The Chinese market is large, wealthy and still has plenty of digital growth ahead of it, making it very attractive to businesses wanting to expand internationally. This guide will explore how best to approach digital marketing in China. From reading this guide, you will learn the current digital landscape in the country, including internet penetration rates, online trends and behaviours, device usage, and the dominant search engines and social networks. You will also learn about the complexities of language and culture in China and what this means in terms of digital marketing. Finally, you will learn how to approach e-commerce in order to achieve success in China.
Table of contents
- Introduction
- The typical Chinese internet user
- Device usage in China
- Search engine marketing in China
- Social media marketing in China
- Douyin
- Baidu Tieba
- Xiaohongshu (also known as Little Red Book)
- Influencer marketing in China
- The local culture and language in China
- E-commerce in China
- Conclusion
Introduction
China is an attractive prospect to many businesses looking to expand internationally, and there are several reasons why.
The first reason is its size: it is a huge country, with the second-largest population in the world (after India), which means there will likely be a market for your product.
The appeal of this market only grows stronger when you realise that, according to the International Monetary Fund, China is the second-largest economy in the world in terms of GDP, after only the US.
Another reason is its strategic geographical location. With its close proximity to the major economies of Japan, South Korea and India, it is well-placed to do business with brands with a physical presence in any of these Asian powerhouses.
Looking at digital maturity, the country still has plenty of future growth ahead of it. As of October 2024, China has a population of 1.4 billion people. Of these people, around 78% are currently online. With more than 1 in 5 people in China still to come online, then the reason why more and more global companies are looking towards China becomes obvious: the potential for growth is substantial. With every passing year, the internet in China is reaching a broader and broader audience and, with it, more businesses can effectively reach their target audience within the Chinese market.
However, the Chinese digital landscape is unlike anywhere else in the world. The country has its own search engines, social networks and e-commerce platforms, not to mention a unique language and culture.
This can make entering the Chinese market seem like a daunting and difficult challenge. Never fear, this guide is here to shed light on how best to harness the power of digital marketing to succeed in China.
The typical Chinese internet user
Let’s begin by looking at who exactly the typical internet user is in China.
There is a fairly equal gender split, with 76% of males being internet users, along with 75.2% of females.
The graph below shows the age distribution of internet users in China, as of December 2023:
Be aware that there is an urban-rural digital divide in China, with 82% of people in urban areas being internet users, compared to just 57% in rural areas. However, internet adoption is rising steadily over time, in both urban and rural areas, so do not let this put you off.
The typical Chinese internet user spends 5 hours and 33 minutes online every day. So, what are these people doing online? Research by Meltwater and We Are Social found that the top three reasons Chinese users gave for using the internet were: staying in touch with friends and family, watching videos, TV shows or movies, and keeping up to date with news and events.
Let’s briefly turn our attention to some key concerns of Chinese internet users. Online privacy is important to this group. According to recent research, 39% of Chinese internet users use ad blocking tools, 26% decline cookies on websites, 22% use a VPN to access the internet, and 21% worry about how companies might use their online data.
Device usage in China
As of September 2024, 67% of internet traffic in China comes from mobile phones, 31% comes from desktop computers, and 1% comes from tablets.
This means that it is extremely important to have a mobile-friendly website to meet the demands of internet users and provide them with a positive user experience when interacting with your brand and website. Mobile-friendliness is also an increasingly crucial ranking factor for search engines, so not optimising your website for mobile will prove detrimental to your organic traffic.
Given the dominance of mobile, it should come as no surprise that apps are popular in China. During 2023, people in China collectively downloaded a whopping 113 billion apps. These app users clocked up an annual spend of USD 52 billion on apps and in-app purchases, although this is down 10% on the previous year. The popularity of apps presents a big opportunity for brands wanting to target the Chinese market. If you create an app, make sure to localise the language, especially if you are B2C. Make sure your app functions correctly and is valuable for users, otherwise your brand might suffer not only from poor return-on-investment but also negative reviews.
Internet speeds are faster than the global average. As of September 2024, China ranks 22nd in the world for fixed broadband speed, with a median speed of 180.55 MB per second. It ranks 15th for mobile internet speed, with a median speed of 105.24 MB per second.
Search engine marketing in China
Unlike most other countries in the world where Google reigns supreme, China has a totally unique search engine landscape made up of multiple local players. This means you need to completely rethink your search marketing strategy when targeting the Chinese market.
