Have you ever wondered what the most popular Chinese social media platforms are? Here are the Top 35 major social media platforms in China for 2025!

This article is updated every year with new popular social media platforms and apps in China. It includes a ranking of apps based on their primary uses, recent demographic data regarding the audience of each platform. Also, depending on the applications, it includes explanations of their main functionalities and advice on how companies can use them.

Every second in China, 486 articles are published on WeChat, 166 rooms are booked on Qunar, 115,740 questions are answered on Zhihu, and 3,472 orders are placed on Ele.me, and more than 62% of people check the WeChat app more than 10 times a day.

The role of social media in China is enormous, as it not only entertains, but also influences food, lifestyle and fashion choices, provides makeup and lifestyle reviews, and gives advice on vacation spots. It therefore takes up a large part of the working time of white-collar citizens.

FAQ About Social Media in China

What Platforms Do Chinese People Spend Their Time On?

WeChat continues to dominate the social media sphere in China, with its huge user base of over a billion people and its integration into daily life’s basic functions. For businesses, it is simply essential. As of the end of 2023, 87.3% of the population in China uses WeChat.

Douyin – the Chinese TikTok, is used by 78.4% of the Chinese population. Douyin has all the functions of TikTok, but also many others and much more in-depth. The Chinese spend on average more than 2 hours per day watching its short videos.

NB: China recommends that children under 14 limit their use of Douyin to 40 minutes per day.

The instant messaging platform Tencent QQ and the search engine Baidu Tieba are neck and neck with 59.8% and 58.8% Chinese users respectively on their sites.

With a meteoric rise since its creation in 2021,  Xiaohongshu has attracted  51.2%of the Chinese population to its app in just 2 years! (App created in June 2021, statistics from September 2023).

And finally, Sina Weibo remains relevant, although its audience has decreased, the app still has 46.8%of the Chinese population as active users!

A Typical Day in the Life of a Daily User in China

A dive into the digital life of a Chinese person

The first thing most of us do when we wake up is check our phone.

The infographic below shows a typical day for an online user in China. Here are the main social media platforms used, at what time and for what purpose.

People tend to check messages and social media first, on WeChat and Weibo, then listen to music on QQ Music Or Netease while getting ready.

They will use WeChat or Alipay to pay for their breakfast, order a taxi via Didi, and may use the Starbucks or LuckinCoffee apps to order a coffee.

On desktop computers, QQ, WeChat And WeCom are used to chat with colleagues and exchange professionally.

At noon, Eleme or Meituan are used to order lunch from mobile phones.

During lunch and dinner, people often watch TV or short videos on platforms iQiyi and Youku and check their finances on Alipay.

In the evening, it is time to check  WeChat Moments, make some purchases on Taobao or JD.com, or watch a movie, booked via Maoyan.

Interesting fact:

Due to previous scandals involving fake production and imports (some of which ended in fatalities), consumers do not trust official advertising in China as much as they once did. Instead, they prefer to follow what other consumers say and do. 

Therefore, the idea of providing online advice and recommendations to others has become a well-paid service. It is known as influencer marketing through KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders). Even more importantly than in the West, China is now one of the most popular countries for brands to collaborate with influencers as a marketing medium to reach Chinese audiences.

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Top Chinese Social Media Sites and Apps in 2025

With a population of more than 1.4 billion, China remains one of the most “connected” countries in the world, with 79% of its population being active users of social media platforms (compared to 71% last year) and spending on average 5 to 6 hours on the internet per day. 89% of its people watch videos, 71% watch streaming, 53% play live video games and 74% make online purchases using their mobile phones.

In this context, it is not surprising to see that the Chinese app ecosystem is highly segmented and each platform or app has its own well-defined place.

Online commerce plays an important role in the country’s economy and occupies a large part of the digital ecosystem. However, the current trend is that video is now the second largest segment based on the number of regularly used video apps and platforms.

Discover our selection!

The TOP 8 Most Used Social Media Platforms in China

#1 WECHAT – ALL IN ONE: THE TOP 1 APP IN CHINA!

Q: What kind of app is WeChat? 

A: WeChat is a messaging app, a social media platform, an online bank –  it’s basically a super app with every feature imaginable.

Q: How many users does WeChat have?

A: As of 2023, WeChat had over 1.36 billion registered users.

Q: Who are the main users of WeChat?

A: Chinese people; the main age group of active users is between 16 and 64 years old (78% of users).

It is no exaggeration to say that the super app WeChat simply makes life easier in China. It’s almost impossible to live there without it. It is interesting to note that 98.5% of smartphone users aged 50-80 use WeChat and that 61% of users over 60 years old devote more than half of their total mobile data consumption to it.

These figures are significantly lower than those of the younger population, who only devote around 14% of their mobile data to the platform. In addition, Users getting information via official WeChat accounts are mostly over 30 years old.

Overall, the distribution of WeChat users is about 48% female and 52% male. They spend about 1 hour and 20 minutes per day on the platform!

Main Functions of WeChat

WeChat is used to send voice messages, videos, pictures and texts over the Internet. It supports group chats and users mainly use it to communicate with their friends through SMS, MMS, GIFs, video calls, etc.

The WeChat app is completely free, you just need an internet or Wi-Fi connection to use it.

WeChat supports mini-programs directly integrated into its interface and designed separately by brands and companies. Like other apps, they aim to sell, engage or entertain.

WeChat’s integrated apps include everything you can think of: brands, utility payments, mobile phone top-ups, online ordering and more.

Adding Friends on WeChat and Privacy Feature

The most common ways to add friends on WeChat are searching by phone number, WeChat QR code scan of someone, adding from QQ friends list or mobile phone contact list.

There’s also a cool little feature that lets you “find people nearby” by shaking your phone!

The most common messaging functions are instant voice messages, video chats, and WeChat calls.

Your Own Photo/Video Timeline or Your Own “Moments”

WeChat offers its users the possibility of creating a “wall”, a space where you share the “Moments” of your life through photos, videos, messages, music, etc.

You can also choose which of your friends can see it, so it’s up to you to configure your WeChat according to your exposure to social media platforms!

Business Functions

WeChat is widely used for business promotion, as it enables business accounts to be created and promoted on the platform.

Many accounts have a specific purpose: offers, registrations, blogs, etc., while other accounts display general information about the business.

WeChat mini apps allow you to use partner services, such as calling a taxi, making a hospital appointment or paying bills.

WeChatPay

WeChat has been so successful in China because of its easy payment system. Simply scan a WeChat QR code to pay for items via your WeChatPay wallet (bank account integrated directly into the app wallet).

This is a boon for businesses because it pushes users to consume more easily and in particular via impulse shopping on all platforms available in China!

WECHAT STATISTICS IN 2024

Take a look at our guide here: 30 Marketing Tools on WeChat!

#2 WeChat Channels

Channels is a feature of the WeChat ecosystem that allows you to share and consume video content. Similar to Instagram’s “Reels” function, Youtube Shorts or Tiktok, it is a news feed containing popular videos (HOT), from our friends or from accounts we follow. Part of the powerful all-in-one WeChat messenger, it is very easy to share and send content from Channels, allowing the user to entertain themselves on the most used platform. With the addition of this feature, WeChat thus meets all the user’s needs, allowing them to do everything on a single application!

So Channels benefits from the enormous traffic from WeChat, making it a platform with a larger audience than Douyin and Kuaishou. This video format has the highest engagement time per user at 80% compared to photo sharing on WeChat Moments!

This platform is used by individuals and businesses alike and attracts many professionals with the advertising options it offers. With 813 million monthly active users, it is estimated that the audience of Channels is composed of 80% women and therefore 20% men. This audience spends on average 1 hour per day watching videos (up to 1 hour in length, but short videos are preferred) on Channels.

WECHAT CHANNELS STATISTICS IN 2024

#3 DOUYIN – THE CHINESE TIKTOK

Q: What kind of social media platform is Douyin?

A: Douyin is originally a short video sharing platform.

Q: How many users does the Douyin app have?

A: Douyin has over 1 billion registered users.

Q: Who are the main users of Douyin?

A: 48.7% of Douyin’s daily users in China are under 30.

Known internationally as TikTok, Douyin is the king of short videos. Its 755 million users come from third-, fourth- and fifth-tier cities and spend more than 2 hours per day on the platform! Besides short videos, 90% users watch live broadcasts (live streaming).

Today, Douyin has also become one of the most popular e-commerce platforms on social media, attracting millions of influencers and customers. The shopping experience may remind us of the telemarketing that was so popular in the 90s. With a fresh approach and a hint of glamour, this new business model is boosting sales for many smaller brands looking to reach the middle class in China.

Advertising on Douyin is also a great way to make a brand popular in china. Douyin, which offers very competitive rates, wants to attract more international brands to the platform in China.

DOUYIN STATISTICS IN 2024

Want to learn more about advertising on Douyin? Check out our article here: Marketing on Douyin 2023: How to sell on Douyin

#4 QQ – THE CHINESE VERSION OF MESSENGER

Q: What kind of app is QQ?

A: QQ is one of the most popular messaging apps in China.

Q: How many users does QQ app have?

A: QQ has about 817 million active users.

Despite the rise of its predecessor WeChat, QQ Messenger, still has more than 817 million  active userseach month. It is more commonly used on desktop computers because it is integrated with email and file management, and has a certain nostalgia for those who used online messaging before WeChat came along.

Creator of WeChat, QQ Zone, QQ Messenger and dozens of secondary brand products, Tencent is one of the earliest innovators in technology development in China.

Today, Tengxun.com is a popular search engine (linked to WeChat) and QQ Mail is one of the most widely used email services by individuals and businesses.

QQ Music and V.QQ are both entertainment platforms. QQ Zone is one of the main platforms of Tencent Group where users can communicate on a global ecosystem.

But QQ Messenger serves as an instant messenger and social media platform. It allows you to send messages, make voice and video calls, microblog, and has many other features that promote social interaction! Despite the app being accessible worldwide, 96% of its users are located in China. These users are approximately 52% male and 48% female.

QQ STATISTICS IN 2024

#5 XIAOHONGSHU OR RED, THE CHINESE INSTAGRAM

Q: What kind of app is Xiaohongshu?

A: Xiaohongshu is a social media platform, e-commerce and product review platform.

Q: How many users does the Xiaohongshu app have?

A: Xiaohongshu has over 163 million monthly active users.

Xiaohongshu, also known as Little Red Book or RED, is a Chinese platform combining social media platforms and e-commerce, comparable to Instagram. Created in 2013, it mainly targets young people, especially women from large cities, with 80% of users under 30. RED stands out for its user-generated content, a strong presence of influencers (KOLs) and e-commerce integration, allowing users to discover and purchase foreign products. With a community of nearly 200 million monthly active users and over 140,000 brands, Xiaohongshu offers a unique platform for foreign brands looking to enter the Chinese market.

Its user base, predominantly female (82% women, 62% Gen Z) is active and influential, focusing on fashion, cosmetics and lifestyle products. These “digital natives” with high incomes and significant consumption value branding. RED stands out with unique features and e-commerce integration, providing an attractive platform for influencer marketing and product promotion. 56% of its users say they use the platform several times a day!

XIAOHONGSHU/LITTLE RED BOOK 2024 STATISTICS

Check out our latest article which details everything you need to know about Xiaohongshu!

How to register a store on Xiaohongshu? Here’s the answer!

#6 WEIBO – THE CHINESE TWITTER/X?

Q: What kind of app is Weibo?

A: Weibo is a micro blogging platform.

Q: How many users does the Weibo app have?

A: Weibo has over 588 million active users.

The wide variety of functions available has allowed Weibo to evolve into a versatile platform which has no equivalent in Western social media. Just think of any function that can be found in social media platforms and Weibo will offer it. Among its hundreds of millions of users, the post-1990 generation represents 48% and the post-2000 generation 30%. With a male/female split of almost 50/50, they spend on average 50 minutes on the platform, every day.

Weibo, short for MicroBlog, is a platform for sharing short messages in real time. Considered China’s X (formerly Twitter), Weibo is a complex platform that offers different types of native advertising, semi-targeted ads, and even a live streaming option.

MAIN FUNCTIONS OF WEIBO

• Short/long messages:
  Originally, it had a text limit of 140 characters per post, but Weibo has increased its character limit and encourages longer posts. The idea is to post thoughts or updates to people who follow you online (like on Facebook or Twitter).
• Follow accounts/topics:
  Weibo is a communication tool. It allows you to follow people or organizations that interest you in order to see their new content, shared information… Like any social media platform, other people can also follow you.
• Live chat:
  To increase online attention, users can discuss hot topics and interact with other people.
• Mention and Hashtags:
  As on Instagram, the @ symbol is used to mention someone. Hashtags are also commonly used to search for topics (Weibo introduced this feature years before Instagram added its “follow hashtag” feature).
• Public comment and private message:
  You can comment and forward other people’s posts. For more privacy, you can chat via private messages.
• Weibo also offers many functions of gamification such as acquiring medals and adding apps (Weibo Square is where you can check these out).
• Live Streaming – Livestreaming
• Video vlogs

SINA WEIBO STATISTICS IN 2024

#7 KUAISHOU – AUTHENTIC AND UNFILTERED

Q: What kind of media is Kuaishou?

A: Kuaishou is a short video sharing and live streaming platform.

Q: How many monthly active users does Kuaishou have?

A: Kuaishou has over 504 million monthly active users.

True to its name, which means “fast hands”, Kuaishou has quickly established itself as one of China’s leading social media apps. She distinguished through its emphasis on short videos, favoring authentic and unfiltered content such as live streams and vlogs.
This popular livestreaming app has 504 million monthly active users, including 70% are under 35 years old.

Kuaishou differentiates itself from Douyin by creating extensive interactions between users and content generators. The application brings together every day 347 million users who pass more than 2 hours watching content ! We note that men are slightly more present than women with 55% against 45%.

KUAISHOU STATISTICS IN 2024

#8 BILIBILI – CULTURE AND COMMUNITY

Q: What type of media is Bilibili?

A: Bilibili is a video sharing and streaming platform.

Q: How many monthly active users does Bilibili have?

A: Bilibili has over 336 million monthly active users.

Bilibili (Chinese name: 哔哩哔哩) started as a space for anime fans and has grown into a cultural community and platform that some now call the “Chinese YouTube”. It is primarily a video hosting site, but it also offers livestreams, particularly popular among gamers, and is launching into the television program production.

This application and its features are especially appealing to 19-24 years old, which represent 61% of all users. Men and women are equally present on the platform and spend an average of 1 hour 30.

BILIBILI STATISTICS IN 2024

Social Media Platforms for News and Information in China

#9 JINGRI TOUTIAO (TODAY’S HEADLINES) – CHINESE NEWS UGC 

Q: What type of media is jingri toutiao?

A: Jingri Toutiao is a news broadcasting platform

Q: How many monthly active users does Jingri Toutiao have?

A: Jingri Toutiao has over 270 million monthly active users.

