Social media has pervaded multiple facets of daily life. For better or worse, most people incorporate some part of social media use into their daily routine. It’s hard not to do when so many of these social media platforms serve many functions beyond the social interactions at their core. While it might seem like Facebook is the ultimate example of a social media platform that’s become ubiquitous due to its wide range of functions, form messaging and news to online sales and even sending payments, it can’t hold a candle to China’s Weixin app.

Weixin is a behemoth app that might look like the Chinese version of WhatsApp at first glance, but it’s so much more than that. Sure, the app allows users to send text messages and share pictures, but it also includes functionality for its own marketplace and even has a feature that lets users book a taxi. While it might not seem like these things go together or even make much sense, the developers behind Weixin have a very clear and effective strategy.

Weixin is essentially build to be the default go-to for its users for anything digital. Need to send money? Use Weixin. Have an old bike to sell? Put it on Weixin. Want to send your brother pictures of your new baby? Weixin has you covered. Whatever you need in your digital world, there’s a good chance Weixin has it, so the platform has made itself the default first stop for its users online.

Weixin, like many social apps, accomplished this by simplifying day-to-day activities. Users don’t need to search for the latest news, and they certainly don’t need to go get a newspaper. Instead, they just need to open Weixin. There’s no need to go to a separate page, create an account, set up payment information, and write a listing to put an item for sale. Instead, just open Weixin, upload a picture, and write a quick description. This is best exemplified with the app’s Red Envelope campaign. Gifting red envelopes filled with cash is a common Chinese custom for the New Year. Weixin simplified the process by allowing users to send these envelopes digitally. They even added a degree of mystery and fun by automatically distributing an amount among the people users are sending these envelopes to, so they aren’t aware just how much each one will get.

Sure, you’re probably not going to make your own social media app. Chances are you’re here for info about book marketing. So, why does this matter?

Apps like Weixin and Facebook succeed by becoming part of their users’ daily routine. They’re too useful and convenient to leave out, so they worm their way in and become part of day-to-day life; they become something you don’t even have to think about.

So, maybe you want to consider how you can be a daily part of life for your readers. Could you create a daily piece of content that they can rely on with their morning coffee? What if you posted a progress update at the same time every week, letting your readers know exactly what you’re working on and when they can expect it? There are plenty of possibilities, especially if you start to get creative with your publishing strategy.

There’s a reason people tend to get more attached to TV shows than most other forms of media. Much like Weixin, TV is a daily part of life. It’s just there, and you can usually count on your favorite shows, “Same bat-time, same bat-channel.” It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that serialized fiction is growing in popularity.

So, maybe it’s worth considering how you publish and what you publish when considering how present you want to be in the lives of your readers. Being part of their daily or weekly routine can make a world of difference.

Mahoney, L. M., & Tang, T. (2016). Strategic social media : From marketing to social change. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.