Social Media

Chinese consumer habits are primarily shaped by a unique culture and an ever-evolving digital ecosystem. From how people shop online to the role local social media apps play in influencing purchasing decisions, these audiences often behave in a way that often surprises foreign brands.

In 2023, sales from Xiaohongshu live streams experienced a notable surge. One obvious indication was its gross merchandise volume increasing 4.2 times based on year-on-year growth. This shift helped the platform solidify its place in China’s live-streaming business landscape.

While other marketers typically go for mainstream Chinese social media platforms like Weibo and Douyin, Zhihu presents itself as an underrated tool for digital marketing in China. In 2023, this professional knowledge-sharing platform recorded approximately 110.5 million local internet users utilizing this app monthly to look for in-depth answers to their day-to-day queries.

A WeChat business account enables marketers to build brand visibility, publish native content, launch targeted ads, and even sell directly through mini-programs. Read along as we break down everything you need to know, from the requirements to the step-by-step setup of your WeChat account, so that you can navigate the process with confidence. 

WeChat is China’s most widely adopted social media platform, with 1.4 billion monthly active users in 2026. It’s a super app that Chinese consumers rely on for daily life, integrating messaging, social networking, e-wallet, online shopping, and other services into a single landscape. When you enter the Chinese market, it can be a powerful marketing tool for building customer loyalty and driving relevant user engagement.

Live streaming has become an integral part of Chinese social media, with more than 765 million people tuning in regularly to watch and interact in real time. This shift reflects the strong appetite of local audiences for dynamic, immediate content that blends entertainment with community engagement.

When we refer to WeChat, new foreign marketers may think it’s the mobile app they can freely download on Apple and Google Play Store. However, there are two versions of this app. Weixin is not only the Chinese name but also a separate platform that exclusively caters to Mainland users.

Today, there are over 1.3 billion Chinese internet users. With 74.2% of this user base actively engaging via social media, it’s clear why more foreign businesses are pouring their resources into building their presence on these apps.

Douyin (抖音) is the Chinese counterpart of TikTok, developed by ByteDance. Widely recognized as the leading short-form video-sharing app in China, the platform recently surpassed 1 billion monthly active users in 2026. With the right strategy, its algorithm can help foreign brands distribute content and reach audiences beyond their existing follower base.

Xiaohongshu serves over 300 million monthly active users, with an average user spending at least 40 minutes on the platform per day. As a social media marketing channel in China, it heavily favors user-generated content (UGC) and community-centric activations. To succeed in this platform, brands must learn how to build organic content authority and appeal to the platform’s younger demographic.