JinRi Toutiao (Today’s Headlines) is a user-generated content and news platform that is extremely popular among young Chinese users. The age breakdown of Toutiao’s 700 million users is fairly homogeneous across the generations, as is gender (Women 45% and Men 55%). The average user spends 76 minutes on the site each day, which translates to 1.3 billion articles read each day.

JinRi Toutiao aims to help businesses, institutions, media and independent media gain more visibility and attention. With over 700 million registered users and 410 million monthly active users, who wouldn’t want a piece of this massive online audience? However, Toutiao accounts are difficult to apply for and it is particularly easy to get banned.

Users’ high-quality content will get more exposure thanks to a powerful intelligent recommendation algorithm, while the industry-leading weight removal protection mechanism will keep the original free from infringement worries.

The platform can publish videos, questions and answers. Also “Recommended” marked in red means that the platform supports this content.

#10 ZHIHU – THE CHINESE VERSION OF QUORA

Q: What is zhihu?

A: Zhihu is a knowledge/encyclopedia site in the form of a sharing and Q&A forum.

Q: How many monthly active users does zhihu have?

A: Zhihu has over 102 million monthly active users.

Zhihu can be considered the Chinese version of Quora for social media. Users can ask and answer questions on virtually any topic. 80% of registered users have a bachelor’s degree or higher and 20% of users have experience teaching abroad. Among its 102 million monthly active users, 71% are under 35 years old.

Recognized as the largest Q&A platform in China, Zhihu was included in the TOP 30 most influential platforms in China in 2017. Soon after, Zhihu launched “Zhihu university” in 2018, which allows users to educate themselves through online courses

The course system includes Zhihu Live and “Zhuhu Private Course” launched in late 2017. It includes both audio and video, a single course for bite-size learning and a series of longer courses that require more time and effort. The book system includes e-books and audiobooks, as well as a “Know the Book Club” section, launched in early 2018 to help users take apart and analyze books.

Zhihu is a much more serious platform than Quora and attracts industry professionals to share opinions and advice. Unintellectual or childish questions are not well received on the platform and are often not published on Zhihu.

Programmers, managers, founders, CEOs, etc. are the main professions of Zhihu users. Most of the content published therefore comes from the users themselves. Some profiles are labelled as an “expert” in a certain field, with a badge certifying their account.

The app’s interaction features are extensive and always oriented towards a clear goal of high-quality education and knowledge sharing. It is therefore possible to follow expert profiles and institution accounts, but you can also follow questions asked and get notified of the progress of the discussion and its related answers. You can also create and participate in polls and surveys, as well as like, share, comment and save posts, and participate in live streams and arrange private calls with experts.

The aim of this platform is to share constructive knowledge, and it allows professionals to stand out and prove their expertise in their chosen field, as well as reach an educated audience.

To learn more about Zhihu as a marketing tool, please check our article: All about Zhihu

#11 DOUBAN

Q: What kind of media is Douban?

A: Douban is an interest-based social media platform and forum.

Q: How many monthly active users does Douban have?

A: Douban has over 300 million monthly active users.

Douban originally started as a movie database, accompanied by movie discussion forums. Today, the forums have evolved to encompass discussions on all sorts of topics, and the site could be compared to Reddit rather than IMDb.

Its 300 million plus monthly active users are typically college-educated, middle-class urbanites. With a 57-43% female-to-male audience, Douban is one of the best word-of-mouth marketing platforms for entertainment. 65% of its users are under 35 (40% are between 24 and 35).

Founded in 2005, Douban is a forum dedicated to books, films, music, podcasts (Douban FM) with opinions, ratings and discussions. Douban also has a group feature, where people can join together based on their common interests! Chinese people pay close attention to the rankings given by this platform to choose whether to watch a TV show or a movie.

#12 HUPU

Q: What kind of media is Hupu?

A: Hupu is a sports-based news forum.

Q: How many monthly active users does Hupu have?

A: Hupu has over 86 million monthly active users.

HUPU, a platform focused on sports news, brings together 91% men within its user base. 86% of its audience is under 30!

The information shared can come from certified accounts and profiles but also from users. The content can be posts and written articles but also livestreaming sessions and discussions in closed forums.

The platform has a total of 86 million monthly active users.

#13 NETEASE

Q: What type of media is Netease?

A: Netease is a news and information platform.

Q: How many monthly active users does Netease have?

A: Netease has over 300 million monthly active users.

Just like Toutiao, Netease is a platform that shares news and articles posted by professionals or individuals. With a predominantly male audience (65% vs 35%), the latter is young since 85% of users are between 18 and 35 years old. They write, read, comment, like and share relevant articles.

#14 36KR

Q: What type of media is 36kr?

A: 36kr is a news platform based on the technology industry and the startup environment.

The application draws its content from verified sources, newspapers and journalists who are experts in the field, as well as from professionals in the sector. Authors have the ability to publish articles that will be shared and commented on. They can also create newsletters to which their audience can subscribe. Readers can then be reminded to read the latest trends following specific profiles, companies and even topics!

This platform is famous for advertising because it is the only one to offer advertising on its own account: 36KR.

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E-Commerce Websites and Apps in China

#15 TAOBAO – ALIEXPRESS IN CHINA

Q: What kind of app is TaoBao?

A: TaoBao is an e-commerce platform and online marketplace.

Q: How many users does TaoBao app have?

A: TaoBao has over 877 million active users.

TaoBao, a platform launched in 2003 by Alibaba Group, has become an essential for e-commerce in China.

With annual revenues exceeding several hundred billion dollars, it compares to giants such as eBay and Amazon.

The platform is popular among a wide range of consumers, especially young people, thanks to its wide range of products and ease of use. TaoBao stands out with its live streaming, customizable stores and interactive features, attracting a large user base, including many young consumers.

It plays a crucial role in China’s digital retail landscape, offering a complete and varied online shopping experience.

To learn more about Taobao, please see our article.

TAOBAO STATISTICS IN 2024

Chart description: 

The e-commerce platform is popular among both women and men (51% and 49%), and age breakdown doesn’t vary much from one category to another. 16% are under 24, 26% are between 25 and 34, 19% are between 35 and 44, 17% are between 45 and 54 and 12% are over 55.

The platform does not support cross-border e-commerce. In China, it hosts domestic chain stores and individual stores. Taobao offers business models such as general e-commerce, B2B and B2BC. In keeping with the Chinese social media ecosystem, the platform supports Livestreaming, which is an integral part of its customers’ shopping experience. 

In 2024, the main product categories were: “clothing, shoes and bags”, “digital products”, “jewelry”, “beauty and skin care” and “mother & baby products”.

 

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#16 PINDUODUO – TAOBAO BUT EVEN CHEAPER

Q: What kind of app is pinduoduo?

A: Pinduoduo is a group buying platform

Q: How many users does Pinduoduo app have?

A: Pingduoduo has more than 751 million monthly users.

Q: How does Pinduoduo differ from other apps?

A: ¨Users can buy discounted products by forming purchasing groups with friends, family, and strangers»

In 2023, e-commerce giant Pinduoduo had more active users than JD.com, including 90% that born after the year 2000. 60% of its users come from third and fourth tier cities.

Founded in September 2015 by Shanghai XunMeng Technology, before going public in the United States in 2016, Pinduoduo became the second most downloaded app in China last year. Pinduoduo is a third-party social e-commerce platform that focuses on the C2B conglomerate.

In 2023, Pinduoduo, a Chinese e-commerce giant, continues to make waves in the market. With an impressive 66.6% growth in sales over three years and a 142.6% increase in earnings per share, the company attracted strong institutional demand. These remarkable performances have not only strengthened its position in the market but also led to a significant rise in its shares. Pinduoduo stands out for its ability to innovate and meet the changing needs of consumers, giving it a strong position in China’s competitive e-commerce sector.

Interesting fact: Pinduoduo is owned by PDD Holdings, the company that also owns the cross-border e-commerce platform Temu !

PINDUODUO STATISTICS IN 2024

Chart description:

In the same industry as Taobao, Pinduoduo’s gender split is almost even (55% female, 45% male) and the age distribution is relatively even, with a peak of 24% of its users in the 25-34 age category. The remainder consists of 14% of people under 24, 19% of people aged 35 to 44, 18% of people aged 45 to 54 and 14% of people aged 55 and over. 

Pinduoduo, like its competitor, supports livestreaming as well as home business stores and individual stores. But the platform also supports “flagship” stores (Flagship Store) and cross-border e-commerce! Its business models include B2C, ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) and a group purchase function. 

In 2024, its most popular product categories were “Electronics & Digital”, “Beauty & Skin Care”, “Mother & Baby Products”, “Food & Health” and “Outdoor Sports Equipment”.

 

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#17 JD.COM – LIGHTNING FAST!

Q: What type of app is JD.com?

A: JD.com is an online commerce platform for local and international businesses.

Q: How many monthly active users does JD.com have?

A: JD.com has more than 400 million monthly active users.

One could argue that JD.com is the Chinese’s favorite online supermarket. Founded by Richard Liu in 1998, the company has become a go-to place for shopping with confidence. What makes JD.com so great is its incredible delivery network: what you order in the morning can often arrive on your doorstep before the end of the day! It has made a name for itself by ensuring that all its products, be them electronic gadgets or everyday products, are authentic and of good quality.

Today, theJD.com app has nearly 400 million monthly active users with a generally even gender breakdown (45% Women, 55% Men) and age (-24: 16%, 25-34: 30%, 35-44: 21%, 45-54: 16%, 55+: 17%). Every day, JD.com continues to surprise people by using cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence and even drones, to make the shopping experience even smoother and faster.

JD.COM STATISTICS IN 2024

Chart description: 

JD.com hosts a wide range of stores, including those from domestic and international companies, as well as Jingdong Marketplace vendors. The platform also supports cross-border trade, allowing businesses to reach a global audience.

JD.com’s business model is diversified, encompassing B2BC (Business to Business to Consumer), B2C (Business to Consumer), and B2B (Business to Business) segments. This versatility allows the platform to adapt to different types of business transactions, thus meeting the varied needs of its users.

In 2024, the most popular product categories on JD.com included home appliances, electronics, beauty products, kitchen supplies, clothing, shoes and bags. Additionally, like its competitors, the platform supports livestreaming, offering sellers a dynamic and interactive way to showcase their products and engage their customers in real time.

 

#18 SECOO – LUXURY SPECIALIST

Q: What type of application is Secoo?

A: Secoo is an e-commerce platform specializing in luxury products.

Q: How many monthly active users does Secoo have?

A: Secoo has over 520 million monthly active users.

Launched in 2008, the SECOO app is in some ways the dream destination for luxury lovers in China. The platform specializes in high-end products, ranging from designer clothing to luxury watches and exclusive accessories.

Its site hosts stores but also individuals who can sell to other stores or to other individuals. The key product categories for this year 2024 were clothing, watches and jewelry, bags and leather goods, beauty and skin care, and finally shoes.

SECOO has built a reputation by offering its customers the assurance of purchasing authentic and certified products, often difficult to find elsewhere (except in original stores), particularly because the presence of counterfeit goods is widespread.

Today the platform brings together 520 million monthly active users, split fairly equally between men (56%) and women (44%).

SECOO STATISTICS IN 2024

NB: There are tons of e-commerce platforms in China, so we decided to create a few separate articles dedicated to this topic. Here are some of the most useful ones:

Chinese e-commerce platforms: registration costs

5 Wonderful E-Commerce Solutions Other Than Tmall

Choosing a Tmall Partner

Guide to Cross-Border E-Commerce Platforms in China

 

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Video Hosting Platforms and Applications in China

 

#19 YOUKU – BETWEEN YOUTUBE AND NETFLIX, CHINESE VERSION

Q: What kind of app is Youku?

A: Youku is a video service application.

Q: How many users does the Youku app have?

A: Youku has over 251 million registered users.

Q: Who are the top users on Youku?

A: According to statistics, 80% of Youku users are between 18 and 40 years old.

The original “Chinese YouTube “, Youku occupies an irreplaceable place among the main and essential social media platforms in China. More than two-thirds of its 251 million users come from affluent, college-educated backgrounds, and 82% are aged 18 to 40.

Its audience is 60% female and 40% male, with most users aged 25-34 (33%), followed by 35-44 (21%). Young users under 24 represent 18% of the audience, while older groups are less represented.

MAIN FEATURES OF YOUKU

Youku is therefore a video platform managed by the Youku group of the giant Alibaba. Currently, Youku is one of the leading video platforms covering a daily viewing volume of over 1.18 billion minutes per day, figures that make your head spin.

The platform offers a vast library of content, including movies, series and exclusive content. It supports livestreaming and provides user-driven recommendations. AI to improve user experience. Users can also download content for offline viewing. Videos can be viewed directly on your computer or your TV, but they are mostly watched directly on the mobile phones of users.

Youku operates on a business model that includes advertising, premium subscriptions, pay-per-view options, and e-commerce features. Access is free, but it is accompanied with advertisements and excludes access to exclusive content and viewing in high definition (HD).

#20 TENCENT VIDEO

Q: What type of media is Tencent Video?

A: Tencent Video is a video hosting service.

Q: How many people use Tencent Video?

A: 900 million people use Tencent Video.

Launched by tech giant Tencent, this streaming platform has become one of the most popular in China, offering a vast library of content. Tencent Video hosts TV shows, movies, sports and news. But also original content produced in partnership with international studios.

With 385 million monthly active users divided into 48% men and 52% women, half of this audience is under 35 years old. Its contents are compatible with Virtual Reality equipment, incorporate livestreaming and e-commerce services, and let Artificial Intelligence take care of recommendations to users.

#21 IQIYI

Q: What type of media is Iqiyi?

A: Iqiyi is a video hosting service.

Q: How many people use Iqiyi?

A: 465 million people use Iqiyi.

IQiyi, often referred to as the “Chinese Netflix,” is one of the leading streaming platforms in China. Launched in 2010 by Baidu, the application quickly established itself as an essential name for fans of series, films, reality TV shows, and animations.

What sets iQiyi apart is its high-quality original content, ranging from popular Chinese dramas to licensed international productions and most importantly, content exclusive to the platform. This content is undoubtedly a hit with its audience, which is predominantly female (58% versus 42%), spread across the ages: -24: 17%, 25-34: 28%, 35-44: 20%, 45-54: 15%, 55+: 9%. With a user-friendly interface and an ever-expanding catalog, iQiyi caters to all audiences, offering entertainment for all tastes.

Following this trend, iQiyi also offers livestreaming services, AI recommendations and catalogs, and several subscription offers. Among these there is the free model, with advertisements, without access to High Definition and exclusive content. Then there is the Premium offer, which requires a fee, but gives you full access to the platform and its services. There is also a pay-per-content option, meaning you rent the movie for a set period of time. And finally, online commerce is possible here, because during livestreamings, influencers can promote products, which can be purchased through the platform directly.

#22 MANGO TV

Q: What type of media is Mango TV?

A: Mango TV is a very popular streaming platform in China.

