Behind the gradual 'invisibility' of service accounts lies the transformation of WeChat's content ecosystem.

Author|Zhou Liqing

Editor|Yang Zhou

"There's been a lot of talk about folding service accounts on the internal KM, and we've seen plenty of complaints on the external web. I guess the product manager for WeChat service accounts is under a lot of pressure." A source close to Tencent revealed to "Market Imagery" regarding the folding of WeChat service accounts.

In June this year, the folding of WeChat service accounts began with a small-scale gray test, and some Android users noticed this change in advance. In the 8.0.50 version released in July, WeChat further expanded the scope of the gray test, covering iOS users. As of now, the folding of service accounts has not been fully rolled out.

Folding service accounts involves consolidating all service accounts that were originally displayed in the WeChat chat list into a service account message box, similar to the display logic of subscription accounts. In the secondary interface of the service account message box, content is divided into three sections: the top is the "Notifications" area, which centrally displays conversation messages between service accounts and users, including important "template messages"; the middle section is the "Followed" area, displaying the latest dynamic pushes from the service accounts that users follow; and the bottom section is the "Explore" section, which gathers graphic and text content from some official accounts.

Previously, service account messages could be directly displayed on the main interface of WeChat, alongside chat dialogues. This change means users can no longer receive service account notifications and pushes directly on the main interface; instead, they need to click to enter the service account message box to view them.

As the scope of the gray test for the folding design gradually expands, more and more users express that folding service accounts significantly impacts user experience.

The WeChat team is also gradually adjusting the service account message box based on user feedback. In the latest WeChat gray test, the notification section, which users care about, is much more prominent compared to the initial version. The adjusted notification section displays ten notifications, allowing users to see the latest notification content more directly.

WeChat has always made "minor" updates, but this change to service accounts seems somewhat "radical". This "one-size-fits-all" approach inevitably leads to speculation about whether there are deeper strategic considerations behind it. After all, in terms of content, service accounts are not as high-quality as subscription accounts; in terms of functionality, service accounts are also not as comprehensive as mini-programs.

01 Controversy Stemming from "One-Size-Fits-All"

Since the quiet launch of the internal beta test for folding WeChat service accounts, three different voices have emerged among user groups.

For users accustomed to receiving service account notifications directly in the message list, the folded design of service accounts serves as a "barrier".

"For me, the primary function of service accounts is for notifications. Originally, messages from service accounts belonging to different entities would be directly displayed in the chat list, which was very convenient. However, after the folding of service accounts, only part of the content of the latest notification is displayed on the main interface, while earlier notifications are covered. If users want to view all notifications, they must first click to enter the service account and then further view the notification details." Wang Lei, a WeChat user who relies on service account notifications, expressed her discomfort with the change to "Market Imagery".

The folding of service accounts not only changes the original path for viewing notifications but also alters the essence of the notification function, transforming it from an immediate reminder to a mode that requires users to proactively check. For users who rely on service account notifications to obtain real-time information, this is undoubtedly a regression in experience.

"I often rely on service accounts to receive reminders about bank account changes, hospital payment notifications, mobile phone bill statements, ticket redemption reminders, and delivery pick-up notifications. But since service accounts were folded, I've missed several pick-up reminders from Hive Box, resulting in me paying several extra storage fees." Wang Lei added.

According to "Market Imagery" observations, guides on how to deal with the folding of service accounts have started to appear on social platforms. Some users have stated that they have "unfollowed all service accounts" or "abandoned WeChat Pay and switched to Alipay".

For enterprises that regard service accounts as the core of their marketing strategies, the folding of service accounts undoubtedly has a direct impact on their user reach and content dissemination efficiency.

Zheng Fang, who mainly operates accounts in the healthcare industry, told "Market Imagery": "After folding, it is difficult for users to receive messages posted by accounts, and the open rate of accounts has dropped significantly, almost losing their original value." Zheng Fang's view is not an isolated case, as many operators have expressed dissatisfaction with the folding of service accounts on social platforms.

Among the controversies surrounding the folding of service accounts, some users have expressed support. They are tired of the information overload caused by service accounts and prefer a concise and undisturbed social space. For these users, the folding of service accounts reduces unnecessary distractions, making the main interface of WeChat cleaner.

Why is there so much controversy? The core lies in the fact that when dealing with the issue of folding service accounts, WeChat failed to fully consider the differentiated needs of different user groups and adopted a radical "one-size-fits-all" strategy.

In response to user feedback, WeChat is gradually adjusting its strategy. In the current gray test version, it is already possible to release pinned service accounts from the message box and display them directly at the top of the chat list, giving users a certain degree of autonomy.

However, this method does not fundamentally solve the problem. Users hope that service accounts can provide reminders in an appropriate manner without interfering with daily chats, rather than occupying a prime position in the chat list. For most users, the top of the list is preferred to be reserved for important chat partners and groups.

According to sources close to WeChat, the WeChat team will soon further optimize the display method of the service account message box, aiming to highlight important notifications and reduce the possibility of users missing key information. The goal of this adjustment is to achieve refined display and management of notifications.

