Launched in 2009, Sina Weibo is China’s version of Twitter and Facebook. It has 376 million monthly active users as of Q3 2017, surpassing Twitter’s 330 million. Weibo is a great platform for businesses looking to promote their products and services in the Chinese market. The key is to use a marketing approach that focuses on building trust between the brand and consumers. Quality original Weibo posts are the best way to do this. As with all social media platforms, the key is to keep your content engaging and interesting so consumers will want to interact and share it.
Unlike other social networks, Weibo allows users to directly search for businesses, making it easier to find what they are looking for. To maximize this feature, businesses should ensure their Weibo accounts have a clear and concise business description with appropriate keywords. This will help them show up in searches on the Weibo platform as well as in other platforms such as Google and Baidu.
A successful Weibo campaign also requires the right timing. For example, we recommend running your ads during the morning and evening rush hours as these are when Weibo users are most active. Moreover, ad campaigns should focus on entertainment and lifestyle related topics as this is what most Weibo users are interested in. This will allow you to reach a wide audience and build your brand awareness.
Weibo has a number of advertising options to suit any budget. For businesses with a large community of followers, a special verified account can be created to increase the visibility of Weibo posts. These accounts are identified by a “V-verified account” stamp next to the account name. Other advertising options include paid ads and branded search results. Paid ads allow businesses to target specific Weibo users and are based on the cost per engagement, which includes likes, forwards/retweets, clicks, and comments.
Branded search results are based on the type of content that a company wants to appear in a Weibo user’s discovery feed. These are highly effective for promoting specific products and services and can be used to generate sales leads. Companies can also choose to display their ad on other Weibo accounts with a large following.
Another form of Weibo Marketing is a giveaway campaign. These are usually a combination of physical and virtual prizes and can be used to drive traffic to the brand’s website or store. In addition, these campaigns can be used to promote events or even the Weibo account itself.
To boost brand awareness, a Weibo mini shop can be set up to allow consumers to easily purchase your products or services. This can be especially useful for O2O, e-commerce and IT companies. To encourage customers to visit the mini shop, a QR code or link to the Weibo account can be included in advertisements, newsletters, name cards and other promotional material. It is also recommended to add the Weibo icon linked to your website to your company’s social bar.