Maimai (脉脉) Explained: The Chinese LinkedIn Alternative

Building and maintaining strong professional relationships is essential for any B2B marketer, especially for those outside China who want to connect with domestic partners and collaborators.

With LinkedIn blocked in China, many professionals and businesses have turned to Maimai, a fast-growing social networking platform that fills the gap. What started as a job-hunting and career-building tool has evolved into a platform where global brands can connect with potential investors, partners, and industry experts.

In this article, we share our perspective on how Maimai functions as a B2B social media platform and explore the ways it can support your business growth in China.

 

What is Maimai (脉脉) in China?

Maimai (脉脉) is often described as the “Chinese LinkedIn,” yet it brings its own unique character to professional networking. It combines elements of job searching, community discussions, and industry-focused groups, all within a single ecosystem that appeals to China’s digital workforce.

Originally launched in October 2013, Maimai was a platform designed for job seekers. Over time, it has evolved into something much bigger. Today, it is not only a social media platform for finding work opportunities, but also a place where professionals and insiders share insights, exchange opinions, and build connections beyond their immediate workplace.

 

 

Unlike many Western platforms, Maimai thrives by adapting to the social habits of local professionals in China. Users come not just to look for jobs but to explore industry trends, share unfiltered brand opinions, and quietly monitor competitors.

 

What Makes Maimai Different From Other B2B Platforms in China?

• Professional Networking
  At its core, Maimai offers career-oriented connections and job postings. Recruiters and job seekers use it much like LinkedIn, but with a stronger emphasis on local companies and tech-related industries.

• Anonymous Posting
  One of the biggest differentiators is its anonymous function. Users can discuss workplace politics, salaries, and management issues without attaching their real names. This feature has made Maimai a hub for candid insights and user-generated content that would rarely surface on platforms like WeChat or Weibo.

• Industry Communities
  Beyond the job market, Maimai is home to topic-driven groups where professionals exchange ideas, from AI development to startup culture. These micro-communities act as both learning spaces and sounding boards for real-time feedback.

What This Means for B2B Marketers Trying to Use Maimai in China

If you’re entering the Chinese market, Maimai can serve as a subtle research tool. By observing conversations:

• You’ll see how industry insiders talk about competitors.

• You can identify pain points and needs that might not be obvious in official reports.

• You gain social proof of whether a company or brand is praised or criticized, which influences potential partnerships.

Chinese internet users are famously thorough when evaluating brands. They often cross-check a company’s image across multiple platforms before deciding whether to buy, collaborate, or invest.

 

A Quick Comparison of LinkedIn vs Maimai

 

 

Content Strategy: Top-Down vs Peer-In

LinkedIn rewards authority. You post a whitepaper, a report, or a leadership insight, and you hope for professional validation.

Meanwhile, Maimai functions more like a cross between LinkedIn and Xiaohongshu. Users respond to peer stories, workplace trends, and crowd-sourced content.

It’s a bottom-up content economy, and that matters for B2B marketing campaigns in China. Brands that engage through human stories, employer reputation, or upskilled community dialogue often outperform those just pushing ads.

 

Platform Dynamics: Profiles vs Topics

LinkedIn’s algorithm favors personal branding. If you’re not a known face or thought leader, your posts might go unseen. In Maimai, topics trend. Comments go viral. Content isn’t just attached to people. It connects to industries and businesses.

This topic-first model enables brands to tap into emerging conversations between real users, even without a huge following.

 

Who Uses Maimai in China?

According to the platform’s official website, Maimai has over 120 million registered users from different professions, industries, and companies. If you look at the graph below, you’ll notice that most of the traffic on Maimai comes from male users, with only 24.73% female.

 

Maimai.cn Gender User Distribution (Source: similarweb.com)

 

It’ll also surprise you that jobs and employment are not the most popular categories within this local workplace networking app. Most Maimai users talk and engage with posts related to programming, developer software, technology, and computers.

 

Maimai.cn Age User Distribution (Source: similarweb.com)

 

Furthermore, Maimai users are highly concentrated in the 25-34 age group. This insight is not surprising, as most Chinese professionals are actively seeking jobs and building careers at this age.

Nevertheless, the statistics show that Maimai has a relatively balanced age distribution among users aged 18 to 54.

 

Key Features of Maimai Professional Networking Platform in China

1.    Community-Centric Networking Site

Maimai organizes its platform into various industry-specific communities. As a result, company owners and managers can engage directly with professionals within their own industry. It also ensures marketers can effectively network and share niche-specific trends and knowledge with the right audience.

 

2.  Pseudonymous Posting (职言 / “Workplace Talk”)

Maimai’s best-known feature is its workplace discussion board, where employees post candidly about pay, management, layoffs and company culture. It is important to be precise about how “anonymous” this actually is, because the platform’s own history has narrowed the term.

 

 

The platform originally ran a genuinely anonymous section (匿名区). On 25 July 2018, the Beijing Cyberspace Administration and the Beijing Public Security Bureau jointly summoned Maimai and ordered the anonymous posting function to be closed, citing rumor-spreading and defamation.

Maimai relaunched it as 职言 (Zhíyán), in which every poster is assigned a persistent, unique, unchangeable ID, and the underlying account remains real-name-registered on the backend.

 

3.    AI-Powered Algorithm

In addition to matching job listings with the best candidates, Maimai employs sophisticated AI algorithms to streamline the recruitment process for brands, providing them with a curated list of candidates who align with the specific skills and experience they seek.

Additionally, the platform leverages AI and big data analytics to help analyze user behavior and facilitate more effective networking for companies.

