Category Archives: Marketing Tips
What to Look for When Searching A Search Engine Marketing Agency
If you’re looking to expand your business into the vast lands of China, you’re going to need a search engine marketing agency to help you! Is that a tough task: definitely not. There are plenty of SEM companies that would be willing to help. But how does one differentiate one from another? What are the factors to keep in mind while looking for the most ideal search engine marketing agency in China for you?
Before we dive into that, keep in mind that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is basically comprised of three activities:
• Create content
• Build high-quality links
• Analyze results and make necessary changes
• SEM- building on SEO techniques by using paid advertising
Why Even Hire A Search Engine Marketing Agency?
Navigating the new, murky waters of keywords and search engine marketing is no piece of cake: it could be the deciding factor to determine whether you succeed or fail! Instead of taking the risk and responsibility solely on yourself, it’s best you hire a good SEM agency that will help you fight the battle. Keep in mind that there’s no shame in hiring an agency to do this work for you: in fact, SEM can become extremely overwhelming to those unaware of its many intricacies.
However, this means you will need to keep certain things in mind while looking out for the most ideal search engine marketing agency in China! In this article, we will steer clear of the obvious questions you need to ask before hiring them and focus on the key factors one often forgets!
1. Keep Your Eye on the Objective
It is very easy to lose focus from your goals. Before even considering hiring an SEM agency in China that caters to your needs, you must define these “needs” specifically. Take a look at your goals, and define them; once you have defined the required results, ensure the agencies offer strategies that are similar to your goals.
2. Do Your Research
Needless to say, as soon as the offers come pouring in, do a thorough background check. Take a deep dive into the history of the agency’s work, the clients they’ve worked with, and relevant testimonials. Find out if they have a defined track record of success (vis-a-vis) search engine marketing! Don’t forget to ask them for case studies- throw that in the list and then evaluate.
3. Agency Ranking in Google
The best part about choosing a Search Engine Marketing agency in China is that it’s all about SEM- therefore, this is the opportune moment for you to find out if they are capable enough to put their money where their mouth is! If it does not possess a decent Google ranking, you’ll know that there is only little truth to their success stories.
4. Ask for Referrals
A common mistake many companies make is that they believe the agency blindly. You cannot solely rely on the information given out by them, even if it is accurate information. But since there are various resources available for you to use (such as customer referrals, testimonials, etc.), you can ensure they truly deliver.
5. How They Quantify Success
Some SEM agencies in China consider a successful campaign to be based on the number of clicks or solely on the Return on Investment! You’ll want to ensure that improvements in the ranking are not the only way they measure success. In fact, more efficient ways to quantify success are increasing website traffic, conversion rates and leads!
And more importantly, find out if their notion of success stands parallely with yours! Remember the first point listed out: keep your eye on the objective! Remember this goal and understand what the SEM agency is ready to deliver. You’d be surprised how many companies end up finding out the SEM agencies focused on matters, not on the client’s top priority.
6. Their Communication Channels & Overall Transparency
A search engine marketing agency in China that is willing to share their strategies with you openly might be a good sign: one that is transparent in their ways. While you’re at it, take a peek at their keyword list as well! Always remember that a reputable agency doesn’t have anything to hide. But this isn’t the only important matter; also, ensure the communication efforts made by the agency are proofread thoroughly: this includes the web pages, social media channels, and email!
Weibo Advertising- How it Helps to Promote Online Business
In the Chinese digital ecosystem, apps that are popular around the world are typically banned. But there exist indigenous counterparts who are making quite an impressive show with their ever-growing user base and wide reach. One such social media platform that is used in China is Sina Weibo. A microblogging platform, Weibo, can be effectively used as a communication medium as well as one for trend-spotting and entertainment. Any organization that invests in digital marketing in China should include Weibo ads to their strategy because there are many rewards to be earned.
Weibo advertising formats
● Display advertisements, also popularly known as banner advertisements, show up on the top of the Weibo website and mobile app pages. When clicked, they typically open up a home page or a specifically designed landing page of the advertiser. This is the most traditional format and can be used to display ads over featured accounts as well, thus improving the reach.
