But as with anything, the right KOL relationship takes thought, planning and good management on either side. Let’s look at some top tips for working with Chinese KOLs to benefit your Western brand.

Why KOLs Matter in China

Chinese culture is collectivist, compared to the individualistic West. This ‘what’s good for us all, is good for me’ approach means that Chinese customers greatly value recommendations from friends, family, colleagues and people they trust.

This trust extends to chosen Key Opinion Leaders, or KOLs, who are digital influencers with a strong Chinese digital marketing presence. KOLs nurture online communities of like-minded people with a shared interest or passion in any topic, from family and health to cars and DIY.

KOLs may be present on several Chinese social media platforms, or focus on one specific niche platform (bearing in mind that any kind of ‘niche’ in China can still represent millions of people!)

Because of their status as highly-regarded, trusted experts, Chinese customers also value the product and brand recommendations that their chosen KOLs share.

This makes KOLs hugely powerful partners for Western brands, particularly for sponsorship, advertising and collaboration opportunities.

How to Get the Most from KOL Relationships

Here are some tips to maximise KOL relationships as part of your broader Chinese digital marketing strategy.
Understand the KOL landscape

The KOL industry is massive in China, and it’s important to understand its characteristics, mechanisms and key players, especially within your target market and geography.

This will help you build up a picture of possible KOL partners and understand the ways in which a beneficial relationship could be developed.

Find the Right KOL: ‘Fit’, Not Trend

Every brand will have the ‘right’ KOL, but this won’t necessarily be the trendiest or most visible influencer in the market. Ideally, a good KOL for your brand will have a similar audience demographic and interests.

It can take time to build a possible KOL relationship. This period should include discussion and shared idea creation to see whether there is a true overlap of goals, and potential.

Take this period slowly so that you can be sure that the partnership will unlock value for both parties. It’s not a case of ‘picking’ an influencer and making a financial offer – it’s a relationship that needs consideration for both sides to ensure that natural, organic alignment and shared goals.

Remember, KOLs are hugely successful entrepreneurs and brands in their own right. They will only pick partners that make sense for their audience and business goals.

Take Your Time

Approach this systematically and with long-term gains in mind, rather than seeking the quick fix of a one-off promotional post!

The right KOL relationship can make your brand even stronger, but the ‘wrong’ partnership can potentially damage brands on both sides.

Look for True Influence

Western brands should look for genuine influence rather than getting hung up on follower numbers.

Often, niche KOLs have small but extremely loyal followings and can gain a higher conversion result with the right campaign. Think ‘quality, rather than quantity’.

A good way to measure impact and influence is to look at the KOLs engagement with his or her followers.

Look at the type of followers, too. Typically, they should be within a broadly similar age band or ‘life stage’ to the KOL, because the relationship is built on values that include shared, authentic experiences within a community of like-minded people.

Invest in The KOL Relationship

A good KOL relationship can unlock superb benefits when it is conducted with mutual respect and consideration. For Western brands, it helps to remember that KOLs are the absolute experts in Chinese social media and on their chosen platforms.

The more you can invest in the relationship and consider it a partnership, the more productive and beneficial it will be.

As an example, many brands initiate potential partnerships with KOLs by sending them personalised and thoughtful branded gifts that the influencer may well share naturally and organically with their followers.

Think ‘Collaboration’

Similarly, look at the partnership as a collaboration where you both work to come up with the best possible course of action and approach for your Chinese digital marketing campaign.

Your KOL will have some great ideas about the types of content that will work naturally and effectively with their followers. They will also know how best to caption posts, when to time their release and optimal delivery strategies.

It helps to listen to their insight and expertise here, on the topic they know best – their audience, and your potential customers! This is also important because audiences know instantly whether content is simply promotional or sponsored, or whether it truly offers them value.

Trust Over Content

Again, by working in true collaboration with your KOL, you will ensure the best results because trust is the key between the influencer and the audience. A KOL isn’t a ‘rent a channel’ opportunity for a brand; it’s a carefully considered, mutually-beneficial partnership.

KOLs will be very careful about the content they agree to post, because they work to share branded and promotional content in a very authentic, co-created way that feels welcome and natural to their followers.

In many ways, this approach is different and far ‘softer’ than in the West, where social media influencers are often seen as ‘touting products’ without a huge regard for their audience. In China, authenticity, trust, and value over time are key.
Consider the Broader Picture

As with any marketing channel, it’s important to have a broader picture of what you are trying to achieve with your KOL and Chinese social media, and place it within your broader Chinese digital marketing strategy.

Consider every marketing tactic within this broader picture, and place all social media campaigns within this holistic strategy, so that your marketing touchpoints link up and your campaigns make sense.

Get Expert Help!

It can be challenging to find the best Chinese KOL as part of your Chinese digital marketing strategy – so why not ask the experts to assist?

Market Me China works with Western brands across all industries to help them find the right partners for their marketing needs, and offers a full agency service for Chinese digital marketing needs.

With our friendly and native-speaking digital marketing professionals to help you, your brand can experience success in the exciting and lucrative Chinese market all the easier!

Why not get in touch with us to find out more and see how we can help you achieve your goals?

The post Six Top Tips for Working with Chinese KOLs appeared first on Market Me China®.

This point alone is vital for Western marketers to know. E-Marketer carried out a survey in 2022 that found China was the only country – by a significant margin – where people prefer to shop online (54%) rather than in a physical store (16%). The next most enthusiastic nation of online shoppers is the UK at 34%!

Other things to know about Douyin are:

• It was originally created as a short video social media platform.
• Its popularity in China is only exceeded by the ultimate super-app, WeChat. Figures suggest that around 72% of Chinese internet users are on Douyin.
• It’s particularly popular with Gen Z and millennial audiences. Around one in three active users are aged 25 or under.
• Around 45% of the Douyin user base is from Tier 1 and 2 cities in China.
• Douyin’s algorithm is geared towards the Chinese market (unlike TikTok, which is global) and it tends to prioritise verified enterprise accounts and accounts with large followings, making it a great choice for KOL partnerships.

What this means for Western marketers

For Western marketers, the potential of Douyin is huge for growing a brand in China as part of a broader digital marketing strategy. Its multi-functional purpose – from video content sharing to advertising and direct e-commerce, makes it a powerful tool for brands that can get it right. Here are some tips for success.

1. Target your content

In the West, TikTok tends to be lifestyle-based, entertaining, and personal. However, Douyin is more educational, and less personal, using a computerized voice for video narration. It’s important to create video content targeted for Douyin, and localised for your Chinese target demographic.

As an example, remember that Chinese audiences love ‘busy’ on-page content (unlike Western audiences who prefer a less cluttered aesthetic), and Chinese readers also scan content differently than in the West.

2. Fully explore the available e-commerce functionality

Douyin has far more advanced e-commerce than TikTok, with its own in-app function, and the integration of platforms such as Jingdong and Taobao. These functions are tightly integrated with Douyin Live – its live shopping trend – which includes one-click buying buttons within Livestream sales feeds. These functions are vital to explore, master and integrate.

