If you think you can take what you know about social media and apply it to the Chinese market, think again. Internet regulation has made popular Western platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube inaccessible to Chinese users, and while it’s true that once upon a time, these China social media platforms closely imitated Western ones, fierce competition and fast innovation has meant these platforms have long since overtaken their Western counterparts in terms of capability.
In short, when it comes to understanding the Chinese social media landscape, you pretty much need to start from scratch. Let’s take a closer look at some of the biggest social media platforms in the country, including how they work, who’s on them, and how brands can use them.
The 9 Chinese social media platforms you need to know are:
WeChat user statistics:
- 1.38 billion monthly active users (MAU)
- Users send over 45 billion messages and make over 410 million voice and video calls daily
- Users spend on average one hour and 20 minutes per day on the platform
- 74.2% of users indicate that they primarily follow WeChat Official Accounts to access news, whereas 42% follow them for promotional content
- WeChat mini program has 945 million monthly users in China
What is WeChat?
WeChat is undoubtedly the powerhouse of the Chinese social media landscape, with a user base of over 1.38 billion. WeChat has one of the most active user bases among all social media platforms in China, with 877 million people logging in every day, and 61% checking their accounts for updates at least ten times a day. And it’s no surprise when you consider the sheer number of things people are actually able to do on the app, with WeChat combining communication, social sharing, information, entertainment, utility and e-commerce all on a single platform. That’s why WeChat has become an indispensable part of many people’s lives.
What can WeChat do?
The app is primary used to maintain contact with the users’ friends, families, for news & entertainment purposes as it allows users to send text messages, voice notes, images, and make video calls seamlessly. Its "Moments" feature enables social networking, where users can share updates, photos, and links with their friends. Additionally, WeChat supports mobile payments through its integrated WeChat Pay system, which is widely used for both online and in-store transactions.
Furthermore, WeChat has digital stores that support e-commerce, enabling seamless in-app purchases and secure payment processing. Users can also automatically join loyalty programs, earning points for rewards with each purchase.
Due to the variety of it's features, WeChat is a one-stop platform for user's needs. As a result, brands can use WeChat marketing to target users at all stages of the buying journey: from awareness, to engagement, and through to conversion. They can, for example, have one-on-one conversations via Group Chats, target users through WeChat moments ads, create fun HTML5 games for specific campaigns, or combine online and offline marketing with QR codes.
Who is on WeChat?
WeChat is widely used by people of all ages and genders. 22.7% of users are above the age of 50 and 22.3% of users are under the age of 24. This makes WeChat an ideal platform for universities, as both prospective students and their parents are active on the app. Notably, 80% of Chinese students use the app for research global studies and approximately 70% of students utilises WeChat to facilitate interactions with universities.
Plus, it’s worth remembering that just 10% of WeChat’s user base is still over 100 million people. Because of its huge user base and its high user engagement, therefore, WeChat should be a key part of any China marketing strategy.
Marketing on WeChat
WeChat is arguably one of the most influential and innovative Chinese social media networks available. Due to the large following, businesses would immediately turn to WeChat marketing knowing it will be an effective marketing strategy. There are several ways businesses can be successful in marketing on WeChat. For example, WeChat posts, where companies can talk about topics related to their products and services, launch new offers and engage with their target audience.
Along with marketing, WeChat advertising is also a highly effective way to promote your brand. Key opinion leader (KOL) marketing can be an effective strategy to implement. Brands can work with KOL’s to write an article or review about certain brands and products, or KOL’s themselves can promote the products with a coupon, discount or giveaway. Other strategies your brand can tackle include WeChat banner advertising and WeChat moments advertising.
Successful WeChat campaigns
One example of a successful WeChat campaign is from Pepsi. To commemorate Chinese New Year, they created a HTML5 page where users could enter their name to get a personalised holiday greeting, emblazoned in the sky with fireworks. This greeting could then be sent to friends and family. This had all the elements of a viral campaign: seasonal, fun, well designed, and highly shareable.
