In the era of information explosion, online searching is indispensable in our life. It is common to use search engines such as Baidu and so.com. However, they are not the most outstanding anymore since different UGC platforms such as Douyin and Toutiao went viral nowadays. Due to the active immersion on these social media platforms, users easily connect with various brands displayed on their social profiles and ads. More details will be explained in the followings.

1. Changes in the search habits of Chinese users – the rage of UGC

• Nearly 70% of users routinely search for information on multi-platforms

According to the data by Urora, users averagely search on 3.84 platforms per day and use different platforms based on their content needs. 47.9% of users use 3-5 platforms, 16.4% use 6-8, and 3.7% use more than 9. Almost 70% of users habitually search for information on more than one platform daily. Thus, users are generally used to combining different types of platforms while searching.

• Short video and social media apps are popular for searching, apart from search engines

As stated by the research of Urora, the toppest type of platform used for searching, which the penetration rate is 71.5%, is still traditional search engine. Followings are short video and social media apps, respectively 68.7% and 62%. Therefore, users search through various content-based apps, especially short video apps and social media apps, apart from independent search engines.

2. Different types of the representative Chinese platforms

• Douyin - The leading short-video app in China 

With more than 550 million active users monthly, Douyin is by far the leading short-video app in China. In its first year after its launch in September 2016, Douyin amassed a user base of 100 million. Live streaming and short video creation are the most popular features among users in China.

For search ads on Douyin, brands can define specific keywords related to their brand name (e.g., Tiffany), services (investment) or business. Many international brands, including Gucci, Sephora, and Farfetch, use search ads to drive traffic to the official website or download the official App. 

• WeChat - The biggest social media platform in China

WeChat, a social media, instant messaging, and payment app, was created in China in 2011. It, surpassing 1 billion monthly active users in 2018, is one of the top 10 social networks worldwide and the biggest social media platform in the nation.

WeChat search ads support brand terms, category terms, general terms, and other search terms and are naturally integrated into the search result list in its native form. With a full range of search entrances, it fully connects the WeChat ecology, and users help advertisers obtain efficient exposure and conversion and promote business operations.

• TouTiao - The biggest News and information platform in China

Toutiao is a Chinese news and information content platform. With 120 million daily active users as of September 2017, Toutiao is one of China's major mobile platforms for content production, aggregation, and distribution supported by machine learning methods. It ranks among the biggest demand-side platforms in China.

Toutiao users searching for content containing your target keywords may see your search advertising. Additionally, because suggested search ads closely match user search intent, they frequently result in increased conversions for your business.

• The famous E-commerce/ social media platform for Generation Z – Xiaohongshu

Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) debuted in 2013, and most of its users are members of Generation Z and Millennials sharing brief films, photographs, and other forms of life's moments. The active community generates billions of postings daily, including lifestyle, beauty, cuisine, and more.

Following a keyword search, ads are displayed on the first page of search results and take the form of display ads, banner redirects, and tabs with several page selections. Ads are displayed to users based on the topics they are interested in to generate leads.

If you are interested in more digital marketing strategies for advertising on various trendy platforms, feel free to contact us at enquiry@so360.hk.