● Search engine promotions, which make use of the search tool on the Weibo discover page. This tool allows users to browse posts, fan pages, and accounts they like. It also allows you to bring in more traffic to your account by means of targeted keywords. The cost incurred here depends on the competitiveness and popularity of the keywords used, but the result is always better visibility and an improved reputation for your account.
● Fan headlines, which allows you to target existing followers or their connections. In this type of Weibo advertising (adstochina.westwin.com/weibo-advertising), your post or accounts get highlighted on your follower’s news feeds or that of their connections. This format is especially helpful when you want people to reshare your content and make your account visible to people who may not be aware of it. You can employ Fan Headlines to promote your own posts or get KOLs (key opinion leaders) to do it for you, thus reaching out to a larger audience at a fraction of the cost and without being considered spam. Fan Headlines can also be used to promote an entire account, but for a limited time.
● Fan Tunnel works in a manner similar to Fan Headlines but is used to promote accounts or apps. Because it focuses on the entire Weibo user base and not just your followers, Fan Tunnel can be extremely useful when you are starting out on Weibo and need to gain followers quickly.
The difference that Weibo advertising brings to online businesses
Help establish a brand image
In the digital era, netizens expect brands to be present on all social media platforms. A powerful social media presence through Weibo advertising can build and improve the reputation of your brand manifold. By running advertisements on a routine basis, not only do you catch the attention of potential new customers but also remind existing ones of your presence, thus urging them to talk about your brand to their friends and family.
Interact with prospects and customers on a routine basis
Weibo advertising, when planned carefully, can augment other marketing activities to give you the results you desire. Through Weibo ads, you can send out not just routine communication but also specific ones aimed at making business decisions. For instance, you may have a product that is gearing up for launch or a new app feature that you would like to test. There may even be an end of season sale that you want customers to make the most of. Communication regarding all such activities can be announced through Weibo ads, and the feedback on them gained on a real-time basis.
Improve sales
Routine communication plus a loyal fan base builds up the formula for better sales. Weibo advertising serves as a social commerce platform that lets you connect with new and existing customers and engage with them continually, thus encouraging them to come back to you for new and repeated purchases.
To make the most of Weibo advertising, it is important that you identify your business or marketing goal before you set out to create an account and gain followers. Also, the positive impact gained from Weibo advertising needs to be supplemented with proper branding, visibility, and sales infrastructure so that you can reap the maximum benefits and gain a better return on investment.
Why Baidu SEM is the Ultimate Destination for Every Brand?
Baidu is essential if you want to attract Chinese customers and grow its business in the Chinese market. Though SEO can help you attract organic traffic, it takes time, and you might get limited success due to intense competition. On the other hand, search engine marketing can get you faster results.
To make things easy for you, we have tried to understand Baidu SEM in detail and how different Badu Search Engine Marketing strategies can help you win Chinese customers.
What is Baidu Search Engine Marketing?
There is a lot of confusion between SEO and SEM, and many people think they are the same which is not true. Baidu SEO and SEM are two distinct perspectives. Baidu search engine marketing refers to search marketing that is achieved through paid marketing tactics. The paid marketing platform on Baidu starts with Baidu PPC. Let’s understand the different elements of Baidu PPC.
Baidu’s Customer Reach
Baidu is the largest search engine in China, covering 95% of Chinese Internet users. It has more than 60 million alliance websites and holds an 80% search engine market share. It has more than a billion Chinese website pages database and can instantly provide information to Chinese consumers.
Baidu PPC- Improve Lead and Conversion Potential
One of the biggest benefits of Baidu PPC is the short time frame of your campaign. Unlike Baidu SEO, Baidu SEM (adstochina.westwin.com/Baidu-SEM) is tailored to give almost instant exposure to your brand. If you want to speed up your marketing campaign, Baidu PPC is the way ahead. Here are different ways Baidu PPC helps you reach Chinese consumers.
Baidu Tuiguang
Baidu Tuiguang is equivalent to Google Ads. In Baidu PPC, you bid on selected keywords related to your business niche, and your brand advertisement is listed on the search results page whenever any Chinese consumer uses a specific keyword to search for information/products/services on Baidu.
