TOP 5 MARKETING STRATEGIES TO WIN OVER CHINESE TRAVELERS

When communicating with potential Chinese travelers through social media or creating content to share on the likes of Weibo, WeChat etc., it is necessary to keep an eye on the character of uploaded posts. It is not sufficient to just translate something that was created previously for other groups of consumers. Editing the content based on cultural differences is the ideal way that could eventually give you the key to the Chinese consumers’ hearts.

Top quality translations are a necessity. Assigning a Chinese native speaker in charge of content creation is a step that could make your life easier. Other than that it must be taken into account that marketing styles vary throughout countries and continents. Chinese businesses have adopted marketing strategies involving images, cute cartoons, funny comics, emoticons etc. This might be seen as something unprofessional in Europe, but as a matter of fact it is just a different way of transmitting information and content.

The social media environment in China evolves rapidly, which is why it is important to stay up-to-date and be able to identify and use the most relevant platforms. As of now the two fundamental social media are Sina Weibo and WeChat. However, times may change, which is why it is necessary to keep an eye on what the latest trends in China are.

For example, RenRen was labelled as the “Chinese Facebook”, but unlike Facebook in the west, RenRen did not enjoy a stable and long-term popularity. This, among other examples and the large variety of social media in China, demonstrates how the field is evolving in the Far East, which is something one must not underestimate.

There is a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. When it comes to Chinese travelers and consumers in general it is especially true. The truth is that there is probably no better way to improve high quality content than adding a photo.

Visualizing content will, exaggeratedly speaking, make Chinese users “wish they were there”.  This can be said about photographs in general, varying from stunning landscapes to the most minimalistic visualizations. Though it is necessary to take things easy and be careful not to overload customers with too many pictures. In that case, the reactions may turn from ecstatic to somewhat annoyed.

Celebrities? Yes, exactly. Chinese travelers, young and old, are crazy about their favorite actors and singers and enjoy every sort of interaction with them via social media. This is why inviting a celebrity to take part in a promotional campaign may be an ace up your sleeve.

Obviously, this is a difficult task in some countries, as not all celebrities are globally recognized. Alternatively, it is possible to invite Chinese celebrities to act as some sort of ambassadors in a promotional campaign. This is almost a guaranteed winning move.

These celebrities will publicize your destination or company which will earn you a lot of visibility and potential new customers among their followers on a large variety of social media.

Take pictures of your food! These days there is a general obsession with taking pictures of everything, including food. Supposedly this trend started in China and other Asian countries.

As a matter of fact, in China there are many so called foodies, who eat, take pictures of what they eat and share them with their friends on social media. Stereotypically Chinese travelers always visit Chinese restaurants even when abroad, but right now Chinese visitors seem to be more and more keen on trying something else. This is why showing high quality pictures of traditional and special dishes is also a great way how to gain attention of prospective Chinese clients.

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