But, as with all business relationships, there are smart ways to accelerate your gains. With that in mind, here are some top tips to get the most from your Chinese digital marketing agency!

Share your business plan

For your Chinese digital marketing agency to help you with your marketing, it’s vital for them to understand your overall marketing and sales strategy. It helps to share the relevant aspects of your business plan as a whole, so your agency partners can build up a clear picture of your business, its priorities and challenges, its operating context and customer base.

As they say, knowledge is power! So the more you can share, the better your chosen agency will be able to assist you with expert guidance and carefully-considered ideas.

Know what you want

Are you looking to commission Chinese digital marketing strategy advice, for you to build a plan that is managed in-house? Or are you looking to outsource your entire Chinese digital marketing delivery, including activities such as Baidu SEO, Baidu PPC, and Chinese social media, which all require native language skills?

By knowing what you want, you can get the most from your budget, especially if you choose to have your agency on a retainer and buy in a certain number of hours each month.

A good agency will give you different options for commissioning work to suit the unique needs of your business; flexing your service as needed. This maximises the flexibility and value of your arrangement, and creates a true partner arrangement that can grow over time.

Be open to expert advice

When you’ve done your research to find the right agency for your business needs, make use of them! Agency professionals are extremely focused and knowledgeable in everything that is happening in the world of Chinese marketing, and they are rich sources of insight, know-how and guidance.

Make use of this, ask for advice and be open to the ideas they share. After all, it’s what they are there for! What’s more, you’ll find that your chosen agency partners are highly enthusiastic about sharing know-how and expertise!

Have a realistic Chinese digital marketing budget

It is possible to do basic Chinese digital marketing with a very small budget; for example by using content marketing via social media only. However, if you’re serious about building your customer base and target market in China, you need to invest fully in your digital activity.

Some of the likely channels and activities that require proper funding include PPC and KOL partnerships. Remember that your competitors are very likely to be delivering their Chinese digital marketing with a full channel mix.

With the right level of investment and clear guidance from your chosen agency partner, you will see this investment multiply and generate excellent returns.

Nominate clear contacts

It greatly helps to have nominated contacts within your business marketing team who can engage regularly with your chosen agency and answer questions quickly (particularly those from potential customers.)

This can be very helpful mid-campaign when you need to be as agile as possible. Nominated contacts mean that your in-house team and your agency can engage quickly and build productive relationships with the right people, further leveraging your results.

Set your agency up for success

The right kind of client briefing can make or break marketing work, regardless of the channel or market. In time and with growing familiarity, a verbal briefing can be sufficient for smaller pieces of recurring, tactical work. But when you need to commission a larger or more complex piece of new work, it helps to provide a full written briefing, with an additional verbal briefing. If you can sit down together once a month, then all the better.

A great relationship will benefit from the time investment and a transparent approach to collaborative working. This will set your agency up for success by helping them to do the best possible job for you. And again, this will translate into measurable results.

Communicate regularly

Similarly, the more fully and proactively you can communicate with your Chinese digital marketing agency, the better your campaign outcomes.

This is because you can pass on relevant information that might affect the way that the shared marketing work is being delivered, to ensure that everything is still on track, and poised to achieve the right results.

Encourage two-way communication and be open to questions and a little creative challenge. Sometimes this positive friction can generate highly creative, exciting solutions.

Transparent communication will also ensure you are able to work with your agency in an agile way that meets the changing needs of your business, and – in turn – allows your business to adjust to shifting conditions in the Chinese digital market.

With positive, full and two-way communication, you can unlock excellent benefits and build a far more robust Chinese digital marketing strategy.

Ask for evidence

A good marketing agency will always be prepared to show you evidence of their Chinese digital marketing activity. They will produce regular reports that show the impact of your marketing within your target market, with information about trends, progress against KPIs and other objectives, and insights that help with further decision-making.

You can help this by understanding which measures are important to your business, and by agreeing these as measures for your collaborative work. Again, this provides a focus and a clear yardstick by which progress can be assessed.

Find out more

Market Me China is a full-service Chinese digital marketing agency that works with new and existing Western brands seeking to grow successful businesses in China.

Our team of native language speaking professionals are highly skilled in creating digital marketing campaigns that help Western brands to grow.

From localising your brand to the China market to creating a full digital ecosystem that converts visitors to customers, our team will help your Western brand to see clear success.

We work on a flexible basis around your needs; whether you want to fully outsource your Chinese digital marketing activity to an agency partner, or simply obtain additional flexible marketing resource when you need it.

Please contact us in the first instance to find out more and to discuss your needs!

The post How to get the most from your Chinese digital marketing agency appeared first on Market Me China®.

