Weibo, the microblogging site, is one such platform that is extensively used by brands to reach out to the Chinese audience. One reason for this is many social media platforms used commonly across the globe are banned in China. But this particular platform, Weibo, gives as much, if not better, reach as the popular ones. If you are a brand looking to test waters in the Chinese soil and want to know how the platform can be used for marketing, read on.

Begin by choosing the right kind of account

To be able to connect with your target audience, you need to first begin by choosing an appropriate account type. Weibo has personal accounts that are for individuals, which also includes celebrities. The other type is the official account for brands. For the latter, you need to complete a verification process that includes submission of documents that prove that you’re a registered entity performing only legal businesses. Once you are through registration and verification, you can begin your social media marketing just as with other platforms.

Create and manage your community well

Anything that you publish needs to have good viewers and a large number of them. For this reason, build a community of people who are enthusiastic about what you have to offer. To begin, reach out to friends, family, and employees. To gain more organic followers, you could add the Weibo icon and link to the social media bar on your website. Using the QR code of your Weibo account on promotional material like brochures, pamphlets, flyers, and business cards is yet another way to give potential clients quick access to your Weibo homepage. Growing a community is one part and managing the other. It’s important to keep interacting with the community by engaging with them regularly and answering queries or responding to feedback that they have.

Post interesting content

Content is king in social media and it’s the same on Weibo and in China. Posting good quality content from time to time is essential to keep up brand recognition and recall. It’s also the way in which you can communicate about new launches, special promos, etc. to the follower base. Pictures, texts, and videos that strike a chord with existing and potential customers can give you qualified leads, improve conversions, and boost your business like no other.

Run campaigns

Chinese netizens love online campaigns and often take to them as a place to socialize and interact with one another. Campaigns give followers a chance to win prizes or incentives, which adds to the connection that these people have with your brand. Campaigns are a great way to add followers and through giveaways, great means to get people to test your product or service and give feedback on the same.

Tap into the power of KOLs

KOLs, or key opinion leaders, are to China what influencers are to the rest of the world. These personalities have the power to expand the reach of a brand to a vast number of users thanks to the fan base that they have on their personal accounts. Because Chinese people place a great deal of trust in word of mouth marketing, KOLs are capable of creating a buzz on social media and influencing buying decisions in their followers. They can be engaged with your brand to conduct promotional activities like product trials, lucky draws, promo code distribution, or even offline events.

Use paid ads

Weibo marketing provides different options for paid advertising. These can be used as display ads on Weibo home pages, promote specific posts by means of Fan Headlines, or promote a Weibo page or account by means of Fan Tunnel. The ads are customizable, meaning you get to choose your target audience and their characteristics for efficient delivery of the campaign.

Take to live to stream

Live streaming, a recent feature, is yet another powerful tool in Weibo marketing. It allows brands to connect with customers in real time and is often employed to bring in celebrities, KOLs, or feature exciting launches to create a buzz in a short time. Weibo marketing can make a huge impact on any business trying to establish itself in China. The above-mentioned tips can help you crack the right marketing strategy to grow your brand in the country through Weibo.