3. Explore the potential mini-programs

Douyin has its own mini-programs, like other supper apps in China including AliPay, WeChat and Baidu. These act as mini apps within the platform, and let users access third-party content and functionalities without needing to leave Douyin.

Again, mini programs are fully e-commerce-enabled. These mini-programs are used for all kinds of branded purposes, from food ordering to AI-driven hair-colour testing. These are well worth considering.

4. Look at paid traffic

Because Douyin’s algorithm focuses on established, large accounts for content recommendation, smaller and newer brands can find it difficult to gain traction at first. A good way to build a following is to make use of the Dou+ paid traffic service which boosts exposure.

As with Google, you can tightly refine your campaign with target demographics, set the campaign duration and exposure time and choose whether you pay for followers or likes and comments. It’s worth paying for likes and comments to begin with, and then focusing on followers. Some accounts simply follow without engaging in content and you need quality follows.

5. Build your content plan

However, before you pay for traffic, build your content plan! Great content will ensure your recommendations are being put in front of relevant followers who will be more likely to engage with it, boosting your account in the algorithm.

6. Consider sponsored posts

You can pay Douyin for traditional ad placement, using Ocean Engine. You’ll need to register a business account on Ocean Engine and provide business registration documentation. Most newer brands will start by paying for shares (which typically has the best ROI.)

7. Use Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs)

KOL partnerships can be very successful on Douyin, and there are different methods to maximise your brand’s exposure. For example, your KOL partner could promote your brand in their content, promote your products with an e-commerce link, launch a hashtag challenge or even sell your products via a live stream. The key is to find the right KOL for your brand and create the right sponsorship arrangement. You can approach KOLs directly or work with an agency.

8. Take it slowly!

Even beyond the focus areas discussed above, there are features that include in-video search, location tagging, enterprise accounts, pinned posts, full-length movies, and brand official account hashtag challenges.

Douyin is a complex platform with tremendous potential for Western brands, but it’s sensible to start with a manageable plan and take it slowly, rather than trying to do everything at once!

Begin with some priorities, measure their success and refine your focus activities as needed. It also helps greatly to have your foundation work in place first, such as existing and repurposable content, a ready Chinese website and target customer persona information.

9. Use a Chinese digital marketing agency

By using a Chinese digital marketing agency, you will gain instant access to the native language skills and expertise you need, as well as fast routes to finding KOLs, setting up campaigns, measuring results and seeing the best possible ROI for your budget.

Find out more

Market Me China works with Western businesses across a variety of industries to help them grow their brand in China. We work on a flexible basis to suit our client’s needs, providing everything from strategic guidance to hands-on support and digital marketing delivery. Please contact us in the first instance to find out more and to discuss your needs!

The post How to use Douyin (TikTok) to grow your brand in China? appeared first on Market Me China®.

Social, cultural, geographic and demographic factors vary widely, in this country where over a billion people have access to the internet and rely on their smartphones to carry out much of their daily lives.

Of course, this affinity with technology offers huge potential for Western businesses seeking to build their brands in China, but there are many differences to navigate. One of the primary differences is that the Chinese government has banned Western social media platforms in China, as part of the Great Firewall.

Facebook, Instagram and other Western social media sites cannot be accessed in China (along with Google, YouTube and many other sites.) This means that Western marketers need to focus their attention on Chinese alternatives.

The Good News for Western Marketers

In reality, the censorship of Western social media platforms needn’t affect the success of brands operating in China, as the country is so far ahead when it comes to its digital platforms.

Chinese social media sites such as WeChat, Weibo, DouYin (TikTok), Little Red Book and Zhihu are hugely powerful, sophisticated and diverse, offering far greater functionalities to marketers than social platforms in the West.

For example, in ‘super apps’ such as WeChat, users can engage, view content, shop, order food, buy tickets, play games, message and even do things like book doctor’s appointments and order food, thanks to ‘mini programs’ that exist within the site.

The site is so integral to everyday life, that Chinese users will access it throughout the day, for a huge array of services that go far beyond communication.

What to know about Chinese social media

• Chinese customers will choose their preferred social media platforms to engage with branded content, read reviews, get tips and recommendations and make product decisions.
• They will also use social media to take part in huge live-streaming sales events, like Alibaba’s Singles Day.
• The average user spends nearly two hours a day on social media.
• Although the Great Firewall prevents Western social media sites from being accessed in China, Western brands can easily access and market their offerings on Chinese equivalents.
• Chinese social media is free, but sign-up patterns can be different and often rely on mobile phone numbers and the use of QR codes, which is slightly different to the West.

The scale and diversity of Chinese social media is staggering. Western brands can focus on one platform and find a market that is as big as an entire country elsewhere!

How to Achieve Success with Chinese Social Media Marketing

Every Western brand will have its own route to success with Chinese social media, but these steps are valuable to consider:

1. Start Small

In a country this vast, complex and disparate, it is sensible to begin small and grow as you gain experience. Choose one or two key platforms (nothing that these may not be the biggest ones necessarily, but the platforms most relevant to your offer and target market. Understand what users on this platform want and then seek to deliver it, building your audience, engagement and tone of voice.

2. Work with KOLs

Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) are synonymous with social media success in China, and it is valuable to find a KOL that can partner with your brand and promote it to their followers. Again, focus tightly on a defined niche and the right KOL who has a strong crossover with their follower base and your brand.

3. Tailor Content to the Platform

In the West, social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are fairly broad in their marketing, and many brands will simply cross-promote their content across platforms.

But in China, it is important to understand what customers use each platform for and create content that works for that platform. For example, brands may use WeChat to offer flash sales, live-stream a branded show, or sell a limited edition product via a mini-program e-commerce store. On Little Red Book they might launch a lifestyle competition with a KOL, or share explainer videos for an innovative new product.

4. Be Consistent and Thorough

Success with Chinese social media marketing means being innovative, targeted and consistent. With so many competitor brands, it is very easy to focus on launching the most creative and exciting campaign, but it is just as important to be consistent with your efforts and this means fully resourcing your activity.

Chinese customers will expect to engage with your brand on their chosen platforms, so you must have Chinese-speaking agents on hand to reply (this could be a mix of ChatBots and human staff.) Fully resource this so that your customers can find quick answers and great service when they need it. This will build and reinforce a positive brand experience in their minds.

5. Be Integrated

Customers will also expect your chosen Chinese social media platforms to be integrated into your broader digital ecosystem. So ensure that your Chinese UX is optimised and your website, apps and social media are slickly integrated for a smooth customer journey, with Chinese payment platforms and sign-up methods. Test this carefully and continue to do so to continually refine and ‘A/B’ test what you are doing digitally.

6. Work with a Chinese Digital Marketing Agency

The right Chinese digital marketing agency can greatly assist your efforts with Chinese social media marketing, whether you are a new brand operating in China, or more established and keen to grow your presence.

At Market Me China, we offer a highly experienced team of digital marketing professionals with cutting-edge know-how and native language skills. We work with a wide variety of brands on a flexible, trusted basis, providing access to the skillsets and resourcing that they need to deliver success digital marketing campaigns in China.

