China Digital Marketing 101

If you’re learning about marketing in China, this is a great place to start.

We’ve been writing and updating this content since 2008. Each of these blog posts is based on real-world experience and thorough research.

Baidu and Chinese Search Marketing

Baidu can be a powerful tool to drive targeted traffic for your business through their advertising platform and organic search (SEO). Still, there are many differences between Baidu and Google.

1. A Tour of Baidu (2022)
2. Who is Using Baidu (2023)
3. China’s 4 Major Search Engines (2020)
4. Baidu Pay Per Click Search Advertising Guide (2020)
   
5. Baidu Ad Formats (2016)
6. Baidu Verifications and Baidu Brand Zone (2023)
7. Baidu SEO Basics – How to Optimize Your Site for Baidu (2020)
8. Technical On-site SEO (2020)
9. The Baidu SEO To-do List for Google SEO Pros (2022)
10. Baidu Analytics Guide (2017 Updated)
11. Baidu Baike Introduction (2022)

Chinese Social and Content Marketing

The Chinese social media ecosystem is unique. All major Western platforms are blocked in China.

1. Six Chinese Social Media Platforms You Need to Know (2022)
2. WeChat:
   1. A Tour of WeChat (2022 blog, 2020 video)
   2. What is a WeChat Company Page (Official Account) (2020 Video)
   3. WeChat Subscription Accounts vs Service Accounts (2020 Video)
   4. How to Write Great WeChat Articles (2020)
      
   5. WeChat Moments Advertising (2023)
      
   6. WeChat Advertising Formats (2023)
   7. WeChat Analytics (2020)
   8. WeChat Menu Configuration (2020)
   9. WeChat Account Setup Guide (2022 Updated)
3. Xiaohongshu
   1. Xiaohongshu Introduction (2019)
   2. A Video Tour of Xiaohongshu (2020)
   3. Xiaohongshu Marketing Essentials (2019)
4. Weibo
   1. Weibo Marketing (2021)
   2. A Video Tour of Weibo (2020)
   3. A Simple Guide to Weibo Setup & Verification for Foreign Companies (2020)
5. Douyin
   1. Douyin Marketing (2018)
   2. A Video Tour of Douyin (2020)
   3. A Thorough Guide to Influencing on Douyin (2020)
6. Zhihu
   1. A Tour of Zhihu (2023 blog, 2020 video)
   2. Guide to Advertising on Zhihu (2020)
   3. Zhihu Marketing for B2B (2019)
   4. Zhihu Setup and Verification (2020)
7. Bilibili
   1. A Tour of Bilibili (2022 blog, 2020 video)
   2. A Comprehensive Guide to Bilibili Account Setup and Verification (2020)
   3. 11 Bilibili Marketing Tips (2021)
8. Live-streaming (2018)
9. Make the Most of Your Content Marketing in China (2020)
10. What is Toutiao? (Chinese Social News Platform) (2020)

Websites – Localization, Hosting and Payments

We believe websites should be ‘transcreated’ for the Chinese market, meaning they’re full of high-quality, useful, and interesting Chinese content. Plus, they need to load quickly behind the “Great Firewall of China.”

1. How to Check Your Website’s Speed in China (2022)
2. The Simple Guide to Chinese Website Transcreation (2022)
3. Chinese ICP License Guide (How To Host Your Website in China) (2020)
4. How to Optimize a WordPress Website by 80% (2023)
5. Choosing the Right Chinese Company Name (2014 But Still Relevant)
6. Online Payments in China (2017)
   1. How to Use Stripe to Accept Payments via Alipay and WeChat Pay (2022)
7. How to Host Videos in China (2020)
8. How to Use Google Analytics in China (2021)
9. Baidu Analytics Guide (2017 Updated)

B2B Marketing

B2B is one of the two core areas where we work. In this section, we revisit the above marketing methods and reframe them for a B2B context.

1. Top 9 Chinese B2B Marketing Tactics for 2023
2. How to Use WeChat for B2B Marketing (2022)
3. Zhihu Marketing for B2B (2019)
4. Top Strategic Mistakes in Chinese B2B Marketing (2022)

Marketing for Educational Institutions (Student Recruitment)

While the content above is relevant to education marketing, the posts below provide additional context. They’ll help teach you where to reach Chinese students, how to increase the number of applications, and how to support your agents better.

1. Complete List of Ways to Recruit Chinese International Students (2021)
2. Survey of Chinese International Students on Problems They Face Abroad (2017)
3. How do Chinese International Students Choose Where to Study? (2022)
4. How to Use WeChat for Student Recruitment (2021)