Promoting Your Business Online in China

The number of available options for promoting your business online in China can make it difficult to choose the right platform for your particular situation. Here are a few tips for getting the most out of your advertising and marketing budget for promoting products through E-commerce, selling vehicles online and marketing financial services:

Selling Online through E-Commerce Sites

Product images with streaming copy, banner advertising and apps that interface with the visitor are all effective ways of increasing your online sales. If there’s room in your budget, video clips will help boost your brand’s image, as well as enhance the perceived value of your product or service.

Some of the major platforms for selling goods or services online in China include Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent. Another method is to use third party ad exchange (ADX) servers, which provide publishers with advertisements that are then displayed across various formats. Inserting ads into news feeds on sites like Sohu is also an effective means of reaching your target market. Other options include sell-side platforms (SSPs) like Headline Today and Sohu, or online video platforms such as iQiyi.

When choosing a platform, consider whether it’s compatible with your product’s features. Other factors to take into account are your target market, and, of course, your marketing budget. As an example, if you’re selling beauty products but have limited marketing funds, using embedded video clips or applications that interface with site visitors might not be good choices, since you’ll be charged each time your ad is viewed or clicked. A better solution might be to advertise on major shopping platforms like Xiaohongshu or Meiyou using images of your product with banners or in-stream copy.

Many advertising platforms will provide profiles of their users and visitors to help you decide whether their services will help you meet your sales objectives. A much simpler solution, however, is to get in touch with the online marketing experts at Eggplant Digital.

Selling Cars and Trucks in China

Selling vehicles in China can be difficult, due partly to governmental restrictions and tariffs on imported automobiles. Here are a few tips for overcoming the obstacles and reaching your target market:

• Video Clip Advertising is a great choice for selling vehicles online. When properly designed and implemented, a short video clip ad will leave the viewer with a lasting, positive impression. Some of the major platforms for video clip advertising are Aiqiyi, Youku and Tencent.
• Application Programming Interface (API) Advertising is another way to sell cars, trucks and other vehicles online. An example of an API that can be used to advertise vehicles online is Auto.Sohu.Com.
• Streaming Video Advertising on sites like Auto.Sohu.Com that are dedicated exclusively to selling cars, trucks and SUVs is another great means of increasing vehicle sales in China.

Financial Services Advertising

The target market for advertising and promoting financial services online is highly educated, well-paid professionals, 70% of which are males. Advertising methods that have proven to be effective include in-stream promotions, large banner advertising and API advertising. Among the top platforms are Wang Yi, Wall Street News and WeChat.

Interactive advertising is also effective means of promoting financial services. An example is using Hongbao, which is a traditional red envelope or packet that contains something of value, such as small gift, discount coupon or similar incentive for a person to visit the advertiser’s website. When the prospective customer clicks on the Hongbao icon, he or she is automatically taken to the advertiser’s website landing page. Hongbao variations include Golden Egg, Wheel of Fortune, Roll the Dice and similar games of chance.

Regardless of your industry sector, the knowledgeable and highly experienced IT professionals at Eggplant Digital will create a unique marketing program that will help you succeed in the highly competitive Chinese market. Contact us online or call us at +86 10 6503 0620 to discuss your business’s unique needs.