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China is the largest social media market in the world with highly engaged users and a uniquely diverse landscape that varies considerably to the rest of the world.
In this dynamic ecosystem, it is often challenging for brands to understand and adapt their campaign content, strategies, and messaging to engage effectively with users across the customer journey.
The latest Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast guest Jimmy Robinson, CEO of Chinese marketing agency PingPong Digital, demystified the landscape in the latest episode, available at the end of this article.
Not only is the digital landscape separate from the rest of the world, the culture towards online and mobile commerce is starkly different – 100% of shopping in China is done via online, compared to 80% of the US.
KAWO, a social media management platform in China, has launched a practical handbook to help marketers understand where each of the six platforms sit in the marketing funnel and how metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) can be translated into actual business success.
WeChat, Douyin, Kuaishou, Little Red Book (xiaohongshu), Weibo and Bilibili are examined and explained in the table below, outlining the platforms’ characteristics, marketing dynamics, and user base.
WeChat retention rates rise
Over recent years, brands have become more efficient in retaining followers on Chinese apps. In an analysis of WeChat Service and Subscription accounts, KAWO data showed that the win-loss ratio (a comparison of the number of followers lost per every 100 gained) has decreased since 2020.
In 2020, Service accounts – used mainly for managing and maintaining customer relationships – were mostly losing more followers than they gained, while this improved to as low as 47 lost followers per 100 gained in 2023.
For Subscription accounts – focused mainly on raising awareness and promoting the brand – the ratio dropped from a high of 0.94 in 2020 to a low of 0.37 in 2022 before creeping up in 2023.
KAWO’s CEO Alex Li said: “China’s social media platforms are diverse, unique and present a challenge for brands who are investing millions in reaching their audience but may not have the right tools to measure results and impact.”
Listen to the episode with Jimmy Robinson here:
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