Another successful WeChat campaign example would be luxury brand Celine. Unlike other brands that build mini programs for e-commerce, Celine launched their first ever WeChat mini program for Chinese consumers to better understand the brands history. The new WeChat mini program is divided into 3 parts, “About Celine”, “New Collection”, and “Stores Nearby”. The mini program allows customers to be more connected to the brand while browsing what they have to offer.
rednote (Xiaohongshu or Little Red Book)
rednote user statistics
- 225 million monthly active users
- 50% of the user base is in Generation Z
- 79% of users are females
What is rednote?
Rednote (also known as XiaoHongShu in China and previously commonly known as Little Red Book) is a curious mix of social media crossed with e-commerce – one observer dubbed it “Instagram and Pinterest sprinkled with a dose of Taobao”. It is a a comprehensive digital lifestyle platform where users post about fashion, travel, beauty, food, fitness and more, with user-generated content at it's core. Users can post their tips, recommendations, how-to demonstrations and product reviews, and they can comment on and save these posts to themed boards (much like Pinterest). And yes, they can even purchase products directly from the platform. RedNote blends social networking with e-commerce, allowing influencers, brands, and everyday users to share content, often featuring product recommendations or personal stories.
What can rednote do?
Rednote allows users to create content called Notes, featuring various content formats like static images, carousel photos, short form vertical videos, and livestreams to keep users engaged. The platform also has a large community of KOLs brands can collaborate with to create more content. Little RedNote is also a strong social commerce platform with its e-commerce integration, RedMall to streamline purchases and boost conversion rates.
Who is on rednote?
The 225 million users on Little Red Book are primarily women (79%), though the platform is currently trying to grow their number of male users with content focused on topics like exercise and grooming. Their users also tend to be young (around half of them are 30 years old or younger), live in top-tier cities and have a high purchasing power. This demographic doesn’t just value quality, but also social cachet. They want to be at the forefront of trends, and right behind the tastemakers – as a result, luxury brands tend to perform very well on the platform.
Marketing on rednote
Not all social media platforms will suit the needs of your brand. For example, rednote is an application targeting young affluent women that are interested in fashion and beauty. If your brand does not fall under this category, that doesn’t necessarily mean its not for you. Other categories such as food health and travel are also quite popular. Make sure you evaluate if the platform will meet your brands needs before investing in a marketing strategy.
What can you do to make the most out of your marketing strategy? Because rednote is driven by content, this should be the central focus of your marketing strategy. For example, a how-to video for using your product or tips and tricks to address customer concerns. Another great strategy is to partner with KOL’s and have them speak on behalf of your company and gain the trust of your followers as well as theirs.
Successful rednote campaign
One 2020 campaign showed how much traction can be gained by using KOLs. Homegrown cosmetic brand Perfect Diary collaborated with the Discovery Channel to create nine animal-themed eye palettes, including a dog and cat palette. To promote the collaboration, Perfect Diary joined forces with China’s top beauty influencer and livestreamer Li Jiaqi’s puppy named Never. They also enlisted hundreds of beauty KOLs – mega and micro – to share makeup tutorials on Little Red Book.
Though the brand did not launch any official hashtags for the campaign, users spontaneously created hashtags such as “Li Jiaqi Never Eye palette”. The palettes’ monthly sales on Tmall have since hit 85,000, and the presale for Perfect Diary’s “Super Brand Day” received over 156,000 orders.
Douyin
Douyin user statistics
- 766.5 million monthly active users
- Users spend an average of 110 minutes per day on the app
- Users upload an estimated 20 million videos daily
What is Douyin?
Owned by Byte Dance, Douyin is a highly addictive video app, where users can produce and browse short videos up to 15 seconds in length. With powerful editing capabilities, users are able to add music and effects to their videos at the press of a button.
What can Douyin do?
As one of the most popular up short video platforms, it’s a matter of asking what it can’t do! From posting viral short videos to e-commerce, Douyin does it all! Douyin provides video editing capabilities with engaging special effects and funny stickers to inspire users. It also allows the user a opportunity to access the brand’s e-commerce website if they wish. Not only that, by creating a unique voice and style for your brand, you can capture the audience’s attention in a couple of seconds!
Douyin’s search interface highlights trending topics, celebrities, livestreams, and music, giving brands an opportunity to increase their exposure by creating trending content. The platform has also its own e-commerce platform known as Douyin Shop which enables seamless conversions by allowing users to purchase products directly from videos or live streams with ease.
