Tencent trials paywall for WeChat blogs amid signs that China’s netizens are ready to hand over hard cash
- Some official accounts, which are blog-like platforms, will be able to charge readers either for selected original content or all posts
China’s ubiquitous social media and do-everything app WeChat is testing paywalls for official accounts, opening up more monetisation opportunities for its content creators as Chinese internet users show willingness to pay for online content.
Some official accounts, which are blog-like platforms, will be able to charge readers either for selected original content or all posts, WeChat said on Tuesday. The content creators can price articles from 1 yuan to 208 yuan (15 cents to US$30), and WeChat will not take a cut on the revenues during the trial period.
WeChat, operated by Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings, will initially only allow access to the paywall feature to a limited number of bloggers who have published at least three original pieces of content without violations of community rules for three months. It expects to roll the paywall out across a wider group of members in future.
Accounts run by media organisations, governments and companies will be excluded from the official trials, according to WeChat.
WeChat, which boasts 1.15 billion active users, is one of the most popular content platforms for Chinese internet users, who can choose to tip writers for content they like. The new feature will allow WeChat to offer its content creators an additional moneymaking opportunity, which in turn should generate higher quality online material.
China’s internet users are increasingly stepping up to pay for high-quality online content – including music, videos and podcasts – as its relatively affluent millennial generation comes of age.