Here’s What Your English Marketing Agency Needs to Know About the China Market

If you’re looking to successfully navigate international regions, here’s what your English marketing agency needs to know about the China market:

The Scale and Diversity of the Chinese Market

China is home to the world’s largest population, surpassing 1.4 billion people. This massive market presents both a challenge and an incredible opportunity. In order to harness this opportunity though, it’s essential to recognise the diversity within the Chinese market, from regional preferences and dialects to varying levels of economic development. A one-size-fits-all approach won’t suffice in such a vast and diverse market. Tailoring your marketing strategies to specific regions and consumer segments is crucial for success.

Due to the diverse nature of the markets found in China, your English marketing agency will need to consider which location will yield the best results. Traditionally, companies outside of China would look along the coast to shore up, with provinces like Zhejiang and Jiangsu offering large audiences with lots of income. This is still largely the case, so these locales are well worth looking into.

Importance of Localising Your Marketing Efforts

Localisation is key when it comes to marketing in China. Chinese consumers have distinct preferences, cultural nuances, and unique consumption habits that you’ll want to learn about. Translating your marketing materials into Mandarin is just the starting point. It’s crucial to invest in deep cultural understanding and adapt your messaging, branding, and communication style to resonate with the Chinese audience. Collaborating with local experts and agencies can greatly enhance your ability to localise effectively.

Digital Landscape Dominance

China’s digital landscape is unlike any other in the world. With over 1 billion internet users, the highest number globally, digital channels are essential for reaching and engaging Chinese consumers. However, the digital landscape in China is vastly different from that of the West. The most popular platforms, such as Baidu (Chinese Google), WeChat (an “all-in-one” app, Chinese WhatsApp, Facebook, PayPal etc.), Weibo (Chinese Twitter), and Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), offer unique features and require tailored strategies to maximise their potential. Partnering with local digital agencies with expertise in Chinese platforms is crucial for navigating this landscape effectively.

The Rise of E-commerce

China has become the world’s largest e-commerce market, with over half of its population engaging in online shopping. Platforms like Alibaba’s Taobao and JD.com dominate the e-commerce space. This shift toward online shopping has been accelerated by the convenience of mobile payments through platforms like Alipay and WeChat Pay. To succeed in the Chinese market, it’s essential to embrace e-commerce and develop an effective online sales and distribution strategy. Collaboration with established e-commerce platforms and understanding consumer preferences in terms of product selection, pricing, and customer service is crucial.

Building Trust and Brand Reputation

Trust is a fundamental element in the Chinese market. Chinese consumers heavily rely on recommendations and reviews when making purchasing decisions. Building trust and establishing a strong brand reputation is essential for success in China. Leveraging social proof, such as user-generated content and influencer marketing, can help build trust among Chinese consumers. Working with key opinion leaders and leveraging online communities can greatly enhance brand visibility and credibility.

Regulatory and Legal Considerations

Operating in the Chinese market requires compliance with unique regulatory and legal considerations. The Chinese government maintains strict control over online content and advertising. It’s crucial to familiarise yourself with regulations regarding data privacy, advertising guidelines, and intellectual property protection. Collaborating with local legal experts can help ensure compliance and minimise potential risks.

Unfortunately, this will require significant research of the regulations in any given location to ensure you’re acting accordingly in the market. Changes can happen overnight, and with little warning, so you’ll need to be vigilant if you want to remain compliant in China. To add to this, the ways that the Chinese regulatory bodies work can be quite vague, so anticipating change can prove to be quite problematic.

Finally, you’ll need to learn how to read between the lines when it comes to many of the regulations brought forth by the regulators. Oftentimes, these rules are loosely worded, open to interpretation and difficult to work with. It can help to have a local professional available to help you navigate these challenges for your agency, as they’ll have a better understanding of how China wants you to work within their structures.

Cultural Sensitivity and Local Partnerships

Cultural sensitivity is paramount when entering the Chinese market. Understanding and respecting cultural norms, customs, and traditions is essential to avoid missteps that could harm your brand’s reputation. Developing local partnerships can provide invaluable insights and facilitate smoother market entry. Local partners can help bridge the cultural and linguistic gaps, navigate regulatory requirements, and provide access to key networks and distribution channels.

The China Market Holds Enormous Potential

Expanding into the Chinese market can be a game-changer for your English marketing agency. However, it requires a comprehensive understanding of the Chinese market’s unique characteristics, cultural nuances, and regulatory landscape. By localising your marketing efforts, embracing digital platforms and e-commerce, building trust, and fostering local partnerships, your agency can position itself for success in one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing markets. With careful planning and cultural sensitivity, your agency can unlock the vast opportunities that the China market has to offer.

The post What Your English Marketing Agency Needs to Know About the China Market appeared first on Market Me China®.

