WeChat and social media in China

Social media in China is a unique proposition; due to state censorship the traditional social networks that we know in the west have not been able to establish themselves here. As a result social networks in China are mostly domestic, home grown platforms that are catering for the Chinese market in a unique and specialized way.

WeChat is now the most important platform for marketers and businesses to be engaged with in China. It is the number one social networking platform with over 500 million users. There has been a social networking revolution in China with more people than any other nation on the planet now using social media.

The Chinese are incredibly active on platforms such as WeChat. Chinese internet users spend about 40% of their 25 hours/week online on social networks’. More time on social networks leads to more exposure to content and a higher number of interactions. The Chinese are avid consumers so knowing how to market yourself on social media, particularly WeChat is of paramount importance.

WeChat is a fully integrated platform which serves as an instant messaging service (written, videos or sound bites), a wallet (it is linked to Alipay), and now a taxi ordering application.

Here is some top advice for western brands looking to market themselves on WeChat:

1) Create an official subscription account.

Users can follow subscription accounts to receive updates and content that you post. On WeChat users can only see posts by those they are following so it is vital to build a following; your marketing endeavors will inevitably fail otherwise. Consumers appreciate discounts and promotions that are offered exclusively to subscribers, the Chinese like unique offers so provide these as an incentive to increase your following.

2) Utiize the Key Opinion Leader (KOL)

The KOL is an interesting phenomenon in China, these are personalities whom already have a large following on WeChat. They are considered 'experts' on particular subjects. You need to find the KOL that is relevant to your brand and seek to recruit them to post positive content on behalf of your company. You can access thousands if not millions of potential consumers in this way. Users are very influenced by the KOL's thoughts and opinions.

3) QR Codes

QR Codes have exploded in Asia, they are much more popular than in the west. Ensure that in all your advertising there are QR codes prominently embedded so that users can easily scan them, this will then directly link them to your WeChat account. This is an effective way of linking your online marketing with offline marketing, QR codes are often now included on physical products such as Starbucks coffee cups or bottles of water in China.

4) The Chinese are strongly influenced by their social circle

Engage with consumers, you will need to translate your posts and content into mandarin, but people will really appreciate direct communication. Users like to feel involved with and part of a brand. The key is that Chinese consumers are strongly influenced by their immediate social circle, they often turn to social media for information because they increasingly distrust traditional media sources. It is therefore vital that you are engaging with consumers and their social circle, create promotional offers that the whole family can benefit from. The Chinese place real trust in other users comments and experiences regarding a brand so cultivate relationships with consumers in order to influence others.

5) Create interesting, shareable content

There is a high degree of legitimacy in what other users post. Chinese consumers look to share interesting content. The Chinese particularly love video animations or humorous clips, associating your brand with this type of content is key. What a user shares amongst their network can have a profound effect. A certain style of cartoon animal graphics are very popular in the middle kingdom currently.

6) Do not neglect Weibo

Weibo (akin to Twitter) is China's second largest social network with 400 million users. It is a micro-blogging platform that is more 'open' than WeChat. Users can see posts from anyone, even if they are not connected. Lots of Chinese internet users will be on multiple platforms so cross promotion is key. You can embed WeChat QR codes into content posted on Weibo to increase your following.

With over 500 million users increasingly relying on WeChat for their information it is important to be seen on this platform, if not you are largely invisible in China.

Benji is a digital marketing specialist at Gentlemen Agency. He is passionate about social media, e-commerce and digital solutions for western firms operating in China.