As of September 2024, Baidu is the most popular search engine in China, with a market share of 56%. Bing comes in second place with 28%, followed by Haosou with 7%. However, these figures vary significantly across different devices, as you can see in the table below:
Remember that the majority of internet traffic in China comes from mobile phones, so Baidu should be the main focus of your SEO and PPC efforts in China. Be aware that doing SEO and PPC on Baidu is completely different from doing it on Google. You will need to completely adapt your search marketing strategy to the way Baidu works. You cannot simply copy your Google strategy and hope that it works (because it will not). Luckily, we have a range of content available to help you navigate Baidu’s complex search marketing landscape:
- A guide to technical SEO for Baidu
- SEO differences between Google, Baidu, Yandex and Naver
- 5 awesome search marketing tools on Baidu
- Platform overview: Baidu
The above resources should give you a good grounding in search marketing on Baidu, but we understand that you may need additional support or advice, so please feel free to reach out to us if you would like more bespoke consultancy or practical help.
We cannot stress enough how vital it is to have a strong presence on Baidu. Recent research has found that search engines are the number one main channel for online brand research in China.
However, be aware that 39% of Chinese internet users use an ad blocking tool. This means you do not want to rely completely on search advertising. Your organic SEO and content marketing efforts must also be given the attention they deserve in order to reach those internet users who have turned on an ad blocker.
Preparing your website for China
Make sure you get an ICP licence. The Chinese internet is highly regulated and websites hosted or cached on servers located in China require an ICP licence to avoid being blocked. ICP stands for “internet content provider” and is a permit issued by the Chinese authorities to allow websites to operate in China. The relevant licence number usually appears in the footer of the licenced website.
Check that your geotargeting is correctly set up for your Chinese website. This will vary depending on how you structure your domains, but you are likely to need hreflang tags correctly implemented to ensure that your China-targeted pages rank above your other country pages.
You should also check your website speed from within China, and if the loading speed is slow, consider hosting your website on a local server or opting for a content delivery network (CDN). Although the CDN options can be costly and relatively complex, the use of one can bring many benefits. Some of the advantages of using a CDN are more stable connections, faster loading times, increased crawlability and security. Selecting a good CDN can have a great impact on the performance of your website in China in the long run.
If you sell products on your website, make sure to display prices in the local currency, use local weights and measurements, accept local online payment methods, and use social sharing buttons for the local social networks (you will learn more about Chinese social media marketing in the next section of this guide).
And finally, make a point of creating and displaying local content, telling stories that are relatable and relevant to the local audience. This also includes the visuals and photos that accompany your written content.
Social media marketing in China
Social media is very popular in China. Research by Meltwater and We Are Social found that amongst its sample of Chinese internet users, 97% were social media users. The average internet user spends 1 hour and 56 minutes on social media every day and uses an average of 7 social platforms every month. The most common reasons for using social media are keeping in touch with friends and family, filling spare time, and seeing what is being talked about.
However, the social media landscape in China looks very different from anywhere else in the world. Most of the big name Western social networks are blocked, including Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and more. Therefore, you cannot use these platforms for your social media marketing efforts when targeting China, and should focus on the local ecosystem of Chinese social networks instead.
So, where are Chinese social media users spending their time? As you can see in the graph below, WeChat is the most popular social platform in China, followed by Douyin, QQ, Baidu Tieba and Xiaohongshu (also known as Little Red Book). All these platforms are used by more than half of all Chinese internet users every month.
With 97% of Chinese internet users being social media users, it is vitally important for brands to have a social media presence when targeting China. You should use social media to communicate and engage with potential customers, and it is also a useful way of understanding and getting to know your target audience. You should aim to create content that triggers emotions in users by offering real value or a real connection with your brand.
Of course, you do not need to be on every social media platform; you only need to be where your audience is. Research your industry and your audience before entering the market, see what platforms they prefer and prioritise them. Bear in mind that your audience will most likely be present on multiple platforms and interact with you across all of them, but they will not want to see the same things from you on all of them. Your content strategy should take into consideration both who your audience is and where they are interacting with you.
Let’s take a closer look at the most popular Chinese social platforms, as you may have some questions about how they work if you are unfamiliar with the Chinese market.
WeChat is the most popular social platform in China, with 87% of Chinese internet users being monthly active users.
