Why Does Your Content Fall Flat In China?

Know your audience

China boasts a diverse and rapidly evolving business environment. The buyer journey is complex, particularly for B2B markets, and developing great content is essential for cutting through the noise. Brands that acknowledge and embrace these nuances are better positioned to craft content that captures the attention of their Chinese target audience.

Speaking of which, getting to know your Chinese audience intimately, and developing detailed personas specifically for your China content, is strong jumping off point for developing a China content marketing strategy. You can ensure that the messaging in your China content is speaking directly to the wants and needs of your target audience, and make sure your personas are matched to your China marketing channels and their buyer journey pain points.

Get your localization balance right

There is no need to completely abandon your successful global content, it can still be valuable as part of your China content strategy, but there needs to be a balance between well localized global content, and content that has been developed bespoke for your Chinese consumers.

Successful B2B brands recognize the importance of localization. Translating content verbatim from one language to another is not sufficient; it must be adapted to align with the cultural, linguistic, and regulatory nuances of the Chinese market. This includes using appropriate idioms, understanding social norms, and incorporating local trends to make the content more relatable to the target audience.

Building trust through thought leadership

In the B2B realm, trust is paramount. Chinese businesses value relationships and reliability when engaging with global partners. B2B brands that establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry by providing valuable insights and expertise through their content are more likely to gain the trust of Chinese audiences. This can be achieved through webinars, whitepapers, and other forms of content that showcase industry knowledge and innovation.

Leveraging Chinese Social Media Platforms

China has its own set of popular social media platforms, such as WeChat, Weibo, and Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok). B2B brands that understand the importance of these platforms and leverage them effectively can significantly enhance their reach and engagement. Creating content tailored for these channels, such as visually appealing infographics and short videos, can help capture the attention of a wider China audience.

Mobile first is an important concept here as well. China has embraced mobile technology like nowhere else. This means that most of your content output is going to be viewed on a mobile device. Make sure that your content is optimized for this platform, so it benefits from a great user experience.

Amplification

We’ve spoken many times about the challenges of growing your follower-base in China. For example, one of the issues brands must overcome when they launch their WeChat strategy is accounting for the private traffic limitations.

Being a proactive member of a digital community, collaborating with industry influencers and partnerships with key trade media will all contribute to amplifying your content and boost engagement.

Taking a strategic, long-term approach to your China B2B marketing content and having a content plan that covers multiple channels, messaging pillars and target audiences will certainly help to ensure that all that brilliant content your spent time and resources creating will hit home as you want to with your Chinese audience.