WeChat accounts are new channel for individual expression: survey

BEIJING -- Running individual official accounts on social-networking app WeChat has become a new channel for Chinese people to express themselves, according to a survey.

At present many media organizations, companies and individuals in China have launched official accounts on WeChat, striving to attract more subscribers to expand their reach.

Over 66 percent of 2,001 respondents said they are willing to set up individual official WeChat accounts, while 27.2 percent said they have already started such accounts.

The survey, published Tuesday by the China Youth Daily, also said expressing feelings and views, as well as gaining popularity, are the top three reasons people want individual official accounts.

More than half of individual official accounts offer content concerning personal views and feelings, as well as entertainment and recreation information, the survey said.

Wang Yiran, a college student in eastern China's Shandong Province, set up her public account on WeChat in August, sharing her travel notes, and comments on films or books.

Despite only having 75 followers, Wang said she will keep posting updates, as she considers it a meaningful way to keep record of her daily life and to share opinions with others.

Of more than 540 respondents that have individual public accounts on WeChat, 5 percent claimed that they have built popular "self-media" brands using their accounts, while 12.2 percent said they had made money from the accounts through advertising.

Meanwhile, 42.4 percent said their accounts had limited influence with only a few subscribers.