, email marketing to loyalty program.

Digital transformation

To optimize social media ROI, a business needs more than merely a Facebook page, but an omnichannel marketing strategy to re-align all marketing channels and digital touchpoints for a seamless experience, e.g. from social media to website, smartphone to tablet, etc. AI cognitive ads and marketing automation tools are some other useful tactics to engage customers and derive analytical data, while reducing wasted efforts and resources.

Case study

1.Blue, the 1st digital insurer in Hong Kong

We were honored to pull off an omnichannel debut campaign for Blue, with 360-degree touchpoints covering social media, video production, web/mobile production, SEO/SEM, as well as innovation such as cognitive ads, an AI chatbot capable of suggesting interest-based offers to engage users individually and generate sales leads.

2.Maxim’s Group

Working closely with our UX specialists, we have launched a loyalty program mobile app for Maxim’s group, one of Asia’s largest food and beverage companies. Upon completion of a series of user research, customer journey mapping, on-site observation, and competitive analysis, the app was designed to facilitate sustainability of a reward system, convenient reservation and search for restaurants.

While targeting at financial services, VIBE is a comprehensive model that can apply to any businesses aiming for a profound transformation and seamless user experience. Contact us today to explore the solutions available to your business.

The latest WeChat Spring Festival data report claims their daily active users reached 1 billion, hitting its peak during Lunar New Year’s Eve. The legendary app began 8 years ago, transforming from a messaging app to the biggest all-in-one social and marketing platform in China.

Earlier in February, we’ve helped KURZ Group, a worldwide leader in hot stamping technologies from Germany, to launch a CNY engagement campaign via H5 pages – the most prevalent WeChat interactive platform for campaigns dedicated to branding, events or specific products.

Showcase

KURZ Group is not new to the Chinese Market nor WeChat; it owns an official page and an e-store on the social media platform to drive online sales. This year, our partner had their eyes on a seasonal campaign, with clear objectives on increasing exposure and engagement with fans during CNY.

Our team in Shanghai customized a red packet giveaway campaign, combining the traditions of giving red packets and the popular WeChat hongbao feature. The campaign boasted an impressive increase in engagement within 5 days.

A mobile shaking trigger was incorporated to add flavors to the game, meaning that a mobile shake was needed to open the red packet and receive the gift. To enter the giveaway, users were also required to fill in basic contact information for us, providing access to meaningful user data for sales leads.

H5 entertaining features

H5 is basically a marketing mobile webpage shared among friends on WeChat. Alongside interactive graphics and videos, H5 supports a wide range of designs and formats to appeal to your audience, e.g. animations, festive greetings and games. You may also incorporate external page links to an official webpage or shopping websites to drive organic traffic and boost sales.

Data tracking

H5 provides tracking of user activity and profile data via WeChat analytical tools, showing traffic sources and demographics of viewers like gender, language and the province they are located. It also includes performance indicators such as views, frequency of interactions over and change in the number of followers.

The aim of your H5 campaign design is to make the page shareworthy – get as creative and fun as possible. Whether you have questions on WeChat marketing or genius ideas on your next H5 campaign, we’re all ears and ready to help.