Bilingual Brand Voice for WeChat, A Simple Playbook

1. Core principles

• One brand, two languages, the message matches even when the sentence structure does not.
• Clarity beats clever, especially for regulated or technical topics.
• Native first, Chinese content should read as if it was written first in Chinese.

2. Positioning and audience

Write a one-paragraph positioning statement in English and Chinese. Define who you help, the value you create, and the proof. Add two or three core audiences and their key questions. This anchors every post and reduces rework.

3. Tone, style, and format rules

• Tone, friendly professional, direct, no slang in headlines.
• Sentence length, keep intros tight, break long ideas into short lines on mobile.
• Formatting, clear subheads, numbered steps, and one action at the end.
• Chinese typographic habits, full-width punctuation where appropriate, avoid overusing English acronyms without a quick explainer.

4. Glossary and term bank

Maintain a living glossary so product names, roles, and technical terms stay consistent. Example entries:

5. Localization, not word-for-word

Translate intent, not each word. If a headline relies on a pun, replace it with a clear promise in Chinese. If a Western idiom would confuse, rewrite it with a local example or remove it. Preserve the emotional pay-off and evidence.

6. Workflow and review

1. Brief, audience, angle, primary action, references.
2. Draft EN, outline and core message first.
3. Localize to CN, adapt to local examples, links, and regulation.
4. Peer review, one EN reader, one CN reader, both check for promise, proof, and clarity.
5. Publish, schedule, add menus or keyword replies if relevant.
6. Measure, reads, follows, clicks, replies, and saves.

7. Before/after examples

8. Turning the voice into a calendar

Pick two weekly pillars, education and product. Each week publish one educational article and one product post with a clear next step. Use Moments for light updates and repurpose comments into FAQs.

• Week 1, Introduction + quick win guide, one customer story.
• Week 2, Problem/solution article, feature highlight with short demo.
• Week 3, Comparison article, pricing explainer or bundle offer.
• Week 4, Case study, new feature or seasonal campaign.

9. QA checklist

• Does CN version preserve the promise and proof of EN, in native phrasing.
• Are key terms consistent with the glossary.
• Is the CTA clear and placed near the top and bottom.
• Do screenshots and links point to CN-appropriate destinations.

10. What to do next