To find out more, please contact our friendly team for an informal chat about your needs and we will be delighted to assist you!

The post Why can’t Western brands use Facebook and Instagram to market in China? appeared first on Market Me China®.

Key Opinion Leaders, or KOLs, are the Chinese equivalent of Western influencers. However, the sway and respect that they hold amongst their followers tends to be far more profound and impactful than with Western equivalents.

Chinese customers greatly value their chosen KOLs and will take their recommendations on board when making purchasing decisions. The relationship can be far more influential and impactful than we see with influencers in the West.

So what does this mean for Western brands?

Firstly, although the initial priority will be to select KOLs that closely align with your brand and target market, it’s essential to then invest in the relationship with your chosen opinion leader to maximise its value. As with all things in business, good communication and efforts towards mutually beneficial relationship building will pay off for longer-term benefits.

How to Maximise the KOL Relationship

These tips will help you to maximise the KOL relationship as part of your broader Chinese digital marketing strategy:

1. Know how important KOLs are to your marketing

KOLs are hugely important to your Chinese digital marketing success, and a strong relationship can help you build trust, credibility and recognition within your target marketplace. By respecting the role of KOLs and seeking to really understand their power in China, you will be well placed to invest in this powerful relationship and vital channel within your broader Chinese digital marketing strategy.

2. Work with the right KOLs

There are thousands of KOLs in China, but it’s essential to find the right ones for your brand. This could mean working with influencer agencies in China, scouring social media yourself or using online resources, professional networks and other more targeted searches, depending on your industry and target market.

You’ll need to engage systematically with potential KOLs by understanding their follower audience, speciality area, interests and availability. Remember that the most well-known KOL with the biggest follower base might not actually be the most valuable for your particular brand, as sometimes the more niche influencers have better conversion rates for brands, depending on the closeness of their follower base and their power as influencers.

Look closely at the work and track record of potential influencers and engage with them to get a sense of their ideas, creativity, commitment and willingness to collaborate with your brand.

3. Build meaningful connections

Invest in your KOLs and provide data on the campaigns and sponsorship arrangements you have run with them, so they can understand how effective their work is proving to be. KOLs are professionals with specialist tasks, and data-driven feedback will help them to develop professionally and adjust their approaches too to unlock even greater value for your business.

This is a win-win, as a successful KOL can charge more, but only by delivering even higher results and more impressive campaign ROI figures to their clients. The more meaningful you can be with information exchanging, feedback, discussions, idea planning and overall engagement, the better your results are likely to be over time.

4. Listen to your KOL’s expertise

Chinese KOLs are the experts in their field, so show that you are interested in their knowledge and value it. Listen to their insights, perspectives and concerns, and act on what they tell you. Remember that KOLs are social media influencing professionals and have close relationships with their followers.

They will have a vested interest in nurturing and following their follower base and will only work on sponsorship, partnership and advertising arrangements with brands that they feel will be good for their followers and that they are happy to recommend. Your KOL may well have ideas for posts, videos, competitions and styles of campaigns that could work particularly well for your brand and its audience, whether that’s a product showcase, advertorial, storytelling opportunity or explainer video.

They will know their followers and what they value. After all, their own influencer success and income are on the line! So the more proactive you can be with information exchanging, expertise sharing and discussion about your mutually aligned goals, the better the results of your partnership are likely to be.

5. Focus on long-term goals

If you nurture good KOL relationships, you will unlock mutually beneficial advantages that can grow over time. Show respect to your KOLs and demonstrate that you value the relationship and they will be far more inclined to build long-term benefits over time by really investing in your brand and the professional relationship.

KOLs form in-depth relationships with their followers and can be incredibly successful when it comes to promotions, sponsorship, sales, and marketing, so long-term partnerships can unlock excellent results for conversions and the building of brand loyalty.

6. Work with a Chinese digital marketing agency

It can be challenging to build a strong relationship with a KOL in China because of the language, culture and business differences, but a Chinese digital marketing agency can help you overcome these obstacles and fast-track your KOL success.

At Market Me China, we already have excellent connections with KOLs in various fields, as well as access to successful KOLs across different industries, allowing our clients to pinpoint the right influencers for their brands and to rapidly nurture profitable new sponsorship arrangements that unlock measurable results. Our team can help to manage these relationships and maximise their benefits.

In Conclusion

It will take time, consistent effort, and great communication to build strong KOL relationships. However, the benefits of doing so can be excellent and greatly improve the bottom line of your Chinese digital marketing efforts in China.

Find out more

Keen to move ahead with a profitable KOL arrangement? Please contact Market Me China today to find out more! Our team of native Chinese marketers can help you develop excellent KOL relationships as part of a broader Chinese digital marketing strategy.

We are an effective team of digital marketing professionals with native Chinese language skills and an excellent track record. Please contact us for a chat and to discuss your needs, and we will be delighted to assist.

The post Tips for Getting the Most out of Chinese KOL Relationships appeared first on Market Me China®.

There are no easy wins, however, as with online customers in the West, Chinese customers expect fast, effective and targeted messaging when it comes to their online experiences, so the right content is key. Chinese customers also greatly trust the influencers they choose to follow, and influencers will only consider sponsorship arrangements with the right brands. The right Key Opinion Leader (KOL) or Key Opinion Customer (KOC) can deliver excellent returns for Western brands, but only with the right strategy in place first.

In this blog, we’ll take a look at which kind of Chinese influencer will be right for your brand, and how to get the most from the relationship.

How to pick the right Chinese influencer for your Western brand?

1. Know what kind of relationship you need

Most Western brands will seek to forge a relationship with a Key Opinion Leader (KOL) who has a relevant audience. Some brands may also seek to co-create content with Key Opinion Customers (KOCs), who have a more niche, targeted influence based on genuine and authentic experiences. Both types of influencers can be useful, but for most Western brands building their presence in China, KOL relationship development will usually be the priority for brand building, awareness and potential conversions. Even within this category, there are various different relationship models, which can range from paid promotions to ongoing sponsorship arrangements and partnerships.

As with all effective business practices, the key to success over time with a Chinese influencer is to invest in the relationship and work together as closely and flexibly as possible. The approach you take may well refine over time as you learn what works well and what can be adjusted. With this kind of investment in a mutually beneficial influencer relationship, your brand can see real results.

2. Understand the target audience and buyer persona

The ‘right’ KOL will have an audience that tightly matches the brand’s target consumer group. This allows a natural sponsorship or partnership arrangement to be created, that adds genuine value and the best possible chance of success. Initial research into understanding this target audience will help to find the right KOL with a closely aligned follower base. Create your buyer persona to assess the likelihood of a good match with potential KOLs. This background work will help when you begin to have conversations with target KOLs about the possibility of a partnership arrangement.

3. Have a clear budget

It’s important to understand how much budget you are prepared to allocate to the KOL relationship as part of your overall Chinese digital marketing strategy. The budget will also help you to target KOLs that operate within your price points. Some KOLs charge thousands of dollars for a single post, but it’s not always necessary to find the KOL with the biggest following. For many brands, a KOL with a smaller, niche but a more engaged audience could be key to winning over new customers.