In summary, WeChat is a lifestyle app, developed by the Chinese tech giant Tencent. However, it is not a typical, single-minded app. It was launched as a messenger app initially, but soon grew into an app that covered many functions beyond simply messaging and social media. The New York Times made this very interesting video about WeChat, which sums up what WeChat is in a few minutes and explains why it is known as “the super app”:
In China, WeChat can displace Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, Uber, PayPal, Groupon and much more. Within the app, it is possible to message friends, share photos, order takeaways, book tickets, book hotel rooms, shop online, order professional services, leave business reviews, donate to charities, pay utility bills – and that barely scratches the surface.
With WeChat being so ingrained into Chinese people’s daily lives, it is only natural that it has become a tool that marketers rightly focus their attention on when marketing in China. If you are targeting China, it is recommended that you set up a WeChat official account for your brand. For businesses, you can think of your WeChat official account as akin to your official website in China. Many brands actually do not have a Chinese website, choosing instead to just have a WeChat official account to promote themselves in China.
A WeChat official account looks very similar to a regular website. You can set up a navigation tab, have sections in blocks, provide services directly, and even message your followers. Compared to a regular website, WeChat official accounts can send and receive messages with followers, and every time you publish content your followers can receive this immediately. It is a very good platform for customer relationship management and for driving conversions for your business.
To learn more about marketing on WeChat, read our full-length guide on the topic here.
Douyin
Douyin is the second most popular social platform in China, with 78% of Chinese internet users being monthly active users.
Douyin is the Chinese version of the short-form video platform TikTok and many of its users are millennials or Gen Z.
Compared to TikTok, Douyin has more advanced features, including group livestreams, voice comments, in-video search and much more.
If you are targeting millennials or Gen Z in China and want to explore video marketing, you should definitely consider setting up a Douyin account for your brand.
One of the most effective ways to do marketing on Douyin is to collaborate with influencers. Douyin influencers have a powerful sway over their followers’ purchasing decisions.
Another way to do marketing on Douyin is via live streaming. Live streaming is hugely popular in China and will only keep growing. If you start live streaming on Douyin, your followers will be able to watch, comment and even place orders during the live stream. Live streaming on Douyin can help you to educate your target audience, promote a product, speed up the sales cycle, attract new followers and build up relationships with existing followers.
QQ is the third most popular social platform in China, with 60% of Chinese internet users being monthly active users.
QQ is an instant messaging and social platform that is particularly popular amongst young people. On QQ, it is possible for users to message friends, create groups, go shopping, play games and more.
There are various advertising and marketing options that make it an appealing option for brands targeting a younger Chinese audience, such as banner ads, pop-up ads and influencer marketing.
With QQ being a less well-known channel compared to WeChat, at least amongst foreign brands, you may find there is less competition on QQ, potentially giving you relatively more visibility.
Advertising costs are also typically lower than on other platforms, with audience targeting allowing you to specifically target your ads at your desired gender, age, location and interests.
Baidu Tieba
Baidu Tieba is the fourth most popular social platform in China, with 59% of Chinese internet users being monthly active users.
Baidu Tieba is a content-oriented discussion forum. Users can search for a topic on Baidu Tieba and they will be directed to a forum with everyone’s posts about that topic.
Baidu Tieba is a place where users like to talk about brands and products, making it a great place to promote your brand, boost your brand awareness and showcase your thought leadership by creating high-quality, engaging content for people to read and discuss.
Furthermore, as Baidu Tieba is part of Baidu, posting content there also presents a good opportunity to build backlinks to your Chinese website and improve your SEO on the search engine.
There are many, many different “Tiebas” (i.e. communities) on the platform, focusing on different niches, so no matter what your business is, there is likely to be a community for you.
Xiaohongshu (also known as Little Red Book)
Xiaohongshu (also known as Little Red Book) is the fifth most popular social platform in China, with 51% of Chinese internet users being monthly active users.
Xiaohongshu is a lifestyle app that is like a combination of Pinterest, Instagram and a short-form video platform.
The “social shopping” platform is a combination of a social network and an e-commerce platform, where users can share social posts as well as shop for products.
Many people use Xiaohongshu to search when they need to decide what to buy, where to go, or how to do something. They want to see other users’ experiences to help them decide if something will work for them. Indeed, many people think of Xiaohongshu as a products/tips search engine.
It is a great platform for businesses to seamlessly blend in their advertising and make it look effortless. This platform is also a good opportunity for smaller businesses with limited marketing budgets. If you sell B2C products that you think could be suited to “social shopping”, consider setting up a Xiaohongshu account.
