The usage of WeChat to promote academic publishing in China: A case study on Chinese Laser Press

WeChat is one of the most popular social media applications in China and is widely used by publishers to promote their journals and activities. The Chinese Laser Press (CLP) has four WeChat accounts; approximately 1 million reads were recorded in 2018. The most influential WeChat account of the CLP had almost 43,000 subscribers at the end of 2019. WeChat is a successful tool for connecting journals with readers and can increase the visibility of the journals both within China and elsewhere. Connecting with researchers via WeChat is helping CLP maintain relations with researchers throughout their career.