4. Think carefully about content

Some Western brands make the mistake of asking their KOL partners to simply add advertising content into their Chinese social media feeds. But this generally doesn’t work and the KOL risks losing credibility. It’s important to work carefully on a content plan that will work for the brand’s goals whilst supporting the ways in which the influencer naturally engages with their followers. This could mean creating content in the influencer’s own style, giving the influencer creative control over branded posts, or co-creating content.

5. Listen to the influencer’s experience

KOLs in China are powerful professionals and often incredibly good at what they do. Western brands can learn a lot from a good KOL about engaging with their target audience for the best results. KOLs may have ideas for specific campaigns that are likely to engage their followers, and creative ideas which are backed up with insight. The better the communication between the Western brand and KOL (facilitated with native language support where required), the better the results of the partnership.

6. Know your goals

As with all digital marketing activity, it’s important to have clear goals in place before you begin your programme of influencer activity in China. This will give you a clear framework to establish success and to identify where approaches may need to adjust to better meet objectives. These goals might range from brand awareness within your target Chinese audience to online conversions. Many Chinese KOLs will be able to evidence their results with specific data, and may even be able to help guide goals if your brand is new to Chinese digital and influencer marketing.

7. Invest in expert help

Even experienced Western brands can find it hard to deliver successful Chinese digital marketing strategies in this vast, fast-paced market where customers are incredibly demanding and the technology is advanced! By partnering with an expert Chinese digital marketing agency, your Western brand will gain access to expertise, insight and native language skills, allowing you the best possible chance of success.

Find out more

Market Me China is here to help Western brands achieve their Chinese digital marketing goals, with a highly experienced team of digital marketing professionals available to work on a flexible basis with your business. We work with brands across education, tourism, B2B, B2C and other sectors to help them achieve their goals in the China market. Please contact us for a no-obligation chat about your needs and we will be delighted to offer assistance.

The post What kind of Chinese influencer is right for your brand? appeared first on Market Me China®.

Firstly, let’s look at some of the ways that Chinese social media can pose a challenge for Western marketers:

1. The number of platforms

In the West, marketers tend to focus on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, depending on their industry and sector. But these social media platforms aren’t available in China! Instead, there are dozens of Chinese social media platforms and it’s important to master these, and then focus on the ones that make the most sense to your business and brand.

2. The Chinese language!

Chinese social media platforms are in Chinese, so you must have access to those native language skills, combined with the necessary marketing expertise, in order to deliver successful Chinese social media campaigns.

3. The power of KOLs

Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) are vital to Chinese social media success, but their power and influence are very different to the way influencers in the West engage and work with brands. KOLs can command huge audiences and have a huge sway and impact on whether their followers buy products and services from the brands that they promote. It’s important for Western brands to be able to identify the right KOLs for their needs, and then broker the right deal for the best outcomes.

4. Sophistication of the technology

Chinese social media platforms are also very technologically advanced and tend to incorporate a wide range of features and functionalities that go far beyond communication, networking and engagement. This means that Western brands need to understand how to use and integrate these different features into their digital ecosystems – after all, it’s what Chinese users expect!

5. Sophistication of Chinese users

Chinese social media users are also extremely sophisticated and expect the highest levels of user experience when they engage with a brand online. This means that Western marketers need to thoroughly invest in a seamless user experience, with smooth user journeys, mobile-optimised content, fully integrated channels and authentic, localised content that is carefully targeted to the end customer.

How to Succeed in Chinese Social Media Marketing

Although Chinese social media marketing can seem daunting, it’s possible to build a successful brand using this channel, if you invest time, energy and resources into getting it right. Here are some tips for success:

1. Really do your research

Effective market research is the first step towards success in Chinese social media marketing. By understanding the competitive landscape in China, your own USPs, your target customer, their demographics and your own marketing objectives, you can gather the data you need to build a strong strategy.

2. Focus on a few key platforms

There are a huge number of Chinese social media platforms that go beyond the obvious ones of WeChat, Weibo, DouYin and Little Red Book. Some of these are niche by interest, geography or other attributes, which means they can be highly relevant to certain brands and businesses. The trick lies in identifying the best platforms for your immediate needs and then investing in them, whilst measuring results and growing your efforts over time.

3. Build user personas

User personas will help you to build your content and target your messaging and engagement strategies, from posts to competitions and viral marketing tactics. It’s well worth taking the time to build these user profiles to really guide your marketing strategy and intuitive thinking.

4. Work with KOLs

A good KOL will help to place your brand in front of a relevant audience, and then promote it in a way that meets your goals. This could be in the form of a soft product placement, or in the form of a competition, explainer or other type of promotion. Good KOLs can be extremely powerful and a huge asset to your Chinese digital marketing success. They needn’t always have the biggest audiences either; some will have smaller and more niche audiences, which are highly relevant to your brand.

5. Integrate your content

Ensure your digital content is integrated across your entire Chinese digital ecosystem so that your Chinese customers enjoy a smooth, coherent and on-brand experience. Sophistication, relevance and storytelling are all important for success. The better you can create flowing, emotive and compelling content, the more easily you can engage with your audience and create a relationship with them. It goes without saying that all of your digital ecosystem must be mobile-friendly!

6. Measure and refine!

The more tightly you can measure the elements of your campaign, including the results, the better you can adjust your efforts to keep improving conversions. This includes using approaches such as A/B testing to see what is working, and what could be refined. Measurement is a cornerstone of a successful Chinese digital marketing campaign. With that data available, you can continue to evolve your approach to find the best possible level of success and target your budget towards those activities which deliver the best possible returns.

7. Get the help you need

It can take time to build a Western brand in China, but Chinese social media offers huge potential for marketers – if you can take the time and energy needed to get it right. Market Me China can help you to build a successful brand in China, with the help of our native Chinese-speaking digital marketing professionals. We work with Western brands from across all sectors, including B2B, e-commerce, travel and education, to help them build successful brands in China and to drive those all-important conversions. To find out more about our flexible, results-driven Chinese social media marketing services, please contact our friendly team today for a no-obligation chat about your needs.

The post Why Chinese social media can be tricky for Western marketers (and how to succeed) appeared first on Market Me China®.

Why are influencers so important in China?

Chinese customers trust the recommendations of their chosen influencers, and follow their advice, tips and steer when it comes to new products and services. This relationship is enabled through trust, and as a result, influencers in China often have more relevance and importance than mass media. Influencers know how to make themselves relatable to their audience, they facilitate word-of-mouth marketing, they are naturally engaging and they drive conversions by influencing the consumer decision-making process.

What are KOCs?

Key Opinion Consumers (KOCs) are online consumers with their own small, or niche, followings. They express their opinions about products, services and brands in a market where reliability, authenticity and personal recommendations are highly valued and sought after – far more so than in the West. Key Opinion Consumers are seen in China as being trustworthy, reliable and relatable; all traits that build engagement and connection. These micro-influencers have relatively small numbers of followers, but high levels of engagement, authentic content, trust and follower interactions.