Influencer marketing in China
Influencer marketing can be a very successful social media marketing strategy in China. Influencer marketing involves a brand collaborating with a social media influencer, whereby the influencer promotes the brand to their followers in exchange for payment or some other reward. Key to this approach is therefore identifying the right influencer, making sure that their niche matches that of the brand to ensure their followers match the brand’s target audience.
There are three different “levels” of influencer in China:
- Wanghongs are professional influencers with huge followings on social media. They are people who became famous through social media and have made influencing on social platforms their full-time job. Brands who want to grow their Chinese social media presence would definitely benefit from a collaboration with a Wanghong, just be aware it will likely cost a pretty penny.
- Key opinion leaders (KOLs) are popular influencers with semi-celebrity status, but they tend to have “regular” day jobs, with influencing being more of a side gig. They are usually experts in a certain field and have their own large, dedicated follower base. KOLs are great for boosting brand awareness within a specific niche.
- Key opinion consumers (KOCs) are micro-influencers who are regular people with a passion for a specific niche. They have fewer followers than KOLs and Wanghongs, but they have a much closer relationship with their followers and can therefore be more effective at actually influencing their followers’ purchasing decisions. You can learn more about how to harness the power of KOC marketing in China in this full-length guide.
The local culture and language in China
Culture
When entering any new market, it is very important to be aware of the local culture and to adapt your marketing collateral appropriately. One way you can examine the Chinese culture is through the lens of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions.
China has a very high score of 80 for power distance. This means that:
- Authority is respected and hierarchies are adhered to.
- When doing B2B marketing, you should focus on targeting the senior decision-makers. There is little point in targeting personas in more junior roles, as they do not have much input into purchasing decisions.
- It is important to highlight your own authority on your website – for example, by prominently featuring your senior management team.
China has a score of 43 for individualism, placing it around the middle of the spectrum, although slightly on the collectivist side. This means that:
- China is a collectivist society. In collectivist societies, people tend to see themselves as part of a group, rather than a standalone individual. They are loyal to their group, strive for group harmony, and value the wellbeing of the group.
- You should therefore emphasise how your product or service can benefit the group.
- Celebrity endorsements work well, since celebrities are seen as influential members of the group – and people are quick to copy their behaviours.
- Looking more at B2B, make sure to spend time nurturing a personal relationship with your prospective clients, as interpersonal relationships are seen as very important.
China has a fairly high score of 66 for motivation towards achievement and success. This means that:
- People tend to be driven by a desire to be successful – i.e. to be the best at what they do.
- You should therefore emphasise how your product or service can help the customer become more successful.
China has a fairly low score of 30 for uncertainty avoidance. This means that:
- People are comfortable with uncertainty. They are adaptable, pragmatic and flexible.
- With regards to marketing, this means that they are comfortable with general statements about products and services.
- They want to know about the benefits of your products, but do not care so much about the exact details of how they work.
- Explain your offerings in terms of their results, not their detailed processes.
China has a fairly high score of 77 for long-term orientation. This means that:
- People are more focused on the future than on the present or the past.
- Change is viewed as a good thing, and traditions are easily altered to fit with modern circumstances.
- People tend to be pragmatic, and saving and investing for the future is important, as the future is their focus.
- You should therefore focus on how your product or service can help them in the long-term.
- Do not focus on getting quick, instant results, as that is not relatable. Instead, focus on long-term benefits.
China has a fairly low score of 24 for indulgence. This means that:
- China is quite a restrained society.
- People are good at controlling their impulses and desires – and may in fact see indulgence as a negative thing.
- Bear this in mind when coming up with your marketing messaging, and make sure not to come across as promoting something overly extravagant or gaudy, as this may be seen as distasteful.
From our experience helping global brands succeed in the Chinese market, we can add that brand awareness is very important in China.
You should also be aware that the price of a product is viewed as an indicator of its quality. For this reason, it is perhaps not wise to aim for rock-bottom prices, as this may give the impression that your products or services are of a poor quality.
Be aware that political content is not accepted in China, and it is important to avoid this when creating online content and using Chinese communication channels. The use of Chinese maps should also be avoided on websites. If you have to use them, make sure you include Taiwan as part of China, to avoid unnecessary trouble from both Chinese internet users and the Chinese government.