– Vast; at over 1 billion online users
– Incredibly complex, with a culture that is highly nuanced and often very different to cultural frameworks in the West
– Highly fragmented and regionalised, with consumer groups that demonstrate different patterns to Western equivalents
– Subject to a different political environment, which includes messaging censorship
– Built around different digital platforms, which are often far more advanced than Western equivalents
– Largely operated in Chinese

For English marketing agencies, these challenges can be sizeable to overcome, especially without in-house Chinese language experts, native marketers and Chinese marketing experts with significant expertise in this huge and rapidly growing market.

Acquiring the skills your agency needs

It might make sense for some English marketing agencies to recruit Chinese digital marketing experts to build an in-house team. But this can be expensive and time-consuming, and it also brings a permanent and fixed cost base into the agency at a time when this particular agency market may be growing.

A more flexible and efficient way to acquire these vital skills can be to partner with a Chinese digital marketing agency. Here are some of the key benefits of this approach:

1. Immediate access to skills

When your agency is pitching for work and keen to secure a new client, it makes sense to line up the necessary skills to create a winning pitch – but without the lead time needed to hire in-house specialists. A Chinese marketing partner can give you immediate access to those vital skills, insights and expertise you need to perfect your pitch, impress a new client and bring new work on board. From Baidu to WeChat and from website localisation to Chinese ePR, your agency will cover everything you need to deliver.

2. Insightful knowledge

Which numbers are considered lucky in China? What is a tier 3 city and why is it important? Why might you avoid white for a marketing campaign? What do Chinese Millennials want from Western brands? A good Chinese marketing agency will instantly know all of these things – and more – preventing you from making any unwelcome mistakes in this fast-growing, complex market. Even the biggest Western brands have made significant PR mistakes in China – causing anything from mockery to offence – and it’s far harder to repair PR damage than it is to avoid it in the first place. Take away the risk entirely and choose a good Chinese marketing agency partner!

3. Cost-effective

It’s expensive to hire and then maintain a permanent in-house team — costs span recruitment, management, development, facilities and desking, direct employment costs and more. But by partnering with a Chinese agency, you simply buy in the skills and services you need on a flexible, ‘as needed’ basis, with no obligation for ongoing costs. This can be a very cost-effective solution.

Equally, you will find that your agency partner already has existing relationships, networks, systems and insight, saving you the money that it would cost to begin all of these things from scratch – not to mention the time!

4. Flexible and responsive

Need rapid insight into how to set up a Baidu PPC campaign? Want to establish which Chinese social media platforms might work best for your client? Or maybe you’re keen to broker a good deal with a Chinese KOL. A Chinese digital agency partner such as Market Me China can assist you with these tasks – and more – quickly and efficiently. Working as an extension of your team, we are flexible around your needs, allowing you to confidently promote your agency brand and demonstrate your readiness to take on valuable Chinese marketing work in this exciting market.

5. Language skills

In China, there’s no sign of Western digital platforms such as Google, Facebook or Instagram. Instead, Chinese customers use platforms such as Baidu, WeChat, Weibo, DouYin, Little Red Book and others. In fact, the social media landscape is vast and mind-boggling in China, with hundreds of platforms and websites and almost a billion active users in the country. However, although the technologies of these platforms are often far ahead of Western equivalents, most of the back-end management systems are all in Chinese.

By partnering with a Chinese marketing agency, your English agency can gain immediate access to the language skills you need to navigate this complex market – whether you’re setting up a PPC campaign on Baidu, choosing which Chinese social media platforms will work best for your target audience, or looking to engage with a Key Opinion Leader. Good communication lies at the heart of any great marketing campaign, and this applies as much to the set-up and management of that campaign as to the customer messaging!

6. Fresh ideas and insights

One of the biggest benefits of partnering with a Chinese marketing agency is that you immediately bring in new ideas and powerful insights into what really works within your target market. You’ll access relevant market research, experience, statistics and approaches that are proven to work – increasing your own chances of delighting your new clients with ‘right first time’ approaches.

7. Faster delivery

Similarly, by partnering with a Chinese agency, you don’t need to waste any time getting up to speed with what’s happening in the China market, how it works, what customers want and so forth. Your new partner can tell you what you need to know and give you everything you need to begin delivering quickly and efficiently. What better way to delight a new client, secure recurring work and win other clients than by becoming known for your fast and efficient delivery in this exciting market?

Find out more

Market Me China is here to help you to succeed in China and to take your English agency forward to success in this hugely exciting, lucrative market. To find out more about how our native Chinese digital experts can help your agency, please contact us for a chat about your needs.

The post Why English marketing agencies need a Chinese partner appeared first on Market Me China®.

