{"id":14552,"date":"2024-09-09T06:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-09T06:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/?p=14552"},"modified":"2025-04-23T08:57:56","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T08:57:56","slug":"the-rise-and-rise-of-social-commerce-in-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/the-rise-and-rise-of-social-commerce-in-china\/","title":{"rendered":"The rise and rise of social commerce in China"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Social commerce has become a buzzword in recent years, but how is it distinct from traditional e-commerce \u2014 and how should brands adjust their strategies accordingly? WPIC Marketing + Technologies<\/a> offers an explainer for British brands targeting the China market<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The last few years have seen the rapid growth of \u201csocial commerce\u201d in China, a term that refers to the integration of shopping into social media platforms. China\u2019s social commerce revolution has been led by Xiaohongshu (also known as Little Red Book) and ByteDance\u2019s Douyin (China’s version of TikTok).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Traditional e-commerce on platforms like Taobao\/Tmall, JD, Amazon or Rakuten depend on search-based journeys \u2014consumers actively seek out products through search queries. This model relies on pre-established consumer intent and the consumer\u2019s ability to navigate through extensive product listings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine a Chinese consumer who wants to buy protein powder \u2013 they will search for protein powder on Tmall, browse different products and prices, and ultimately make a purchase. Search engine marketing is thus essential for protein powder brands so that their product appears near the top of the search results. Cross-media campaigns stimulate demand for protein powder and help consumers to recognise a brand \u2013 but it is difficult to accurately attribute sales to these campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in the last few years, two of China\u2019s most prominent social platforms \u2013 Douyin and Xiaohongshu \u2013 have introduced e-commerce functionalities creating a \u201cpreference-based\u201d rather than search-based e-commerce model. These two platforms offer brands highly sophisticated tools to reach and convert target consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n