If you are targeting the Chinese market, then you need to be aware that the country’s social media landscape is totally different from anywhere else in the world.
With most Western social networks being blocked by the so-called Great Firewall of China, a unique ecosystem of local Chinese alternatives has thrived in their place.
It is these local platforms that you must familiarise yourself with if you want to run successful social media marketing campaigns in China.
In this blog post, I will take you through the top five most popular social platforms in China in 2024, taking the latest insights from the Webcertain search and social report 2024: China.
Let’s dive straight into it!
1. WeChat
- How popular is it? 87% of Chinese internet users use WeChat every month.
- What is it? WeChat is sometimes nicknamed China’s “super app” due to its huge range of functions.
Within WeChat, 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. Whatever your business, there will likely be a place for you on WeChat.
The sheer size and reach of WeChat make it a no-brainer for businesses targeting China to be on the platform. From international brands to small local businesses, organisations to celebrities and influencers, everyone is using WeChat to fulfil their business needs.
Brands can make sure of WeChat’s advertising, video marketing, customer relationship management, content marketing and digital payment solutions to achieve their business goals.
2. Douyin
- How popular is it? 78% of Chinese internet users use Douyin every month.
- What is it? Douyin is the Chinese version of TikTok.
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.
3. QQ
- How popular is it? 60% of Chinese internet users use QQ every month.
- What is it? QQ is an instant messaging platform.
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.
4. Baidu Tieba
- How popular is it? 59% of Chinese internet users use Baidu Tieba every month.
- What is it? 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.
5. Xiaohongshu (also known as Little Red Book)
- How popular is it? 51% of Chinese internet users use Xiaohongshu every month.
- What is it? Xiaohongshu is a social shopping platform.
Xiaohongshu is a lifestyle app that is like a combination of Pinterest, Instagram and a short 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 Little Red Book 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 Little Red Book 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.
Commentary from our in-house experts
Sivan Hu, a Social Media and Influencer Marketing Specialist at Webcertain, says: “The idea that social media is the new search engine is not new, especially in China. Unlike text-based searches, social media gives you more visual and direct results that people trust more because they are mostly user generated. For B2C brands, being visible and having a strong brand presence on platforms like Xiaohongshu and Douyin is important for connecting with Chinese audiences.”
Want to learn more?
If you want more Chinese digital marketing insights, check out the Webcertain search and social report 2024: China. The report is an ideal read for digital marketers wanting an easy-to-digest overview of the Chinese market, covering key information such as search engine, social media and e-commerce insights, internet penetration rates, internet speeds, device usage, online privacy concerns, and more. Download your copy for free from Webcertain’s Self-learning platform today!
Data sources
The data quoted in this blog post is taken from the Webcertain search and social report 2024: China, which used the latest data taken at the time of writing from DataReportal.
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