Q: How many people use Mango TV?

A: 267 million people use Mango TV.

Mango TV stands out for its dynamic and entertaining content, mainly focused on reality tv shows, THE drama series, and variety programs. Launched by Hunan Broadcasting System, one of China’s largest television stations, Mango TV is particularly popular among younger generations for its innovative, exclusive shows, sometimes produced in-house. Its audience is largely dominated by women to the tune of 76% And 70% are under 35 years old.

Just like its competitors, Mango TV offers a free subscription with advertising, a paid subscription for full access, complementary e-commerce services but also paid livestreaming options! Whether it’s to follow the latest trends or just binge on captivating series, Mango TV offers a colorful and lively streaming experience.

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Livestreaming Websites and Apps for Video Games

 

#23 HUYA – GAME STREAMING PARADISE 

Q: What type of media is Huya?

A: Huya is a gaming video/live streaming platform.

Q: How many monthly active users does Huya have?

A: Huya has over 8.36 million monthly active users.

Huya is a gaming livestreaming platform that is extremely popular among active users under the age of 44, which makes up 80% of its audience. User loyalty and interaction with the platform remains at a very high level, with an average daily viewing time of 135 minutes.

Huya tried to merge with DouYu, another live game streaming giant, in 2020. According to Variety, this could have allowed the platforms to capture 80% of the Chinese market. This attempt failed and the platforms denied any rumors that it was still in the works, They nevertheless collaborate, as they are both supported by Tencent.

Huya’s team invests its core resources to provide users with a clear, fast and smooth live viewing experience. Users can interact with the host in real time, in the form of text messages and meetings with their gaming idols. They can also make donations and send virtual gifts, which is part of the platform’s monetization system in addition to subscriptions and partnerships.

The vast majority are male (70%), including big video game fans. Huya offers live broadcasts of popular games, online gaming competitions and broadcasts from gaming stars and influencers: KOLs. All of this is compatible on phone, computer and game console and in 4k, with the possibility of sharing everything easily by having integrated social media platforms into the platform.

#24 DOUYU – FOR GAMING FANS

Q: What kind of media is Douyu?

A: Douyu is a video game livestreaming platform.

Q: How many monthly active users does Douyu have?

A: Douyu has over 5.17 million monthly active users.

Despite a failed merger attempt with Huya, Douyu remains one of the most popular apps for gaming fans. Launched in 2014, Douyu has quickly established itself as the leader in game streaming, where gamers come to watch live games, eSports tournaments, and broadcasts from their favorite streamers.

A little like Huya, Douyu’s audience is composed mainly of men (71%) with 81% of its population under 45, and 58% under 35. The app offers exactly the same compatibility, integration and subscription features as its competitor Huya. However, the difference is in the type of games it hosts. In addition to MOBAs, FPSs and Battle Royales, Douyu also hosts RPGs, which Huya does not.

#25 INKE

Q: What type of media is Inke?

A: Inke is a livestreaming platform.

Inke is a live streaming platform that stands out for its social and interactive side. In fact, the platform only hosts mobile games and its video resolution stops at High Definition.

Launched in 2015, Inke allows its users to stream and watch live videos, covering a wide variety of topics from daily life to artistic talent to live discussions. What makes Inke unique is its focus on connecting users and broadcasters, with features that encourage interaction, like virtual gifts and real-time chats.

In 2024, Inke continues to appeal to a young and dynamic audience, offering a space where everyone can express their creativity and make themselves known. The platform is also known for hosting live events and interactive challenges, making the streaming experience both entertaining and engaging.

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Chinese Recommendation and Delivery Apps

 

#26 DIANPING – THE CHINESE VERSION OF YELP/TRIPADVISOR

Q: What kind of application is Dianping?

A: Dianping is an online review, restaurant, and experience platform.

Q: How many users does Dianping app have?

A: Dianping has over 500 million registered users.

Recently acquired by the MeiTuan group, Dianping is a bit like Tripadvisor or Yelp, but much more advanced. Users can find and rate restaurants, hotels, gyms, movies and many other services. They can book directly and benefit from discounts and advantages via the application.

The social dimension is at the forefront, with multiple feeds displaying the best recommendations from the nearby public. Most of the 500 million users are between 16 and 40 years old and are mainly students and urban dwellers. Dianping was hit hard during the COVID-2019 pandemic, but was able to recover as soon as the Chinese economy recovered.

Launched in 2003, and backed by Google and Tencent, Dazhong Dianping is the leading platform for information and evaluation of local life in China. This popular app/platform not only provides information services such as business information, consumer reviews and consumer preferences, but also online business services such as group buying, restaurant reservations, takeaways and e-membership cards.

Want to know how to use it or how to register your business on Dianping? Learn more about Dianping in our previous article.

#27 MEITUAN – ALL SERVICES IN ONE PLACE

Q: What kind of app is Meituan?

A: Meituan is a review and delivery platform and is known for its bike rental.  

Q: How many people use Meituan?

A: There are 160 million monthly active users on Meituan.

Meituan is an application very similar to Dianping, it is also operated by the same company: Meituan-Dianping since their merger in 2015 and share their users’ data with each other.

The main differences between the 2 apps are an in-app food delivery service and a bike sharing/rental service, which can be found everywhere in Shanghai and major Chinese cities. Its 500 million users (total number of accounts on the platform) are generally young and have an above-average income, particularly 25-34 year-olds, who represent 37.5% of users.

Its user base is 69% male and 31% female. Meituan offers a wide range of services beyond food delivery, including grocery deliveries, product deliveries, taxi booking, and access to various coupons and deals. It offers extensive nationwide coverage and supports multiple payment methods, such as WeChat Pay, Alipay and local bank cards.

The platform also includes advanced features like real-time tracking, AI-driven recommendations, and 24/7 customer support. Users can exchange reviews, comments and a rating system, with social media integration options. Premium subscriptions are available for those looking for enhanced services.

#28 ELE.ME – EASY AND FAST!

Q: What type of app is Ele.me?

A: Eleme.me is a food and grocery delivery platform. 

Q: How many people use Ele.me?

A: There are 70 million monthly active users on Ele.me.

Ele.me is one of the big names in food delivery in China. Founded in 2008, the platform stands out for its ability to quickly connect consumers with a wide range of restaurants, from well-known chains to local establishments. In 2024, Ele.me remains a preferred choice thanks to its efficient and convenient delivery service, which includes not only meals but also groceries and drinks.

What makes Ele.me special is its ease of use: you can order in just a few clicks, track your delivery in real time, and pay flexibly. The platform continues to innovate with advanced technologies to make deliveries even faster and more personalized.

Compared to competitors like Meituan, which offers a wider range of services including hotel reservations and ticketing, or Dianping, which focuses on restaurant reviews and delivery to a lesser extent, Ele.me focuses exclusively on food delivery.

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Music Apps In China

#29 NETEASE MUSIC

NetEase Music is a bit of a refuge for music lovers in China. Launched in 2013, this platform is known for its convenient interface and extensive music library. What really sets it apart is the quality of its personalized recommendations and playlists, which allow you to discover new artists and musical genres.

In addition, NetEase Music is a community in itself, with 153 million active users monthly, they can discuss music among enthusiasts. With a good gender balance in its audience (52% Women and 48% Men), 70%users are under 35!

 

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#30 QQ MUSIC

QQ Music, developed by Tencent, is one of the most popular music platforms in China. Since its launch, QQ Music has established itself with its huge catalog of songs, including both international hits and Chinese music. The app offers a seamless user experience with features like karaoke, synced lyrics, and recommendations based on individual preferences.

The platform stands out among its 196 million monthly active users through its musical catalog. Appealing to both a female (52%) and male (48%) audience, more than 50% of its audience falls tinto 18 to 35 category.

 

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#31 XIMALAYA FM

Ximalaya FM is THE podcast and audiobook platform in China. Since its launch in 2012, it has become a meeting place for those who like to learn, be entertained or simply relax while listening to audio content. The app now has over 87 million monthly active users, evenly split between ages (18-24: 13%, 25-34: 26%, 35-44: 24%, 45-54: 19%, 55+: 10%).

It has everything from radio shows, educational podcasts, children’s stories, and even online courses. What makes Ximalaya FM so appealing is the diversity of its content and the ability for users to create their own podcasts.

 

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#32 KUGOU

Finally, Kugou is one of the oldest music platforms in China, best known for its large library of Chinese music. Since its launch in 2004, Kugou has stood out for its ability to deliver a personalized music experience, with features like synced lyrics and karaoke. It is also a platform where its 232 million monthly active users can connect and share their musical tastes with other fans. With its high-quality streaming options and user-friendly interface, Kugou is a top choice for those who enjoy streaming music and discovering new tracks.

 

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Social Medias Opportunities in China

#33 XIANYU – THE CHINESE VINTED

Q: What kind of media is Xianyu?

A: Xianyu is an online second-hand shopping platform.

More than 60% of its 200 million users were born in the 1990s, and nearly 70% are women. You can find this application by following this link: https://2.taobao.com/

Xianyu, also known as “Idle Fish”, is Taobao’s second-hand shopping platform, similar to eBay but without auctions. It is very popular in China for buying and selling second-hand goods, like LeBonCoin. Launched by Alibaba, Xianyu allows users to sell or buy almost anything they can think of: clothes, electronic gadgets, furniture, and even collectibles. What makes Xianyu unique is its community spirit. Users can chat, negotiate prices, and share tips for finding good deals.

The app is particularly popular with younger generations looking to recycle their belongings or find hidden treasures at affordable prices. In 2024, Xianyu continues to thrive by integrating new features like personalized recommendations and secure payment options, making the buying and selling experience even smoother and more enjoyable.

 

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Chinese Blogging Platforms and Apps

#34 BAIJIAHAO – FOR ALL ABOMINATING BLOGGERS AND WRITERS

Q: What type of media is Baijahao? 

A: Baijahao is a blogging platform. 

Baijiahao is a content creation platform developed by Baidu, China’s No. 1 search engine. This platform is intended for budding bloggers and writers, but also for content creators and journalists. They have the ability to share articles, videos, and other forms of media, giving them a space to publish and monetize their creations.

What sets Baijiahao apart is its integration with the Baidu search engine, which allows published content to reach a wide audience through search results. Contents published on the platform will be delivered to users on Baidu mobile search, Baidu Search on Desktop and Baidu mobile browser. Creators can thus reach a wider audience while benefiting from the analysis and monetization tools offered by the platform. Baijiahao encourages content creators to create high-quality content.

It is therefore thanks to its high visibility and its support for all creators, novice or experienced, that Baijiahao continues to grow its popularity. For users, it is a rich source of information and entertainment from diverse and expert voices.

 

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Professional Social Media Platforms in China

#35 MAIMAI – THE CHINESE LINKEDIN

Q: What type of media is Maimai? 

A: Maimai is a professional social media platform. 

MaiMai is a must-have app for professionals in China who want to expand their network and find career opportunities. Much like LinkedIn, MaiMai allows you to connect with colleagues, recruiters, and other experts in your field. What makes MaiMai truly unique is its anonymous nature. Users can share their work experiences, give feedback on their company, and discuss sensitive topics without having to reveal their identity.

Launched in 2013, MaiMai quickly gained popularity thanks to this freedom of expression. In 2024, it continues to attract professionals looking to advance their careers, while offering a space where people can talk openly about their daily work life.

 

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Social Media Platforms and Sports and Health Applications

#36 KEEP – FITNESS FOR EVERYONE

Q: What type of app is Keep?

A: Keep is a fitness app.

Keep is the fitness app trusted by millions of Chinese people to stay in shape. Since its launch in 2015, it has established itself as an essential sports companion, offering a variety of workouts suitable for all levels, whether for yoga, weight training, or running. What sets Keep apart is its ability to personalize programs based on your goals, while allowing you to track your progress and stay motivated through a vibrant community.

Recently, Keep launched new features like live classes, nutrition tips, and challenges that push users to surpass themselves. Whether you’re a beginner or a fitness enthusiast, Keep is here to support you and make your workouts accessible and stimulating, right from your smartphone.

 

#37 MINT (BOHE)

Q: What type of app is Mint?

A: Mint is a health and wellness app.

Mint (also known as Bohe) is a popular app in China for those interested in health and wellness. The app focuses on health tracking, offering tools to monitor your diet, physical activity, sleep, and even your mental state. Mint is designed to be a personal health coach in your pocket, helping you maintain a balanced lifestyle.

Launched with the idea of making health management more accessible, Mint offers personalized advice, reminders to stay active, and recommendations based on your habits. In 2024, Mint continues to improve by integrating advanced features, such as deeper data analysis and even more personalized wellness advice for each user.

 

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Which Chinese Apps Should You Use For Your Business By 2024?

The choice of Chinese apps you decide to invest in will really depend on the type of business you run.

Generally speaking, most Chinese people seek advice (RED, Weibo), read entertaining and educational content (WeChat) and watch videos (Youku, Douyin). Younger generations spend their time on Taobao looking for new or interesting products, while the older generation is looking for good deals on Pinduoduo.

Most platforms offer purchasing options and almost all of them are interactive and very comprehensive, offering maximum functionality to their users. The Chinese social media landscape is truly immense, making it very easy to get lost.

Where to start?

Here are some of our tips to apply:

DON’T CREATE A SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT JUST TO HAVE ONE

Brands often open different accounts on Chinese social media in the hope that people will actively seek them out, but this is not the case. If your account doesn’t add any value to the subscriber’s life (membership, games, discounts, access, etc.), you will have a hard time increasing your subscriber count.

DO NOT OPEN AN ACCOUNT IF YOU DO NOT INTEND TO PROVIDE VALUE TO CUSTOMERS

The most successful accounts on WeChat and other platforms are those that are interactive and not just give out information.

Just like Facebook and LinkedIn, most Chinese social media apps intentionally reduce visibility so that brands spend more money on advertising. In fact, apps like WeChat are said to be “closed” because only friends and close contacts can see updates.

However, there are “creative” ways to get known on so-called “open” platforms like Weibo or Douyin, where creating viral content remains easier.

Otherwise, targeted advertising on WeChat remains one of the best options to start with.

Advertising on WeChat: Ad Types, CPM Pricing, PPC Pricing

Identify the best Chinese social media platforms to support your e-commerce solution

Whether or not your brand has a large following on Weibo or Douyin, it is still important to link your e-commerce links to social media platforms.

If you have any questions or would like further information, do not hesitate to contact us.

HI-COM is a digital marketing agency that provides businesses worldwide with China-specific strategies, social media communications services and e-commerce marketing services. Working with more than 100 brands, HI-COM is the preferred partner for companies wishing to enter the Chinese market!  

Contact us for a free consultation today!

Scan the QR Code to get in touch via WeChat

How should you translate a website to Chinese in order to reach this huge audience and their thriving local markets? When it comes to emerging markets such as China, Brazil, and Russia, booming imports and e-commerce markets have made these counties and cultures impossible to overlook. In this article we will describe how to translate a website and show you how to avoid problems when localizing it.