Who is on Douyin?
There is a bit of a perception that Douyin is particularly popular among teens, therefore making it less attractive to marketers as a platform, as this is not a demographic with a huge amount of disposable income. While those under the age of 15 do make up a percentage around 5% of users, a closer look at the demographics reveals around 35.2% of its users are aged between 26 and 35 years old.
Marketing on Douyin
Gaining momentum on social platforms can be tough, so how do you get start? Typically, short form videos can be monetised in a couple of ways including advertising, access to e-commerce and online gift purchases. Douyin also offers clickable content that provides consumers access to the brand’s e-commerce website, and retail store information if requested. In the past, brands have collaborated with Douyin influencers to share content in a way that is consistent to the Douyin tone.
Successful campaigns on Douyin
One-way marketers can take advantage of Douyin is to plug into the viral aspect of the platform through the use of hashtag challenges. Even museums have been getting in on the fun – on International Museum Day in 2018, seven national museums turned treasures from Tang dynasty figurines to Shang dynasty bronze cauldrons into choreographed dancing relics, and posted videos of the figurines responding to popular dance hashtag challenges on Douyin, performing moves like the ash-sweeping dance and the 98k electric eyes (don’t ask us). Participating museums received millions of plays and gained 360,000 followers in a single day.
Bilibili
Bilibili user statistics
- 341.5 million monthly active users
- 3 million content creators
- Bilibili has a revenue of 22.5 billion RMB
What is Bilibili?
Bilibili is a Chinese video streaming website themed around animation, comic and games. Users can submit original content and add overlaid commentary over video clips. The video streaming platform also provides live streaming services where the audience can interact with streamers.
What can Bilibili do?
The main feature of Bilibili is video streaming unique animation, comic and games content on the application. Bilibili’s core feature is a real-time captioning system that displays user comments as streams of scrolling subtitles are overlaid on the video playback screen. This replicates an experience of users watching and playing together with others.
Who is on Bilibili?
Bilibili’s user base is slowly broadening across all age groups. Traditionally Bilibili was popular amongst Gen Z Chinese netizens with 75% of users under the age of 24. Now, the platform is welcoming more users born in the 1970 and 80s. Today, 25.3% of users are above the age of 24. The majority of users are male, with 57% of the user base being male.
Marketing on Bilibili
Traditional forms of marketing will just not cut it when you’re marketing on Bilibili. The platform is recommended to be used as a way to gain attention, and brands that are unfamiliar with user needs on the platform might want to sit this one out.
One main way of gaining traction on Bilibili is by live streaming and the live comment interaction section. By targeting Bilibili’s main differentiation point is the loyal and active community it boasts. The real-time interaction will help gaining valuable customer insights. Bilibili’s e-commerce mini program allows businesses to sell goods. And to tap Gen-Z users with an appetite for anime subculture, Taobao and Bilibili regularly cooperates to launch initiatives for its users.
Successful campaigns on Bilibili
In February 2020, Xiaomi Mi launched their 10 pro model and collaborated with well-known KOL and video creator Keji meixue 科技美学. His account focuses on doing testimonial videos for all kinds of technology products ranking him as one of the top100 content creators on Bilibili. This collaboration produced a testimonial released on the platform resulting in 1.168 million playbacks, 44,000 likes and 12,000 comments.
Recently, Fanta collaborated with Bilibili to launch a campaign to attract high quality user generated content. The winner of the contest would receive monetary awards for their contribution. Meanwhile, on Fanta’s official account, the company posted videos co-created with popular video creators and KOL’s in topics to gain further exposure. Videos including incorporating Fanta in Halloween costume ideas or inspired makeup were all shared and viewed. In the end, there were over 7000 video submissions with 12 million total playbacks, making it a successful campaign for Fanta.
Weibo user statistics
- 599 million monthly active users
- Weibo’s total net revenue in Q2 of 2024: US $437.9 million
What is Weibo?
Often called ‘China’s Twitter’, Weibo was once the most popular social media platform in China. With a monthly active user base of 599 million, Weibo is a multimedia micro-blogging platform where users can upload their own posts (under 2000 characters), photos and videos; share content; buy and sell products; start polls; play games; and broadcast live. Many users also use Weibo to stay up to date on the latest news and their favourite celebrities, taking part in discussions on popular topics ranging from entertainment, the economy, society, sports and so on.
