Why is the sense of participation in QQ getting worse and worse compared to WeChat?

When it comes to participation, perhaps everyone thinks of the book by Xiaomi co-founder Li Wanqiang. Indeed, Xiaomi's success is inseparable from the participation of users, but this participation is based on products, design, marketing, services, etc., which are closely linked and difficult for ordinary companies to understand. Putting aside Xiaomi's participation, let's take a look at the differences in the participation of QQ and WeChat based on the mobile Internet . In the face of the overwhelming WeChat, why does QQ's participation make users feel more and more tired? Through comparison and observation, the author believes that there are at least the following reasons why QQ's participation is not as good as WeChat:

Acquaintances are more likely to increase user stickiness than strangers

According to Chinese habits, when strangers socialize in virtual space, there will be a kind of grudge and distrust between each other. If you meet a "confidant", it's OK, maybe you will become friends in three sentences, but if you "don't get along", it's a bit bad, and you will become a stranger from then on. WeChat broke this industry rule with the privacy of acquaintances' social interaction, and emerged in the field of mobile social networking, and even QQ seems to be unable to cope with it.

Moments VS QQ Says. Some people say that Moments is becoming more and more like QQ Says, while others say that it is becoming more and more like Weibo. Various micro-business advertisements, inspirational quotes, and entertainment gossips are emerging in an endless stream, which seriously damages the ecological experience of Moments. If you look at it from this perspective, it is indeed a transplanted version of Weibo and a smaller version of QQ Says. This understanding is actually unreasonable. First of all, in terms of experience, Moments is better than Says, and the page is clean and refreshing; secondly, in terms of participation, Moments is more private than QQ Says. In this era when everyone desires privacy protection, first-degree connections (Moments) are more trustworthy and communicative than second-degree connections (QQ); thirdly, the interaction between Moments is basically free of harassment such as advertising and spam; finally, in terms of marketing communication, as long as there are friends, it can be spread indefinitely (although QQ Says can also be used, but it is basically difficult to achieve).

There are similar examples such as micro communities vs QQ interest groups, WeChat groups vs QQ groups, QQ spaces vs WeChat public platforms, etc. Although their functions are almost the same in everyone's opinion, they are completely different in experience and communication. Why is WeChat so popular? Many of its functions are reflected in these small details.

QQ is product-centric, WeChat is user-centric

In my opinion, QQ has always been product-centric. When you open QQ, you can find all of Tencent's products, including social networking, games, shopping, videos, music, news, etc. Almost every entry page is filled with products. Although WeChat also takes products as its priority, it is more user-centric. Even though it tends to follow QQ in terms of commercialization, WeChat is always cautious in every step forward on the road to commercialization.

No matter how QQ has been optimized and upgraded over the years, it has only done two things: one is to continuously improve the services it provides to users; the other is to strengthen its social connection capabilities. It completely ignored the role of users as participants. In the WeChat era, Zhang Xiaolong keenly discovered this point, and this role of participation has been fully exposed.

The heavy attack of WeChat red envelopes first made users ecstatic and scrambled for them, and then they imitated and became common people. Many people found a sense of existence in WeChat red envelopes, but WeChat did not stop there, but launched a series of online services based on users, such as WeChat wallet, transfer, face-to-face payment, card swiping, card wallet, etc. The strong sense of participation greatly improved the stickiness of users.

In addition, some third-party service providers such as Weimeng and Koudaitong have used the WeChat public platform to engage in crowdfunding, helping merchants to do business on WeChat through crowdfunding. In contrast, QQ rarely puts effort into how to activate users.

QQ focuses on social networking, WeChat focuses on social networking + e-commerce

Another major reason why QQ users do not feel as engaged as WeChat is that QQ focuses on social networking, while WeChat does both social networking and e-commerce (although e-commerce is not favored by people). With the development of mobile Internet and the rise of mobile e-commerce, companies that only do social products will inevitably be overwhelmed by the market. Mobile + e-commerce is a direction for future e-commerce exploration. It is not that QQ has never done e-commerce, but it was too hard and tiring and finally had to "marry" JD.com (PaiPai.com).

WeChat has activated a group of enthusiastic and opportunistic micro-businesses (selling goods in the circle of friends). They bombarded the circle of friends and "raped" people's vision. People could not bear it any longer and had to block them silently. Many people hate micro-businesses and speak ill of them. In my opinion, WeChat really needs to thank these micro-businesses. First of all, they brought a sense of participation, lit up the circle of friends, and increased the activity of users. They made a group of people who could not survive on Taobao find their home again (although this is not their final home, and the micro-businesses in the circle of friends will inevitably die out), but this is the best territory at present. They opened a new era of e-commerce for everyone and spread the concept of e-commerce for all. If WeChat is allowed to cultivate this market by itself, I am afraid that it will be standing still for three to five years. The era of e-commerce for everyone is also the era of participation by everyone. WeChat's ease of control also proves that its openness and attitude go hand in hand.

In the future, participation will determine the success or failure of social products

Whether it is WeChat, the leader, or Momo, which is seeking to go public after “reforming itself”, or Maimai, which is focused on the sudden emergence of Zhilaizhiwang, all of them have worked hard to create a sense of user participation. In the future, social software will no longer be a simple social tool, but will carry more connections, collaboration and communication between people, things and objects. Strangers become friends, friends become fans, fans become customers, and customers become merchants in a cycle. In this process, a sense of participation is the most important driving force. Without this driving force, everything will end in failure.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.