Today, more and more businesses and individuals are opting for Mandarin language website localisation in order to better communicate with their potential Chinese audience. However, Mandarin is a complex tonal language that requires a highly skilled team of translators, to localise a website successfully and ensure that any cultural nuances and values, as well as most appropriate search queries, are taken into consideration.

Entering the Chinese Market Online: Translation, Localization, or Transcreation?

Translation

Translation should be seen as a first step in the process of getting your website to reach Chinese audiences. Professional website translation into Chinese stays true to the content and tone of your original website. Precision and accuracy of language is the priority. This step is important for guaranteeing that the core details of your website content is preserved when translated into a different language.

However, while translation by itself may be sufficient for purely technical writing, it is not effective as the sole method of entering the Chinese market. For content that serves marketing purposes such as website translation, it is important to consider translating the spirit of your brand to fit its new cultural context and reworking content to be culturally specific.

Transcreation

Clever wordplay rarely carries over in translation, especially for unrelated language pairs like English and Chinese. This can be a major stumbling block for translation when it comes to things like brand names, slogans, and various marketing collateral.

That’s where transcreation comes in. Combining translation and creation, transcreation is a technique where both the content and emotional resonance of a message are preserved during translation. It’s a process where the target of translation is ideas, concepts and feelings rather than exact words.

In transcreation, creative liberties are taken with the source translation. Culturally specific talking points are recalibrated to fit the new cultural context. Language specific wordplay is reworked to preserve its memorability without sacrificing meaning. The resulting translation may not be a direct translation of the phrase, but it replicates the emotional impact of the content across languages.

For transcreation to be effective, transcreation teams must have a strong grasp of the nuances of both the source language and the translated language.

Localization

Localization is a crucial step in increasing the effectiveness of your website translation in China. The process of localisation involves optimizing the translated website and content to adapt to the new cultural and digital context of the target language. When localisation is executed well, it helps your brand feel native to the new cultural context it has been translated into.

High calibre website localisation requires translators to not only have native level familiarity with both the source and target language and culture, but also in-depth knowledge of your brand’s industry. Website localisation experts take into account SEO optimization for the target language, cultural connotation of visual signifiers, and differences in digital habits and infrastructure of the new market.

The high level of precision, adaptability, and knowledge involved in localisation make it the most effective step in website translation.

What to Keep in Mind when Localizing Your Website in China

When localizing your website, it’s important to keep in mind the key differences between Western and Chinese internet infrastructure.

Payment options

While in the West, the arena of online payments is dominated by credit cards and Paypal, in China, Alipay, WeChat, and Unionpay are the major players in the game.
Alipay and WeChat capture a combined 95% of the Chinese mobile payment market share while UnionPay has an effective monopoly on the card payment market. This means website localisation must include localisation for Chinese payment systems when it comes to e-commerce functionality.

Social media

Most Western social media platforms are not accessible in China. Instead, the country has its own social media ecosystem that international brands must learn to navigate in order market to Chinese consumers.

Currently, the major platforms dominating the Chinese social media ecosystem consist of WeChat, Weibo, Douyin, and Xiaohongshu. Weibo and Douyin have counterparts outside of China, which are Twitter and Tik Tok respectively. However, WeChat and Xiaohongshu are relatively unique in their market niche. WeChat dominates instant messaging to the point where it has effectively replaced text messaging and email while having developed a full digital ecosystem of its own. Xiaohongshu, as a relatively newer player in Chinese social media, is a social recommendation platform that combines elements of Yelp, Instagram, and Pinterest.

This radically different social media landscape in China means that website localisation for the Chinese market requires adapting websites to fit into this new ecosystem. It is important to keep in mind that China’s social media platforms, with their unique functionalities, have also informed the digital habits of Chinese internet users.

User experience: write for your reader, not yourself

We recommend doing a localized marketing study before creating your content, to familiarize yourself with your (new) audience. If you are not in China yet, doing a benchmarking of your competitors will also be very useful.

This way, you will have an angle or a story that resonates with the local market in the most effective way. Looking to attract mothers? Young entrepreneurs? Imported car owners in their 40s living in second tier cities? The key is to know who you are talking to, to make the best impression and achieve faster customer acquisition.

There are a number of companies who do full market research; you will probably need some local help on that one. But if you don’t want to go this far, you can start with a simple website localization within your own research abilities.

Another point worth mentioning: even if you get your audience targeting right and the text is catchy, your (prospective) customer will leave the website if your navigation or functionality is not up to scratch.

It may be hard to believe but User Experience or UX has developed into a science; it is an actual profession for people to learn about the preferences of your consumers and adapt your website to fit their preferences and expectations.

While this is more of a web design topic, we suggest thinking about your consumer’s behaviors on your website when it comes to wording and calls to action at each step of their experience: interest – consideration – purchasing – after sales: support and feedback.

Do you use the right words to intrigue your Chinese audience? Do you turn viewers into customers easily? How easy is your website architecture to navigate around? Are visitors able to leave a review on your website or your social media page?

Translate a website with the right tools

When talking about website localization tools, one cannot avoid CAT (computer-assisted translation) tools such as Trados, which ensures your multilingual content can be dealt with in a smoother, more consistent, and more efficient manner. Other popular localization tools include DejaVu and Across, which may not have the might of Trados, but are nevertheless widely used by localization professionals and localization service providers.

Machine translation tool. This tool is mostly used by freelance translators and works well for certain language pairs. However, if you take a language with a specific writing system and grammar structure, such as Chinese, Arabic, Japanese or Korean (and many others), machine translation technology has its uses, but is not reliable enough to be used without extensive proofreading and corrective work.

Desktop publishing tools are used for content presentation and design. Language-specific correlations will help you to predict the layout in advance, but you will still need to ask localization engineers to assist with the DTP.

Local Colours

Adapting your colour to a local culture may also be a good idea when finalising the localization of your Chinese website localization project.

The appropriate choices of colours may subconsciously push your consumers closer to your brand. The favourite colours of Chinese audiences are red and gold.

Green is somewhat negative, especially when it comes to men. In north America and Europe, Blue represents peace, trust and security.

Yellow is a positive colour in most countries except Germany, where it represents envy. Purple is often associated with royalty, however, in Brazil and Thailand purple is the color of mourning, similar to White in China, Korea, and some other Asian countries.

Have a website to translate? Check with our team how much time will it take!

Translate a website to Chinese: choose an attractive call to action

With regards to customer acquisition, it is important to make your customer’s life as easy as possible and provide the chance of buying/emailing/joining in one to two clicks. The attention span of the average Chinese customer shopping online is much shorter than that of a Western customer.

This is due to the rapid pace and ‘everything-in-one-click’ lifestyle of China, where people are accustomed to being served or purchases completed in milliseconds; the 24/7 online support of 99% of e-commerce platforms is no-exception, payment is done in one scan plus one click, and most things are done automatically.

Almost no-one is using online-banking as they used to – everything is linked to mobile payment. The new Chinese Consumer is therefore very time sensitive: do not waste their time. Long convincing texts – NO. Page after page of explanations – NO. Your copy should be easy to read, brighten the mood, make a point quickly and make purchasing an easy click of a button or scan of a QR code.

Search engine friendly content: local search engines

Now, Search Engine Optimization is a topic for a whole different article, but let’s talk about your content optimization for the China market. As you probably already know, Google is blocked in China, and it is all in hands of BAIDU. Nevertheless, there are still title tags, meta tags, page titles, and images to think about.

Its not enough to translate your website; the localization of your website is absolutely necessary. It is not OK to just translate your tags and titles, since that will not guarantee that your local consumers are actually using those words. Using a well-known example, “pants” and “trousers” might be used interchangeably in one country, while the whole UK market will assume that the former product is underwear.

Keyword optimization and localization is a must for every market; you can’t just assume what terms will work and not being a native speaker will not help either. By purchasing the right SEO tools that will show you which keywords are searched how many times in a particular region will save you a great amount of time and money.

Doing the localization in-house is not something we recommend, but if you want to give it a shot, here is a tool that can be useful. Of course, there are more professional tools available on the market, as well as researchers, comparison campaigns and so on.

More information about Baidu SEO can be found in this article by Engage-art.

The legal side of Chinese website translation: forbidden terms in China

As you might already guess, it is not enough to just translate a website. Localization is much more than working with dictionaries! When working on Chinese website localization, you may be in for a few surprises regarding your marketing content.

There is a fairly extensive list of words and phrases you cannot use, most of which refer to being the best, strongest, fastest, original, 100% or even “real leather”, and violating this law will lead to a fine up to 300,000 RMB or even 300 days in jail! Now, if you want to protect your marketing director from this fate, check the full list of forbidden terms on our dedicated article here.

Make sure your content is legal in the country you are hosting and marketing your website in/to.

Further reading:

Forbidden terms in China that can not be used online

Brand name translation: new company/brand name – is it necessary?

Since the writing system in China is dramatically different, your brand name/company name will be translated whether you want it or not, so you better have the time and resources to have it done.

To see examples of some brand naming failures in China and some useful information on how to avoid similar fates, please see one of our previous articles.

You can go a few different directions here: a phonetic way – sounding it out, making your new brand name sound like the old one – but using local characters. Be careful here, because two characters may have a positive meaning separately, but put together they might change the whole picture.

The second way would be to actually translate the meaning of the brand – this of course works well for companies and brands that actually mean something (like Apple).

Don’t forget that double checking the final list of the possible name translations will save some time and money, as well as prevent you from some embarrassing situations. No matter how perfect you think your final translation is, make sure to show it to a test group to assure your meaning is not lost in translation. And don’t rush to translate a website to all the languages possible, it takes time to do research and testing for each language.

Example of Good Website Localization

An example of successful website localization would be Dentsply Sirona. The Chinese version of the website has highly technical medical product descriptions that are expertly translated. Source language terms are kept to a minimum, with all product names translated. Product descriptions are clear and have plenty of terms for Chinese SEO.

On the homepage, the header is welcoming, with a call to action for visitors engage in their native language. The footer is fully fleshed out, allowing Chinese visitors to learn more about the company, read their blogs, search for products, and even apply for a job.

The only improvements would be to establish Chinese social media channels and translate the company name into Chinese, something that would require intensive transcreation.

How Should Your Website Translation be Organized?

The website of any international company should be translated into the languages ​​of all countries where the goods or services of this company are sold. The easiest and almost free way to make a site multilingual is to use automatic translation, for example Google.

However, the bounce rate percentage (percentage of users leaving the site without scrolling down) in this case will be extremely high, which can adversely affect the site’s position in search engines.

In addition, the accuracy of the transmission of meaning will be approximate and will constantly change depending on the updates of the machine translation engine. Such a translation may mislead the user and certainly will not contribute to strengthening the image of the company.

Therefore, most companies decide to localize their websites with the help of professionals. In this article, we have compiled general web localization recommendations based on HI-COM’s many years of working experience.

Step1. Determine which sections of the website can be localized and which translated only

The cost of changing the text of the site increases in direct proportion to the number of language versions of this site. Often, at the end of a project, a translation company will find a long list of typos, logical contradictions, inconsistencies, etc. noted in the source text of the site.

Not all such inconsistencies can be resolved by the translator without the participation of the customer, or when the customer finalizes the site’s content after the start of the translation.

All this leads to confusion and significantly increases the terms of work on the project.

It’s vital to estimate the project budget. Is it really necessary to translate the entire site content or can it be limited to individual pages? Do the “News”, “Articles”, “Reviews” sections need to be translated?

Step 2. Work on the structure of the website and estimate the volume of technical work on it

A. How will multilingualism be implemented?

You can organize language versions of a site in the following ways:

– Domains with the same name in other zones (yoursite.ru, yoursite.de, yoursite.fr, etc.);

– subdomains with language designation (ru.yoursite.ru, de.yoursite.ru);

– directory with language identifier (yoursite.ru/de/);

• Substitution of content.

The first method is the most difficult and costly. Some domains may be busy and will have to be redeemed.

Changing the design or features will require edits on each site. At the same time, this method gives the greatest freedom for localization.

The structures of individual sites will not be tightly interconnected. In addition, each site will be separately indexed and ranked by search engines independently from others.

A multilingual site using a subdomain is technically no different from using a separate domain for each language, so this method is only advisable to use if it is not possible to purchase all the required domains.

A directory with a language identifier is the most common and easiest way to implement a multilingual interface. Many site management systems have free or low-cost plug-ins (such as WPML for WordPress) to implement this option.

In some systems (for example, Joomla), such a plug-in is already built into the basic functionality. All the advantages and disadvantages of this method are related to the fact that you still have one whole website.

This can, for example, cause difficulties when work on the site’s content is decentralized – for example, when different branches of the company are responsible for each language version.

The option with substitution of content is used extremely rarely due to the negative impact on website promotion. Pages in different languages ​​in this case may have the same URL, headings, keywords, which will negatively affect their promotion.

B. Will the structure of all language versions of the website coincide?

The need for different structures with separate language versions of the site can be caused by various factors: delivery or order features, or  legal features (for example, different requirements for the protection of personal data). Assortment of goods, promotions, and news may vary.

C. Will the functionality of all language versions of the site coincide?

Creating a multilingual website can lead to an extension of the functionality: automatic conversion of prices into different currencies (units), changing the format of dates, etc.

D. Is website design suitable for multilingualism?

Text in different languages ​​can vary significantly in graphical terms. If the site design was developed for languages ​​based on hieroglyphs or characters (for example, Korean or Chinese), then most likely it cannot be used without modifications, for example, the German version of the site. Long German text just doesn’t fit inside buttons.

Refinement of the design may also be required in case of localization in languages ​​with reverse (RTL / LTR) writing direction (for example, Arabic or Hebrew), where it will be necessary to arrange the main modules in a mirror.

E. Are there any editable sources for all audiovisual materials (diagrams, graphs, videos, presentations)?

The lack of editable files can significantly increase the cost and timing of layout work.

In addition, if the text or subtitles are part of a bitmap image, either the image below them will be lost when replacing the text (the translated text will be placed in the “text box” with a background fill), or you will have to pay for the long-term work of manually rendering these parts of the image.

F. Flags or languages?

Flags symbolize countries, but not languages. It is necessary to use them very carefully to indicate the language versions of the site so as not to confuse or offend the user.

If the flags of the United Kingdom or the United States do not mislead the user, then many of the more rare languages ​​cannot be denoted by flags.

For example, the flag of which country should be designated to Arabic, Hindi, Persian, etc.?

When using language names, it is very important not to indicate them in the main language of the site, i.e. instead of “German” and “Chinese”, indicate “Deutsch” and “中文”.

G. Is the site encoding suitable for displaying content in different languages?

If the project will use not only Latin or Cyrillic, then there is almost only one option for implementing multilingualism – you need to use Unicode, usually UTF-8.

H. Do I need to try to automatically detect the user’s language?

There are many ways to determine the user’s language and redirect them to the desired language version of the site. It is important to understand that none of these methods is absolutely accurate.

