With a view to enhance your market access in China, it’s imperative for you to have an active brand presence on major Chinese social media platforms. With more than 900 million internet users and 95% of them being activated on social sites, social media marketing in China has been the priority to marketers interested to expand their business in the globally largest market hub.

Social Media Marketing – Two Major Pillars

As you simply cannot think of social media marketing in the West without having a presence in Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, equally when in China you should think of its major two pillars WeChat and Weibo to make your social media marketing in China a real hit. In this article, we will discuss how brilliantly you can utilize the potential of these two most popular social sites and win the mass of Chinese customers.

WeChat

With more than 580 million proud users, WeChat is distinguished as the largest and most popular social media sites in China. Compared with Facebook and Whatsapp, as the great features of WeChat have made its user’s everyday life fast, shared and relaxed, for business groups its potential to drive customers to the platform has offered a unique space to get hooked on.

Invest In Quality Content

Unlike Western social sites, WeChat makes a difference in the sense that Chinese customers always look for the innovative presence of business contents while dislike monotony. Make the best use of WeChat campaign and share high-quality contents with photos, videos, audio messages aside from informative text. Rich, informative, and authentic contents are sure to make your Chinese customers respond to your products/services. Thus, through WeChat content marketing it is possible for businesses to convert their business followers to members and buyers. You can publish five varied types of contents such as video, audio, text, picture, and image with text. Most foreign brands prefer incorporating H5 Pages in their official accounts and posts to maximize their WeChat marketing result.

Consider Loyalty Programs

WeChat enables business groups to initiate effective and long term marketing strategy by developing loyalty programs that help promote their brands. Aside from conversion of followers into members by using geo-location services you can locate potential consumers, their age, gender and accordingly offer promotions matching to their needs. The three ways to market to your Chinese consumers on WeChat include.

• Offering VIP cards via the app

• Sending promotional items

• Providing e-coupons which can be exchanged in stores

Advertising

To successfully promote your brand through social media marketing in China, you should have an active presence through advertising on WeChat. Think of WeChat Moment Ads that has received high recognition to foreign business groups to enjoy increased market access in China.

Weibo

With more than 566 million active users Weibo, the most demanding microblogging social site is typically compared with Twitter and Instagram of the West. The social platform allows its users to post pictures, videos, and links with text of 140 characters. For marketers desirous to promote their business in China, Weibo helps get customer feedback, engage in conversation and using a series of advertising channels. The social site enables its followers to convey ‘like,’ make comments, and enquire on your products or services. No wonder, the engaging space offered by Weibo can be used effectively through successful customer conversion which is the key to SMM.

Four Types of Weibo Advertising

 Banner Ads: More like a backlink tool, Weibo’s banner ad displays your business topic as classified on the top of webpage or mobile. As customers click on the banner ad, it instantly forwards them to your business homepage.

 Weibo’s Search Engine Promotion: Weibo’s ‘discover page’ acts as a search tool facilitating users to locate products or services, they’re in quest of. The menu of the search tool lists the most popular search items and here is where the keyword chosen by your agency plays a major role by listing your ad in the priority place.

 Fan Headline: A very productive business promotional tool is fan headline that helps promote your account, content, post, or services to your followers through daily updates.

 Fan Tunnel: if properly utilized, fun tunnel of Weibo can help you reach the larger group of Weibo users. The specialized ad tool is hard to understand while your agency can make its gainful use to promote your business.

KOL (Key Option Leader): Social media marketing in China takes a new dimension with the adoption of influencer’s versions in promotional endeavors. Global brands are already in the race to use influencers (top personalities/ celebrities) versions in customers’ decision making. Weibo Advertising can help you thrive in business through its extended KOLs’ follower base and in successful brand building.