02 "Demotion" of Service Accounts

Subscription accounts and service accounts within official accounts have similarities but also focus on different aspects. Subscription accounts focus on content dissemination and can push content daily, while service accounts can only send mass messages four times a month but enjoy higher interface permissions, such as custom menus and payment functions.

Among the various functions of service accounts, enterprises attach particular importance to the "template message" function. Through this function, enterprises can send customized notification messages to users, including but not limited to order confirmations, logistics tracking, event previews, etc.

One operator said, "In 2015, I participated in the planning and development of service accounts for a company. Through the reach of template messages, we increased sales by millions each month."

However, during the evolution of service accounts, there have been cases of abuse of the template message function by some enterprises. With the convenience of service accounts being directly displayed in the user chat list, template messages have turned into endless advertisement pushes, seriously affecting the user experience.

As the number of service accounts increases, especially driven by the rapid development in e-commerce, online education, financial services, and other fields, more and more enterprises are flocking to service accounts.

This brings new problems: the number of service accounts displayed in the chat interface continues to increase, making the message interface cluttered. Users have to spend more time screening and identifying truly valuable information.

To address these issues, WeChat has made a series of updates and adjustments. For example, on April 30, 2021, a gray test was conducted to transition template messages to subscription notifications; on May 4, 2023, template messages removed custom colors, emojis, trailing/additional content, and first-line content; in 2023, the digital red dot for service account messages was changed to a regular red dot.

Among these, the most significant change is the current folding of service accounts. For enterprises, folded service accounts are no longer an effective way to reach users, significantly reducing their value.

For users, in addition to the notification function of service accounts, the menu is also a crucial module. Before the folding of service accounts, users only needed to click on the service account displayed in the chat list to directly access the menu interface. After folding, the originally convenient service function menu becomes difficult to access.

A WeChat user complained to "Market Imagery": "The operational cost to find the menu of a service account is too high now. The secondary interface of a folded service account mainly displays notifications and dynamic pushes of followed service accounts. To find the menu, you must first click to enter a post, then click on the avatar to go to the homepage, and then choose to send a message or search in the official account follow list."

The menu is the core capability of service accounts in serving users, but now it is "buried," making service accounts increasingly superfluous in the WeChat ecosystem.

03 Giving Way to Content

The folded service account interface has three sections: Notifications, Followed, and Explore. The Explore section pushes "image/text" content from official accounts, also known as "Little Green Book." After reading the latest pushed notifications and service account messages, the largest proportion of the secondary interface is the Explore section, which provides new traffic support for "Little Green Book."

Relevant sources told "Market Imagery": "The original intention of folding service accounts was to appropriately optimize their functionality and reduce information interference for users."

However, it is undeniable that the folded service account message box significantly increases the exposure rate of "Little Green Book." As a new member of WeChat's content ecosystem, "Little Green Book," with its unique grass-roots culture and younger user base, is gradually becoming an important part of WeChat's content ecosystem.

Meanwhile, due to the folding of service accounts, enterprises' carefully planned marketing activities are greatly compromised due to the inability to directly reach users, not only affecting brand exposure but also forcing enterprises to re-evaluate their marketing strategies and distribution channels. Some enterprises are beginning to shift their focus from service accounts to video accounts, hoping to better reach and attract users through short videos and live streams.

As an important strategic product of Tencent, video accounts have received high attention from Pony Ma and Allen Zhang since their launch in 2020. After several years of development, video accounts have attracted a large number of content creators, merchants, and users and have gradually become a focus of Tencent's commercialization efforts.

On January 11 this year, Tencent announced impressive data at the 2024 WeChat Open Class PRO: In 2023, the GMV of video accounts soared 300% year-on-year, with the number of video account orders increasing by over 244% and the number of product offerings growing by about 300%.

It is worth noting that on August 12, Tencent announced that it would comprehensively promote the transformation and upgrading of WeChat video account stores to WeChat stores.

In addition, as another pillar of official accounts, subscription accounts carry the dissemination of high-quality content. Recently, WeChat has also been active on subscription accounts. At the end of July, WeChat launched the "Quick News" channel on subscription accounts, which is also in the gray test phase. This module is located at the top of subscription accounts and can proactively push hot news to users.

The launch of the Quick News channel has to some extent increased the open frequency of subscription accounts, further stimulating the vitality of subscription account content creators and providing more possibilities for content creation and distribution on subscription accounts.

Furthermore, in the 8.0.54 version of the Android system's WeChat, subscription accounts were renamed as official accounts. According to the previous description on the WeChat Public Platform official website, official accounts include account types such as service accounts, subscription accounts, mini-programs, and enterprise WeChat.

The renaming initiative narrows the definition of official accounts, seemingly intentionally elevating the status of subscription accounts.

The functionality of service accounts is gradually being weakened. The original intention of this change may be to reduce the interference of service account messages on users, but in practical operation, it also makes concessions to the "content" emphasized by WeChat.

"The adjustment of service accounts is still in the exploration stage and has not yet been finalized." The above-mentioned source close to WeChat told "Market Imagery" that the WeChat team is trying to find a balance between reducing disturbances and maintaining service value to optimize the overall user experience.

(All characters in the article are pseudonyms)