WeChat just rolled out a new feature called “WeChat Top Topics” in its app on Thursday, showing users in the search section the trending topics circulating on the internet based on WeChat Index.
TechNode tested out the new feature and found it very similar to what Weibo’s trending chart has to offer.
Now, when users tap on the “search” icon on their WeChat apps, they can see an option of searching by “Information.” This is where users get to search articles, and a list of “WeChat Top Topics” pops up on the screen, pushing the content of these trending topics to the users along with the corresponding WeChat Index.
While Weibo’s trending recommendations shed more light on entertainment and articles of independent content creators, WeChat’s latest feature focuses more on suggesting articles on its official accounts and news from various domestic news outlets.
It doesn’t come as a surprise that Tencent launched the latest content recommendation service on WeChat, as the tech giant has introduced in March the WeChat Index service in the hope of competing against Baidu’s Index and Alibaba’s Taobao Index.
WeChat claimed that in-app index can not only help users capture trending topics, but help the government and businesses acquire timely public opinions and make responses effectively. That being said, WeChat Index can help marketers generate customer insights for accurate marketing.
With the latest “Top Topics” feature being introduced, WeChat apparently has some more options to explore potential monetizing methods, as it has now become easier to generate content exposure with the new feature.