Persuasion strategies promoting the COVID-19 vaccination among Chinese citizens in WeChat

Abstract

This research aims to examine the persuasive strategies used by the Chinese government to promote COVID-19 vaccination among health-care workers and high-risk populations. The study analyzed 100 WeChat subscription messages promoting COVID-19 vaccination using the quantitative content analysis method. The findings suggest that the Chinese government utilized seven persuasive strategies including 1) claim, 2) consequence, 3) celebrity, 4) claim & consequence, 5) claim & celebrity, 6) consequence & celebrity, and 7) the mix of all. The study provides insights into common persuasive strategies for promoting vaccination uptake and highlights the importance of understanding cultural context in health promotion efforts. These findings provide implications for future vaccination promotion efforts in China and other countries facing similar challenges