Why are KOCs growing in popularity?

As KOLs have become hugely powerful and prominent in their own rights, often with large follower numbers and valuable product sponsorships, Chinese customers have become warier about the authenticity and honesty of their recommendations. Savvy Chinese consumers know that KOLs are usually being paid to endorse brands, so they are seeking out the honest feedback of smaller KOCs, who are seen as being ‘truer’ experts.

How do KOCs and KOLs differ?

KOLs tend to have large volume follower bases and they can be celebrities in their own right. KOCs are more niche and tend to have tighter, more focused audiences with whom they engage more closely. For brands, the best approach is usually to use both types of influencers as part of an integrated marketing strategy. Still, many smaller brands will begin with the more affordable KOCs and then bring KOLs alone.

How can brands get the most from Chinese influencer marketing?

1. Know your objectives

KOL and KOC marketing share a key objective – to increase your brand visibility and to grow engagement amongst your target audience. The size of your chosen influencer’s audience is less important than the relevance of that audience to your brand. So a KOC with a niche, or ‘micro’ following may actually be more relevant to your brand and its market offer. By really understanding your own offer and target audience, you can better find a KOC with relevant interests, knowledge and a community that matches your ideal customer base.

2. Choose your platforms

Some Chinese social media platforms favour KOCs within their algorithms. For example, Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu) values micro-influencer accounts and tends to prioritise them in the feed and also via related topic hashtags. Weibo is also a great channel for KOCs and brands such as Olay and Lancome are already using it to leverage user-generated content and KOC communities. A Chinese digital marketing agency such as Market Me China can offer advice on selecting and using the right social media platforms for your needs in China, depending on your offer, market and industry.

3. Get the most from your KOCs

If you work with a KOC then use your partner to build brand awareness, spread content and engage with potential customers. They might create a new topic about your brand, offer their own true opinions and reviews to existing discussions or invite their own followers to offer feedback in this way. This process can help to convert followers into customers.

It’s vital that you keep your KOC relationship as authentic as possible, with an emphasis on value and loyalty to customers, rather than on ‘buying reviews’. KOCs must always be free to speak their minds, as this is their true value and power. But if your brand sells a great service or product, then the right KOC can share these positive attributes with potential customers in a far more immediate, compelling and results-driven way than a brand could.

4. Ready your product or service

Before engaging with a potential KOC, make sure your product or service offer has been completely optimised for that excellent, honest review. This means ensuring that the customer service is excellent, that you have offered the chance to personalise the experience of your customers in some way (vital to Chinese consumers), that you have considered experiential marketing elements, and that your product or service attributes are of the right quality – and targeted to the audience of interest. For example, for a younger, affluent audience, is your brand unique, authentic / heritage-based, desirable, enabling personal style and expression, sustainable and so forth?

5. Optimise your digital marketing channels

Before you work with any online influencers to promote your brand, products and services, it’s important to ensure your digital ecosystem is optimised and ready. This means having optimised landing pages on your Chinese language website, integrated Chinese payment systems, relevant online advertising campaigns, content marketing and so forth. When influencer marketing is considered as part of a broader marketing strategy and campaign, the results will be far more powerful.

6. Get the help you need

It can be challenging to find the right KOC (or KOL) for your brand in China – especially in a market that is so constantly evolving and growing at a dizzying pace! Market Me China can help you to find the right online influencers and to partner with them in a way that brings true results to your brand, and sustainable benefits over time.

We work with brands to devise effective, multi-channel digital marketing campaigns that integrate KOC and KOL marketing for measurable results. Please contact us in the first instance to find out more about how we can help you.

The post What Western brands should know about KOC marketing in China appeared first on Market Me China®.

Western brands can work with KOLs in different ways and through a variety of sponsorship arrangements. For example, a KOL could launch a competition for a brand or a new seasonal product (perhaps a special fragrance, colour or flavour to fit in with a special holiday event). A KOL could carry out a product review, deliver an explainer video or enter into an ongoing brand partnership arrangement where they continue to sponsor and promote the brand to their followers in a variety of ways.

Chinese customers value Key Opinion Leaders in a different way than customers in the West. Chinese customers value recommendations from people that they trust, and they follow KOLs for these expert insights and recommendations. KOLs are hugely powerful and often celebrities in their own right. Some charge huge sums to promote brands to millions of followers. Others charge smaller sums to do the same with tightly defined niche audiences – but their clout can be just as powerful for Western businesses who are looking to build their brands, development and engagement and secure those conversions.

Let’s take a look at some of the main things to know about Chinese Key Opinion Leaders:

1. Reputation

KOLs in China tend to earn their reputation by maintaining their original professions such as entrepreneurs, engineers, product developers and journalists. This allows them to be authentic and gain a strong, valid reputation in their field. KOLs are also seen as being more authentic in China as social media platforms have stringent user requirements. For example, KOLs on WeChat tend to have verified accounts that lend them further credibility.

2. Cross-platform

KOLs often work across platforms. For example, the popular fashion influencer Becky Li has more than 20 million followers across her platforms. She shares content around high-end fashion brands, featuring the products from Dior, Chanel and others.

3. Advanced features

Social media platforms in China are far ahead of the curve when it comes to influencer management and content targeting. For example, the WeChat index helps brands and KOLs to manage keyword trends and optimise SEO, so that creators can produce the best-possible performing content for maximum engagement and reach. Platforms often have valuable and different user features too.

For example, KOLs on platforms like Meipai and Yi Zhi Bo share live-stream content and engage with followers via ‘bullet curtains’ which is where followers’ comments show immediately in a stream and KOLs can instantly respond as they appear. On WeChat, influencers can also manage private groups – a trend that is growing. For example, Austin Li used Singles Day to launch over 2,000 private groups on the platform, each with 500 people, to produce over 67 million views for his live-streamed product reviews. These groups were also used to manage post-live-stream enquiries.

4. Platform-specific topics

Different social media platforms in China tend to suit different KOLs. For example, Weibo has its own integrated e-commerce platform and it tends to be favoured by KOLs who share fashion and beauty content in the form of videos, gifts, images, text and live streaming. Many leading beauty brands already work with KOLs on Weibo, including YSL, Bobbi Brown and Maybelline.

5. Evolving

KOLs generate revenue through their work and commercial arrangements with brands. But the field is evolving and now Key Opinion Customers, or micro-influencers, are growing and often working with KOLs. These KOCs share their personal recommendations in a smaller, niche way, based on genuine experiences and small spans of interest. They also have real clout and are growing in importance. Micro-KOLs and collaborations between brands, KOLs and KOCs look set to grow this year.

6. Prices and bandings

Chinese KOLs are usually banded into stars and celebrities (tier 1), bloggers (tier 2) and Wang Hong (tier 3) who are KOCs. The biggest KOLs earn millions of dollars every year and are hugely expensive. However, even the smallest brands can find highly effective KOLs that are affordable and have niche audiences who are tightly interested in the brand’s own target market. This can lead to an attractive ROI.

