Four Chinese Social Networks You Should Know In 2021

Social media plays a significant role in our lives, no matter if it is for personal or professional reasons. In the West, interacting with friends and relatives, having access to the latest news, or sharing information are among the most common uses of social networks, but in China, they are more and more integrated with shopping features and payment functions.

If you’re looking to expand your business in the largest market in the world, knowing Chinese social media is key.

Douyin

Launched in September 2016, Douyin is the equivalent to TikTok but for the Chinese market.

This a short musical video community platform which targets young adults and teenagers. Users can shoot and create a short music video, 15 to 60 seconds length, by selecting their favorite songs on the app, as well as to format them with various features, lip-sync, and effects. Creativity is the motto in the platform to get more visibility and followers.

As for brands, it creates an amazing playground to produce unique content in formats that other social media do not propose. In China, Douyin is widely used and has around 600 million daily active users while TikTok counts 100 million monthly active users in America in 2020.

In Douyin, the first few seconds of a video gives the users an idea about its quality and if it is worth watching, therefore, creating impactful content is crucial to engage with your potential audience, especially in China where KOLs and influencers are actively using such apps.

Unlike TikTok, Douyin integrates e-commerce features that enable business to promote their brands and products. On the other hand, it gives users ease of convenience in shopping.

WeChat

Launched in January 2011, WeChat or more specifically, Weixin in China, is a multi-purpose social media app specialized in serving messaging services like Facebook but more developed with a payment feature, known as WeChat Pay, as well as social commerce functionalities.

WeChat is undoubtedly the largest and most popular social media and messaging platform within China. The company created a whole ecosystem with just one app.

WeChat is a well-developed platform to market products using its various features to get more visibility like HTML5 Campaigns, Lucky Draws or by developing WeChat Programs, which allows brands to develop integrate ecommerce platforms in the app. Brands use the app to build personalized relationships with their customers and businesses who are willing to expand in China cannot succeed without a WeChat marketing strategy.

Red

Launched in June 2013, Red, also known as Xiaohongshu, is positioned as a lifestyle sharing platform where millennials as the most active user group. The initial idea of the platform was sharing overseas shopping experience and the app expanded to personal care, sports, medication, and the current positioning as a lifestyle-sharing app.

The platform has also diversified from a community shopping guide to an e-commerce platform, since users and influencers can easily share products reviews of their favorite brands.

Authenticity is the real value in Xiaohongshu and is one of the best social media for product marketing. If you want to sell more in China, this is definitely a network you should know. Indeed, China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba invested in Red in 2018.

Weitao

Launched in 2013, Weitao is a consumer-oriented content community. It is a built-in social media platform for Taobao and TMall, two major Chinese ecommerce platforms that belong to the Alibaba group.

Weitao allows consumers to research and learn about products and brands via educational and entertaining content to convert potential customers.

Weitao is a place for consumers to look for high-quality content. It is not just another place to share product information. Merchants can take this platform to connect and interact with the consumers by sharing more authentic content and users’ experience more systematically.

According to your brand positioning, different social media platforms are available in China. Each one serving a specific purpose and allowing you to target a unique type of potential customer.