The WeChat team announced on January 22 the internal testing for Video Account, a short content platform that everyone can create in the form of videos within one minute or images up to 9.
On January 9, Alan Zhang, the creator of WeChat, said that the short content of WeChat has always been the direction to be explored. If it is successful, it may be launched in the near future.
WeChat's positioning for Video Account is that it’s a a platform everyone can record and create on, and it is also a window to understand others and the world.
WeChat said it welcomes organizations and individuals who have the creative and expressive intentions to join the Video Account, and use the video within 1 minute or pictures up to 9 to create anytime, anywhere and share life and the world with more people.
WeChat said users can send an email to channels@tencent.com to apply for internal testing. The title of the email must indicate “Video Account internal testing + name or subject name”, and the text provides identity information (such as WeChat, personal or institutional introduction), and Proof of user influence.
At present, WeChat only allows users in some cities to access the Video Account.
This is a departure from the current format that focuses on articles (with accompanying visuals).
The foray into short-video publishing marks Tencent’s latest endeavor to recover lost ground from ByteDance, which created social media phenom TikTok and its Chinese twin Douyin.
The latter, which now serves 400 million daily active users in China, has hurt Tencent’s bottom line by luring teens and advertisers away from WeChat.
