Here is a crash course on why understanding social media in China is essential for marketers. Complete with facts and figures, this compilation puts perspective on just how heavily influential social media is in China. For example…
Chinese social networking habits:
- 384 million Internet users in China, 75% of whom are under 34.
- 221 million bloggers.
- 222 million creators of online video.
- 272 million instant messaging users.
- 108 million online shoppers.
- 265 million online gamers.
- 321 million users who download music.
- 40% of Chinese Web users are creators, compared with 21% of Americans.
- China’s virtual goods were a $5 billion market last year, five times the U.S. Virtual currency is so ubiquitous that it’s actually taxed in China.
The major players:
- The largest Internet service portal is Tencent, with 1 billion accounts (485 million active users). In 2009, its revenues surpassed $1.5 billion, 90% of which came from digital goods and games and 10% from ads. Tencent is the most important Internet company in China and the third largest in world, after Google and Microsoft.
- Tencent’s social network Qzone has 310 million users. Their IM service, QQ, has 50 million concurrent users.
- China’s answer to Facebook, Renren has 200 million users, 55 million of whom are mobile.
- Another popular social network, Kaixin001 has 75 million users
- 51.com has 160 million users
- Zhenai, the largest online dating site in the world, has 22 million accounts. Matches are made via 350 dating counselors who get direct feedback that improves users’ dating and success rates. At $450-600/month, the service is considered very valuable.
How social networking happens in China
- 221 million people have blogs, largely in a diary-style.
- 176 million Chinese connect via social networking system (SNS) with their “real” friends and online networks.
- 117 million connect anonymously via bulletin board system (BBS). These interactive online message boards are the heart of social media in China. They’re where people go to find topic-based communities and where consumers talk about products and services.
(from SmartBlog article, Social media and China: What you need to know)
Tagged as:
bloggers,
chinese social media,
Tencent
To gain valuable insight into our efluencers, One9ninety held an intimate Bloggers
Party for 15 bloggers and forumers at Choupinette. At the networking session, these
efluencers shared with us their preferences and we gained a better understanding of
their needs…all amidst yummy French pastries!
Tagged as:
bloggers,
efluencers,
insights
Even though the social media scene seems pretty latent, several savvy brands are making their presence felt online by targeting popular bloggers. Examples:
Tangs new website launch
Tangs set the benchmark with their new website launch by having a bunch of bloggers spend 24 hours hang out in the displays of their departmental store, right smack on one of the busiest streets in town. They decked the bloggers out in sponsored gear and basically just let them blog and potter around at the display and online.
LG phone launch in Hong Kong
LG up the ante by flying bloggers to Hong Kong for their new Chocolate BL40 phone launch where they got to mingle with celebrities like Lin Chiling.
Bloggers at D&G boutique opening at Ion
D&G invited bloggers to a disco party at their new Ion shop. Throw in hot celebrities, a cool disco party and the word spread like wildfire across the blogoshere.
Burberry party with bloggers blogging 'live'
Burberry took it further by creating “live” blogging stations and inviting popular fashion bloggers to blog “live” at their recent store opening. Readers were treated to “live” updates from the event and were able to partipate on a whole new level.
Puma Create Your Style Photo Campaign
Tapping on the creative mind of bloggers and well-known personalities, Puma rounded up a bunch of them and got them to reinteprete their style with Puma. They then consolidated all the content onto a Facebook Fan Page which has close to 2000 members at last count. This campaign was created to generate buzz for their new store at 313 Somerset.
- majolica majorca ambassadors
Majolica Marjorca worked exclusively with 4 popular bloggers to launch their make-up range. Labelled as “chapters”, each make-up collection launch was a themed party with the bloggers which was then covered in their respective blogs. The bloggers got to play dress-up, dine on fine cuisine and test out all the products. Fan contests were also organised where the bloggers would run contests to invite their readers to join them at these parties.
Tagged as:
bloggers,
Burberry,
D&G,
LG,
Majolica Marjorca,
Puma,
Social media,
tangs
