So how different is Social Media in China? Out team in China have put together a nice piece together (based on research, case studies and in-house insights from the Middle Kingdom’s social hotpot) to consider how it is different, identifying several key elements which underline and explain why media agencies/buyers and clients should consider China an extremely unique climate for social media marketing. As well as describing the background facts and figures surrounding each featured element unique to China, we also provide possible implications into how they may better instruct future social media campaigns here… (if you want to read more of the thoughts from the China team you can do so here)
Contents
-A Huge Social Media Community
-The Netizen
-Social Anonymity & Avatars
-Archaic Social Media Prevails: BBS
-Government Control
-Entertainment Focused
-References
A Huge Social Media Community
Background
BBS (Bulletin Board System) was launched in 1994, marking the beginning of the Chinese Internet Community. Today the Chinese internet population is the largest in the world with over 298 million users (Source, iResearch). Astonishingly this may only reflect an internet penetration within the country of 15-22% (Source, CNNIC). Figures suggest next year may see a massive increase yet again in internet population to over 389 million users (Source, BDA).
Within the 298 million estimated internet users currently in China, last year saw 202.4 million engage in some aspect of social media (Source, Ogilvyone). Within this population 111.8 million have managed a social network profile. This compares to the US and UK where the figures are much lower, at 57.8 and 12.1 million respectively managing a social network profile (Source: Wave 4 UM).
It is also important to note that this audience is actively involved in modern internet behaviour, such as viewing video content: China has the largest internet audience in the world, with 180 million regular viewers of online video content (Source: CASBAA). The frequency of video viewing is also incredible with 33% reporting they watch video clips ‘pretty much every time’ they go online (Source: CASBAA/China Youth Daily).
Unique implication for Chinese social media
Although the internet and social media are still in their infancy in terms of growth within China, they already have huge presence on a global scale. The potential for social media growth in China is unseen in our digital age, and consequently I expect we will see many social media milestones and developments occur independently within the Chinese social media landscape. This is because China is a social media world unto itself and the size of its culture and community mean that it acts as its own trend-setter, being less world-weary to Western developments. For this reason it is unlikely to fully adopt Western attempts at translating across SNS (Social Network Service) models from the UK and US.
China is already catering to niche social media behaviour and activities, unique to its netizens, within its domestic SNS. If Western social media is going to captivate Chinese netizens, it will do so, not by pushing and translating across Western social media learnings and motifs, but by building social media around the traits of the current Chinese digital age.
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Behind the Great Firewall of China
Chinese Firewall
Our Chinese team often sit in front of a web browser reading an all too familiar sentence: “The connection has timed out”, or similarly, “The connection was reset”. Is this the Ghost In The Machine? A galloping Trojan Horse? No, it’s the ever-expanding Chinese Firewall!
In the run-up to China’s illustrious 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic, Chris Yew, complete with virtual ladder, scales the Great Fire Wall of China in an attempt to get on top of government web-blocking and its implications for digital marketing.
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