How to effectively market in China?
- Kailey
- 2023-03-06
China, with a population of over 1.4 billion people, becomes a massive market full of business opportunities in entrepreneurs’ eyes. The country’s economy has been growing rapidly over the past few decades, and it is now the world’s second-largest economy. China’s booming economy makes it an attractive target for businesses looking to expand their global reach. Just as the saying goes, where demands are, where markets are. When more and more Chinese people become rich and can afford a lot of things, there are increasingly demands in market. China, with a large population, naturally becomes an ideal choice where companies want to expand their business. However, China’s unique culture, language, and business environment can pose challenges for foreign companies looking to market their products or services effectively in the country. Opportunity and Challenge are always exist meantime. The business that can gasp valuable opportunities must have the courage to overcome all of barriers. Besides that, the capability to capture latest information and to use it in practice is the key to stand out in fierce competitions. In this article, some marketing advice in China will be given to guide businesses market themselves effectively.
Investigation on Marketing to China
Before attempting to promote a product or service in China, it is essential to take an investigation about the market information in China and understand the culture, language, and consumers’ behavior of China. One of the most important factors that businesses need to consider is the country’s language when marketing in China. Although many Chinese people can speak English, it is essential to be able to communicate effectively in Chinese. It is particularly important when it comes to branding and messaging, as cultural nuances and linguistic subtleties can significantly impact how a product or service is perceived. Another essential aspect of marketing in China is to understand the country’s unique digital landscape. China has a highly developed online ecosystem and many of its citizens are using social media and e-commerce platforms that are not commonly used in the Western world. Social Platforms, such as WeChat, Weibo, and Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), are essential channels for marketing in China. Each platform has its own features and functions, which all need to be analyzed carefully before making a decision. China is a diverse and complex country, with many regions, different dialects, and subcultures, so it is vital to collect detailed information on the market in which you want to enter.
Localize Your Brand
Businesses must consider the way to localize their brand and messaging in China. To adapt to China’s environment, businesses not only need translate their marketing materials into Chinese but also need to be familiar with local culture. The translation of brand information is the first step to improve brand awareness in a strange environment, but it is not only the transformation between two languages. A good translated version is based on the mastery of cultures. Therefore, culture is the element that companies can neglect in the process of marketing to China. When it comes to branding, companies must pay attention to Chinese people’s attitude towards to their brands and logos. For example, certain colors and symbols have totally different connotations in China. Red is a popular color in China because it is associated with good luck and prosperity, while black is often associated with death and mourning. In such a situation, some elements of your logo or brand ads should be adapted to avoid cultural conflicts. High quality translation and mastery of culture is just the ground of making a successful localized strategy. It’s proved that a companies’ make a successful strategy when its brand arises resonation of target audience just as it does in the local country.
Partner with Local Influencers
Influencer marketing is the product of the popularity of social media. With the appearance of various social platforms, more and more people transfer their communications from offline to online. Nowadays, they like to communicate on those platform no matter in life or at work and often spend most of their time on social platforms. Of course, they not only communicate on these platforms but also share anything interesting. Moreover, people even tend to deal with their work on social channels sometimes because the functions of social platforms becomes stronger. Gradually, some people who often share their experience and general knowledge in a certain field attract attention from a batch of users. They often output some high quality content to help some people solve problems or share some wonderful opinions to inspire readers to think deeply. These people are KOL or influence of social media. A large follower base enable them to help bands improve their customer awareness promptly. That’s the reason why more and more companies choose to cooperate with some influencer on social media. Influencers of social media have obtained trust from customers through their efforts in a long term. Therefore, the information that they post are easier to be believed by users. What’s more，their numerous followers help brands uplift their exposure rates in a short time. China has social media influencers with millions of followers. Partnering with local influencers can be an effective way to reach Chinese consumers and build brand awareness.
WeChat Mini Programs and Official Accounts
WeChat is a popular social media platform in China, and it is an essential channel for marketing in the country. Over one billion monthly active users enable WeChat to become one of the most popular social platforms in China. Moreover, its user base is still increasing year by year. The reason why the users of WeChat has increased continuously is that more and more functions of it are developed. Among various functions, WeChat Mini Programs and Official Accounts are often used for marketing and brand promotion by companies. WeChat mini programs are lightweight apps that can be used within the WeChat platform but not take up the memory of smartphones, which provides convenience for people who often need use smartphone to deal with some trivial work and have to download lots of Apps. For better brand awareness, most companies choose to develop its own WeChat mini program and form its own brand community in WeChat ecosystem. Through their own WeChat mini program, they can promote their products and interact with customers directly, which is also a good way to improve customers’ loyalty. WeChat Official accounts is another service of WeChat. Businesses can post product information and create some high quality content to present the features and advantages of products or services. If you don’t have a detailed concept about it, you can deem it as a Facebook pages where content, promotions, and customer service and be shared.
In conclusion, effectively marketing in China requires a deep understanding of the local market, culture, and language, as well as a tailored strategy. Businesses looking to expand their reach in China should consider partnering with local influencers and adapt to local social media channels, leveraging the power of WeChat to engage with customers and promote their products or services.