 

4.    Comprehensive User Profiles

On Maimai, users can go beyond just uploading a CV. They can build a complete profile and portfolio, enabling them to present a well-rounded picture of their professional life to prospective companies.

It also enables business owners to gain a more holistic view of potential candidates, assessing their suitability more effectively.

 

What are the Best Practices for B2B Marketing on Maimai?

●     Maximize the Search Feature

Most social platforms in China have a built-in search engine to cater to the needs of their users and enhance engagement between brands and users. For this exact reason, Mamai integrates its system with a reliable search functionality.

 

 

It enables exploration across categories such as users, job postings, anonymous postings, trending topics, and news updates.

This extensive range of resources enables companies to conduct thorough research, identify potential clients, and stay up to date on industry trends and news.

 

●     Utilize the VIP & Advertising Options

For more extensive engagement, this workplace networking site offers VIP accounts for approximately 70 CNY per month that include additional features not available to free accounts.

One significant advantage of VIP accounts is increased access to search results and connections, enabling brands to expand their networks more effectively.

Additionally, Maimai provides targeted advertising options, where ads are integrated based on user profiles, increasing the likelihood of engagement and shareability. These ad formats can be a mix of display banners and content ads.

 

 

●    Launch Live-streaming Campaigns

Live streaming is increasingly popular among Chinese consumers. Because of this, this feature can be a powerful tool for brands promoting in Maimai.

By hosting workplace live streaming sessions, companies can build brand influence through interactive sessions, such as workplace insights, recruitment plazas, and other engaging activities.

These live events provide an immersive experience for potential clients and partners, fostering a deeper connection with the brand.

 

●     Leverage User-Generated Content

Creating and sharing top-notch content is crucial when using Maimai for your digital marketing strategies. However, engaging with and promoting user-generated content, such as reviews, testimonials, and discussions, is more effective at enhancing your brand’s credibility and relatability in the market.

Utilizing UGC builds trust with users. As a result, it’ll also influence Chinese consumers’ purchasing decisions and enhance overall brand awareness.

 

Is Maimai (脉脉) Still Popular in China?

Yes, Maimai maintains its popularity in China, connecting 120 million verified professionals and reaching 30 million monthly active users in 2026. This makes it one of China’s largest professional networking communities. Right now, around 82% of the top 500 companies in China have a presence on the platform.

Maimai’s lead was established long before LinkedIn’s withdrawal. As far back as June 2018, the platform had already penetrated 83.8% of the professional networking market in China. It significantly outperforms LinkedIn China, which accounted for only 11.8% of the overall industry at its peak.

LinkedIn’s departure happened in two stages: in October 2021, it announced it would sunset its localized social networking service in China, and in December 2021 it replaced it with InCareer, a job board with no social feed. InCareer itself closed on 9 August 2023.

With LinkedIn out of the picture, Maimai became not just the biggest China-based platform but also the leading professional networking platform in terms of user rate and engagement.

 

Why did LinkedIn shut down in China?

Like Facebook and Google, LinkedIn announced the termination of its professional networking services locally due to its challenging operating and compliance requirements. Additionally, the company lost its foothold due to China’s segmented and fluctuating market nature.

The success of LinkedIn in the local industry also seems unclear, primarily due to fierce competition among local platforms.

 

Photo by Bastian Riccardi from Pexels

 

What’s Changed on Maimai Recently

Maimai has moved quickly since late 2025, and the shift has been overwhelmingly in one direction: AI recruitment. The pivot includes integration of DeepSeek-R1 into its job-matching stack in February 2025, following the October 2024 launch of its Headhunter Agent (猎头Agent) service.

Its recruitment data is now, in effect, published market intelligence. A live read on which Chinese firms are scaling, in which cities, and in which industries. The 职言 board remains the single best free source of unfiltered professional sentiment on your competitors and your own employer brand.

 

Quick Q&A

Can you still access LinkedIn in China?

Technically, LinkedIn is no longer accessible locally. Due to content censorship and advertising laws imposed by the Chinese government, the company was restricted. Although VPNs may seem like a quick solution, remember that using platforms that are blocked by the Great Firewall is not officially legal in the country.

 

What are the competitors of LinkedIn in China?

In China, LinkedIn’s competitors are Maimai, Douban, Dajie, and WeChat. Each of these sites offers unique professional networking opportunities. They also provide avenues to foster effective business connections and client outreach.

 

What content formats perform best on Maimai for B2B?

On Maimai, professional insights shared through long-form articles and industry commentary gain strong digital engagement from B2B audiences in China. Anonymous discussion posts about workplace trends or company news also perform well, as they invite open participation. Additionally, job postings and career-related updates are widely used formats that align with the platform’s core purpose.

 

How much does Maimai membership cost?

Opening a regular Maimai account is free, but it has limited content features. For extensive features, users can avail a paid VIP premium tier that costs around 70 CNY per month.

 

Your Trusted Digital Marketing Partner in the Chinese Market!

With its unique blend of professional networking and social media features, Maimai provides a dynamic environment for businesses to connect with industry experts, expand their professional networks, and enhance brand awareness.

However, as with any platform in China’s digital market, foreign marketers must approach Maimai with a deep understanding of its unique features and user behaviors.

 

 

Our experienced team at Sekkei Digital Group is here to guide you through every twist and turn, unlocking your brand’s full potential and ensuring resounding success in this dynamic landscape.

From crafting compelling marketing campaigns to harnessing the power of SEO and social media, we provide the digital solutions you need to thrive. Contact us for assistance if you’re ready to elevate your marketing strategy!