QQ Media Platform: Tencent Alone Can Have a Good Command of Two Complementary Platforms

Tencent is scheduled to launch the limited beta test of QQ Media Platform (mp.qq.com) from 2 PM to 6PM on September 16th.

Mobile QQ and WeChat are defined as similar platforms due to their alike features in terms of product interface, product function, social function as well as connection ways. Especially after QQ Media Platform is launched, Mobile QQ is just like another edition of WeChat. Whereas it is a very rare circumstance that two identical products are simultaneously in the operation with each playing an equal critical role. There are barely any Internet companies that are capable of controlling such a situation.

As the copycat of WeChat Official Accounts, is QQ Media Platform going to compete with its biggest rival?

In the era of MIG, Mobile QQ and WeChat are in a relationship of competition, which has held back the development of WeChat and even the launch of the voice function is restricted. As a matter of fact, WeChat, in its start up phase, is forced to develop in accompany with the pressure imposed by QQ. As WeChat goes viral, the two platforms appear to become integral and complementary to each other.

1. Complementary on user group

Mostly WeChat users are adults and people living in big cities, while QQ users are young people and living in lower-tier cities. More than 60% of WeChat users are older than 25, more than 50% of QQ user are ‘90s and ‘00s.

QQ was represents for lower-level, so many white-collar workers in big cities would rather use MSN, which was harder to use than QQ. And in the period that WeChat didn’t appeared, many use LINE, which is also hard to use. Started from the first-tier cities and serve for the mobile users, WeChat successfully caught users in big cities, white-collar workers, and adults, and its user number has become the most in the world, no matter LINE, Momo and Easy forex is not its rival. What deserve to be mentioned is that WeChat is also responsible for the international strategy of Tencent, its overseas users has broken 100million last year. WeChat has been used in the Western countries, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and even America.

But still QQ is the biggest social software and serve for users in lower-tier cities. With the transfer of adults to WeChat, QQ users will be younger and mainly serve for ‘00s and ‘10s users. Data in 2014 ‘90s investigation report shows that: Among the users of QQ, ‘90s is the most active one and ‘80s is in the second place that accounts for 32.9%, ‘00s accounts for 11.3%, we can see that ‘90s and ‘00s have occupies over half of the whole users. But in the QQ group, the active group leader rates are:  52.3% for ‘90s, 22.7% for ‘00s, so we can see the active degree of ’90s and ‘00s is very high.

2. Complementary on revenue

The profit model of QQ has already formed with a relatively high return, yet WeChat is still on its way to formulate a feasible modal and currently couldn’t stop from suffering losses.

As an IM which has been operated for over 10 years, QQ’s profit model enters into a mature stage, with a majority of revenue generating from value added service, such as registration of membership,  yellow diamond class, green diamond class, QQ displaying, etc. Therefore, it’s no secret that Tencent is counting on its value added service and online games to create its glorious future.

As per Q2 data, users amount of WeChat which becomes available for 4 years has surpassed 0.6 billion and continues to grow with an amount of 50 million per quarter. While the striking news is that WeChat is far from earning profits except for the game part among the multiple functions. There’s no doubt that WeChat can barely move one step further without the ongoing support from QQ.

3. Complementary on relationship chain

As for a mature social product, QQ covered social scene widely in practice. The nature of QQ is an IM, which is also a relationship and communication tool. QQ connected every relationship you can image, such as acquaintances social, strangers social, group social (QQ group) and interests social (interests tribe). 

But WeChat filled with private circles consist of acquaintances, whose relationships are strong. By the way, WeChat always on the way strengthen the definition of acquaintances social, limiting the fans number. There is an example that “personal friend number + the public account number they followed + the group they are in” over 5,000 are not allowed in WeChat.  

All in all, WeChat and QQ structure the whole user’s connecting relationship.

4. The complementary on commercial possibilities.

Users create commercial value, WeChat is invincible in first or second-tier cities and QQ is the absolute leader in low-tier cities. If QQ and WeChat bring in O2O and IOT, they can almost cover all the online or offline users over the whole country. 

What is the QQ official accounts ’value to QQ?

WeChat public platform is an important step to let Tencent get into the enterprise market. It is the most important overall arrangement to link people with enterprises, information and commodities.  

Now the public platform becomes the core of the WeChat, including the plan of launching we media and originality, which promote the development and value of WeChat official accounts. So far the amount of registered official accounts has been up to 10 million(over 50 thousand are releasing ads). Every person follows about 15 official accounts on average and about 80% information is received through WeChat public platforms.

Therefore, the reason of promoting QQ public platforms is obvious. Through the mode WeChat has tested, QQ uses this method to create a new commercial life for itself.