Why is mobile marketing important in China?

10th March 2017
|In Mobile Marketing
|By Market Me China

When it comes to mobile marketing, China is drawing together the potential of data, social marketing, and mobile devices, and evolving so that more and more people are realising the potential of the virtual world.

In China, this coming together of popular trends is known as “Internet Plus”, a reference to the manner in which traditional industries have been, and continue to be, directly affected by newly developed business models, including mobile marketing. According to a CNNIC Statistical Survey on Internet Development in China, by December 2016, China boasts 731 million internet users, 695 million of whom are mobile internet users. This accounts for a staggering 95.1% of the total internet users population.

The impact of mobile marketing on the consumption of content

A large aspect of this evolution is a result of the manner in which people in China access the internet. CNNIC’s research indicates that the percentage of the Chinese population using the internet is roughly 49%. Compared to the United States this is a drop in the bucket, as around 87% of Americans are online, and yet the number of internet users in each country is 668m and 279m, respectively.

With less than 50 percent of their population online, China already have almost double the number of internet users as the United States.People in China are also focused very keenly on mobile internet usage, with around 90% of Chinese internet users utilising a smartphone to get online. When stacked up against Britain, the US, and European countries, this is a staggeringly high percentage, with only 57% of internet users in the United States using smartphones.

The shape of Chinese smartphones compared to those in the UK

The behaviour of the Chinese audience is also different from Western countries. Chinese internet users are far more likely to shop online, and far more likely to respond to mobile adverts. While this is excellent news for mobile marketing in China, it’s important to understand the cultural difference in phone use in China, compared to Western countries. By understanding the impact of these kinds of local designs on social media channels, it’s possible for international marketers to easily tailor their campaigns in extremely powerful ways.

The extremely high usage of mobile internet in China has led to an increased demand for quality content. As such, content marketing now goes hand in hand with mobile marketing on the Chinese front, and between these two powerhouses the Chinese market has become very lucrative indeed. The number of people in China turning to mobile marketing is increasingly rising, meaning this surge in lucrative opportunities is not going anywhere, any time soon.Market Me China specialises in helping Western businesses with targeted online advertising on Chinese social media channels such as Weibo FenSiTong, Tencent GuangDianTong, Youku, as well as on top apps like TouTiao. We understand the differences and characters of the Chinese online world, and exactly how to tailor your strategy to suit the unique local market in China.

Looking to find out more about what mobile marketing in China can do for your business? Get in touch with us today. We provide online solutions to Western brands by using Chinese marketing channels, and we would be happy to help.