In Baidu Tuiguang, you can have ads with the title having a maximum of 50 characters and 80 lines of text. Baidu may display both lines of the ad in the SERP, which affects the click rate of your ad. Your ad can appear on top-left and bottom of the search results page or appear on the top-left of the search results page.
Baidu Pay for Placement
Also known as Baidu P4P, it allows you to reach Chinese customers through relevant searches. You can purchase priority placement of your related keyword permanents for permanent tagging to the first page of search results. Baidu P4P can give your brand a significant advantage over your competitors in the Chinese market.
Baidu Pro Theme
This Baidu Tool allows businesses to display ads on desktop apps and other search engine marketing tools. This Baidu marketing tool is more suitable for brands with a specific audience.
Here are some of the advantages of Baidu search engine marketing
Reaching Potential Customers
· Baidu Search engine marketing allows brands to lock the needs of the customers through keywords. The Baidu PPC tool gives more flexibility in targeting that helps in the accurate locking of customers with demand. You can select a region and time to display your ads.
· Baidu PPC allows brands to register product keywords that are specific to their products and services. This ensures their product page will appear at the top position whenever Chinese consumers use particular keywords to search for information on Baidu.
Pay By Click
● Baidu promotion brings brands closer to their potential customers. This means only customers interested in your product would be clicking the ads. With Baidu PPC, there is no clickless billing.
● Baidu PPC provides you statistical report that helps brands get a clear idea about the response and lead conversion rate.
Flexible and Controllable Promotion
Baidu SEM offers you several tools for flexible and controllable promotion. Some of them are.
● Businesses can select region, time to display ads. The tools also allow companies to set daily and weekly promotional line for reasonable budget management.
● The promotional plan can be formulated to meet the demands for promotion.
● The management background tool provides you with keywords daily search analysis reports and also provides keywords recommendation. This helps brands to reduce costs and improve conversion rates.
Do you’ve any questions about Baidu SEM?
How Digital Marketing Agency Helps to Make Brand Popular?
When expanding business operations in China, digital marketing agency collaboration is essential for foreign companies. Without expert guidance from knowledgeable agencies, it might be hard to overcome the language and cultural barriers that you will encounter in the country. Also, and more crucially, you will need assistance in navigating through the complex rules and requirements that foreign companies must comply with before they can market their products and services in China. Furthermore, teaming with a China-based digital marketing agency can help boost your brand popularity in the country. Here’s how:
They can help you to connect with the right audience
While China’s Internet population of 854 million and counting looks extremely promising to foreign companies that want to expand into the country, it is essential to conduct in-depth market research before foraying forth. To maximize your chances of marketing success, you must identify who your target audience is and find out what this audience desires, needs, and likes. Using that data, you can segment the audience by age, gender, location, and interests. You can then create customized advertisements that will catch their attention and persuade them to try out your products and services.
While the research and planning for such advertising campaigns might be possible on your own abroad, the language and cultural issues in China necessitate local collaboration. Even if you are fluent in Chinese, you might not always get the nuances and cultural references that native speakers employ in their interactions with each other. Rather than risk a faux pas that offends people, or turns you into a laughing stock, work with a digital marketing agency to raise awareness about your brand.
They can assist you with search engine marketing
For raising your brand’s online profile in China, digital marketing agency assistance in search engine marketing is crucial. The agency will obtain the necessary governmental permission to set up a PPC advertising account for your company on leading search engine marketing platforms like Baidu. Along with creating promotional banners for your brand, the agency will write advertising copy for your brand and make marketing videos.
As these are written by native speakers and take cognizance of current social, economic, and political trends, they are likely to resonate better with the target audience. Merely translating your copy from an English version wouldn’t work as well. Additionally, the digital marketing agency will organize promotional events, build connections with social media influencers, and reach out to engage potential customers.