A user, by mistake redirected to the wrong language version, should be able to quickly change it.

J. What page of the site will the user access when switching between languages?

Ideally, switching the language on any page should lead to the opening of the same page in the desired language.

This principle will not work if only part of the materials are translated. Another option is to send the user to the translated home page of the site.

Step 3. Arrange materials required translation/localization

A. How will the export of the translation and subsequent import of translated pages be carried out? Does it make sense to automate this process?

With small sites you can do without automation by copying the text into an Excel file. It is highly undesirable to use MS Word for these purposes.

Firstly, it is more difficult to structure the content elements and it will be more difficult to search for them and correlate them in different languages ​​(in Excel, no matter how many languages there are, the translation can be entered in the next column).

Secondly, any professional translation company is able to work with HTML markup. If you send an Excel file containing the markup tags in the cells for translation, then all the tags after the translation will remain in their places.

This is achieved with the help of special translation software that blocks tags so that the translator does not accidentally delete them, and also allows you to compare the original and the translation and make sure that all tags are kept in place.

For larger projects, setting up export of content for translation may be an effective solution. This can be done either with the help of modules (for most popular CMS, such modules already exist) or by independently understanding the database structure of the site where the content is located.

B. Check that you didn’t forget anything when submitting website for translation:

– menu items;

– the contents of all modules and plug-ins;

– submitting forms error messages;

– templates of emails sent to the user by the site;

– meta tags and keywords;

– text on images and subtitles for video;

• legally relevant texts (confidentiality agreements, delivery terms, product catalogs, price lists, specifications, etc.).

Step 4. Hire translation company or set up an internal translation team

Modern translation is a complex, multi-stage process, which, in addition to the translation itself, includes various project preparation and quality control tasks: compilation and approval of a glossary, editing by a second translator, automatic control of formatting compliance, transfer of digital values.

For localization of the site in five languages, for example, a team of 12-15 people may be involved. Managing such a process requires specialized knowledge.

Based on our experience, the customer will not normally be able to significantly save funds by organizing this work on their own.

Be sure to make at least an approximate work schedule. Will all the text be sent for translation at once? Do you plan to regularly translate any other materials (news, audit reports, press releases, etc.)?

Knowing such information will allow the translation company to plan resources, and a more stable team will work on the project, which will positively affect quality.

Step 5. Linguistic testing

After the website translation is completed and the test assembly of the multilingual site is prepared, you can proceed to linguistic testing. Linguistic testing allows you to identify errors that are impossible or extremely difficult to notice in the previous stages of work.

These errors include:

• Semantic errors due to lack of context. Such errors practically do not depend on the competence of the translator, since the translator does not work with text in the shell of the site, but most often receives text uploaded to Excel, where the content elements are not grouped in the way they are grouped on the site pages.
• Distortion of formatting due to the variability of the text length (the text goes beyond the borders of the buttons or its incomplete display).
• Errors with fonts (for example, when the font used does not contain the characters of the desired language).
• Invalid hyperlinks (for example, leading to another language version of the site).

Step 6. Work on multilingual SEO

Modern search engine optimization is largely a linguistic task. Correctly selected frequency keywords can only be done by a person who is fluent in the target language. Ideally, if the keyword list should be ready before the translation begins. This will save energy and time on processing the content afterwards.

Translate a Website Using Professional Services: Companies and Prices

When deciding to translation a website as well as localize it, you shall choose a reliable, experienced partner who is working in your target market.

Normally, website content localization services will include original website extraction, evaluation of the content length, translation and/or transcreation, localization of the commercial terms and marketing taglines, and even in some cases content integration. Not to forget a specific aspects of SEO localization that includes the localization of targeted keywords, translation of meta tags etc.

Prices for website localisation vary depending on specificity of the content and the size of website. Big websites may receive a “bulk” discounts, so to say that the price is decreasing based on the volume.

To find out more about website localization services please contact HI-COM, a multilingual localization expert that works with more than 40 languages worldwide.

HI-COM is a digital marketing agency dedicated to providing China-specific strategy, social media communication and e-commerce marketing services to businesses around the world. Working with more than 100 brands, HI-COM is the go-to partner of companies that want to enter China market!  Contact us for your free consultation today!

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Dazhong Dianping has been called the Chinese version of Yelp. However, its services go well beyond its counterpart, incorporating elements of Groupon, social media, delivery apps, and more.

Starting out as a movie and restaurant review platform in 2003, by 2015, Dianping merged with Meituan, one of China’s largest food delivery networks, integrating the functions of both companies while retaining separate apps. With backing from Tencent, Dianping has also become part of the WeChat super eco-system.

In 2021’s Q1, Meituan saw food delivery business growth of 99.6% year over year to RMB142.7 billion. With the close connection between the two apps, Dianping’s influence in China’s F&B and entertainment industries will only continue to grow. The app has also become more and more popular overseas among Chinese tourists, asserting a growing influence on businesses abroad. With that said, let’s take a look at how to grow your business on Dianping.

How to Open a Business Account on Dianping

Account Types on Dianping

When registering your business on Dianping, you will have two options, to have a FREE and PREMIUM account. Now, the first thing to know: in China (unlike other locations) you cannot list your business by yourself, you must call a hot line (China hotline: 101 00 011) and have an operator register one for you. After the simple FREE account will be done (2-3 working days), the operator will provide information for PREMIUM package, which will include various promotional activities, and the price will vary by your location.

Registration Process on Dianping

• Download the Dianping app or go on 大众点评网-快速注册 (dianping.com) to create an account
• After creating an account:

Registering Your Business Account on Dianping I Mobile

For mobile users, click on the hamburger menu on the top right-hand side of the homepage and click on 添加商户 “Add Merchant”.

Registering Your Business Account on Dianping I Desktop

For desktop users, on the homepage, click on 商户服务 “Merchant Services” and select 商户合作 “Merchant Collaboration”. Follow the prompt and select the type of business you are registering.

Fill in the relevant business information according to the prompts. For the mobile version, you will be able to first register your storefront and then separately choose the “Merchant Collaboration” option granted criteria are met for the type of business you operate. “Merchant Collaboration” allows your business to access Dianping promotional advertising services outlined in the Advertising on Dianping section below.

6 Best Marketing Practises on Dianping in 2021

Dianping at its core is a review platform for customers. As such, the goal of any business on the app is to garner as many positive reviews as possible to drive visibility on the app.

For a successful marketing strategy on Dianping, businesses need to understand what drives positive customer engagement from offline to online. This will involve optimizing online presence in tandem with offline customer experience to effectively increase growth at both points of customer engagement. Below we have listed some tips to expand your business on Dianping to create a strong pipeline between your business’s online and offline presence.

1. Optimize Page Design

   As your business’s digital storefront on Dianping, your business’s page should reflect the branding and packaging you have worked to implement at your business’s physical location(s). Aside from ensuring all store information is filled out accurately, visuals and text should work to drive engagement. For example, header images/video should include text providing customers an active call to action, while different sections of your page can offer various campaigns and promotions visually coded to stand out from each other.

2. Improve POI (Point of Interest)
   

   While you may have attracted users on the app to your business, getting them to your physical store may be challenging if your storefront is located in a less conspicuous location. Ensure your POI data, otherwise understood as location information, is correct and up to date, with detailed information on how to get to your store.

3. Update Activities/New Store Opening Activities
   

   Store openings and events are a big driver of foot traffic to brick-and-mortar shopfronts. Online promotional activities should be planned ahead of time to increase hype leading up to the event. Make use of your header banner space and business profile picture to promote your events.

   In addition, consider driving offline to online interactions at events by encouraging reviews on Dianping during your events.

4. Increasing Data Points
   

   For online sales numbers and reviews, more is more. High sales and review volumes reflect well on your product, encouraging more users to buy from and engage with your business.

   On Dianping, in-app promotional coupons display half-yearly sales volumes. By ensuring quality and offering good deals on these promotions to drive sales, transaction volumes will be directly reflected on the app.

   Reviews are another data point on Dianping. As user-generated content, this sort of organic engagement gives potential customers a third-party perspective of your business. Other than ensuring good service and products, businesses can offer rewards for visiting customers to leave reviews.

5. Paid Promotion
   

   Promotions through back-end Dianping is one of the ways businesses can pay to attract traffic on the Dianping platform. Merchants can set advertisements to appear within certain timeframes and distances from storefronts to maximize effectiveness.

6. Attract KOC (Key Opinion Customers)
   

   For review platforms such as Dianping, KOCs are the equivalent to the much-hyped KOLs (key opinion leaders) of social media.

   On Dianping, users are rewarded by other users for quality reviews and are also assigned a level based on how often they review. The top reviewers or KOCs are known as V达人or “V experts”. Their reviews are often featured and appear on Dianping’s homepage.

   By attracting these “V experts” to your store, you can increase your store’s visibility on the Dianping app. Such product seeding can take the form of eye-catching storefronts, gifts for reviewing, and photo-op worthy décor backed up by quality products and services.

What are other apps in China that can help you promote your business? Check this guide out!

How can you measure your success on Dianping? Read our guide about back office of Dianping!

Advertisement on Dianping

Dianping has its own system of native advertisements, with varying prices depending on industry. To access advertisement functions on Dianping, businesses must register for “Merchant Collaboration” on the Dianping platform.

Dianping’s advertisements offer tight integration with app functionality to complement brick-and-mortar operations. The four main types of advertisements on the platform are keyword promotion, group buy promotion, targeted advertisements, and digital membership cards.

Keyword Promotion

Much like other search engine-based marketing, Dianping’s keyword advertisements push your business to the top of keyword related searches. This allows your business to accurately target ad spend on customers who are looking for your services.

According to Dianping, 60% of a business’s in-app visitors are directed to the page through searching keywords, while businesses who have paid for keyword promotion see an average of 4.2 times more exposure.

Group Buy Promotion

Much like Groupon’s promotions for group buying, Dianping’s group buy promotions offer discounts when a group of people are buying together. These are displayed prominently on business’s Dianping page. By lowering the cost barrier for larger groups of customers, these in-app coupons allow businesses to attract new customers. Dianping’s group buy promotions allow businesses to explain their offerings with text and visuals, while also displaying half-yearly sales volume to users.

According to Dianping, 83% of sales of group buy promotions went to first-time customers. The average volume of first day sales for the group buy promotions is 100, while the highest record is 30,000.

Targeted Advertisements

With vast troves of personalized user data from reviews and purchases, Dianping has a robust system to help businesses place effective targeted ads. These ads are displayed natively in-app as Dianping recommendations. By analysing user generated data, the platform algorithm is able to identify both the unique specialties of businesses and the personalized tastes of individual users to facilitate effective discovery.

Digital Membership Cards

As it is based on Dianping’s own infrastructure, Dianping’s digital membership cards allows businesses implement membership systems without having to create and maintain their own from scratch. Membership cards allow for businesses to conduct a more accurate survey of their customer demographics and execute personalized promotions through in-app notifications and text messages.

According to Dianping, the average business has 1000 customers with membership. Businesses that have implemented membership cards see a twofold increase in in-app exposure. Membership cards also allow businesses to see a distribution of customers by age, gender, and membership tier.

Can You Use Dianping to Promote your Business outside of China?

As stated at the beginning of this article – Dazhong Dianping is available to use outside of China. Let’s look at it from a Chinese tourist perspective.

Slide one tells us that we have picked Paris as a destination of interest.

The main orange menu will provide options on sightseeing destinations, shopping spots, restaurants and hotels. One can also get a map and a city guide provided by Dianping.

On the right side of the main banner, one can check the most popular experiences, or the experiences that might interest Chinese tourists, like cruising on the Seine, some shopping or even napping outdoors!

Scrolling down on the same page, Dianping will bring you to the hottest topic of Chinese culture – dining choices!

Here we have all the typical French foods – foie gras, snails, macarons etc.

Straight after you have the restaurant list. The top restaurants are the ones that been voted for by users of the app, as well as those that are just famous for other reasons. Right here you can also search for a hotel (menu on the right).

Below are a few fun options.

So let’s click on one of the hot eating topics – Snails or L’escargot.

After the main description by Dianping writers, one can check all restaurants that serve snails, their rating (number of stars), and the first few words of the last visitor’s review. Of course, there is also a map.

Want to know if Chinese tourists are already talking about your business online on Dianping? Ask us and we’ll check that out for you!

So let’s go to the first restaurant and see how are they’re doing.

L’escargot Montorgueil has 732 comments, the average price per person is 289 RMB (37 Euro), the taste score is 7.8 out of 10, Environment 8.2 and Service is 7.4. These are the average numbers right next to the stars, and are calculated taking into account all voters.

On the first page you can see the menu – and photos of the dishes taken by app users themselves, for anyone can add a photo and a review. This section also displays all the dishes most recommended by visitors.

Next is the environment – one of the top criteria of any dining experience. In this case you can see the photos of the interior, and the view from outside.

And last but not least – the bill! Yes, people talk about money openly in China, and will show exactly how much their dining experience cost. This section also serves as a preview of the menu.

So that’s more or less it for the restaurant information, now it’s time to review and vote! In the section below we can see the visitor based experience overviews and photos. Anyone can react to the review (even a restaurant manager), click to “like” this review, add this advice to favorites or even report it.

Respectability and trust is highly valued on Dianping, so the more Dianping is used by one person and the number of reviews grow, the higher the user’s rank in the app community will be. This is shown in diamonds, hearts or medals.

So that’s it for the restaurants. For hotel reviews it is quite similar.

In any case, being on Dianping will dramatically increase your business visibility and bring tons of curious people your way. Ask us how can you start your journey on Dianping, install WeChat Pay or Alipay or anything else you found interesting on our blog!

HI-COM is a digital marketing agency dedicated to providing China-specific strategy, social media communication and e-commerce marketing services to businesses around the world. Working with more than 100 brands, HI-COM is the go-to partner of companies that want to enter China market!  Contact us for your free consultation today!

Scan QR code to follow Localization and The Chinese Market Entry News or Contact us on WeChat: 

ICO White paper translation, and ICO translation for Marketing. Initial Coin Offering, is unchartered territories for many, bringing with it a whole new meaning to the term “digital marketing”. With more than 1,000 cryptocurrencies currently listed on CoinMarketCap and new startups launching daily, we take a look at what successful coin launches have done.

2021 has seen an explosion in interest in blockchain technology worldwide thanks to the NFT boom and the record-setting highs of Bitcoin valuation, compelling projects to heavily localize their documents for different market regions around the world to capture valuable market share.

While blockchain has now entered the media spotlight, it is still a relatively new concept and technology. In addition, with its variety of use cases blockchain documents typically cover a wide range of fields.

This means unlike other more established fields of translation, blockchain translation requires deeper levels of research and expertise to ensure translations are accurate and appropriate.

HI-COM understands the various intricacies involved with translation and localization for blockchain. As a certified translation agency operating in China specialized for digital marketing, we are experts at helping projects reach audiences from around the world.

