How the Chinese Build Winning Paid Membership Apps

Chinese companies use a levelling or points system to give users a sense of progress. This nuanced type of membership system creates a win-win between user and platform: users have fun while they earn and accumulate points to unlock more features, and platforms have a way to encourage new user behaviour.

Levelling perks can also help push monthly subscribers to annual ones. For example: Weibo lets users jump to Level 3 by simply choosing an annual plan instead of a monthly one.

The Chinese networks offer functional/utilitarian benefits along-side social flexing (i.e., social expressions that are visible to the rest of the community). 

Ways the Chinese apps encourage flexing:

• app skins and custom icons
• add icons next to their username
• have their comments show up in various colors

In China, many of the major social media companies do cross-partnerships with non-competitive companies to increase their customer base. It’s an online exchange that benefits both parties, and would be the equivalent of Twitter Blue offering its members a free Spotify membership as a perk.

The closest equivalents (in the Western world) are offline museum reciprocity programs, where membership in one museum grants you free access to a select list of other museums around the country.