What can Weibo do?
Weibo is a well-rounded, all-in-one application. Similar to X, Weibo’s homepage features both an algorithmic feed tailored to users’ interests and a following feed, to make the content engaging. Users can explore new content using the discover button, watch videos sorted by categories and play video games using their game centre. Not only that, other features also include Weibo Fit where users can track their health data, and Weibo wallet which enables users to make payments directly through the app. Similar to WeChat, businesses can obtain a corporate account to gain a verification badge using it as a source of credibility for their customers.
Who is on Weibo?
With more than 599 million monthly active users on the platform, Weibo’s demographics range from users aged 16 to users age 41 and above. 35% of users are in the 25-34 year old category, while users under 24 occupy 26.78% of total users.
Marketing on Weibo
Because Weibo is a more open and public platform, there is a potential for greater exposure and outreach than what might be possible on WeChat. Marketers could also consider using leveraging the popularity of celebrities and KOLs (key opinion leaders) to increase brand awareness. Weibo can also be useful in terms of gathering information on your target audience and staying on top of consumer trends.
Successful Weibo campaigns
In 2013, the Italian luxury fashion brand Fendi launched an interactive campaign on Weibo called “Fendi Play with Colours”, featuring their latest handbag collection “Crayons”. Fendi asked Weibo users to vote for their favourite colour in the collection via the brand’s Weibo page, and encouraged the brand’s followers to forward the campaign to their friends.
The results speak for themselves: the brand’s activity increased by 44%, the number of reposts increased by 536% to 4547, and their number of followers increased by 255% to 7301 in just a little over three weeks.
Tencent QQ
Tencent QQ user statistics
- 562 million monthly active users
- 60% of QQ users under the age of 30
What is QQ?
Tencent QQ, commonly known as QQ, is an instant messaging service developed by Chinese tech giant Tencent (the same company that owns WeChat). First released in 1999, QQ is regarded as the founding father of instant messaging in China. Although its popularity has waned in recent years, QQ still reaches around 562 million monthly active users making it a powerful digital marketing tool. The platform remains popular with younger demographics, with 60% of QQ users being under 30 years old. QQ also tends to be popular at workplaces, due to its ease of use and its capability for transmitting large files like images and videos.
What can QQ do?
As well as sending instant messages, users can also blog, listen to music, send photos, keep a diary, join online groups based on similar interests, play online games and watch videos. QQ is also a great place to keep up with celebrities – Chinese boy band TFBoys, for example, boasts over 42 million followers on QQ. An advertiser’s dream, a marketer has the potential to create a blog, build a fully customised microsite, and plan relevant ads to reach their target market.
Who is on QQ?
Chinese netizens under 29 year old account for 52.2% of total user. With a growing number of young users on QQ, the platform has made arrangements to explore the field of social and entertainment to continue adapting to the demands of this age group.
Advertising on QQ
Companies that are able to invest in some paid media activity in China might also want to explore Qzone, QQ’s advertising platform, which allows organisations and brands to target users based on their interests. The ads appear in the user’s QQ newsfeed, like WeChat moments ads.
Because of its younger demographic and ability for one-on-one communication, brands targeting young people might find QQ a useful addition to their social media strategy. Universities, for example, could set up QQ groups to communicate directly with potential students and deliver information about their institution.
Successful QQ campaigns
Like all social platforms, content that is interactive and relatable usually does best on QQ. One campaign that has stood out amongst all would be Fanta. In commercial, an uptight but beautiful young ballerina learns to loosen up and enjoy different styles of dance, boys and gaining popularity by drinking Fanta.
Zhihu
Zhihu user statistics
- 81 million monthly active users
- 14.7 million monthly active paying users
- Zhihu’s total net revenue in Q1 of 2024: US $133 million
What is Zhihu?
Zhihu, which means “Do you know?” in Chinese, is a knowledge-sharing platform similar to Quora but tailored for the Chinese market. Launched in 2011 with a focus on high-quality information, Zhihu initially allowed only subject matter experts and professionals to respond to questions, which earned the platform a reputation for credible and well-informed content.
What can Zhihu do?