ICO Marketing – the New Frontiers of Marketing

Marketing for an ICO or Initial Coin Offering, is unchartered territories for many, bringing with it a whole new meaning to the term “digital marketing”. For these new technologies, there are few marketing specialists. There are more than 1,000 cryptocurrencies currently listed on CoinMarketCap with new startups launching daily, so one needs to find their point of difference to stand out from the growing pool of cryptocurrency startups.

Needless to say, marketing to bitcoin investors is not akin to marketing other products or services. The audience is far more nuanced, diverse and skeptical, and the marketing tools and strategies will not be your typical Facebook promotions or billboard advertisements.

Rather, your White Paper, the marketing medium of choice for the bourgeoning cryptocurrency industry, will be the critical marketing tool. It will be the mouthpiece of your company and the central marketing tool that will instantly gain or undermine your credibility. The importance of how you draft your White Paper and how to distribute it to investor bases can determine the success of your ICO.

What Kinds of Blockchain and Crypto Documents We Translate

Websites

In today’s globalized online environment, it’s imperative to offer a multilingual website. With your blockchain project being a digital product, the website it most likely any user’s first interaction with your project. Readers from around the world should feel at home reading through your website, and clearly understand your project’s goal.

HI-COM’s translation and localization professionals have extensive experience in ensuring every language offered on your website is clear and concise, localized for each target market. We understand that for readers, the professionalism displayed on your website is a reflection of your project’s credibility. In addition, we specialize in multi-language SEO optimization for websites, helping your audiences find their way to you no matter what language they speak.

Apps and Software

For any digital product, ease of use is key in retaining users. After dedicating time and effort into crafting intuitive UI and instructions for your app or software, ensure that it translates over in every language you support. Localizing your apps and software is crucial for thriving in foreign markets.

HI-COM’s localization professionals are native speakers of their target regions, providing app and software localization that keeps your project’s user experience intuitive in any cultural or linguistic context.

ICOs

It’s now time to sell your blockchain project to the world. By appealing to investors on a global scale, you will increase the likelihood of success for your project’s ICO. Localizations that resonate in the native language and context of your target demographics will be a key determinant for your ICO’s success.

As experts in digital marketing and localization services, HI-COM’s extensive experience can help you design the perfect multilingual ICO campaign. Utilizing region specific strategies for each localization will allow your investors to feel like you are as invested in them as they are in your project, increasing investor confidence.

Financial Reports

Fintech, as one of blockchain technology’s first use-cases, is a mature market for blockchain projects. As a digitally secured accounting ledger, blockchain technology has revolutionized the industry, with governments to major corporations working on developing their own digital blockchain currencies.

With cross-border trade and finance increasing in scale and volume, the translation of financial reports has become an increasingly important component of fintech blockchain projects. HI-COM’s network of professional financial translators are well experienced in the field and uphold professional values of strict confidentiality around sensitive documents.

Insurance Documents

The insurance industry is another major area where blockchain technology has proven use-cases. Blockchain allows for traceability in record keeping, verification of coverage, and smart contracts for automating claims. With the digital sphere becoming increasingly borderless, there is increasing demand for insurance document translation services by blockchain projects.

As a certified legal translation agency, HI-COM offers professional worry-free legal translation services for documents such as insurance documentation. Our network of professional legal translators from around the world follow stringent protocols for data security and privacy, guaranteeing both quality of services and protection from data leakage.

White Papers

White papers are the key document for any blockchain project. They can be seen as the mission statement or founding paper for the project. They describe not only the technical specifications of the blockchain itself, but they provide the philosophical arguments for the merits of the project itself, delving in depth into the context of the industry the project is aimed for.

As such, they are not only one of the most important documents to translate, but also one of the most challenging. Requiring blockchain technical fluency in both languages and a deep familiarity with the target industry, white paper translation and localization should only be carried out by professionals with extensive experience.

What is a White Paper?

A White Paper is a concise yet highly structured and technical report, that is informative and persuasive in its content. It typically conveys the company’s background, technical model and methodologies, and introduces the personnel behind the company, their credentials: why you should trust them with your money.

A well thought-out and appealing White Paper will be critical to a successful Token Sale and serves as the ‘roadmap’ to what the company will do, once it reaches different phases of funding through its tokens being traded on the coin exchange. There are more and more resources and articles online regarding how to draft an effective White Paper.

Is There a ‘Typical’ ICO White Paper?

From what we have seen, this appears to be the typical structure:

Setting the scene

• A brief history and overview of blockchain
• A brief history and overview of the industry your company is in
• Clear and concise explanation of why your company is needed in the world

Explain your ‘how’

• Clear explanations of how you will achieve your goals
• Diagrams and modelling of your platform architecture, technology used and methodologies
• Introduce yourselves
• After all the diagrams and equations, this is where you get human. The team page is where you prove your credibility based on your team member’s backgrounds, experience and resumes. Your ability to boast about the credentials of supporters and early investors will be the persuasive pull for many investors

Map out before you translate ICO White Paper

• This is where you explain in more micro-terms why you need the funding and what steps you will take using the money invested and how it will be applied (e.g. Legal, Operational, Marketing)
• Set out a roadmap of milestones so investors know the schedule you are working towards

Disclaimers and Risk Warnings

• This probably needs no explanation. Make sure you have consulted with your legal team to ensure this section is sophisticated and accurate in law, but not overly legalistic. A well drafted Risk Warning section will reinforce your credibility and will give confidence to potential investors.

Here is a list of White papers to get you inspired:

• Delphi
• Bitcoin (the original crypto White Paper)
• Vestarin

Samples of White Papers:

DeFi

Defi stands for decentralized finance, an umbrella term for fintech blockchain projects.

NFT

NFT stand for Non-fungible token, an application of blockchain technology for tracking ownership of digital property.

In need of blockchain document translation? Contact us for a free quote!

What Languages to Translate Your Blockchain Documents to in 2021?

HI-COM has ranked the top languages to translate your blockchain documents to in 2021:

German

In 2021, Germany passed new legislation to allow investment fund managers to invest up to 20% of their portfolio in crypto.

French

As another EU country friendly to blockchain and crypto, France has a thriving blockchain industry thanks to its open support of the technology since 2016.

Spanish

According business consulting firm IDC Spain, 11% of businesses already use blockchain technology in the country.

Dutch

Home of the Dutch Blockchain Coalition, a collaboration between the Dutch government, and industries and education institutes to grow increase the country’s competitiveness in the blockchain sector.

Portuguese

Not only is crypto tax free in Portugal, but in 2020, the country established Technological Free Zones to directly incentivize blockchain technology development.

Runner Ups:

Russian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Indonesian, Arabic

These are all important languages for blockchain document translation as these are mostly non-English fluent countries with mature and developed crypto and blockchain communities.

Honourable Mention:

Polish, Czech, Romanian, Turkish, Thai, Vietnamese.

Similar to the runner up countries, most residents of these countries are not fluent in English, but they have rapidly developing crypto and blockchain communities.

Where Does China Sit in the Cryptocurrency World?

From an official point of view, China is very against cryptocurrencies and the Chinese government has prohibited its citizens from investing in crypto companies. However, there still remains a significant Chinese population that are native Chinese speakers while holding foreign passports, so one should not overlook the benefit of translating your White Paper to Chinese.

China is a country that is rapidly developing, extremely QR code and mobile payment savvy, and home to a large population of early adopters; if not for the government prohibitions, China would arguably be the ‘perfect’ crypto investor base and the place to market to. We asked BANCA’s CEO Linda Chen why we are seeing more of an uptake in crypto in Asian countries, as opposed to UK or Europe (putting to one side the in-country regulations). Ms. Chen replies with a small smile: “it’s because Asian people are betting people. People are more likely to take risks here”.

Regardless of the region, the world over one will find risk-takers keen to invest. Investing time, creativity and language support to your White Paper is one critical marketing move that crypto or blockchain startups cannot afford to miss.

The author has no affiliations nor investments with any of the companies mentioned in this article. Despite being Asian, she is not a betting person.

HI-COM is a multilingual translation agency dedicated to providing professional translation and interpreting services to companies all over the world. Working in over 40 languages, HI-COM is the localization partner for hundreds of companies and brands. Contact us today for your free consultation!

Advertising law in China has taken a new turn, and is now going after the official WeChat accounts of companies and artists. More and more companies, both local and foreign-owned, are being handed penalties for using terms such as “the best”, “one hundred percent”, “first”, “most advanced”, and “lowest price” on their social media accounts.

Everything business posts on WeChat – be it content on an official account, a video via channels, or a representative posting on their moments – falls under the rules of advertising law in China. Let us reiterate this – everything. As such, WeChat has strict rules for what can and can’t be posted, to make sure businesses operate in line with national law.

Why?

It’s a priority for the government to make sure that all ads, including WeChat ads, do not misguide or mislead the public. In 2015, the national advertising law was reissued, at double the length of its previous 1994 incarnation. For any business doing WeChat marketing, it is vital to get to grips with the provisions in this law.

According to the Marketing Supervision and Administration of Jing’An district (静安区市场监督管理局曹家渡市场监管所), any information published on an official WeChat, Weibo or any other company account is as just as relevant as the information contained on an official website or in advertising material, and is therefore considered advertising.

Moreover, any individual who reports a valid violation of consumer rights in China receives a cash prize.

Needless to say, some individuals are making a living out of this legal condition, and spend their time browsing on the internet, looking for violations. Once an applicant has sent his report, the officials have two weeks to investigate and report to the higher authority as well as to the applicant. In the case where a law has been broken and the application is legitimate, the brand/social media account holder will be penalized, and the applicant will receive a prize.

What is a Violation of Advertisement Law in China?

The penalties for violating the national advertising law can be huge – from a six-figure fine to the revocation of a business license (more on that below). Furthermore, WeChat is bound by the 2016 Internet Advertising Law to self-regulate.

This means that even before any government agency gets involved, content will be taken down, accounts may be suspended and a review might be initiated. At best, this might mean a delay in a campaign or project; at worst, it might mean a complete failure.

Advertisement Regulations and Restrictions on WeChat in 2021 – What you Need to Know

Here is a summary of the important parts of the advertising law as it relates to WeChat. WeChat also has its own terms that are often being updated, and should also be taken into account when trying to create effective advertisement.

1. Avoid Superlatives on Your WeChat Posts (best, greatest, etc.)

• Up first, and (ironically) of paramount importance: no superlatives. Superlatives are the adjectives that tend to end in ‘est’, to imply the ‘most’ of something that something can be. In Chinese, the equivalent is ‘最’. Examples include ‘best’, ‘newest’, ‘cheapest’, ‘most advanced’, ‘highest’, ‘coolest’, etc.

2. Do Not Use Descriptions Relating to the Word ‘One’

• Do not use over-the-top descriptions relating to the word ‘one’. What does this mean? No describing a product, service or business as ‘one-of-a-kind’, ‘one of the top’, or ‘Top one seller’. Nothing advertised should be described as the ‘first’ of its kind, nor part of any ‘first wave’.

3. Do Not Use “Star” Rating

• Do not place a business, product or service on a subjective scale, such as ‘national’, ‘international’, ‘Grade A’ or ‘5A’, or give it an arbitrary ‘star’ rating.

4. Avoid Words such as ‘Premium’ or ‘Excellent’ when advertising on WeChat

• No words that imply attaining an upper limit or having reached an extreme. E.g. top, cutting edge, premium, top quality, excellent, ultimate, extreme, perfect, excellent, pinnacle, unprecedented, leading, unique.

5. Don’t Mention Anything Related to Scarcity (very rare, only a few available, etc.)

• This can be a bit of a spanner in the works for international marketers, for whom scarcity is a key technique. Be mindful not to use words and phrases like ‘rare’, ‘unique’, ‘hard to find‘, and ’only a few left’.

6. No Exclusivity

• Nothing related to exclusivity, especially with reference to an individual with ‘star power’ or a unique position within the creating process. For example, advertising surrounding the personal story and personal, exclusive access to, a developer, creator, founder or inventor.

7. No Words Related to Country and/or Nation

• Similar to number 2 on this list, but specifically related to country and/or nation. I.e. no claiming something to be the ‘national leader’, or of ‘international quality’, or related to a national residence/landmark.

8. Do Not Use Anything Related to Amounts of Wealth

• Language and images related to gold or large amounts of wealth, when not specifically aligned with the product or service, are prohibited. This includes pictures of coins, banknotes and foreign currency.

9. No Words Like ‘Leader’ or Similar

• When referring to brand, WeChat ads may not use the likeness or implication of being a champion, a superstar, a leader, a monarch or an emperor. They must avoid using language like ‘supreme leader’ or its analogues. In general, do not use language related to being a leader, a pioneer or being ‘brilliant’.

10. Talk about Your Brand Correctly

• Do not describe brands, products or services using the words ‘unprecedented’, ‘permanent’ or ‘omnipotent’.

11. Avoid Using Content Relating to Authority

• Do not advertise special privileges with regard to authority on WeChat – including: special supply, exclusive supply, expert recommendation, national xx leader recommendation.

12. Do Not Use Click-for-reward Tactics

• Which can be counted as defrauding consumers. E.g. no ‘Click here to receive a prize’, or ‘Congratulations on winning, click for your surprise!’ Any gifts offered in WeChat ads must include details of their name, true value, the overall quantity available and (if appropriate) the deadline for receiving them.

13. Can You Use Call-to-actions like ‘About to sell out’ when advertising on WeChat?

• Avoid any language that seeks to manipulate consumers based on changes to the product availability, price, or quantity. E.g. ‘About to sell out’, ‘the lowest price in history’, ’no down payment if you buy right now’.

14. No Discrimination!

• WeChat ads must not contain language that is discriminatory based according to class. No advertising things that are for ‘the upper classes’ or a ‘rich area’. No picking between consumers based on their perceived class.

15. Avoid Unlicensed Tie-ins with National Major Events

• For example the Winter Olympics, Olympic Games, World Cup, and Double 11 (which is registered IP belonging to Alibaba).

16. About Statistical Data on WeChat Ads

• Do not provide statistical data in WeChat ads without evidence. Evidence should have a source link, so that the public may follow up.

17. About Sales Events Advertising on WeChat

• Businesses may not make limited-time sales events, unless the dates and times are clearly stated, and those dates and times are strictly adhered to. For flash sales, weekend sales and anniversary sales, the difference between normal sales and the special event rates must be clear and accurate.

18. Some Other Dont’s to Consider before Advertising on WeChat

1. 1. Do not use the national flag, national emblem, national anthem
   2. Do not feature transportation, commercial, cultural and educational facilities under planning and under construction
   3. All the pictures included in the text are realistic representations
   4. For loan and mortgage services: provide bank name, loan/mortgage amount and term. Include info on instalments, duration and daily payments
   5. Only RMB is allowed for settlements, foreign currencies are not allowed
   6. The content of any advertisement must not be exaggerated and untrue

There are also a few marketing tricks brands no longer can use, most of which are connected to unclear time limitations, unproven or false brand history facts (since XXXX year), general historic facts (“never before”, “unprecedented in the nation’s history”), and having buttons that lead to a page different from the one indicated (“click here to receive…”), etc.