They can undertake social media marketing for your brand
As with search engine marketing, the digital agency will get official permission to open accounts on leading social media platforms like WeChat and Weibo for your company in China. They will then help you set up the accounts with the appropriate branding imagery and chalk out a content marketing strategy to attract the target audience. They will also set up a posting schedule to make sure that your posts get seen at the right time by the right people.
They will help improve your engagement with the target audience
Two-Way engagement is essential for building a strong following on Chinese social media. It is not enough to publish a relevant post, and you must also respond to the replies and queries you might get from potential customers. As you might be limited in your language usage, the digital marketing company will handle the interactions for you, as per your instructions and their discretion, maintaining a courteous, professional manner that eschews controversies with all customers.
They can help analyze your brand’s marketing performance
The digital marketing agency will keep track of how many impressions your posts are getting, how many conversions they are making, what the bounce rate is, and which are the most popular ones. By having this data at hand, you will be able to analyze your overall performance and assess what you need to do to improve your marketing performance. Carefully consider the recommendations that the digital marketing agency makes in this regard.
As they will have more experience than you in marketing to the Chinese, implementing their suggestions about posts creation, posts publication, and audience engagement might bring about a change for the better as far as your brand is concerned.
Why Invest in Game Marketing?
When did you play your first video game? How old were you? What was it? Can you still remember how to play it? Can you still remember the sense of awe as you discovered something new, accomplished something impossible? From Pong and PacMan to Pokemon Go; from Candy Crush to Crash Bandicoot, games have changed to meet their audiences. They have seen their fortunes go up and down, but no matter what decade, they have never stopped being wonders, showcasing the technology of the day, and astonishing users with what was previously unimaginable. Video games have always been places where big companies, creators, and developers put their money, their ingenuity, and their creative innovation. Today’s game has come a long way since Pong, but games haven’t gone anywhere. If you are not investing in game marketing, why not? Here are some very good reasons why you should be looking into investing in the video game market.
It costs increasingly more to develop the games.
While that doesn’t seem like an obvious reason to invest in most stock, for video game marketing it definitely is. To confuse it even more, while development costs are soaring, the cost to buy and use them are dropping. Many games are even free to download and play, showing clearly that developers and marketers believe that they will get their costs back later.
Today’s game production cost has risen from a couple million dollars 20 years ago to $250 million today for a game like Call of Duty. That is because of the wonder of it all. The games are expensive due to advancements in interaction, the amazing graphics of games today, and of course, reality on a whole new scale. Developers and creative innovators use the games to show what can be done, and the advances will only continue. The big money companies and developers will keep getting bigger, and the smaller companies will either catch up or go out of business.
Everyone is playing
There are video games for everyone, for all ages and all genders, and from casual players to professional players. They play on mobile phones, on consoles, and on their computers. The number of players who play a video game is huge, and it’s growing fast. There are 2.3 billion people in the world playing a video game today. Just look at these statistics from Techjury! They are astonishing. People are not just playing; they are watching, buying merchandise, and investing their time and energy in caring about the game and the characters. Today, the game is driving the movie, not the other way around. That’s why game marketing is so effective.
There are so many opportunities for investment
When everyone is playing video games, every day, on platforms that they carry with them, game marketing is where you have to be! There are many different opportunities for investment within the markets. Game marketing and advertising is valued; it is not something that is regarded as an annoyance. It had to become that! Customers believe that they do not want to be advertised to, but they do have affection for a game, a character within the game, or a movie based on the character. They might not want the ad, but they probably want the t-shirt. So there are big opportunities for creative product delivery. Advertising hasn’t gone anywhere; it has adapted, just like gaming.
So, why should you be investing in game marketing? It’s an industry that is growing and that has always been growing; many people in all age groups, all over the world, are playing video games, and there are so many opportunities on all platforms. And the cost to invest is not too expensive at the moment, but it can be risky, just like all investments.
You need a strategy, and some marketing geniuses behind you. Whether you are looking at creating your own story and your own game, or bringing your brand into someone else’s game, game marketing is where you should be. People who play the games get something remarkable out of those games. They want to win something, feel a sense of accomplishment—and, of course, it’s fun. The players are looking for greater success, and that is what brings them back to the game over and over again.