But it can be difficult to break into this vast and complex market, which is digital led – but which uses different platforms to the West. Competition is also high with plenty of strong existing brands from across the globe, and the Chinese culture is so nuanced and complex in its own right that campaigns require careful navigation in order to successfully appeal to the target audience.

Read on to find out how working with a Chinese digital marketing agency can help you to achieve marketing success and to boost your bottom line.

1. Access to native language skills

There’s no getting away from the fact that Chinese language skills are key to success for marketing in China! Not only do you need to be able to engage with KOLs and potential customers, but you also need to be able to analyse data from Chinese social media platforms and place online marketing campaigns – all in Chinese! By using a Chinese digital marketing agency, you instantly gain access to these native language skills.

2. Chinese digital marketing expertise

The digital marketing landscape is very different in China to the West. For one thing, there is no Google, Facebook, YouTube or Twitter – and instead, there is a vast range of social media platforms used heavily by different Chinese audiences (who absolutely love their smartphones and who carry out many of their daily activities online.) Tech in China is far ahead of the game, and these platforms aren’t just numerous, they are also complex, diverse in their offerings and hugely powerful. The better you can understand these platforms, the easier it becomes to deliver quality campaigns. Again, a Chinese digital marketing agency possesses this knowledge and can make it quicker and easier to use the right channels, in the right way – saving you time and money and boosting your conversions.

3. Knowledge of the Chinese market and culture

Cultural norms in China are incredibly powerful, but Western brands often get it wrong by adopting ‘clunky’ Chinese symbolism that either doesn’t hit the mark or, at worst, offends completely. It simply won’t work to splash red and gold over marketing campaigns or to use dragon symbols to make products and visuals relevant. Chinese culture is nuanced and these consumers are extremely sophisticated. It’s vital to really know your target market, your target customer, and the images, language, symbols and concepts that will meet their needs. Chinese marketing experts make this easier.

4. More efficient campaigns

Many campaigns become wasteful because they haven’t been properly targeted or placed. For example, it’s very easy to incorrectly target an online marketing campaign in China if you don’t read Chinese! A Chinese digital marketing agency can take this type of routine work off your hands and take it forward for you, evidencing the results and ROI at every stage for transparency.

5. Strategic planning support

For Western brands, whether new to China or with an existing presence, it can be challenging to know where to start with the next campaign. A Chinese digital marketing agency can support your in-house experts with strategic consultancy on topics such as brand development, localisation, content and channel planning, so that you get it the right first time, and enjoy better results.

6. KOL relationships

Most Western brands will want to work with a KOL, or Key Opinion Leader. These influencers are hugely powerful and often have tightly niche markets which help brands to get better returns for their campaigns. A Chinese digital marketing agency can help you to navigate commercial relationships with KOLs and to find the right influencer for your target audience and product offer.

7. Digital asset development

It can be challenging to develop your digital ecosystem in China. Chinese websites need to be localised (or, ideally, created bespoke for your Chinese audience), hosted correctly, built with Chinese user journeys in mind, and integrated with the right local payment platforms, social media accounts, apps and other digital assets. Your Chinese digital marketing agency can optimise this process so that everything flows, and so your demanding Chinese customers have a seamless, rewarding journey that takes them to the desired endpoint with ease – whether that’s to register, to enquire or simply to purchase online.

8. Flexible marketing resource

A Chinese digital marketing agency also provides access to specialist and expert resources on a flexible basis and when you need them. It can be expensive to hire and develop in-house staff and to ramp your internal team up and down with your changing business demands. With agency resources, you instantly gain access to the expertise and delivery resources that you need, in the way that you need them.

9. An end-to-end service

Similarly, many businesses prefer to focus on their operation, strategy and delivery. By using an expert Chinese digital marketing agency, these business leaders can focus on their core business and outsource campaign development and delivery if they choose – with an end-to-end service that self-manages. At Market Me China, many of our clients choose to entrust their full digital marketing campaigns to us for an integrated service and we provide the analytics, reporting and analysis to evidence the ROI.

10. Less waste, less time – better results!

At Market Me China we know the Chinese digital market and we are constantly learning and evolving along with this fascinating, tech-led and vast market, for the benefit of our customers. We pride ourselves on offering a highly targeted, efficient service that strips out waste and unnecessary costs for our clients. We provide expert advice on the right channels and activities that will bring a healthy ROI so that clients do not waste their precious budget on activities that will not yield the right results. We work holistically and in an integrated fashion with your business, focusing on results and going above and beyond to deliver. Our clients’ successes are our own and we pride ourselves on a high degree of service – as well as those bottom-line results!

Find out more

Please contact us in the first instance to find out more about how we can assist you to grow your brand and business in China.

