Last Updated on November 29, 2024
Online advertising is among the fastest and most effective strategies to reach more of your target audience.
While China does have a unique digital ecosystem and stringent web content laws, the rapid growth of e-commerce in the country is a clear opportunity for foreign businesses to pursue expanding in its consumer market.
When you advertise in China, there are three critical factors to remember: the digital landscape is fragmented, China is dominated by mobile, and Chinese consumers change their preferences quickly.
Here are some insights you need to know if you want to launch a successful advertising in China.
Market Overview of Digital Advertising in China
The data from Statista show that traditional advertising methods have decreased since 2017. As of 2024, 82% of overall advertising in China is dominated by online ads through search engines, popular social media platforms, and other digital channels. With the growing number of consumers online, industry experts expect it to grow to 90% by 2027.
Today’s modern shoppers are more digitally engaged than before. In China, 884 million Chinese consumers are purchasing online. This growth has led many businesses to exert more effort into making their offerings more visible online.
China currently has over 1.78 billion mobile phone subscriptions. Because of this, it’s not surprising that more than 70% of media ad revenue in the Chinese market goes through this medium.
In 2023, social media accounted for 40.5% of the country’s digital ad spending, with a notable increase in investments directed towards social video sites. The increased advertising efforts on these platforms are mainly due to the continued reliance of the Chinese audience segments on online feedback and reviews when it comes to their purchasing decisions.
How does online advertising work in China?
Since China’s advertising industry operates with a unique ecosystem and digital regulations, it’s crucial to determine what’s feasible and effective to launch in terms of local campaigns.
Always remember that the Chinese market is notably dynamic and trend-driven, underscoring the importance of thorough research before venturing to ensure the best ROI.
Here are the elements of successful advertising campaigns in Mainland China that foreign companies should note:
- Adherence to China’s digital advertising laws
- Understanding CPC/CPM metrics for budget allocation strategies
- Localized content catering to Chinese consumer preferences
- Mobile-first advertising content designs and formats
- Utilization of big data and analytics tools
4 Chinese Advertising Strategies For Foreign Brands
1. Search Engine Advertising In China
If there’s one thing international businesses must know about Chinese consumers, it’s the reality that they’re savvy online shoppers who conduct research before purchasing a product.
This consumer behavior presents an opportunity for foreign companies to launch search engine ads and reach more consumers within the Chinese market. Here are some options advertisers can consider:
● Baidu Advertising
SEM and SEO marketing are two of the most effective ways to generate conversions and new customers in China. When it comes to these strategies, Baidu is the most preferred platform because of its massive user base and dynamic advertising ecosystem.
To enter the Chinese business scene through search ads, you should focus on utilizing Baidu Pay-Per-Click (PPC) features.
Example of SDG’s Baidu Ad Campaign for Moxa
While search engine optimization can create organic traffic for brands, implementing search ads on Baidu helps your website landing pages appear at the top of SERPs for a specific keyword related to your niche or industry.
Besides texts, these Baidu PPC ads often include external links and other relevant details to user queries.
Foreign businesses can utilize a wide range of formats for Baidu advertisements. They can choose from in-feed ads and digital banner advertising to short videos and maps.
An advertiser can access the Baidu brand zone using an official service account. Through this ad format, you can secure top ad placements before the organic search results pages appear. It’ll bring you closer to relevant target audiences actively searching for terms related to your business and offerings.
Baidu Ads remains the largest SEM market share with a user-friendly interface like Google Ads. However, other search engines might be more cost-effective for advertising your brand and reaching a targeted audience.
● Haosou
Haosou is backed by Qihoo 360, one of China’s largest internet companies. It offers various services, including news, websites, images, videos, Q&A, images, music, and other services.
With mobile advertising in mind, Haosou was revamped and now serves as a cheaper alternative for running promotional campaigns in China. Due to its security features, it is often used in the workplace and can be an ideal channel for B2B marketing.
● Sogou
Sogou is a Tencent-owned search engine platform, which means it seamlessly integrates with QQ browsers and WeChat. While not as prominent as Baidu in China’s advertising market, it includes handy ad formats for various business needs.
With its strategic partnerships with other platforms, advertising campaigns launched on Sogou have the potential to reach a broader audience. Its ad formats range from Sogou Pinyin Ads (PC & Mobile Banner) to Brand Zones.
● Shenma
As a mobile-first platform, Shenma is an effective channel for launching advertising campaigns targeting China’s growing phone users. Consumers browse this platform for approximately 90 minutes on average, proving its user stickiness and consistent engagement.
Beyond the typical Shenma paid search that allows your content to appear on top of organic search results, the platform also features a mobile brand zone and ads with an app download CTA button.
2. Social Media Advertising in China
● WeChat Ads
With a WeChat official account, brands can access diverse advertising formats that cater to different marketing objectives and target audiences.
Marketers can choose to create different ad formats that appear on different consumer touchpoints, like Channels, built-in search results, or mini-programs. Each of these landscapes accommodates varying media types, so the user patterns are not as static as you’d think.
These WeChat ads can take various forms, including image & text ads, video ads, basic card ads, card ads with options, and interactive ads.
All official accounts on WeChat, including both Subscription and Service accounts, can use these ad formats to target specific audience groups. The targeting options can be based on various criteria such as location, age, gender, interests, device type, and phone network.
● Little Red Book Ads
Often dubbed the “Chinese Instagram,” Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu) is a lifestyle app initially dedicated to social media users interested in beauty and fashion. Today, the app is an all-in-one go-to source for every e-commerce needs.
And while the platform thrives on user-generated content, it also supports paid advertising options for the Chinese market. However, unlike other apps, brands can only choose from limited ad formats.