7. Power

The figures involved with KOL marketing in China are absolutely staggering. The biggest KOLs often have followers in the many millions. For example, Papi Jiang has nearly 80 million followers! But even the smallest micro KOLs and KOCs can be extremely valuable to brands, and often the niche KOLs have higher levels of engagement with their followers.

Getting the most from Chinese KOL arrangements

Because the Chinese KOL market is so well established and managed, Western brands can find the right KOL(s) for their needs and work with them to organise powerful digital marketing campaigns that deliver an attractive ROI. But the relationship needs careful planning, research and brokering and will be done in Chinese- so language skills are essential.

Many Western brands choose to use the services of a Chinese digital marketing agency such as Market Me China, in order to find the right KOLs for their business, audience and objectives, and to broker the relationship effectively. A successful KOL campaign will require a good deal of research and planning to find the right influencer and create the right campaign across targeted channels. Again, a Chinese digital marketing agency can help to optimise this process, support the right content delivery, liaise with KOLs and their representatives and generally ensure (and evidence) that the right results were achieved.

Find out more

Even the smallest brands can find a powerful KOL to support their marketing campaigns in a powerful, meaningful way. Market Me China can help you to build a KOL marketing strategy that delivers what you need. Please contact us in the first instance to find out more and to discuss your needs.

The post 7 top facts about Chinese KOLs that Western brands should know appeared first on Market Me China®.

Here are some facts that Western marketers should know:

– Social media is used by around 673 million people in China, in a nation where over 900 million Chinese people are online.
– The country is the biggest social media market in the world. Chinese customers use platforms to connect, share opinions and look for product recommendations.
– Social media platforms in China are unique and constantly evolving, with new players coming online every year to meet demand
– For Western brands looking to grow their presence in China, it’s important to stay abreast of what is happening with these channels.

So which Chinese social media channels should we focus on?

The answer is – it depends. Yes, there are big and obvious social media platforms such as WeChat, Weibo and Douyin, but there are hundreds of others too and many of these are highly popular within certain target markets. For example, Little Red Book is very popular with females who like beauty, fashion and health and who have disposable income to spend on these products.

The factors that a Western brand might want to consider before making their platform choices are:

1. Where their target Chinese customers tend to be active – it’s vital to really know your audience and demographics first.
2. How big their budget is – the bigger platforms are heavily competitive and packed with advertising, so smaller and newer brands will have to be extremely targeted, creative or choose other platforms to reach their audience.
3. Their resources for managing Chinese social media accounts. If your brand is to be successful with this online audience, it must be actively managing its Chinese social media accounts. This means having Chinese speaking customer service representatives on hand who can deliver marketing messages, engage with comments and queries and actively manage the accounts for the best results.

Our Top Chinese Social Media Marketing Platforms

WeChat

This is the biggest social media platform in China and it represents about a third of total data traffic, with users ending 45 billion WeChat messages every day. Developed by Tencent it’s a powerful multi-purpose app with social media posting, instant messaging, mobile payment and other ‘super app‘ functionalities ranging from video conferencing, moments and games to banking, shopping, bill payment, restaurant booking and location sharing. There are also millions of mini-program third-party apps. The Chinese use WeChat to carry out almost every aspect of their digital lives and its potential for marketers is vast, particularly with the superb CRM system in the background, varied advertising features and direct messaging features.

For most Western brands, WeChat will be a must-have and the secret to success will be deciding how best to leverage the platform’s features for your marketing goals.

Sina Weibo

Sina Weibo is used by over 30pc of China’s population, with 573 million active users each month; 30% of whom are under 20 years old. It is the second most prominent Chinese microblogging platform which a character limit that is reminiscent of Twitter. Again, it’s a hugely influential social media marketing platform and users can post videos, images and gifs, chat and follow, share and see trending topics. People tend to use it to read up on breaking news, learn more about hot topics, brands, products and culture and network with friends whilst following influencers. Users can also game, watch music videos, make payments and track their health. This platform is vital for business marketing, with mobile advertising being key. Many brands work with KOLs to launch multiple daily promos for targeted, intense brand awareness campaigns. It’s also possible to sell directly through the platform.

Douyin

Around half of Chinese internet users use Douyin, a short video app that is known in the West as TikTok. Users create, share and engage with videos, research products, brands and services, buy online, book tickets, follow celebrities and KOLs and pay online. Females are particularly big fans, especially younger females aged 25-30 in third and fourth-tier cities. Businesses use KOLs to share branded content and launch PPC advertising.

There are other important Chinese social media platforms to know too. For example:

– Youku is one of China’s biggest video streaming platforms with over 1500 media content licence holders and plenty of professional content. It’s popular with younger users aged 35 and under who like informative, educational and entertaining content and the platform offers various marketing and advertising opportunities to brands.

– Little Red Book is very popular with females who like beauty, fashion and health and who have disposable income to spend on these products. Red Book combines social media and e-commerce functionalities, making it unique in the Chinese digital marketplace.

– Bilibili, nicknamed B Site (“B 站”), is a Chinese video sharing website based in Shanghai, themed around animation, comics, and games (ACG), where users can submit, view and add overlaid commentary on videos. The platform has more than 267 million monthly active users and is expected to surpass 400 million MAUs by 2023.

– Zhihu is the biggest online Q&A social media platform in China, like Quora. The online community is intellectual, respectful, sincere and professional. 80% of users have a degree, and 20% have degrees from overseas institutions. 76% of users also have high incomes and high spending power.

– Douban – this social networking platform is for recommending and sharing books, music and movies, based around urban life and similar to Reddit. It’s great for promoting cultural and media products to sophisticated urban users.

– Jinri Toutiao – younger, tech-savvy millennials with higher purchasing powers in 1st and 2nd tier cities love this site for its instant connection to rich and accurate quality information, spanning over 100 fields of content.

Next steps to consider

Depending on your brand’s offer and target market, there may be several Chinese social media accounts that are valuable to target as part of your integrated marketing campaign. There will likely also be various routes to maximising your results, such as KOL engagement, bespoke or localised Chinese content creation, targeted Baidu PPC campaigns, integration with e-commerce platforms and so forth. The route to success lies in really understanding your customers, the Chinese market and the rich and complex world of Chinese social media marketing before you create your campaign to the best effect.

Get the help you need

Market Me China provides expert Chinese digital marketing services to Western brands across all industries. Our team of native Chinese speakers and digital marketing experts can ensure you achieve the right level of ROI for your marketing campaign, whether you are new to China business or looking to grow your position in this lucrative and fast-growing market. To get the best possible results from your next Chinese social media marketing campaign, please contact our team to discuss your needs.

The post So many Chinese social media channels, which ones should Western brands focus on? appeared first on Market Me China®.

The power of Chinese KOLs

KOLs have an extremely high degree of power in digital China, in a nation where shoppers are predominantly online and keen to follow the opinions and recommendations of people that they trust.

