Recently, a number of new features of video account have been launched to send a signal that Wechat is trying to integrate "isolated" video accounts into the entire Wechat ecology.

The video number of Wechat has been updated again!

In just a week, the Wechat video account is being revised in a "sprint" style: new shopping cart functions for live streaming, support for 30-minute videos, support for adding links to Wechat official accounts, dynamic video numbers can also be inserted into official account pictures and texts, and so on.

The most important thing is to open a live broadcast function and open a small Wechat store. Based on these two functions, future users can carry out live streaming and delivery directly in the video number.

Although it is a small-scale test, there are still a large number of users who have not yet experienced the update. But Wechat's intention is clear. It is trying to integrate "isolated" video numbers into the entire Wechat ecology, working in synergy with modules such as Mini Program and official accounts.

How can I get through to the small store by video number?

As an internal test user, titanium media editors also experienced the whole process of opening small stores on video accounts.

In the internal test of the user's video number of the main interface, the small store module has been online. Officials say goods can be sold after they are opened for free and associated with the video number. This expands the entrance to Wechat's small store, allowing access to Mini Program not only from the Wechat official account, but also directly from the video account.

When opening a small store, there are two options: enterprise / self-employed, and individual, the former requires a business license, and the latter is an individual number. According to the official documents of Wechat, individual stores are individuals who do not need to register as market entities according to the e-commerce law.

From the backstage of the small store, we can see that the individual store already has many functions, such as store live broadcast, coupons, bulk delivery and so on.If you want to open and create a store studio, you only need to complete the authentication and successfully publish the product in the store.

The whole process is only 10 minutes, without any cost or threshold, it can be said to open a store with one button.

It is reported that the live streaming function of the video number is more or less the same as that of its competitors, which can be linked to multiple products and can be set up to "explain" the goods. In addition, you can also set live broadcast notice, user subscription and so on. This is also the basic configuration for live streaming.

But obviously, compared with the mature live streaming capabilities of other platforms, the capability of video number (or Wechat) is not perfect, so it can be seen that there will be further updates in the near future.

A SaaS service provider in Wechat Ecology told Titanium Media, "as the video number is still under grayscale testing, some merchants will associate official account articles in the video account and embed Mini Program Mall in the official account article." "

But there is no doubt that the chain of this way of carrying goods is very long, the entrance is very deep, and it is more inconvenient. After it is fully opened in the future, the video number can be directly broadcast with goods without going through a lengthy jump process.

However, a person close to Tencent told titanium media, "at present, the video number only supports docking Wechat's original small stores, not other third parties for the time being." "This means that merchants with Mini Program services provided by a third party are temporarily unable to carry out video number delivery.

The above-mentioned service providers responded that they were keeping a close eye on Wechat and would follow up as soon as possible if Wechat opened its interface to a third party.

Video number attack, what is Wechat thinking?

Several updates to the video account send a signal that Wechat is trying to integrate "isolated" video numbers into the entire Wechat ecology.

The two major traffic entrances in Wechat ecology are official account and Mini Program. When connected, the video account will no longer be an "isolated island", and it will be more convenient to cooperate with other modules.

Since internal testing began in January, the video account has been drifting out of Wechat's content service ecology.

In Wechat ecology, the official account system is mature, and the weight of small programs is quite high. The latter not only has multiple entrances such as the home page drop-down menu, but also has long been connected with the official account, realizing the closed loop from the picture and text drainage to the Mini Program service.

The video number product form is not yet mature, although there is a secondary entrance, but it is not fully open to users, and the official account, Mini Program are separated, can only be in a closed scene for social fission.

Now, with frequent revisions, video accounts can not only be shared in moments, but also connected with Mini Program and official accounts, and integrated into the large traffic pool of Wechat.

On the one hand, the video number is interconnected with the official account, and the official account can be used to drain the video number to drive the user activity of the video number. On the other hand, the video account can also supplement the video content for the entire Wechat ecology and carry quantity for the official account at the same time.

According to titanium media observation, some bloggers have tried to insert a link to the official account article in the video account and can jump directly to the paid reading page.

And connecting with small shops means that there is one more entrance to the live broadcast of goods in Wechat. Although Wechat's live streaming is based on Mini Program, in the past, users may need to enter the studio from official accounts and moments advertisements, but now a new entrance, video number, has been added, improving the infrastructure for Wechat live streaming.

However, although Wechat also does live streaming and has more or less the same function as its competitors, unlike Taobao Live, Douyin and Kuaishou Technology, Wechat still relies more on social fission.

A video operator told titanium media, "the social fission of video is very long, often friends like first, and then friends of friends like, this chain is very long." "

It is precisely because of the strong social attribute of Wechat that the video number can play a better role only if it is integrated into the Wechat ecology. At present, the video number function is not yet perfect, and it is still speeding up the revision. It is just like a weak trickle, which should be more fully integrated into the ecology of Wechat to expand this "ocean".