For example, Xiaonghongshu’s pop-up advertisement formats appear when users open the app. Meanwhile, integrated ads blend along with the organic content within the platform.
● Douyin Ads
For brands keen on expanding their digital footprint in the Chinese market, taking advantage of Douyin’s 755 million monthly active users is a great strategy to begin with. The platform also provides a full range of highly targeted advertising options, from brand takeovers to in-feed and playable ads.
Foreign advertisers can choose between two paid ad delivery platforms integrated within Douyin: Dou+ and OceanEngine. Both options can help you run ads and provide different campaign analysis.
The only difference is that OceanEngine is more geared towards e-commerce, while Dou+ is specifically designed for videos and livestreams.
Sina Weibo stands as a powerful platform for the Chinese advertising industry due to its extensive user base and ability to effectively target a brand’s followers and non-followers.
The diverse ad formats on Weibo cater to different marketing objectives, ensuring advertisers have the flexibility to craft campaigns that resonate effectively with their desired audience in China.
Fan Tunnels, for instance, is a Weibo digital advertising tool that enables brands to promote posts or accounts to non-followers. It provides a cost-effective method for increasing brand visibility.
3. Programmatic Advertising in China
The programmatic advertising landscape in China has seen gains in recent years. Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent (BAT) are playing a role in China similar to the one that Facebook and Google play in America.
Each tech giant has formed its own closed ecosystem, taking around 90% of the programmatic advertising market share. Therefore, ad campaigns cannot be fully optimized due to each platform’s sharing restrictions.
This advertising type provides advanced targeting and some of the most desirable ad placements for foreign brands.
● Baiyi Advertisements
This platform can enable your brand to run campaigns and be exposed to consumers through PC, Mobile and Television gateways. Your brand can also take advantage of its extensive network of 600,000 third-party websites and software providers partnered with Baidu.
Baiyi is an excellent choice for targeting desktop users because it allows you to target users based on interests, keywords, device type, etc.
Example of Baiyi ads on Baidu Tieba
● Tencent Ads
Tencent ads cover many platforms and might be China’s most popular ad network. It can easily place ads, gather data on WeChat, QQ, Tencent News and Tencent Video, and offer deep insights into customers’ personalized demands.
These are some of the most popular social media networking apps, making Tencent ads a very attractive opportunity for a foreign brand to market their products and services.
● Alimama
Alimama focuses a lot on e-commerce, but it’s widely known as a monetization platform. It accommodates all marketing needs for Alibaba products demanded by brands and retailers.
For example, it enables brands to place advertisements at the top of Taobao or T-mall searches. It also supports ad placements on various apps like Weibo, Netease, and IQiYi. Marketers can consider this platform if Alibaba-owned apps are part of their advertising strategy.
Example of ads at the top of search results on Taobao
4. Livestream Advertising in China
As live-streaming became a standard medium for Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) to connect with their followers, it became apparent that this marketing tool could help advertising campaigns appeal better to younger, tech-savvy Chinese consumers.
As you know, KOLs hold an influence over the purchasing decisions of many Chinese consumers. Thanks to this, collaborating with these influencers using live-streaming channels will allow you to tap into their massive fan bases and generate real-time engagement between you and your brand’s potential audience.
Livestreaming advertising on Tmall, Douyin and Weibo
Through the strategic integration of live-streaming and KOL partnerships, international brands can effectively captivate their target demographic, heighten their brand visibility, and solidify a lasting presence within the fiercely competitive Chinese advertising market.
How much does advertising cost in China?
Online advertising costs in China vary across different platforms, each catering to distinct business needs and budgets. For example, Baidu’s PPC advertising (Pay-Per-Click) has a required top-up cost of USD 1,000.
Weibo also operates with the same PPC format, but the platform’s display advertisements require between $6 to $8 per CPM. Meanwhile, the ad spending range of banner adverts in WeChat ranges from $22 to $26 per CPM.
The advertising costs across various platforms depend on the formats they offer. Businesses must assess their specific needs, target audience, and budget constraints when choosing the most suitable advertising platform in China.
What are the advertising restrictions in China?
Unlike the rest of the world, the Chinese internet landscape is strictly mandated by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Advertising Law, particularly on specific product categories.
Foreign companies must be mindful of these censorships, especially when creating content for advertisement campaigns. If not, advertisers may face penalties or have their websites and content restricted within the local digital landscape.
These advertising regulations cover specific promotions on product categories like:
- Medications
- Drugs
- Medical Tools
- Pesticides
- Veterinary Medications
- Health-related Food Products
- Formula Food for Specialized Medical Purposes
- Other advertising media covered by relevant laws and administrative regulations
If you’re unsure how to navigate these regulations for your advertising campaigns, seeking assistance from highly experienced digital marketing agencies can easily solve your dilemma.
Your Digital Advertising Partner In China!
The facets of Chinese digital advertising are much more vast and interconnected than simply posting an ad on a platform. But you shouldn’t be deterred from exploring different channels and platforms as long as you understand each.
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SDG’s experienced team is here to guide you through every twist and turn, unlocking your brand’s full potential and ensuring resounding success in this dynamic landscape.
We offer comprehensive services to empower your advertising strategies in China. From crafting compelling ad campaigns to harnessing the power of search engine platforms and social media channels, we provide the digital solutions you need to thrive. Contact us today to learn more!
References:
4 Smart Ways of Advertising in China
NEW MEASURES FOR ONLINE ADVERTISING IN CHINA: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
B2B Advertising China: Cost, Registration & The Right Platform For You
Digital Marketing in China: What You Need to Know