The post 10 ways a Chinese digital marketing agency can boost your bottom line appeared first on Market Me China®.

In-house versus agency

Oftentimes, Western brands simply don’t have in-house Chinese digital marketing resources that can provide the necessary knowledge, skills and know-how for success in China. This market is hugely sophisticated, evolving fast and extremely fragmented. Chinese culture is also incredibly complex and contextual, and the market itself is vast, meaning that in-depth and segmented knowledge can make all the difference between success and failure.

If you have realised that you don’t have the necessary in-house resources, it makes sense to use a specialist agency that can create the tailored support package that will meet your goals – without having to maintain the cost and training time of a new internal hire. By choosing a right agency you get to benefit from rapidly-deployed, expert services and the measurements to prove where results are being achieved.

So how can you get the maximum value from this most valuable of professional relationships? Here are some tips for success.

1. Know what you want

The more tightly you can define your business objectives, the easier it will be to plan the right Chinese digital marketing campaign with your agency. Share your business plan, share your figures and aspirations. Talk about your long-term vision, your values, and your end goal. Share the experiences that you already have, and don’t be afraid to say where you don’t currently have knowledge or expertise. Remember, your Chinese digital marketing agency are there to act as a trusted, confidential extension of your business, and the more you can be open about your current position and desired end goal, the better they can serve you with the right deliverables.

2. Have a clear budget

As we mentioned before, the China market is hugely enticing to global businesses and competition is already fierce, even within niche markets. So you will need to invest in your marketing activity if you are to have the right level of impact and ROI. Market Me China can work with you to extract maximum value from your budget, but it will need to be realistic to cover the breadth and scope of digital activities you require, from consultancy and bespoke research to content planning, KOL relationships, online marketing, social media platform management and more. This budget is an investment, and with the right amount in place to reach your goals, and expert delivery of the right activities, you can greatly leverage it for excellent returns.

3. Provide as much information as possible

The better you can brief your new Chinese agency partners, the better the outcome. Market Me China can ask the questions that they need to understand your brand, your values and your customers. Provide all information that you can in terms of brand guidelines, existing market research and content, marketing goals and so forth. This background information will then be translated into data and deliverables so that the resulting Chinese digital marketing campaign really expresses your brand and resonates with your target Chinese customers for the best effect.

4. Invest in the relationship

Remember that your Chinese digital marketing agency team are an extension of your own and trusted partners that are there to help your business to grow. Invest in the relationship, ask plenty of questions, and don’t be afraid to clarify things – Chinese marketing is incredibly complex because the technology involved and the scope of platforms in use across this vast country are very different to those in the West! Never be afraid to pick up the phone and chat with your contact to share ideas, information, concerns or simply to ask about something relevant you’ve seen in the press that might have a bearing on your future development in China. These conversations can be hugely powerful!

5. Use your agency resource to the max!

At Market Me China we have a team of highly-skilled digital marketing experts with plenty of expertise in the field. We offer the full depth and breadth of digital marketing services in China, starting with consultancy and research (where needed), KOL relationship building, website localisation and development, Baidu SEO services, PPC advertising, social media development, ePR and more. The more our clients make use of our services – whether that’s to launch a new product, create a campaign for a Chinese festival or analyse results of a recent PPC campaign, the more valuable the relationship becomes. All business and agency relationships are symbiotic and rely on the input and skills of the other to generate quality returns. With Market Me China you can rest assured that we will always work tirelessly and to our best ability to provide you with those results and ROI that you need – evidencing our impact at every stage and supporting your brand to achieve its goals.

Ready to find out more?

Make 2022 the year that you really grow your brand in China and experience success. With the market now evolving so rapidly and Western brands beginning to make the leap, the faster and more effectively you establish your own position, the better chance you have at gaining a loyal and engaged Chinese audience who recognise and appreciate your brand and who are prepared to buy from you. Take action now to plan for the year ahead, with the Chinese calendar year offering far more opportunities for seasonal campaigns and festivals than in the West!

To find out more, please contact us for an informal chat about your needs and let us show you what we can do, to take your business into China, and cement a profitable, healthy and growing business in this rapidly evolving market with plenty of exciting opportunities.

The post Tactics to getting the most from your Chinese digital marketing agency relationship appeared first on Market Me China®.

But many forget to consider the essential topic of cultural sensitivity. And when you market in another country without the necessary cultural insights and sensitivity, it is extremely easy – and expensive – to make mistakes!