In simple terms, advertisements should be identifiable by consumers as advertisements. Mass media must not publish advertisements in disguised form, such as in the form of news reports, or ‘advertorials’. Advertisements published through mass media should be marked with “advertisements”, which are different from other non-advertising information and should not cause misunderstanding among consumers.

Other such regulations can be found in the second revision of the China’s commercial and advertisement law.

Since the authorities now have their eyes on WeChat official accounts, more and more companies are asking content providers and communication agencies to assure their content complies with the regulations.

What Will Happen to You and Your WeChat Account if You Violate the Advertising Law?

The procedure for the investigation and penalization of a social media account, including a WeChat account is quite simple. The official representatives of your district will call your office to confirm your address and will arrange a time to visit (usually the very next day). Most likely you will not know any details before their visit, except the name of the account reported.

During the the visit, representatives will ask a few questions about the sensitive content. They will check your business license and business scope, the reasons why you post on WeChat and if those posts bring you any commercial gain. This will then lead a tax-related conversation.

After the conversation, they will ask you to provide a written explanation as to why the situation arose in the first place (from “I was not aware of the law”, to “I posted it on purpose”). You will also need to support the statement with the necessary documents and contracts (in case your agency is in charge of someone else’s content, or if your content is created by a sub-contractor).

Then, all that remains is to see whether the case will be dropped, or if a fine will be applied for you to pay.

How Much is the Penalty for Violating Advertising Law in China?

Depending on the severity of the indiscretion, there are different possibilities. For breaking WeChat terms, punishments range from taking down the content, limiting or blocking the traffic to content on WeChat moments, limiting or closing an official account, to banning the company from using WeChat, period. For violating advertising law in china, fines start at 10,000RMB and stretch up to 1 million.

Business licenses may also be suspended. In short, it’s not good news; certainly not worth the risk.

Avoiding Trouble on Your WeChat Account

Firstly, make sure you or those working on your content have read the law and are not using any forbidden terms, subjects, or any of the marketing tricks mentioned above.

Secondly, make sure that all your existing content on WeChat account, Weibo, E-commerce platforms, Website, Mini-apps, etc. does not violate the law.

If you are concerned about this legislation and need help checking and editing the legal compliance of your content, keep in mind that HI-COM has been providing such a service for the past two years and has already helped hundreds of companies avoid legal trouble. Contact us now and get some answers for free!

If your content is already under investigation, please seek legal help.

Disclaimer: The information mentioned in the above article should not be considered as legal advice. HI-COM is not a law firm, and is not authorized to provide legal advice. However, we are in a position to proofread and edit your content in accordance with the advertising law regulations of China.

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When it comes to dual localization, brand name translation, especially into languages such as Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic, can be very sensitive, and despite the fact the end result may only consist of one or two words or characters, the amount of time, research, and effort involved to arrive at this point can be enormous. This is especially the case in China, where one character may have several meanings, and these meanings may morph into something completely different when paired with another character.

8 out of 10 brands localize their brand name when entering foreign markets. In markets like China it is necessary because local customers may not be able to pronounce your brand’s usual name.

To illustrate this, 好（hǎo) means “Good”, and 好坏 (hǎo huài) means “Very bad”!

What is the process of brand name translation?

When working on brand name translation, it is important to follow the methods applied by professional naming agencies. The goal is not only to find a Brand translation that will mean and/or sound the same as the original, but also to make sure the new name will be positive, sound right, be original, and fit the new location’s market.

Brand names can be translated in different ways. They may reflect phonetic specifications, meaning or be more independent, or include both.

The brand name translation process includes 4 key parts:

1. Brand Image definition
2. Definition of the target audience
3. Benchmark of existing competition and their brand names
4. Brand name translation

Brand Image Definition

When conducting research on Brand Image, one should include the brand’s attributes (what type of organization it represents, what it stands for, the meaning of its logo etc.), association (the meaning and emotions that the brand name brings out), targets (the type of audience the brand is aiming for), domestic market (the category to which its loyal customers belong), and price positioning (is it a luxury, mass market or niche brand?). This research is critical for creating a successful foundation to brand name translation.

The second step is about defining key words associated with the brand. This can be done in focus group studies.  Ask your group what they think are the main associations people make when hearing your brand’s name. Then work around the key words they have used to describe your brand.

Why should you translate and localize your brand name when exporting your company?

You need to ask yourself how your customers will pronounce the name of your brand. Do they include words or sounds that may have a different meaning in another language or that could cause offence?

When it comes to translating your company name or even your product name, it’s important to ask yourself these questions. You can either transliterate the name which means create a name that sounds like your brand or one that is spelt similarly. Or you can also transcreate which means creating a name that has the same meaning as your brand name even if the spelling is quite different.

At HI-COM we offer both of these services to help you expand your market especially in China, where the native language looks and sounds completely unlike Latin languages.

Find more about brand name translation here!

For example, your focus group thinks that your brand is associated with modern fashion and ethical/responsible products. When describing high quality association, they use words like young, good quality, design, and fresh. And ethical association was all about sharing, support, and charity. Even with such limited information, brands like TOM’s come to mind. The goal is to create a new brand name that will not distract from the brand’s current image but at the same time, ensure it sticks in the minds of the brand’s new audience.

Definition of the target audience

The goal of this research is to find out who are we talking to. The Brand’s market research and your marketing strategy will be at their most useful here. If you are working on a brand name translation of a famous cognac brand that wants to enter China market, your market may be:

• 25-35 years old (demographic), youngsters and young-at-heart who are looking for a subtle and modern cognac
• They are energetic, modern, sophisticated drinker

Benchmark of existing competition and their brand names

One of the most important tasks here is to determine who the relevant competitors are, analyze their names and find similar trends.

Take into account the origins of your competitors, as translated and original names may play by different rules. Try to see what similarities the translated names have. Can you apply these trends to your brand name translation?

Brand name translation – putting it all down

Now, when you have all you need, you can now start the actual brand name translation process. Decide on how important it is to be close to your original name phonetically. See how many syllables the brand name has, and (if you work with Chinese brand translation) what meaning each syllable shall have. Pay attention to cultural norms and habits. For example, Hyundai Accent had consistently declining sales in the Russian market, until it was renamed as Solaris.

Of course, a strong linguistic background is required to choose the best variations, that will not sound strange together.

How big brands translate brand names to Chinese

It is very important to leave brand name translation work to the pros, otherwise you might end up on the pages of “failed marketing” articles. But be careful, even pros can fail. Therefore it is important to double check your results with an extra focus group before you make it official.

1. Funny on the ear

A buzz around AirBnB’s new Chinese name 爱彼迎 （àibǐyíng) appeared after the seemingly innocent characters 爱 (love) and 迎 （welcome) (which does not mean, but sounds like another character 淫 (yín) with meaning of “”lust, excessive, loose” ）were separated by a second character 彼, making the name sound a little like a word for female genitalia. The original meaning of 彼 is “those”, but its spelling is not so important, as it sounds the same. And considering that the business of Air BnB is based on inviting strangers to your home, this may give some a strange impression of the company’s main line of business…

2. Brand name translation: Missing the point

Examples of major campaigns such as KFC’s “finger-lickin’ good” being translated to “bite your fingers off” in China a few decades ago, and Pepsi’s “Now it’s Pepsi for those who think young” translated as, “New Pepsi is for people with the minds of children” have basically become classics in failed marketing.

3. Brand name translation: Irrelevant meaning 

When translating a brand name, keep in mind that the characters have to remind a customer of your scope of business. So if you are in the automotive industry, pick characters that represent speed, safety or even an animal like a “precious horse” (BMW with their 宝马 （bǎomǎ）), or a tiger on a road (Land Rover with 路虎（lùhǔ) ). If you work in the IT business, opt for words relating to “ideas”, “progress” or “knowledge”.

When Google picked 谷歌（gǔgē）, which literally means “a village song”, their supporters were, let’s say, a bit confused.  And in the case of Best Buy,  百思买 （bǎisīmǎi） their name is more of a warning: think a hundred times before buying!

4. Skipping a translation 

So as you can see, it’s a minefield out there. No wonder some companies have never localized their brand name in China. Look at GAP, or Facebook, for example. But if the first one has 3 letters and somehow fits into local minds, the second one is called by the users as they please which can be a good excuse to turn a brand into a joke (脸书（liǎnshū））, and in the worst case scenario an English name of a brand will be long/complicated/unmemorable for Chinese customers, so they will just not talk about it, putting a stop to word-of-mouth. This actually happened to Hermes; for the first few years, Chinese customers simply did not talk about the brand, giving the company no choice but to pick a Chinese name.

You would think that companies as big and as prestigious as Hermes would know better and would never make poor judgment on such an important task as brand name translation, but apparently no one is immune. So think twice before deciding to do such a job in-house.

In the early 2000s, Dosirak instant noodles from Korea entered the Russian market. “Dosirak” is what is written on the Korean packaging to this day. The product did not sell well as the brand name sounded too funny to local ears (associated with a “person who has very frequent bowel movements”), and the noodles were renamed to “Доширак” (Doshirak). Given that the letter “sh” doesn’t exist in Korean language.

Looking for a trustworthy professional with experience in China in brand naming? Then HI-COM is here for you! We are an international multilingual expert that makes communication easy, professional and engaging. With our rich pool of resources all over China and an ever-ready international team, HI-COM will make sure your message is fully understood, localized according to the highest standards, and delivered on time! Contact our team today!

Three weeks ago, HI-COM  launched a survey to help companies & entrepreneurs better organize their translation tasks and improve their multilingual communication.

Thank you all for taking part in our survey about how to manage your translation needs.

The questions were:

• What’s your company size?
• How are your translations handled?
• Which is the main department / person in charge of your translation projects?
• When translating content, what are your priorities?
• For what kind of content do you need translations the most?
• How many translation suppliers do you use?
• Are you confident with using machine translation (e.g. Google Translate) for documents intended for external use, and do you think machine translation is sufficient for your needs?
• Did you know that is possible to save time and money on translations by using technology that detects and stores certain repeated content in a document so that you only pay for it once?

Check out the results here:

From this survey there are many important takeaways :

1) 40% of companies use internal resources for their translation tasks. This means that the translations are handled by employees originally hired to perform other tasks. Therefore, they are not qualified translators. Translations handled by non-professionals may give others a poor impression of your work. But also, may end up harming your brand’s reputation. This is why working with professional translators will help your company target a wider audience. By speaking their languages, it’s important to not have mistakes or misunderstandings.

2) Marketing is the department that needs translations the most!

With Social Media and the development of the e-commerce industry, it is no longer enough to have your digital content available in just one language. If your aim is to target a higher number of potential customers, you must have more than one language.

3) Therefore, 70% of companies do not believe that MT (such as Google Translate) are sufficient for their needs. This proves that people are aware of how poorly MT such as Google Translate compares to translations by a professional agency. Otherwise, Google Translate can be used for basic sentences. For more complex material such as creatively written content, it’s impossible to replace a professional translator.

4) 60% of companies did not know that using certain translation tools can help them save time & costs for their translation needs. For example In fact,  software is available that can help you save time & money by storing repeated words and sentences in a translation ‘memory’, meaning that you only pay for these sentences once instead of a number of times. Certain documents include many identical sentences. The, tools such as these will help you get your translations done faster, and with lower costs. Of course, the larger the project, the more likely such savings can be made. For example, when translating and localizing a large web site, repeated content can represent as much as 50% of the site. 

5) In conclusion, 26% of companies need technical translations, which can be tricky if you don’t use professional translators.

About HI-COM 

HI-COM provides professional interpreting services (simultaneous interpreting,consecutive interpreting etc.) translation services and copywriting in more than 40 languages. With the offices in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Sofia-Antipolis (South of France), HI-COM provides highly professional interpreting and translation services in Europe and Asia. 

In addition, HI-COM provides reliable and cost-effective Interpreting, translation, localisation and copywriting services, with a network of highly skilled, qualified and experienced multi-linguists. For more information, please get in touch. 

WeChat marketing is becoming more and more complicated in 2020. With the constant shifts in trends it is becoming more and more difficult for marketers to develop long term plans. Finding new customers and creating interest, not to mention generating sales is a new challenge. And when it comes to closed ecosystem such as WeChat marketing, e-commerce takes a whole new turn.

As advertising becomes more and more expensive, brands are starting to rely on KOL marketing. But KOL services also have costs too and are mostly focused on generating brand awareness.

So how do brands stay in business with WeChat marketing, stores and mini programs? And what is the secret of all these successful stores?

What is WeChat? How is this application revolutionising digital marketing?

Chinese APP WeChat is first and foremost an instant messaging application used by more than a billion people and mostly used in China.

The application then evolved into a social media platform with the “Moments” tab where users can share their thoughts, pictures and videos and only their friends can see them, making sharing these “Moments” credible and authentic. Finally, brands and influencers have also taken hold of the application which has led to the creation of “Mini-Programs” and online stores to allow brands and KOL to sell directly on the WeChat platform without necessarily leaving the APP to access the website or another application.

Therefore, brands can create their own official page and share their exclusive information, articles and other information as well as the online store. The latest new feature being tested on WeChat are the influencers’ live stream where as soon as they talk about a product, viewers can directly buy it without even leaving the live stream.

This all-in-one application allows you to see the evolution of the consumer now known as “Consumer 2.0”.

Most companies have realized that they will need China’s growth to power their own in the near future. But to take possession of their own and future power, they must understand how the new consumer 2.0 works today, how China’s ecommerce is evolving, and what the new spending patterns are.

Understanding consumer 2.0

It’s not enough to carry out market research once a year to really know what your consumer is looking for. Today, brands need to concentrate on weekly follow ups to see where the trends and needs of consumers are going. The two-way conversation is becoming a must for brands and companies that want to succeed on the Chinese market.

For this, leveraging personalized WeChat marketing groups might just be what you need. Tagging your key customers by location or other criteria can help you to update them on relevant news and deals. Making those groups “invitation only” or bringing a certain VIP feeling will ease the task of growing these communities.

In fact, the main difference between a successful local brand and a international brand is simply collection of real-life data.

New ways of brand community management

The way brands manage these communities is also progressing. A systematic approach focusing on communication has become a must in community management. As consumers become more educated, never before has it been more about the connection between a brand and the consumer.

Creating a habit of checking on a brand, or seeing “what’s new in the group” can help brands to create a deeper connection.

For example, hosting limited time WeChat marketing pop-ups could be one way to keep your community members on their toes.

Same goes with sharing important and useful content, which could help your consumers in their daily lives.

Updating the community on certain days of the week unifies people by providing interesting topics to share. The feedback on these activities could provide valid data and deepen the understanding of customers. For example, a brand of healthy snacks could engage by providing video of breakfasts that include products of the brand.

