Three Tips for B2B Marketers Entering China

Expand your brand into the booming China industry 

What lessons must B2B marketers master when entering China’s booming industry? 

Effective marketing campaigns typically keep to certain rules. But for a Chinese B2B market expanding 30% year on year, the rules can be quite different. 

Since its first iteration in the 2000s, the great firewall has separated China from the West, blocking selected foreign websites and slowing cross-border internet traffic. While at first this stunted technological innovation, an internal market of over one billion citizens wasn’t going to be held back long.  

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and the innovative Chinese found a way around it. It started with Baidu acting as Google, Tudou as YouTube and Weibo as Twitter. Then came a world first: the super-app WeChat. Initially a messaging platform, WeChat exploded to become the app for almost anything, offering services as widespread as ordering food and transferring money.  

Today, this single platform registers over one billion users. That’s a whole lot of data and an unprecedented audience, both of which helped create a moment of real awakening and opportunity for B2B marketers.  

no better time to expand into China but here’s what to consider when taking your first step. 

Make the most of WeChat and other channels 

WeChat supercharged China’s digital revolution. The mobile payments it facilitates mean that the country is now well on its way to becoming the world’s first cashless society. WeChat’s influence is clear to see. For the modern B2B marketer, it’s nothing short of a miracle. 

Instead of coordinating digital campaigns across multiple channels like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, WeChat is your main channel. In theory, a single ad has the potential to reach any corner of the country. With the ability to reach users through the app directly and product listings, the possibilities for customer engagement are endless. 

Best practices include localising content before making it accessible on Baidu and videos to be promoted on Youku. In this way, effective campaigns must still be multi-pronged. 

Turn to influencer marketing 

Influencer marketing started off as predominantly B2C, with consumers turning to their favourite blogger or fashionista for information to inform their purchasing. Increasingly, B2B is jumping on the bandwagon. A trend that perhaps rings truer in China than anywhere else. 

By rolling so many functions into a single app, WeChat brought new meaning to the term ‘virality’. Rather than just videos or tweets going viral, WeChat makes it possible for anything and anyone to become a hit sensation, sowing the seeds for an influencer culture. 

Influencers have gone on to impact the customer journey, altering how consumers interact with their brands. Often, instead of searching for products or services via brand websites, buyers head to social media platforms – yes, even for B2B.  

For your campaigns, look to connect with industry thought leaders, award winners, or public speakers. The right fit will have a base of followers that matches your target audience, has strong engagement rates, and perhaps most crucially, listens to the relayed advice.  

Adapt to cultural nuances 

A country steeped in tradition, it’ll come as no surprise that business culture in China comes with an array of taboos.  

From a branding perspective, the colour red is linked to prosperity, while black can be considered unlucky. When you enter the market, if your aesthetic is dominated by black, it might be an idea to alter your branding. 

Then there’s the importance of ‘face’, a key cultural concept that impacts day-to-day business interactions. Somebody who loses face suffers embarrassment and their self-esteem takes a hit. On a company scale, one wrong move could bring shame and dishonour, causing reputational harm. 

Regardless, as a rule of thumb, you should expect a different culture tocome with a different mindset. It goes without saying that to deliver an effective campaign, you must always understand your audience: what makes them tick, where they’ve been, and where they want to go. 

Trying your hand in China? Please share your questions and experiences below.