A lot of businesses and investors are trying to penetrate the Chinese market over the past few years by deploying their China market entry strategies. Indeed, the country has significantly increased the purchasing power of its citizens, and the digitalization of the republic has all but opened the doors to foreign brands. Here are 10 tips to Enter the Chinese Market for foreign brands.These tips are for all businesses that are trying to enter the Chinese market. Large or small, foreign or domestic, popular or unknown brands.
1.Do Your Research and Learn About the Culture and the Market Before Making Any Decisions
Firstly, you cannot be successful in the Chinese market without knowing your consumers. If you do your research, differences between the western and the Chinese consumer will surprise you. Plus, China is a very different country from the United States or Europe in terms of culture and business practices.
2.Build a Strong Team of Local Experts To Help You Navigate the Market
Secondly, it’s always strategic for your business to have a local presence in the mainland. Since there are many fields you’ll have to navigate from legally protecting your brand in China to distributions and promoting it, dealing with customers, and so on and so forth. You have multiple options when it comes.
3.Online Media & Mobile Marketing Dominates
Thirdly, in China online really dominates. Traditional media and offline marketing are dying the world over. China really embraced the digital revolution and now has the largest internet penetration rate for a developing nation globally, at a whopping 65%. There are also 550 million smartphones in China.
4.Increase Your Visibility on digital platform
The big western players we know are blocked in China. No Facebook, rather WeChat. Youtube, forget it there’s Youku, No Google, Instead Baidu, and over Twitter there is Weibo. Amazon, no chance, in China Tmall & Taobao.
5.Create Localized Content That Resonates With Chinese Consumers
Taking advantage of social media, your website, blogs, crossposting, and eCommerce platforms will be prudent. Putting up content that resonates with your ideal Chinese clients will be crucial to your success.
6.Targeted Visibility & Reputation
You need to engage in establishing a positive reputation as well as increasing the visibility of your brand, business, or product/service. This needs to be in front of the most applicable, target demographic for your business proposition. In a word, the key is to be focused and develop your status on the platforms & sources where your target is most active.
7.Chinese Consumer Behavior is Digital
Consumers engage typically through digital platforms. They spend on average 1.5 hours per day browsing the web research extensively online for information. Therefore, you need to target this and put positive content in front of them your prospects.
8.The Chinese Consumers Buy Brands
The Chinese don’t buy products, they buy brands. This is a society fixated on the notion of ‘face’ and how you are perceived by your peers. The most typical way of expressing ‘face’ is through what you purchase, in a consumer-led society you need to tap into this relatively newfound desire for individual expression when it comes to branding.
9.Key Opinion Leaders & Influencers are Powerful
China’s KOL marketing has moved from text & photos to live streaming, short videos, and social commerce. This gives brands more channels to interact with consumers. A strong KOL marketing strategy has been the key to success for several international brands in China. According to a report of Boston Consulting Group, more than 70% of consumers, mainly young consumers aged below 30, are influenced by KOLs.
10.Finding a Trust Worthy Local Specialist
Navigating the Chinese market requires a quality guide. DDC is an international team of 30 marketers, copywriters, publishers, and ad experts. Working in a host of fields from branding, and ad strategy to lead generation. We seek to be our clients’ team on the ground in China and build long-term, serious relationships based on results and the achievement of clear KPIs.