KOLs operate across all of China’s social media platforms, such as WeChat, Weibo, Douyin, Little Red Book and the multitude of smaller and topic-specific platforms (many of which dwarf Western equivalents!)

Chinese customers trust and respect their chosen KOLs and use them to make purchasing decisions to a far greater degree in the West; offering brands highly tailored and flexible routes to sponsorship arrangements.

Remember, Chinese online shoppers also value online advertising in a way that Western customers do not, so the combination of KOL sponsored content supported by targeted online advertising is a powerful one indeed!

So how is the role of the KOL evolving in China, and what does this mean to Western brands?

1. They aren’t going anywhere!

Far from falling out of fashion, KOLs are becoming more important than ever to marketers. This is because they continue to reinforce the values of trust, integrity, value, and authenticity to Chinese online shoppers. Research suggests that emerging Chinese Gen Z buyers also place great emphasis on these values and that they are more inclined to follow and engage with a KOL’s recommendations – whether a mass or micro-influencer – than a brand itself.

2. Micro-KOLs are on the rise

This is similar to a trend being seen in the West, where more niche online influencers are being sought by brands. This is because Micro-KOLs tend to have a richer and more meaningful level of engagement with their followers (who are also more likely to be real people, rather than bots or spam accounts!) Brands recognise that the depth of these relationships can create highly engaged and motivated customers, such as the Apple fanboy (or girl).

3. KOCs are the next big thing…

Many marketers in China are now creating strategies for Key Opinion Customers (KOCs) who act as brand evangelists. These influencers already buy products and services from a brand and share their positive feedback to their own network – encouraging them to do the same. This type of private traffic is growing, and it allows brands to use KOCs to garner sales from private, online networks – such as a WeChat group. Brands can create KOC groups on social media platforms, share promotions and other forms of content with them, and allow their ‘superfans’ to share it on to their own networks.

4. Video is growing

The use of video content is already huge, but Chinese social media platforms are always innovating and rolling out new features and technologies. For example, Douyin has developed in-video search capabilities, and KOLs are experimenting with different types of video on growing social media platforms such as Bilibili, Xiaohongshu, and Kuaishou, as well as Weibo and WeChat.

5. Experiential marketing matters more than ever

Brands operating in China have already spent vast sums on acquiring customers – and now they are looking to retain them via increasingly personalised, highly targeted, and engaging experiential content. These unique digital encounters – delivered via KOLs and KOCs – help to create a sense of relationship between brands and consumers, with the intention of creating ongoing loyalty. Innovative experiential marketing campaigns will matter more than ever – often with the help of Chinese digital marketing agencies who have the insight and experience needed to tackle this challenging and rapidly evolving field of specialist marketing.

6. KOLs are still live streaming

Livestreaming is still a big KOL trend, especially for important shopping events such as Singles Day on Alibaba. This year, the November event will see around 2,000 KOLs live streaming promotional content with eCommerce integration for seamless customer experiences and purchases.

7. Brands are choosing KOLs more carefully

Many brands are now making more conscious decisions about the KOLs that they use, and getting recommendations from Chinese digital marketing agencies, who can help to quantify their value and likely returns from any sponsorship arrangements. With thousands of KOLs to choose from, across all industries and at all levels in the social-media eco-system, these choices can be difficult and need to be made with ready data in order to obtain the right ROI. Similarly, brands will need to have clear objectives in mind from their KOL relationships before they progress into a partnership; ascertaining whether they are seeking to build long-term brand positioning or more immediate sales.

8. KOLs are using intermediaries

The KOL landscape, and its underlying digital ecosystem, is continuing to evolve. As a result, many brands are now keen to use agencies and intermediaries to select and partner with the right KOL. Some brands have been burned in the past by paying large amounts for sponsorship arrangements that didn’t yield intended results, and as a result, most are now using specialist digital marketing agencies to improve ROI.

9. The approach depends on the platform

A Chinese marketing agency will tell you that the approach a brand should take to engage with a KOL will depend on the influencer and the platform. For example, on Little Red Book, KOL collaboration will begin with brands gifting their products to influencers (including celebrities) who will decide which products to promote with free exposure. If this is successful, the brand may approach the influencer to arrange a paid campaign.

How we can help

Market Me China has a team of experienced Chinese digital marketing professionals with native language skills, broad industry knowledge and the skills and know-how needed to master Chinese digital marketing. We broker KOL and KOC arrangements and work with Western brands to support every stage of their Chinese digital marketing journey – from market research and campaign planning to delivery and post-evaluation.

Don’t risk making expensive mistakes that damage your brand, or waste your budget! Contact Market Me China today for a no-obligation chat about your needs and how we can help you build your brand – and conversions – in this hugely attractive, fast-growth market.

The post How are KOLs evolving in China? appeared first on Market Me China®.

Why the Chinese beauty market matters

In terms of market value, the Chinese beauty market is second only to the USA on a global scale, and it’s one of China’s biggest and fastest-growing industries. [1] It’s important to know as well that eCommerce is a real driver for China’s beauty and personal care market – currently representing about 38% of sales and growing. [2]

Success tips for marketing your beauty brand in China

Every beauty brand will need its own unique strategy, but these focal areas are always important to consider:

1. Knowledge: that Chinese digital marketing never stops!

The Chinese digital ecosystem is usually one step ahead of Western equivalents and constantly evolving at a dizzying speed. This means that Western brands have the challenge of understanding constantly evolving trends, customer behaviour, market shifts and new channels – in Chinese! It can certainly make things easier to use the services of a digital marketing agency to devise an impactful, successful strategy with a ‘right the first time’ ethos.

2. Research, research, research

If you have an established brand in the West and some degree of sales in China, research the Chinese social media platforms to see what kinds of mentions you already have – using quality indicators as well as quantity. If you are new or have minimal social traction, then focus on building your brand in your target Chinese market. You will need a localised Chinese brand marketing strategy that focuses on winning the hearts and minds of your target Chinese customers, with all of their digital savvy!

3. Influencers: Find your KOL

A great KOL relationship can make or break your brand’s success in China’s beauty market. Find a KOL with brand values that are congruent with your own, and a persona that supports your brand. See if the KOL has done similar brand promotions and establish how successful they were. Does your audience match your target customer? Equally, are you ready to persuade KOLs about the quality and reputable nature of your brand? All good KOLs want to endorse quality brands for a win-win result – so prepare your own pitch and approach to build a relationship with a target KOL. Again, a Chinese marketing agency can assist with this.

4. Integration: Your KOL to your broader strategy

Your market research should have revealed partner profiles that attract the right customers to your brand. The beauty of the right KOL is that they will be able to build an authentic sense of affinity with your brand, raising its profile in the process with Chinese beauty lovers. A KOL might set a beauty topic that links with your brand and lead discussions, encouraging Chinese customers to talk about their brand experiences online. The right foundation of KOL partnership with ongoing interventions and key events or points in your campaign should result in a sales increase.