You should know that superstition has a big influence on Chinese culture, especially when it comes to numbers. You should avoid references to the numbers 4, 73 and 74. The pronunciation of these numbers sound similar to the words “death”, “anger” and “separation”, which do not appeal to people in China. Instead, mention the numbers 6 and 8, which evoke the concepts of good luck and good fortune.
We have published this blog post about Chinese B2B business culture, if you want to learn more on this topic.
Language
When targeting China, make sure to create content in the local language, rather than trying to target them using English. The EF English Proficiency Index ranks China as having “low” English proficiency, so any attempt to use English to reach people in China will not be successful. The vast majority of Chinese internet users do not normally search in English, and would not be inclined to engage with an English-language website. Furthermore, using English will give the impression that you do not really care about the market, since you cannot be bothered to communicate with them in their language, which would give a poor impression of your brand.
The written language you should use when targeting China is Simplified Chinese. Simplified Chinese is a Sino-Tibetan language that is made up of thousands of Chinese characters. It does not have grammatical genders.
It is important to understand the difference between Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese. Simplified Chinese is used in Mainland China, Singapore and Malaysia, whilst Traditional Chinese is used in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
Simplified Chinese was established in China in 1949, in an effort to improve literacy in the country. The more complex Traditional Chinese characters were made simpler to read and write, with fewer strokes. Even without being able to read either form of Chinese, you can clearly see the difference between the characters in the table below:
Originally, Chinese was only written vertically, with characters written in columns, from top to bottom, ordered from right to left. But nowadays, it is also very common to write Simplified Chinese horizontally, oriented from left to right (like English), especially when it comes to websites and online content, since it is easier to display.
Translation and copywriting should always be done by a professional native speaker. Only a native will have a proper grasp of the local linguistic and cultural nuances and be able to create content that will truly resonate with your local Chinese audience.
Be aware that people in China will think poorly of you if you have mistakes in your written Simplified Chinese content. If your content contains linguistic errors or if a translation does not make sense, your brand image could be damaged, with the poor-quality content gaining you a reputation as an unprofessional company.
You should also be aware that Simplified Chinese is on average shorter than English, although the extent to which this happens can vary significantly. Therefore, be prepared to provide guidance on character limits and the space available for content on your webpage, and be conscious of how this can have an impact on things like your calls-to-action and product descriptions.
Speaking of calls-to-action, do not directly translate your calls-to-action from English into Simplified Chinese, as a direct translation is unlikely to resonate and work well in China. Instead, do some research to find out which calls-to-action are commonly used online in China in your sector. As a general rule, your calls-to-action in China will need to be very direct. Length-wise, you should try to stick to fewer than four Simplified Chinese characters. Phrases like “click and register” or “click and download” (written in Simplified Chinese, of course) work well.
It is also important to think about your keywords. Keywords should never be translated; instead, you should always conduct local keyword research. This is because a translation will probably not produce keywords that have the most impact in the target market. Only fresh keyword research conducted by a native speaker will reveal the best keywords to target. The video below explains in six minutes why you should never translate keywords:
And finally, the spoken language you should use when targeting China (e.g. in videos and other audio content) is Mandarin Chinese. There are hundreds of dialects used in the different regions of China, but Mandarin Chinese is by far the most commonly spoken across the country. Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language, which means that the pitch of a sound can change the meaning of a word. For this reason, it is very important to get a native Mandarin Chinese speaker to voice your audio content, since a non-native speaker could easily mess this up and result in confusing or nonsensical content!
E-commerce in China
E-commerce is popular in China. 80% of people in China have made a purchase using a mobile phone or the internet in the past year. In 2021, e-commerce revenue was worth USD 1.5 trillion annually.
According to a study by Meltwater and We Are Social, the e-commerce categories which saw the highest levels of growth in 2023 compared to 2022 were: furniture with a year-on-year growth rate of 20%; electronics (spending up 19%); household essentials (up 9%); luxury goods (up 6%); DIY and hardware (up 5%); fashion (up 4%); over-the-counter pharmaceuticals (up 4%); food (up 3%); beverages (up 2%); eyewear (up 2%); and toys and hobby (up 0.4%). All other categories saw a decrease in spending. Tobacco products saw the biggest reduction in spending, with spending falling 1% compared to the previous year, followed by beauty and personal care (spending down 0.3%) and physical media (down 0.2%).
