What should companies do about social media in China?
1.Listen to your audience
- Monitor the channel they’re using
- What are they saying about your brand?
- What are they saying about competitor’s brand?
- Pre-empt reputation crises. Be ready to respond when necessary
2. Understand local netizens and how they’re different from netizens in other market
- What are their motivations for using social media?
- How do they interact with different social media channels?
- How do they interact with each other across these channels?
- What drives them to participate and spread messages?
- What kinds of messages will they be receptive to?
3. Be visible on the right channels
Don’t simply jump on the social media bandwagon. When engaging Chinese consumers through social media, know which medium is right for your message and your objective-i.e. when to use corporate blogs vs. forums vs. social networking sites. After selecting your channels, make sure your brand is highly visible to the public.
4. Know the incentive for participation and engagement.
Why should Chinese netizens engage with your brand and spread your message? Is it social currency? Opinion leadership among peers? Timely and compelling content? Access to exclusive promotions? Incorporate incentives that will drive interest and participation.
5. Gain and maintain trust
Be authentic and transparent in communicating across social media. Try to add legitimate value to netizen’s online experiences. Most importantly, don’t try to deceive netizens- it will only lead to backlash and reputational damage
