78 | theceomagazine.comA
solid social media strategy is a critical
marketing tool for companies worldwide
keen to succeed in today’s rapidly
changing business landscape.
It’s even more important for firms that want to
break into the Chinese market given the booming
Asian nation’s love affair with social media.
There are estimated to be at least 889 million
monthly active users on Chinese social media platform
WeChat, with 96 per cent of all social media platforms
being engaged with via smartphones.
The popularity of social media in China means
that firms able to gain traction on heavily trafficked
platforms, like Weibo and WeChat, can gain a big edge
over their competitors in this lucrative market.CHINESE SOCIAL MEDIA
IS VERY DIFFERENT
Social media in China varies markedly from the West
where Facebook, Twitter and Instagram rule, according
to Matt McDougal, founder of digital marketing agency
Digital Jungle. Chinese authorities’ block on platforms
of the giant Western social media outlets has naturally
led to the growth of uniquely Chinese apps.
The most popular is WeChat. Unlike anything
in the West, it integrates ecommerce and social media,
enabling consumers to communicate, pay bills and
even book taxis and buy movie tickets within the
platform. WeChat has also enabled vendors to sell to
consumers directly via its built-in payment system.
Weibo, often described as the ‘Twitter of China’,
is the other giant on the social media landscape.A so-called micro-blogging platform, Weibo has some
361 million monthly active users, and is a popular way
for Chinese netizens to follow celebrities and
influencers, as well as keep up with current affairs.
While WeChat and Weibo are the most popular
platforms, there is a host of social media platforms with
strong following across the country, including Renren,
Youku Tudou, DianPing, and Douban.UNDERSTAND THE CONSUMER
McDougal says while it’s key for businesses to gain
familiarity with these big social platforms, it’s also
critical to understand the local user. “The way that
Chinese consumers use social media is quite different
to the way Westerners do,” he says. “From a business
perspective, Western companies can underestimate the
power of social commerce because their experience in
the West is that it’s not that strong.
“Critically, you have to understand who you’re
trying to reach through social in China, understand
their digital touch points, how they consume, and then
create stories from a brand and user perspective to
pique interest and curiosity.”
One key consumer difference, McDougal stresses,
is that Chinese people tend only to trust brands that
are verified by social platforms.
The danger if your company does not get official
verification, he says, is that you run the risk of being
viewed as a fake. “It’s a concept we don’t really have in
the West,” McDougal adds. “Some of the businesses
that I work with tend to underestimate the need for
it, but then find it very difficult to get engagement
because they’re not verified and no-one believes there’s
a real brand behind the name.”Ordering app, DianPing.