China is undoubtedly one of the biggest web communities all over the world, with over 660 million internet users! This is also probably one of the reasons many startups and medium-sized companies are looking to enter the Chinese market; a bigger target audience helps promote their brand and in turn, generate higher revenue. But how does one enter a new marketplace and conquer the minds of a stranger target audience? 

This article gives you five digital marketing strategies in China that could kick-start (if not greatly benefit) your start-up. Keep reading to find out!

1. Making Your Content Irresistible

There used to be a time when a blog or website was compelling enough with mediocrely-written articles coupled with images. But in today’s ever-changing marketplace, you cannot afford to be mediocre, because no one will want you. An excellent digital marketing strategy in China for 2019 is making use of videos. This may surprise you, but the online video market in China is highly profitable! Exceeding over 25 billion USD, the video marketing strategy is sure to amp up your business. 

How to go about it? Keep it simple: use storytelling strategies to express ideas and communicate with your audience by creating unforgettable videos. Also, keep in mind that a greater chunk of the population are watching videos on their mobile phones, as opposed to PCs and laptops. You cannot use YouTube in China, but some video platforms you may use are YouKu, Tudoi, Sohu and Baidu video!

2. Be Mobile-Friendly

Now that you have the right kind of content, remember to keep it mobile-friendly! A common digital marketing strategy in China this year is to go about your business ideas keeping in mind that Baidu mobile users have reached a soaring 663 million! What does this mean? Ideally, your strategy should aim at tailoring your tools to cell phones. Let’s say you have a Chinese website; make sure that it does not freeze up when you open it on your phone, and the layout doesn’t change (distortion is often an issue when websites are opened on mobile phones). 

Known as a “mobile marketing strategy” today, this digital marketing strategy never fails. Better yet, make a mobile app for your website, or go for a fully-blown mobile marketing strategy. 

3. Take Advantage of WeChat

When aiming at a new target audience, you must learn how to connect with them. Did you know that in China, WeChat app (a text and audio messaging mobile app) is the most dominant way of communicating? 6 out of 10 customers visit the app at least ten times over 24 hours to stay updated on current affairs and to communicate with others. Also, three-quarters of the customers are aged between 18 and 35. So, if your target audience falls under this range, you should be incorporating WeChat into your digital marketing strategy!

Form an official account and use its many features to promote your products and reach out to potential customers with your improved-upon content. This will help draw traffic towards your website! Some ways to grow your business using WeChat are WeChat moments, QR codes, WeChat mini websites, WeChat M-stores, etc. (take your pick, really).

4. Maintain A Good Reputation Online

A deeply-rooted cultural principle in China is the “Mian Zi 面子”, which means “keeping face.” Always remember that the Chinese value information shared across all social media platforms, so maintaining a good e-reputation is crucial. If they notice negative comments about your company being splashed all across social media, they lean towards trusting these comments. 

5. Put the Optimization in SEO

Finally, optimize! Let’s say you’ve got great articles with pertinent information, relatable videos, high-quality pictures: the works. Now, you need to reveal your content to potential customers. How do you do that?

The answer is: Baidu. The Baidu Search Engine is the answer to all your Chinese digital marketing strategy questions. It is the most famous search engine in the country, with over 80% of the market share. In fact, most searches in China go through Baidu. It is therefore important to ensure you have a Chinese website, and that it is optimized for Baidu. 

Remember, Baidu is not like Google, so a brand new SEO strategy will be required to meet Baidu’s requirements. Just remember to include the keywords, update content with fresh, diverse material, create a website in Chinese with a local host, and abide by the rules of the Chinese government in every step of the way: and you’re set!