8
o2-v2.com http://www.o2-v2.com/en/blog/what-fortune-100-social-media-teaches-would-be-chinese-global-brands What Fortune 100 Social Media Teaches Would-Be Chinese Global Brands If you're a Chinese manufacturer who is looking to 'go global,' there is a lot to be gained from examining how the biggest global brands, the Fortune 100, use social media to spread the word about themselves and communicate with their customers. Leveraging Western social media to your benefit is a key part of learning how to become a brand instead of merely another Chinese manufacturer of cheap items or components. In fact, even some famous Chinese global brands are now creating excellent content on Western social channels, and if they can do it, so can you! Take a look at the infographic below and then join Oxygen 2.0 as we discover what we can learn from its information to benefit our own businesses... Would-Be Chinese Global Brands Can Learn From How The Fortune 100 Use Social Channels

What fortune 100 social media teaches would be chinese global brands

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

o2-v2.com http://www.o2-v2.com/en/blog/what-fortune-100-social-media-teaches-would-be-chinese-global-brands

What Fortune 100 Social Media Teaches Would-Be Chinese GlobalBrands

If you're a Chinese manufacturer who is looking to 'go global,' there is a lot to be gained from examining how thebiggest global brands, the Fortune 100, use social media to spread the word about themselves and communicatewith their customers.

Leveraging Western social media to your benefit is a key part of learning how to become a brand instead of merelyanother Chinese manufacturer of cheap items or components.

In fact, even some famous Chinese global brands are now creating excellent content on Western social channels,and if they can do it, so can you!

Take a look at the infographic below and then join Oxygen 2.0 as we discover what we can learn from its informationto benefit our own businesses...

Would-Be Chinese Global Brands Can Learn From How The Fortune 100 Use SocialChannels

Infographic courtesy of Flowtown

First let's consider the statistics about the 4 types of social media covered here: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, andBlogging.

An interesting statistic is that:

"20% of Fortune 100 companies use all four of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Blogs."> (Tweet this stat) <

If they are found useful enough for 1 in 5 of the most important global companies to use each of them, then theremust be a good reason.

Also interestingly, only half of Asian Fortune 100s use at least one of these channels, demonstrating that you're notalone if they're new to you. This could be due to language and culture, as not all of these Western social channels arewidely known in much of Asia, but that's not to say that you should ignore them, as your next foreign customer isprobably waiting there.

Twitter

Two thirds of global Fortune 100 companies use Twitter,and this could be due to its ease of use and accessibility. It isfairly simple in comparison to the wide array of options open to Facebook pages, and the difficulty of making video.

Much like Sina Weibo in many ways, Twitter allows users to follow their favourite people and brands, and send short140 character messages including images, videos, or links.

Since Twitter has around 300 Million active monthly users, this makes it a great place for would-be Chinese globalbrands to get in touch with them.

By using hashtags you can also be sure that people searching for your type of products or industry will find yourtweets, and it's so fast and easy that you only need to spend a few moments each day to share something new andreply to any questions.

"Here is our guide to hashtag best practices that can help you to get found onTwitter: http://bit.ly/HashtagBestPractice" > (Tweet this guide) <

Facebook

While not as popular as Twitter, Facebook is still widely used by 54% of Fortune 100s, and since it is the largestsocial network with a huge 1.3 Billion active monthly users, it is definitely worth having a presence there.

The statistics suggest that Facebook fans of Fortune 100s like to use the platform as a place to get in touch with theirfavourite brands, as:

"43% of Fortune 100 Facebook pages have posts from fans, and 41% of their posts get commented onby their fans too." > (Tweet this stat) <

Facebook is not only great for customer support, but you can also advertise reasonably cheaply to the numerousFacebook users so it's worth investigating if you can find many of new potential overseas customers there.

YouTube

2015 is said to be 'the year of video,' and it's true, as everywhere you look people are streaming video on their mobiledevices or pcs.

YouTube is the largest video site on the net, and in fact it is so large that:

"YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google itself with around 3 Billion searches permonth just for video!" > (Tweet this stat) <

68% of Fortune 100 channels have new videos uploaded, and more importantly 76% of fans comment on them, farhigher than Facebook, demonstrating just how popular video is these days.

Another good thing about video is that even if you don't speak excellent English, by showing your products orservices to the world you don't need to! People generally prefer to be shown and not told anyway, and video watchinghas become such a regular habit these days that by not making video, you're being left behind the curve.

Blogging

Blogging is arguably the easiest of the four social channels here for Chinese manufacturers to tap into. Whereas itmay not be too easy to access the other three channels in China, although large Chinese global brands certainly do,there is nothing stopping you from starting your own blog.

You're reading a blog right now, so to describe it I'd say that it is a fairly short post explaining something which canhelp someone.

In your case you need to be writing with your foreign customers in mind, and showing them ways in which they cansolve their common problems. You may simply share free advice which helps them trust and like you, or show howyour products or services help them. Company news too is also a good option, as your blog can be used as a 'noticeboard' where interested foreign customers can learn more about your business.

Blogging is perhaps quite time-consuming, but how else can you speak directly to your potential customers?

Fortune 100s clearly agree, as they average 7 blog posts per month, almost 2 each week!

Good Enough For Fortune 100s, Good Enough For You?

As we have seen, social media is very widely used by some of the best and brightest Fortune 100 companies. But ifyou're thinking: "Yes, but most of these aren't Chinese global brands," Think again.

Here is Huawei's Facebook page:

Here you can see that Oppo are on YouTube:

And ZTE are on Twitter:

So the question is, what's stopping you?

There is a potential foreign audience of well over 1 Billion people using these channels, many of whom could be yourcustomers if only they could see you there...

One of the most accessible social channels for Chinese manufacturers to take advantage of in order to start reachinga new foreign audience is blogging. If Fortune 100 companies utilise it to their advantage, then perhaps you can.

However Chinese companies can struggle with blogging in English.

Perhaps you don't know how to start a blog.

English is not your first language.

You're unsure of how to write a good blog.

It's worth persevering though, as a blog helps you communicate with potential new foreign customers in theirlanguage and be found by them when they're searching for your industry, products, or services.

Oxygen 2.0 have made it easier for Chinese companies like you to start blogging in English!

Just click below to download your free copy of "Better Business Blogging For Chinese Companies Ebook" and soonyou'll be blogging and pulling in new customers just like the Fortune 100s are!

Posted by Adrian Leighton on Fri 03 Apr, 2015

Adrian has been in China for 7 years! He is experienced in all things inbound marketing, social media,blogging, and SEO. When at play he enjoys weight-training, reading, watching TV shows with his wife,and baking!

Topics: Social Media • chinese manufacturers