For example, are you aware of which colours, numbers and symbols should be avoided in Chinese marketing? Are you also aware of how contextual the Chinese language is? Let’s look at some of the challenges in closer detail…

Case studies – Western brands that got it wrong

Dolce & Gabbana, the luxury Italian brand, fell foul of Chinese social media after releasing an advertising campaign in 2018 that was felt to be offensive. The adverts showed a Chinese model trying (and failing) to eat Italian food with chopsticks, and many Chinese customers felt that it was racist and insensitive. (Particularly as modern Chinese people are extremely sophisticated, well-travelled and educated global consumers.) AS a result, various Chinese retailers pulled the plug on the brand’s products and the company lost sales in China.

An older, but legendary example of a huge brand that got things very wrong, relates to a campaign run by Pepsi some years ago. It previously had difficulties connecting with younger customers, who saw its products as being inferior to Coca-Cola. So Pepsi planned to change perceptions with a campaign that invited customers to “Come Alive! You’re in the Pepsi Generation.”

Unfortunately, despite success with this messaging in Western markets, Pepsi inaccurately translated the message to say that its drink ‘brings your ancestors back from the dead’! Not ideal…

Easy mistakes to make when marketing in China

1. Piling on ‘traditional’ Chinese cultural images and motifs

Prada’s expensive holiday campaign flopped after it bombarded viewers with outdated outfits, an excess of red colours and visuals which its viewers complained were more appropriate to a horror movie! Remember, Chinese customers are sophisticated. Yes, they love holiday red but don’t make the mistake of piling on Chinese dragons, red lanterns, blue porcelain, phoenixes and so forth. You wouldn’t simply market to an American with images of cowboys, burgers and the Stars ‘n Stripes!

2. Misusing numbers

Did you know that the number four is one of the unluckiest in Chinese culture – because it sounds like the word for death. Other homophones – or superstitious numbers – can be good or bad depending on the context (a nod to the number five here!) But the number eight tends to be a lucky number in China, which implies prosperity and is usually used in the product prices, such as 668 RMB, 888 RMB, 928 RBM; and the number six, and multiples of six, are considered lucky – unlike in the West where 666 is associated with horror films!

3. Getting colours wrong

Did you know that you should be very careful about using the colour yellow in your marketing campaigns? In China, ‘yellow’ types of media are pornographic, and other uses of yellow are historically associated with emperors and reserved for royalty! And did you know that you should never use white for a product launch? As for gold and red – colours which Western marketers instinctively go for – these are very popular in China, but discretion and care must still be used or your campaigns can look cheap and gaudy. Expert advice from a Chinese marketing agency can really help you in this area!

4. Symbolism

Just when you thought things couldn’t be any trickier… did you know that in China, a black border around a photograph means that the person shown in it has died? Or that an individual shown wearing a green hat doesn’t know that his/her partner is cheating? Or that white gift wrap is suggestive of death? Did you also know that there is nothing worse than a holiday campaign showing models with miserable faces (more than one luxury Western fashion brand has fallen foul of this by using ‘sulky face’ family adverts!) Chinese culture is still extremely symbolic and it helps to work with a native Chinese marketer to avoid these kinds of cultural faux-pas – noting that symbolic meanings may vary across generations and regions in China too.

Positive steps to take to avoid cultural insensitivity

1. Really research your audience and market before launching a new campaign
2. Seek to understand and respect cultural differences
3. User test your campaigns with a small, discreet (& understanding!) audience of Chinese customers before launch. This could very well be a Chinese digital marketing agency with native staff, such as Market Me China.
4. Research China’s history, customs and ideas of beauty – which are often very different to modern Western ideals.
5. Adapt product formulations where necessary for beauty, food, beverages and so forth – and be mindful of Chinese differences for clothing sizes and average height.
6. Leverage your Chinese social media channels for market research, early feedback and community building – not just for push marketing.
7. Avoid errors by using a Chinese marketing agency!

The value of using a Chinese marketing agency

A Chinese marketing agency can help you to avoid the challenges of cultural differences, and help you to market in a way that is sensitive, compelling and culturally appropriate. It is incredibly easy to make a mistake when marketing to any new market, especially in a culture as large, ancient, diverse and intriguing as China – and your errors will only be amplified in China’s immediate, digital world where vast numbers of customers can instantly learn about ‘insults’ or cultural insensitivity – no matter how inadvertent!

Given the time and expense involved in any overseas marketing campaign, it makes sense to use a native, specialist marketing resource to advise on the cultural elements of your branded communication and ensure that they hit the mark with your Chinese target audience. Remember, a bad campaign won’t just cost you short-term money – it will also damage your brand; possibly for the longer term.

The help you need

Market Me China works with businesses across all sectors – but especially e-commerce, education, B2B, and travel – to help them create powerful, impactful and resonant marketing strategies that build their brands successfully in the Chinese market place for real returns. We can work on a digital environment and flexibly, according to your needs. Please contact us in the first instance and we will be delighted to assist.

