How to get started on Chinese social media

As you may know, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts are banned in China, along with all Google services including YouTube.

Add This Share Buttons Local platforms are by far the best to use and they dominate, with Weibo, Wechat, QQ and Aiqiyi replacing the ones you are more familiar with. Even Dropbox does not work in China.  However, LinkedIn does work!

If you are looking to reach out to Chinese consumers via social media, then you will need to engage with these Chinese channels and it is best to get the right help.

Deciding which one to use depends on the nature of your business and its marketing objectives.

Wechat is probably the single most important channel you should understand first – it boasted an active daily user base of 570 million by the end of 2016.  Known as “Weixin” (meaning micro message) in China, it functions like a combination of WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter. However, companies can have various types of Wechat accounts, so you need to know about what’s available. Each account comes with different functions and restrictions which you should compare before setting up one that suits your business needs.

Crayfish International has freelance experts available to help you plan and execute your social media strategy in China. Find out how Crayfish can help you here.



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