Zhihu’s Q&A format lets users ask questions and receive answers from experts through text, images, and videos. Responses can be concise, humorous or in-depth with users engaging through upvotes and comments. Topics can be on politics, culture, technology, lifestyle, career opportunities and sports.
Who is on Zhihu?
Zhihu is 32% used by people below the age of 24 years and is a male dominant platform with 66% of users being male.
Marketing on Zhihu
Zhihu is a valuable platform for consumers in the consideration stage of the marketing funnel. Its format, which allows users to ask detailed questions and receive in-depth answers from experts, provides potential customers a trusted source of information for those evaluating their options. This makes Zhihu a particularly effective touchpoint for industries that involve a longer decision-making process. By participating in these discussions, brands can build trust, enhance their reputation, and connect with a curious and informed audience.
Dianping
Dianping user statistics
- 110 million monthly active users
- Dianping’s total net revenue in Q3 of 2024: 93.6 billion RMB
What is Dianping?
Dianping, also known as Dazhong Dianping, translates to “public reviews” and is a leading lifestyle platform for discovering and reviewing local services, similar to Yelp. Established in 2003, it initially focused on dining reviews but has since expanded to cover a wide range of services, from hotels to entertainment venues, shopping, and other local businesses, helping consumers make informed decisions.
What can Dianping do?
Dianping’s popularity is driven by its vast user-generated content and comprehensive service offerings. The homepage features popular content such as restaurant reviews, top dishes, and recommendations for entertainment and travel experiences.
The platform can help drive foot traffic by allowing users to make bookings or reservations directly on the platform, and a deal feed that highlights promotions and coupons based on the user’s location, offering easy access to discounts and deals in the area.
Dianping also enables users to join merchants’ loyalty programs directly through the app. This also gives merchants access to user data and consumption patterns, allowing them to personalise marketing campaigns based on user habits.
Who is on Dianping?
55% of users on Dianping are between 25 to 35 years. The users of Dianping are based in urban and metropolitan cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, etc. When it comes to gender, about 62% of users are male, while 38% are female.
Marketing on Dianping
Dianping plays a key role in the consideration stage of the marketing funnel of the customer journey by providing user-generated reviews that offer valuable insights and first-hand experiences. These reviews serve as social proof, which can significantly influence a potential customer’s perception and decision-making process.
Brands can leverage this by encouraging customers to leave reviews, amplifying positive feedback and fostering a community of advocates who help promote the brand to others. This not only enhances trust and credibility but also strengthens brand visibility, making Dianping a powerful tool for businesses looking to attract and convert more customers.
Youku
Youku user statistics
1. DAU: 150 million users
2. MAU: 500 million
3. $944 million revenue
What is Youku?
With around 580 million monthly active users, it is one of China’s top online video streaming service platforms. Youku has become a content hub for users in China. The platform boasts a dedicated section for creators to manage and interact with subscribers. The greatest asset of the platform is that Youku has professionally produced video content, whether from Youku themselves or other production companies.
What can Youku do?
Youku is useful for brands who want to develop videos for their other marketing assets, such as their WeChat account or website. Remember, YouTube is inaccessible in China, so if you want to embed a video on your website, you’ll have to link to Youku. Brands can also create their own channels on Youku, which (unlike YouTube) can be linked to an online store, facilitating a ‘see now, buy now’ approach.
Marketing on Youku
Those with bigger budgets may also want to consider investing in advertising on Youku, as the audience there is highly captive – particularly if you purchase pre-roll ads, which are shown before the video and which the user is unable to skip.
Successful Youku campaigns
In March 2016, Pizza Hut conducted a Youku/Weibo video campaign called “Sharing love is natural (天生爱分享)”, using celebrity Hu Ge. Hu Ge, a Chinese actor, shot a 3-minute video showing how ordinary people love to share in their daily lives. The campaign also invited KOLs and other users to shoot their own related short videos and share them on Youku. In only 3 months, the videos had tallied more than 800,000 views.
Ready to dive in?
As you can see, China’s social media landscape is complex and multifaceted. But if you’re ready to dip your toe in, there is one obvious place to start: WeChat.
For an overview on how to integrate WeChat into your China marketing strategy, check out our free WeChat Marketing 101 guide – download it now.
