How Can an International Brand Advertise Their Product in China?
Building a brand from the ground up is just the start. The real challenge is helping your brand reach the target audience that you have in mind.
Advertising not only creates awareness about a certain product or service, but also bridges the communication gap between a company and their primary consumers.
In this post, we’ll discuss how international brands can advertise their products in China:
Digital marketing is the way forward
Digital marketing is not only surging in China, but the digital landscape is also quite different from that in the rest of the world. In the West, we rely on Google for our searches.
In China, Baidu holds the crown. Instead of saying Google it, people in China say ‘Baidu Yixia.’ If your focus is on search engine optimization, stick to Baidu. It has the greatest market share in China at the moment, and is basically a monopoly.
Another thing to note is that the digital ecosystem in China is dominated by mobile use. There is very little dependence on desktops and other platforms.
Chinese consumers also prefer watching videos to understand products. At the same time, they’re known to have short attention spans. If you’re advertising your product to Chinese customers through video, make sure the content is engaging and that it’s as short as possible.
Social media advertising
If you want to advertise your product through social media, the possibilities are endless. While it’s true that China is big on WeChat and Weibo, these aren’t the only available options. There are thousands of social media platforms, most of which support paid advertisements.
Other than that, you may also find social media platforms that are specific to your business domain and niche. If your business belongs to the finance or investment sector, Xueqiu might be a better option. Similarly, if you’re a travel business, Mafengwo is the way to go! Other generic social media platforms include Toutiao, Zhihu, Douban, and Xiaohngshu.
Content marketing
This form of advertising also relies on the World Wide Web to help you reach out to your potential customers. It is usually employed by small and medium scale enterprises that can’t afford to pay for billboards and TVCs.
The key here is to make sure you’re creating content that resonates. For this, you may need help from a local Chinese content creator. Chinese consumers are very particular about language. Other than quality, you should pay equal attention to relevance.
You also need to be particular about the design scheme. Certain colors are considered unlucky in China. The same might not be the case in the West.
For further information on how to set up your business and make it a success in China, reach out to Business China. They’re a company registry service that specializes in setting up WFOEs, representative offices, and joint ventures in China.