The post When marketing in China – are you culturally aware? appeared first on Market Me China®.

1. Native language speakers

This is perhaps the most obvious benefit for Western businesses, who are unlikely to have a fully-resourced in-house team of Chinese speaking marketing experts at their disposal! The right Chinese digital marketing agency partner provides instant access to these vital language skills. This is essential when you consider that most Chinese digital marketing channels are delivered entirely in Chinese – from administrative set-up through to ongoing reporting.

2. Knowledge of processes

Did you know that it can take weeks to set up a Baidu PPC account? The platform also requires Western businesses to send a series of legal documents for evidence and the administrative processes involved in this can be onerous and complex. A Chinese digital marketing agency can take this work on for you and ensure that the process flows as smoothly as possible, without unnecessary delays.

3. Expert Chinese digital marketing knowledge

From Chinese social media and KOL relationships to Baidu PPC and SEO, and from Chinese website design through to content localisation services, a great Chinese digital marketing agency provides instant access to knowledge and the skillets that your brand needs for success in China. Market Me China has experts in every necessary field, as well as the contacts needed to reach the right KOLs and other key digital marketing service providers, fast and effectively.

4. Extra flexible resource for your team

Great Chinese marketing agencies have a team of experts that cover all digital disciplines. This gives Western brands the chance to ramp up their marketing resource on a flexible basis when required – such as to launch a new Chinese digital marketing campaign, where a team of native speakers are required to manage social engagement accounts, online chat and feedback mechanisms. A great agency will have a team who are able and willing to work with your own in-house resource as necessary, to unlock greater returns from your investment and marketing efforts.

5. The ability to work on a partnership basis

Yes, some agencies prefer to work on an ad-hoc or project basis, simply delivering a piece of work and moving on to the next job. But a true strategic partnership unlocks far more powerful benefits, as the right agency works with the client for longer-term results. Successful Chinese digital marketing tends to require a long-term and responsive strategy which factors in a variety of different channels for different purposes – from immediate Baidu PPC or Chinese social media campaigns through to long-term Baidu SEO activity and brand-building on critical portals and vertical platforms. If your brand can find the right Chinese digital marketing agency to partner with, it will be far easier to enjoy sustainable success for your brand in China.

6. A broad range of services

The Chinese digital marketing landscape is changing fast. Yes, many Western brands now know about WeChat and Weibo – but what about Douyin (TikTok), or Little Red Book? A good agency will keep you abreast of changing trends and let you know where your target audience can be found online. In a market as fast-paced, fluid and transformative as China, it pays to have an agency partner who knows where your customers will be – when – and how you can engage with them.

7. Commitment to providing regular reporting with recommendations

Any agency can make promises – but the right Chinese digital marketing agency will show how they are adding value with regular reports. At Market Me China, we work as part of your marketing team to fully understand your brand and objectives and to leverage the value of your budget. We support your marketing strategy and delivery with clear data and provide a programme of reporting, as well as recommendations based on the findings to move forward in the right way. By working in this transparent way, our clients have trust in what we are doing to support their brand and can see where we are adding value.

8. A customer-service ethos

Needless to say, any great agency will have an uncompromising commitment to excellent customer service. This will be evident in their manner, their work quality, their overall attitude and their delivery record. At Market Me China, our customer testimonials speak for themselves; we work hard to delight our clients and to go ‘above and beyond’ their expectations whenever possible. When this delivery ethos is in place, long-term partnerships can be created for better gains.

9. Proactive advice

The right Chinese digital marketing agency will be proactive in offering advice and guidance when they spot things happening within the Chinese market that could impact your brand and your business. From new social platforms to changing legislation that could impact your PPC campaigns, they will be quick and ready to share their insight – making it easier for you to adapt accordingly and stay ahead of the game.

10. Trust

Your brand is a precious asset which you have invested in building. To launch your brand in China takes time, effort and money – with a similar investment required to build its reputation amongst your target audience, and to maintain that reputation. A great Chinese digital marketing agency will always treat your brand with the same focus, care and attention as your own in-house team.

Find out more today

At Market Me China, we are proud to say that we deliver on every count – consistently and with a proven track record. Whether you are a new brand seeking to launch in China or an existing brand looking to grow your presence, reach and customer base, we can help you to reach your goals. Please contact us for a no-obligation discussion about your needs, and we will be delighted to help.

The post What makes a great Chinese digital marketing agency partner for digital marketing in China? appeared first on Market Me China®.

Let’s look at some of the key benefits of finding a Chinese marketing partner to help.