KOL/Influencer Marketing – new approaches

When it comes to KOL marketing, there are a few variables that need to be accounted for.

Firstly, the size of the KOL audience and the content focus. A few smaller KOLs might be great to put your brand on the social media and e-commerce map. Whereas one large KOL might help you to move that new stock and kick-start your brand’s sales season.

But what brands still do not realize is how to best benefit when approaching major KOLs in China.  Chinese influencers are very careful when it comes to picking products. Look at Viya, who has a dedicated team that sorts out the product applications and performs quality tests. KOLs are the experts of what the consumer wants and they try their very best to meet expectations. So working with a brand that will not be interesting  will reflect badly on both the KOL and the performance. In some cases, the discussion with large KOLs can last for a few seasons until the KOL  figures out a way to bring the product around with the right angle.

Secondly, seasonality.

When doing e-commerce in China, brands shall switch from the national calendars to the e-commerce calendars and plan their work and vacation time accordingly. It is safe to say that the double 11 festival will represent ½ or in some cases nearly all of your annual sales, especially if you do it right. Then comes Double 12^th(December 12), 618 (June 18^th), and so on. Most of the traffic hits the e-commerce channels exactly on those e-holidays, as most brands present very good deals to their customers.

Thirdly, cooperation models.

From smaller KOLs and product seeding (distributing free samples for hundreds of KOLs in the hope of creating a social buzz) to bigger KOLs with massive marketing budgets or even brand representation, the company’s size and marketing plan will determine what model is right at a specific moment.

In 2019 most brands have started to collect their own KOL pools on several social media channels. Such databases of KOLs is and will be extremely useful for brands when working with KOLs on weekly/monthly bases, doing product seeding, offline events etc.

And that’s not a surprise. Today, in order to stand out, brands need to be involved with at least a hundred of small size KOLs on different platforms, which will provide a broad evaluation of the product presented. This will create a pretty good “word of mouth” base for your brand and a base for cooperation with medium and large size KOLs.

Further reading:

Discover what KOL (influencer) seeding is and how it can benefit your brand!

Staying on top of the Chinese e-commerce ecosystem in 2020

Brands that operate in China need to be well informed on the changes within the Chinese digital ecosystem. Traffic coming from marketing efforts will translate into sales only if the customer journey is well planned.

But with platforms always changing their strategic partners, this might not be so simple.

Chinese e-commerce and social media changes. What to look out for in 2020

We are still waiting to see if Douyin will continue its cooperation with Taobao in 2020, as the popular platform signed only a 1 year contract with the e-commerce giant, and the possibility that Douyin will launch its own e-commerce platform has not yet been ruled out.

It will be interesting to see how JD.com will fight the competition in the coming year, after a rather tough 2019..

The new social media platform by Weibo “Luzhou” was launched very recently, and could potentially be a competitor of Xiaohongshu.

Brands shall also keep in mind that video content and live streaming could be the most important trend for e-commerce sales in 2020.

Another trend to keep in mind is emerging entertainment platforms such as BiliBili that can be an excellent source of traffic for e-commerce channels, such as WeChat Store or Tmall, as the fan base of these platforms is extremely loyal to brands and KOLs.

CRM is another crucial tool to leverage in 2020. More and more brands are growing their consumer base though the existing consumer base by keeping track and close contact with consumers. CRM systems integrated to the WeChat marketing platform (such as WeChat Work) is the key to keep up with the changes and a convenient tool to update your customers on any news and notifications.

These new types of consumer are becoming more discerning. They do their own research so as to avoid being tricked, and they take into consideration emotional elements which can strongly affect their buying decisions.

But before implementing new strategic actions for your company you must ask yourself how important the Chinese market is for your company?If it’s really important, first of all it is essential to have a presence all the APPs Chinese consumers use on a daily basis, especially WeChat.

The challenge will not be whether or not you can enter the Chinese market, it will be: Can you maintain a leading position in China in the long term?

Solution

Want to drive traffic to your WeChat store and create a strong brand awareness within Chinese consumers? Ask us how!  

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Britain and China share a long history. In a world of Brexit and with China’s e-commerce market growing, it will be clear to most that Britain will be looking closely at China to secure one of their trade deals outside of the EU. Britain has some of the most luxurious brands which are hugely popular among Chinese people. With recent predictions stating that China’s middle class is set swell up to 630 million, a large number of British brands will be looking to capture a larger share of the Chinese market. Chinese consumers tend to hold British luxury products highly as they are seen as ‘sophisticated’ and ‘classy’. Today, we will talk about why certain British brands have dominated the Chinese market and remained popular, while others have been less successful.

The British brands doing well in China and why

Burberry, Alexander McQueen, Dyson, British Airways, Ted Baker and Rolls Royce are some of the popular British brands in China that have been able to succeed in bringing their business across.
Burberry is a household name for those who shop in high-end fashion. In China, ‘Burberry’ is perceived as a luxury, upmarket brand, and is one that many Chinese people feel represents all the good things about London and British heritage.

What has Burberry done right in China?

Burberry takes a whooping 40 percent of its revenue from China. So, what has Burberry done right? Burberry has a Chinese flagship store in Shanghai within the Kerry Centre. The flagship is amongst 45+ stores in China. The brand has been able to reach a lot of its customers through its retail stores or online stores. Some may even go far in saying that, the key to Burberry’s success has been its marketing strategy. Burberry has capitalized on China’s e-commerce market by making waves on Chinese Social media and the e-commerce platforms. Burberry launched a store on Alibaba’s Tmall platform. The brand has been able to connect with the Chinese audience through WeChat’s mini programs. They have been able to engage with the Chinese audience by launching exclusive products through WeChat. This can be seen when Burberry launches a new product on the 17th of each month as part of its B series.

The Brand also understands how influential KOL stars can be in China. Burberry had previously targeted Chinese consumers at London Fashion Week by pulling singer Kun Chen, actress Dongyu Zhou and rapper Lucas Huang as Chinese ambassadors. The Fashion house gained an extra 300,000 followers on Weibo because of their influence.
Burberry is an established brand and if you combine that with a local Chinese digital strategy, it’s a successful cross border story.

What has Dyson done right in China?

Dyson is another innovative British brand that is sweetly sailing the Chinese e-commerce market. Dyson is one of the popular British brands in China.

The brand has made a mark by having its products sold in 200 stores across 45 cities in China. Dyson has been able to recreate the word innovative time and time again through releases of new products. From hoovers to air purifiers to hair dryers, Dyson is still regarded as a high-end brand.

According to reports, China is Dyson’s fastest growing market. The story of James Dyson as a creator, businessman and designer appeals to Chinese consumers. Dyson products hallmark quality and great innovative design.

The brand again catered for the Asian market by designing smaller machines. Another reason why Dyson has catapulted in China is because Dyson’s products come across as unique. A great example of this would be when Dyson launched the cordless hand held vacuum.

Dyson has been able to adapt to the Chinese market and create a demand for them to stay relevant. They have launched on e-commerce platforms such as JD and Alibaba’s Tmall. Dyson understands the Chinese market and has capitalized on big sales festivals such as the infamous 11.11. During the 11.11 festival in 2018, Dyson’s newly ‘Airwrap Hair Curler’ apparently sold out within three minutes on Alibaba’s Tmall and just 15 seconds on JD.com.

Dyson was one of the 84 brands to reach 100 million yuan in sales within an hour. Dyson has not only be making splashes online, People’s Daily reported that Dyson held 61% of China’s vacuum cleaner market in 2018.

The British brands that haven’t fared well and why

Marks & Spencer, New Look, Top Shop and ASOS are some of the brands that have not been successful in breaking through the Chinese tides.

Mark & Spencer’s demise in China can be broken into a number of reasons. The brand opened its first store in Shanghai in 2009 and 9 years later, it left China all together. So what went wrong with Marks & Spencer? The brand may have come across too quintessentially ‘British’ and was not suited to the Chinese taste.

Another reason could be Marks & Spencer didn’t keep up their presence on China’s digitally advanced platforms. They weren’t able to communicate and engage with their potential customers online.

It is vitally important to understand the market and gather as much information as possible about your potential customers. Marks & Spencer didn’t truly understand exactly where to position themselves and the steps they could have taken to salvage their brand.

This problem is also shared with ASOS, New look and Top Shop. Mid-sized high street fashion brands have struggled in China. This could be down to the fierce competition from the online market, where China has several e-commerce platforms catering for low to high end fashion consumers.

ASOS, Top Shop and New Look have been swept under the sea of online shops and failed to attract audiences in China. It could also be blamed by the fact the retail industry has been at a decline all together and that has affected physical stores the most. Marks & Spencer and New Look have both faced challenges in the UK and have had to close some of their physical stores down.

They’ve both narrowly avoided going into administration. Again, this could be down to the brand’s failure to adapt to the online market.

What can British brands do to transition into China?

A brand should have a clear, solid plan when trying to enter the Chinese market. We emphasis a great deal should be spent on market research. It is important to gather a comprehensive study of the local shopping habits, tastes and competition. Once you feel you have gathered enough intel about the market.

The next step would be to create a digital footprint on Chinese social media and Chinese e-commerce platforms. The key here is to be present and engage with your potential online Chinese consumers.

From there, we recommend that you localize your brand’s website, name and marketing material. Chinese social media is a huge deciding factor to how a business will fare in China.

The brand should then create social media campaigns that attract and educate the local audience. The final step would be to set up your own social media and e-commerce channels for the Chinese market.

Another added bonus step would be to use a KOL star to create further awareness. Chinese influencers hold a huge following and can bring brand awareness and generate leads as seen with Burberry’s London Fashion Week campaign.

If you have any more questions about Chinese digital marketing and how to enter the Chinese market with minimum costs, feel free to get in touch as we’d be delighted to hear from you. We hope we can help you achieve what these popular British brands in China have done.

HI-COM is a multilingual localization and communication agency dedicated to providing professional localization solutions, content and social media management to businesses around the world.

HI-COM helps companies enter the Chinese digital ecosystem with a simple and hassle-free approach. Let us help you achieve what these popular British Brands have in China. Contact us for your free consultation today!

Weidian is often described as the “Shopify” of China. With over 80 million stores on its platform, its simplistic design makes it very popular. Weidian is easily accessible on mobile phones and uses convenient payment methods such as Wechat, Alipay and Union pay. In the Chinese market, its biggest competitor is Taobao.

What is Weidian?

Weidian is often described as the “Shopify” of China. With over 80 million stores on its platform, its simplistic design makes it very popular. Weidian is easily accessible on mobile phones and uses convenient payment methods such as Wechat, Alipay and Union pay. In the Chinese market, its biggest competitor is Taobao.

Weidian is one of China’s biggest online stores and can be easily accessed via WeChat. Weidian is an e-commerce platform that allows entrepreneurs to set up a mobile store.

A lot of foreign businesses tend to wrongly assume that WeChat provides a function to set up a “WeChat Store”. However, WeChat only allows e-commerce web pages to be opened on their internal browser.  There is also confusion around Tencent (parent company of WeChat), as many people believe that it owns Weidian, but it doesn’t.

Wechat (Weixin is the Chinese name) and Weidian have very similar names which often causes Chinese customers to assume that they’re the same company. Although Weidian is mainly accessed through WeChat.  Wechat has over one billion monthly active users and is the most popular app for Chinese people to use.

Why choose Weidian?

A lot of international brands tend to focus on the more popular retail platforms, such as Tmall. However, these platforms require a lot of attention, investment and administration. As a result of this, foreign brands eventually start looking for other online e-commerce platforms to sell on.

WeChat is widely used across China and a lot of people access various e-commerce pages through WeChat.

There are a number of ways a brand’s online store can be accessed via WeChat.  For example, a company could create a customised mini-program (your own App dedicated to WeChat e-commerce), optimise their own website to fit the WeChat mobile version, or they could instead create a listing on one of WeChat’s friendly e-commerce platforms, such as Weidian.

Weidian’s main advantage is that it is free to use.

Other advantages of Weidian are:

• It’s simple to use
• Minimum documents are required
• Its ability to sell cross-border
• Integrated local payments and logistics
• Customer reviews

Although Weidian is not the only platform that is easily accessed through WeChat’s e-commerce pages, it’s currently the only free option for businesses.

How to set up a Weidian store via Wedian Managers app?

Step 1 – Weidian Managers App

First, download and install the Wedian Manage app. If you are already a user on WeChat you can register for the Weidian app through there. It will then ask you to register with your personal information on WeChat or via the browser’s back-office.

Step 2 –  Choosing your Weidian shop

Anyone can open a shop on Weidian, even without having products set up. As seen in the picture below, users can choose from one of the five options. The shop will be optimised depending on how you choose to list your business. The store can be used as a place to sell your products, to a platform for customers to buy and communicate on. Weidian is also great for those who have offline stores and want to expand their sales online, and also for influencers that are interested in monetising their traffic.

After registration, your shop’s dashboard will look like this (see below). On the dashboard, you can see how many people have visited the shop, how many orders you have, and any customer issues. It’s a great way to monitor your shop.

Step 3 – Linking your bank account to Weidian

The option to link your bank account can be found in the Weidian app in the “收入” (Revenue) section. You must click on “绑定银行卡” (Link Bank card). Weidian supports only Chinese bank accounts.

Here are the account settings translated below:

Step 4 – Setting up the design of your Weidian shop

Making your online store to look appealing, is half the battle when it comes to e-commerce sales. There are a lot of things that need to be customised in order for it to appeal to both the Chinese and expat customers in China. We advise that your Weidian shop has the following:

• A simple product gallery
• A short description
• Some information about materials used

Step 5 – How to add a product to your shop

Click on the “Product Management” (商品管理) section and then click on the blue “Add a product” (添加商品) button. From there you should add the product picture/ video and fill in the product information.

Step 6 – Get ready to sell.

When your product has been added, you’re ready to sell on Weidian!

How brands use Weidian:

From cross-border to local sales, brand owners and traders are getting creative with Weidian. In fact, the platform is so convenient to use for both the seller and the buyer, that it has become one of the favourites on the market for free solutions. Below are a few examples of different Weidian store owners.

Who sells on Weidian in 2019?

Weidian is a platform for start-ups, new brands and new importers who don’t have the time or means to put investment into building a brand-new customised platform. Weidian is a popular option for up-and-coming creative brands, local factories, agricultural productions and KOL stores.

Other options: WeChat mini programs.

Mini programs are apps that are specifically created for the WeChat ecosystem. Creating a mini program is a great option for brands to engage with their customers. Mini programs are not just used for e-commerce, but also for branding, games and other creative marketing tactics. However, a mini program could cost as much or if not more, than a branded website.

A lot of companies will create a WeChat mini-program with the purpose to sell online. There are 2.3 million mini-programs on the market and 18% of those are dedicated to e-commerce. In 2018, the most common applications used through mini programs were e-commerce and daily services. Our data is provided by aldzs.

If you’d like to learn more about Weidian or about Wechat mini programs, then please get in touch. We will be delighted to provide support and help you understand the Chinese digital eco-system!