5. Live streaming: essential for beauty brands in China

Live streaming isn’t as popular in the West as it is in China, where customers love it! Chinese online platforms such as WeChat mini-programs, Alibaba Taobao Live and JD.com are optimised for this type of e-commerce based live streaming, along with Douyin, the short-video platform. Thanks to the excellent degree of targeting available, it is possible to put your high-quality, targeted beauty brand content in front of the right Chinese customers.

6. Partnerships: worth investing in

Babor, the German skincare brand is successfully partnering with Beauty Farm, the Chinese beauty chain, and its Tmall store already has over 20,000 fans. This partnership has allowed Babor to broaden its range and leapfrog into the right customer markets, and it now has huge plans for growth. These kinds of strategic partnerships can be excellent for niche beauty brands wanting to make their mark in China.

7. Targeting: for your products

Young Chinese customers want quality, organic, vegan and cruelty-free products – with options for personalisation and seasonality. They love fun, fashionable, high-tech concepts and products made for special occasions, such as important Chinese festivals. For example, Perfect Diary used WeChat, Weibo, and Tmall to launch a special Mid-Autumn Festival ‘Jade Rabbit’ eye palette, in partnership with China Aerospace Science. Further KOL partnerships brought the product to life with product tutorials and showcases. The #PerfectDiaryRabbitPalette hashtag had over 110 million views alone and the campaign was a huge success (and lucrative result) for the brand.

8. Digital assets: an optimised, holistic and organised system

From your smartphone-optimised website and app through to your Tmall store, Chinese social media platform presence, KOL relationships and content strategies, it’s essential to integrate all aspects of your Chinese digital marketing campaign for your beauty brand. The better you can create a seamless, integrated digital experience that allows your customers to find your brand, engage with it and buy your products in a few quick clicks, the better. Equally, the better you can leverage the deep data available on many of China’s digital marketing platforms – from Baidu for online advertising to Little RED Book (Xiaohongshu) for social engagement, the better your insights and ability to create a successful campaign.

Find out more

Ready to launch and grow your beauty brand in China? Market Me China is here to help you succeed, with a team of experienced digital marketing professionals who can work on a flexible basis with your brand, to secure your goals. With native language skills and cutting-edge Chinese digital marketing know-how, we evidence our value and can support you at every stage of your digital marketing journey. Contact us today to find out more.

Sources

[1] https://www.statista.com/topics/1897/cosmetics-in-china/

[2] https://www.euromonitor.com/beauty-and-personal-care-in-china/report

The post How can new beauty brands use Chinese social media to market in China? appeared first on Market Me China®.

Understanding the Chinese social commerce market

Research by McKinsey has found that social commerce – e-Commerce fuelled by social platforms – has experienced triple-digit growth figures in China over the past five years. [1] It is now one of the biggest marketing and commerce trends in China, and a significant disrupting force that all Western brands need to be aware of.

In fact, a deep dive into the figures are quite staggering. Chinese customers now spend over seven hours each day on mobile internet platforms – a figure that grew by 20pc during the pandemic. Around 60% of this time is spent using content or social apps, with users looking to social media to find recommendations, entertainment, influencer content, and information from friends, in order to help reach decisions about purchases. In fact, 50% of shopping interest is driven from social apps, and 25% of eventual purchases are too. What’s more, McKinsey has estimated that the size of China’s social commerce market will increase over twofold from 2019 figures to hit around 2.9 trillion RMB of gross sales by the end of this year.

All of this comes within a broader backdrop of diminishing bricks and mortar sales and even falling growth of online sales (JD and Alibaba have seen growth in their eCommerce sales drop by around 20%).

The benefits of social commerce

When brands have an effective social commerce strategy, they are able to grow their businesses and brands rapidly and gain immediate access to their target customers, particularly in attractive lower-tier cities across China.

Brands that already have a social commerce presence are already reporting success, with key platforms such as Xingsheng Selected and Pinduoduo seeing growth figures of 233% and 92% respectively in active monthly user figures.

Some of the biggest brands in China are already selling on these platforms, and even new entrants, such as TST Tin’Secrets have used them to build rapidly successful businesses entirely from scratch – and in record time. McKinsey found that new entrants could build up successful social commerce businesses in as little as six months!

What should Western brands do about social commerce?

Firstly, it’s important to note that competition in the social commerce space is ramping up fast, so Western brands should plan to move quickly into the space to gain an early-adopter position which they can then build upon. From this point of entry, success lies in devising an effective social commerce strategy that will allow the brand to position itself for sustainable, measurable growth.

Know the market

There are various models of social commerce, which Western brands need to understand before they make the leap. For example, social-first commerce happens where KOLs are used to direct customers to branded or in-platform stores. Social discounter systems work by incentivising social product shares with incremental price drops per customer. There are community models which incentivise in-network sales by offering small businesses and consumers commissions, and Social DTC models where KOLs and brands use branded WeChat groups to chat to customers and convert them into sales via WeChat Mini-Programs. A Chinese marketing agency can help you to establish the best model for your brand and to put a strategy in place that takes you forward.

Have a clear plan

Western brands should also know that the most successful approaches for Chinese social commerce rely on having a clear and coherent strategy that integrates with all other elements of your digital marketing mix. Off-the-cuff and unplanned content, delivered on a scattered basis, is unlikely to result in a good ROI. To get large volumes of quality traffic that converts, you need to optimise your digital ecosystem, have a strong content plan, know what you are trying to achieve and test, test, test!

Four steps to social commerce success:

Most social commerce strategies will focus on four main pillars of success:

1. Have a clear user acquisition plan, encompassing paid leads through social advertising, social referrals and traffic exchange. Rich social content is a primary route for generating traffic, which can then be fed to private branded WeChat groups and then onward to conversion via a WeChat Mini-Program or Tmall store. The process must be seamless, fun, engaging and intuitive!
2. Carefully manage your online community, using KOLS, brand ambassadors, segmented content and even tools such as avatars to manage your brand reputation and keep conversations flowing. Many successful social commerce companies are using a series of community managers who take on different roles, whether that’s offering product explainer videos, sharing endorsements or promos, or offering tailored advice and support to potential customers with queries.
3. Carefully manage your content flow, from brand-led, third-party and user-generated sources. Lifestyle content is essential to success, but product references must be appropriate, natural and light-touch so that the content truly delivers value, entertainment and meaning to your target customers.
4. Ensure all of your infrastructure works in a seamless way – from your branded WeChat Mini-Programs to your integrated CRM database. This means a lot of testing to ensure that your customers can convert in as few steps as possible, without setbacks such as broken links or slow loading pages!

Get expert help!

We’d also add a fifth step to success – getting expert help from an experienced Chinese digital marketing agency to maximise your chances of success. China’s digital markets are vast, complex and highly segmented, and our team of digital marketing natives possess the perfect blend of digital expertise and native language skills to make your marketing a success.

Whatever your industry and the stage of your Chinese marketing journey, we can add measurable value – evidencing our returns at every stage and working flexibly according to your needs. We can also work on a socially distanced basis as required. Please get in touch in the first instance to discuss your needs and allow us to assist.

Source

[1] China consumer report 2021 – Understanding Chinese Consumers: Growth Engine of the World, McKinsey

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