China Digital Marketing 101

If you're learning about marketing in China, this is a great place to start.

We've been writing and updating this content since 2008. Each post is thoroughly researched. Most are battle-tested too - these are the marketing methods that we've used over and over again. Learning them will help your company drive up revenue in China.

 

Chinese Search Engines

Learn about Baidu and China's major search engines, both for advertising and search engine optimization.

Baidu can be a powerful tool to drive targeted traffic for your business. Still, there are many differences between Baidu and Google.

  1. Baidu Marketing
    1. A Video Tour of Baidu 
    2. China’s 4 Major Search Engines
    3. Baidu Pay Per Click Search Advertising Guide
      1. Baidu's Paid Search Interface
    4. Baidu SEO Basics - How to Optimize Your Site for Baidu
      1. 4 Basic Tools for Baidu Keyword Research
      2. How to Generate a Keyword List for Baidu SEO
      3. Technical On-site SEO
    5. Baidu Analytics Guide

 

Chinese Social Media

Learn about China's social platforms, how regular people use them, and how to use them for marketing.

The Chinese social media ecosystem is vibrant and pervasive. Besides LinkedIn, all major Western platforms are blocked in China.

  1. WeChat Content Marketing
    1. A Video Tour of WeChat 
      1. What is a WeChat Company Page (Official Account)
      2. WeChat Subscription Accounts vs Service Accounts 
      3. How to Write Great WeChat Articles
      4. WeChat Analytics
      5. WeChat Menu Configuration 
      6. Turning Your WeChat Account Into a Mini Website 
      7. Step-by-Step Guide To WeChat Customer Support
      8. WeChat Account Setup Guide
    2. KOLs (Influencers) in Chinese Marketing Campaigns
    3. Weibo Marketing
      1. A Video Tour of Weibo 
      2. A Simple Guide to Weibo Setup & Verification for Foreign Companies
      3. Weibo Advertising Tips
    4. Douyin Marketing
      1. A Video Tour of Douyin 
      2. A Thorough Guide to Influencing on Douyin 
    5. Live-streaming
    6. A video intro to Maimai, China's LinkedIn 

     

    Websites - Localization, Hosting and Payments

    Learn how to adjust your website for Chinese users.

    Your website will be a hub for your Chinese marketing campaign. You'll definitely need to place high-quality Chinese content on it. Besides that, you should decide how to make sure your website is accessible in China, loads quickly and offers a good user experience.

    1. Website Localization for China
    3. How to Optimize a Website's Loading Speed for China
    4. Choosing the Right Chinese Company Name
    5. Online Payments in China
    6. How to Host Videos in China
    7. How to Use Google Analytics in China
    8. Baidu Analytics Guide

     

    Content Marketing

    Learn how to leverage content to build trust in the marketplace.

    1. A Video Tour of Zhihu 
      1. Guide to Advertising on Zhihu
      2. Zhihu Marketing for B2B
      3. Zhihu setup and verification
    2. A Tour of Bilibili 
      1. A Comprehensive Guide to Bilibili Account Setup and Verification
      2. 11 Bilibili Marketing Tips
    3. What Is Baidu Baike? 
    4. Make the Most of Your Content Marketing in China
    5. What is Toutiao? (Chinese Social News Platform) 

     

    Teamwork

    Learn the methods we use to help global teams co-ordinate better.

    1. 7 Ways to Improve Your Video Conferencing in China
    2. Marketing Plan Template
    3. Use a Marketing Agency, or Go In-house?

     

    B2B Marketing

    Learn how to put together a Chinese B2B marketing campaign to beat the competitions'.

    B2B is one of the two core areas where we work. In this section, we revisit the marketing methods from above, while reframing in a B2B context.

    1. Top 10 Chinese B2B Marketing Tactics for 2021 - The blog post leads into an email course with these topics:
      1. How to Use Emails for B2B in China (And, China and The Rest of The World)
      2. How to Use WeChat for B2B Marketing (And, Chinese Business Card Etiquette)
      3. Differences Betweeen Baidu and Google Advertising (And, Leveraging Your Country's Brand)
      4. Chinese Website Localization (And, Bad Chinese Tattoos)
      5. Chinese SEO (And, Trust-building > Guanxi)
      6. Using Zhihu for B2B Marketing (And, Chinese Names for You and Your Business)
      7. Sales Prospecting in China (And, Gift-giving)
      8. Using Video for Marketing in China (And, How to Dress for Business)
      9. Content Distribution in China (And, Dining for Business)
      10. Adapting Webinars for China (And, Speaking English for China)
    2. Zhihu Marketing for B2B 
    3. Maimai - The LinkedIn of China

     

    Marketing for Educational Institutions (Student Recruitment)

    Learn how to promote a school, college or university in China.

    While most the content above is relevant to education marketing, the posts below provide additional context. They'll help teach you where to reach Chinese students, how to increase the number of applications, and how to support your agents better.

    1. Complete List of Ways to Recruit Chinese International Students
    2. Survey of Chinese International Students on Problems They Face Abroad
    3. Should Schools Use Douyin For Marketing in China? 
    4. How to Use WeChat for Student Recruitment