Beijing: China`s most popular instant messaging service, WeChat, now offers its users a chance to interact with celebrities for a monthly membership fee.
Users can get to see unretouched celebrity photos, read books published by famous writers and also have their favourite movie stars wake them up.
The messaging app was launched in early 2011 and has gained popularity with many celebrities in China, who prefer to use it as a tool to engage with their fans.
According to ChinaDaily, the official WeChat account of Chinese actor Chen Kun now asks users to pay 2.92 dollars a month for exclusive content.
A senior IT consultant at Beijing-based research firm CCIDConsulting, Wang Yi said that this move opens a fresh new angle in the ongoing discussion about ways to monetize on Internet platforms.
The report said that the Internet companies traditionally earn their revenue through ad campaigns, however, the latest offering on WeChat puts a price tag on satisfying fans` urge to know more about their favourite stars.
Wang further said that as more celebrities and companies open their official accounts to interact with users, Tencent, WeChat`s parent company, must set necessary ground rules, including the protection of intellectual property rights, profit split, taxation and content screening, the report added.
ANI
