Social Media Is Proving To Be The Most Influential Communication Channel In China

Though the red country has always been criticized of suppressing the reach of Internet within its borders yet a newly conducted survey has revealed that 2 of every 3 Chinese officials consider social media to be the best way for people to stay inter-connected with each other. The survey included multiple government decision makers and communication specialists and the results indicated that around 66 percent of those who participated in the survey had the opinion of social media influencing the public more than any other kind of media. Internet seems to be much more famous in China than we actually considered it to be!

The recent visit of United States president to China marked the social media issue pop up during the discussion. Even the restricted reach of websites like Twitter was also the part of this discussion. Obama remarked that he was a huge believer of ‘free flowing information’ while he was addressing the the students of Shanghai. “I think that the more freely information flows the stronger the society becomes, because then citizens of countries around the world can hold their own governments accountable, they can begin to think for themselves and that generates new ideas and encourages creativity,” he said.

The recently conducted survey indicates that websites like 51.com, Renren.com, Tianya.cn, Tencent, and QQ are playing a huge role in shaping the minds of new Chinese locals. Even video websites like Todou.com and Youku.com have also gained popularity in the last few years.

Edelman Asia Pacific’s President, Alan VanderMolen, was the person responsible for this survey and he remarked that the days of simply monitoring the social media are gone. “It’s clearly impacting the development and implementation of public policy in China,” he said. “Foreign MNCs, SOEs and other organizations must get engaged to foster meaningful dialog and relationships with stakeholders on an ongoing basis.”

The survey reflects that 60 percent of those who were part of the survey use social media multiple times during the week to gain more knowledge of what is happening around them. They have started to use social media to disseminate information regarding their business and their brands. We kept telling you how to promote your brands on the Internet and locals in China are already doing it very quick. I am sure we will get to learn a lot from them. I guess my next article will be how to promote a brand in restricted conditions!

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