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The FACEBOOK of CHINA - China's Social Networking Site Structure

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with caimeiju.com

Attempting to explain Chinese Social Media is no easy feat, especially when most people are not even aware of its existence.  For businesses like Caimeiju we pay close attention because this landscape is always evolving and determines how we leverage it in marketing efforts for our clients.

In many of our blog entries I attempt to highlight some aspect of Chinese Social Media, so you can imagine how excited I was to find this month's issue of Fast Company Magazine with"The FACEBOOK of CHINA" boldly written across the cover.

The SOCIAL (IST) NETWORKS - Link to article click here

"Netizen" is the name given to describe Chinese internet users. In China the percentage of Netizen's using some sort of social media is actually a much higher percentage than those using Social Networking in the United States. Not only is the percentage higher, but the growth rate is staggering.

So why would an article about Social Networking in China be the cover story of a magazine whose readers are mostly C-Level marketers, entrepreneurs, and tech marketing gurus?

I believe the answer is marketing penetration potential for western brands. Let's face it, by successfully tapping into only a fraction of China's huge population, tremendous profits can be achieved. Now combine this with the country's new wealth and the possibilities are more than appealing. 

 Before we get into the various types and uses of Chinese Social Media, it is important to note what the article states is the basis for the growth of this phenomena.

•1.       First is the ability to obtain information. Before social networking, people in China mostly relied on getting information from news sources controlled by the state. Now the sharing of information and opinions is much easier and much faster.

•2.       This second reason is an indirect result of the first. Although social networking makes the sharing of opinions and information much easier, it does not come without restriction. The Chinese Government is very sensitive about certain subject matter, especially ideas criticizing the State. For the Chinese Social Media Sites to stay in compliance, they must monitor the content in order not to get shut down by government regulators.

It is much harder to regulate Western Social Media sites, this is why Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and many blog platforms like Blogger, are blocked all together from China. The blockage of popular Western sites is commonly referred to as the "Great Firewall of China" This restriction of western sites provides an open door for local copycat sites to emerge. Many of these site look exactly like the sites we are familiar with, down to their page layout, and color schemes.

•3.       Freedom of expression is the 3rdreason for the explosive growth of Chinese Social Networking. Chinese people who utilize these sites now have a platform to express their individuality in a county which is traditionally more reserved.

 

 

So back to the statement above; how does Western marketing fit into Chinese Social Media?

Traditionally, China has been an extremely difficult place to do business. A successful platform in the U.S. does not guarentee success over there. (just reference Meg Whitman's failed attempt to launch EBay in China). But with China's economy growing at astronomical rates, it cannot be ignored and marketers who get China right can reap huge rewards. 

Chinese Social Media is now a chosen conduit for foreign marketers to reach the masses. Social media sites are not only for high-school and college kids, but have adapted, and are highly segmented  based on the user. RenRen is commonly referred to as the Facebook of China but Kaixin001 is known as the Social Network RenRen users migrate to when they become white collar workers.  Many luxury brands are allocating large portions of their marketing budgets into marketing in China and Chinese Social media is definitely part of the picture.

Caimeiju Sina Blog

 

How does Real Estate fit into the picture?

Realtors outside of China have a lot to gain by attracting the attention of Chinese people. In the last few years, the pools of usual buyers have dwindled, especially in the luxury markets where multi-million dollar price reductions are not uncommon.  

I would find it safe to say that the majority, if not all of the people reading this are computer savvy to some extent, and also use Facebook or Twitter to promote their business. How many realtors do you know  who can say their listings or business info have been posted to RenRen, Kaixin001, SouFun, Sina, or even have a virtual tour on Youku or Tudou? If you find yourself in a listing presentation competing with another agent, what would your potential client say if you were able to promise their property would be posted to all of these places?

Fast Company Magazine provides an in-depth breakdown of these Chinese Social Media Sites and with their U.S. equivalents. To see the full article, click here. Below is the high-level overview.

Google = Baidu.com
Yelp = Dianping.com
EBay = taobao.com
YouTube = Tudou or Youku
Twitter = t.sina.com.cn
Wikipedia = baike.baidu.com
Amazon = dangdang.com
Expedia = ctrip.com

There is even something similar to Active Rain called SouFun. SouFun is one of the largest real estate portals in the world but also facilitates the ability for users to host their own profile pages and blogs. The downside is that unless you can type Chinese you can't post or sign up for an account.  Here is the link to our Caimeiju blog on Soufun blog.soufun/caimeiju.com

We admit, this type of marketing is not for everyone, but if this is a direction you want to take your business, please drop us a note.

We welcome any thoughts or comments. Thanks for reading.

 

 

 

  

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