The main drivers of online purchases are key indicators as to what Chinese users value most when making their online purchasing decisions, giving you an opportunity to understand what is best to highlight in your marketing collateral and calls-to-action, so that you can convert leads into customers. Free delivery is the top driver of online purchasing behaviour in China, with 35% saying this would encourage them to buy. This is followed by coupons and discounts with 28% and an easy returns policy with 24%.
Looking at e-commerce payment methods, digital wallets are the most popular option, accounting for 82% of online purchases in 2023. Credit cards and debit cards come in a distant joint second place, accounting for just 5% of online purchases each. It is therefore essential to offer digital wallets as a payment option when targeting the Chinese market. The most popular digital wallets in China are Alipay and WeChat Pay.
Another important thing to remember is to ensure you are selling in the correct currency: Chinese yuan (¥ or CNY). This may sound obvious, but you would be surprised how many businesses see poor results simply because they have neglected to localise the currency on their website.
However, be aware that most brands choose to sell their products on popular Chinese e-commerce marketplaces, rather than having their own independent e-commerce website. So, which e-commerce marketplaces should you be focusing on, if you decide to go down this route?
Like everything else in this market, China’s e-commerce landscape is unique. Amazon does not reign supreme the way it does in many other countries. Instead, a plethora of homegrown e-commerce platforms flourish in its place. The most popular e-commerce marketplace in China is Taobao, followed by Douyin, Pinduoduo, Xiaohongshu and JD. If you want to sell your items on an online marketplace, these platforms should therefore be your focus. Let’s look at each one in a little more detail:
- Taobao was originally created to be a consumer-to-consumer marketplace similar to eBay. Nowadays, it has moved away from the eBay-style auction model and sells mass-produced products at a fixed price. Items sold on the platform tend to be cheap, and sellers are often small businesses. Be aware that your company must be registered in China in order to sell on Taobao.
- Douyin is the Chinese version of TikTok. The fact it is the second most popular e-commerce platform in China shows the huge power of social media when it comes to digital marketing. You will need to register your company in China in order to apply to activate the e-commerce feature on your Douyin account.
- Pinduoduo is unlike any Western e-commerce platform. Its interactive shopping model makes shopping feel almost like a game, with buyers able to browse through deals rather than search for keywords, with the ability to form “teams” to lower the price. Live video streaming, lotteries, free product giveaways and flash sales are typical strategies used by sellers – and they are very popular with users.
- Xiaohongshu (also known as Little Red Book) is a “social shopping” app that is like a combination of a social network and an e-commerce platform, where users can share social posts as well as shop for products and read product reviews.
- JD is a B2C marketplace similar to Amazon. What sets JD apart is its extensive logistics network, with the vast majority of orders being delivered either on the day of purchase or the day after – an impressive feat, especially when you consider the size of the country. Just be aware that if your company is not registered in China, you will need to pay extra fees in order to sell on JD and use its fulfilment network.
Here are some quick tips for selling online in China:
- The more information you provide in your product listings, the better. Chinese buyers like to see lots of pictures accompanying the product description.
- Chinese online shoppers are quite “social”. Some e-commerce platforms in China are not just a place to shop, but also communities where people socialise. A prime example of this is Xiaohongshu (also known as Little Red Book), where users can research and buy products, as well as create and consume user-generated content about products.
- Use QR codes to help customers find your online store and product information more easily, and complete online transactions more quickly.
Be aware that there are seasonal fluctuations in the Chinese e-commerce calendar, when sales take place and people are more likely to buy. Forget about Black Friday and Boxing Day, China has its very own shopping festivals when shoppers flock online to get the best deals and bargains. Some of the most important ones are listed below. Make sure you tap into this seasonality when selling your products and coming up with your marketing materials:
- 18 June, also known as the 618 festival.
- 18 August, also known as the 818 festival.
- 11 November, also known as Single’s Day or double 11. This is the biggest event in the Chinese e-commerce calendar and is comparable to Black Friday in the West.
- 12 December, also known as double 12. This is comparable to Cyber Monday in the West.
Conclusion
With a huge population and the world’s second-largest economy, China is an exciting and highly attractive market for many global brands. Its unique digital landscape – with its homegrown search engines, social networks and e-commerce websites – do present challenges, but these challenges are surmountable and the rewards for brands that manage to successfully enter the market are huge. We hope this guide has given you a good starting point from which to build your Chinese success story. If you localise your strategy effectively, your digital marketing and business expansion efforts in the country have the potential to go far. Good luck!
To learn more about digital marketing in China, click here.