1. Chinese digital marketing expertise

For Western brands, most marketing in China will be delivered online. This vast audience of savvy and sophisticated netizens loves to socialise, learn, network and buy online – and these figures keep growing, especially as smartphone adoption extends to low-tier cities. Did you know, as of June this year, there were 997 million active mobile shopping users in China – an increase of 15% year on year. In fact, mobile shopping penetration in China hit nearly 90% in the same month. [1]

The audience may be huge, but so is the competition – especially with large numbers of Western brands moving into this market. Additionally, the Great Firewall of China means that many Western websites and social media platforms simply aren’t available. Instead of Google, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, Western campaigns must be delivered on WeChat, Sina Weibo, Baidu, Douyin (Tik Tok), Little Red Book or one of the other emerging and more niche platforms upon which your target Chinese audience might be active.

2. Cultural knowledge

There is so much to learn about this huge, segmented and lucrative market, and the Chinese market evolves just as Western markets do. Today’s young buyers, in particular, want to express themselves and to find personal self-fulfilment. As discerning and confident consumers, they love high-quality Western brands and luxury goods and aspire to travel – or to study abroad. There are plenty of other insights that are essential for successful marketing in China too. For example:

– Chinese consumers value the recommendations and reviews of their peer groups and often use these to guide their purchase decisions, more so than in the West.
– Clothes, electronics, beauty, household and leisure items are all top-selling categories for online sales.
– Chinese consumers are addicted to their smartphones and comfortable buying online; so Western websites must be optimised for mobile and an app is usually a smart move.
– Brand heritage and a powerful brand story connects and engages Chinese customers more than a simple logo.
– Chinese main purchasing periods vary from the West and peak around key cultural events and holiday periods such as Singles Day, Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), Women’s Day, Golden Week, Children’s Day and Double 12… and yes, they love to buy in the run-up to Christmas as well!
– Cultural factors such as colour and numbers carry far more significance in China than they do in the West. For example, number 8 can help to make a deal, but number 4 could break it. Red is a celebratory colour, but white is associated with mourning.

3. Native Chinese language skills

It goes without saying that a marketing agency with native Chinese language skills can make the entire process of marketing in China far easier and more successful. Not only can native Chinese speakers overcome administrative hurdles, speed up supplier communications and reduce the risk of translation errors, but they can also greatly assist with targeted content creation that meets the specific, varied and nuanced needs of Chinese audiences.

4. Networks and contacts

Whether you need to engage a Key Opinion Leader, liaise with the accounts department for your Baidu account set-up or find a Chinese videographer on the ground to stream a live event, the right agency will naturally have the contacts that you need for a fast and quality resolution – without being charged over the odds!

5. Administration experience

It can be a longer and more challenging process for Western brands to set up Chinese digital marketing accounts, than they may be used to at home. For example, it can take several weeks to open up a Baidu online advertising account and WeChat advertising account. A Chinese marketing agency can facilitate the process and help it to run as quickly and smoothly as possible.

6. Relevant campaign experience

Chinese digital media doesn’t only exist on different platforms, but it is extremely complex and highly segmented. For example, tier-3 cities in China are seeing the highest level of e-commerce growth – growing by 16% year on year, as of June this year. This means that there are over 32 million online buyers in these tier-3 cities alone – a crucial fact to know when targeting a campaign and considering tightly defined demographics for the best results.

7. Specialist expertise

Whether you need Chinese blogs, Chinese targeted campaigns, WeChat or Weibo account management and customer engagement, Chinese online marketing campaign analytics, website localisation and development, Baidu online advertising campaign set-up and administration, online PR, Baidu SEO, Chinese translation or market research, the right agency partner can give you ready access to the skills that you need. What’s more, they can do so on a flexible basis; matching your exact needs to a focused programme of activity within your timeframe and to evidenced quality measures.

8. Economies of scale

A successful Chinese marketing agency will have a number of clients, and the ability to negotiate special rates for Chinese marketing services. This offers Western brands economies of scale; both in the services that they buy and in terms of the flexible access that they can enjoy to Chinese marketing experts. This is typically far less onerous than maintaining an in-house team of permanent Chinese marketers and far less expensive too!

Find out more

Market Me China is a specialist online marketing agency, blending Western and Chinese native online marketers. With a team on the ground in the UK and in China, we leverage our knowledge, expertise and cutting-edge digital marketing techniques to offer the results that our clients need – visibility, conversions and a proven ROI. We work on a partnership basis to offer the flexible service that our clients need – from setting up Chinese social media accounts for new e-commerce brands, through to conceptualising, delivering and analysing entire Chinese online marketing campaigns for large and established Western companies. Please contact us for a no-obligation chat about your needs, and to find out more.

[1] Source: QuestMobile – https://www.chinainternetwatch.com/29712/mobile-shopping-users-q2-2019/

The post Marketing in China? The advantages of finding a Chinese marketing partner appeared first on Market Me China®.