Western corporations often find it challenging to enter the Chinese market, due to less understanding of the consumption habits. The mistake most of them make is misinterpreting the market. China is not a single and large and unified market and many factors shall be considered, including the cultural differences, the city-tier classification, the marketing trends.

Here are some marketing strategies that will maximize the probability of success when entering the Chinese market.

The power of influencer marketing

In recent years, influencer marketing has been very popular and well implemented in the Chinese marketing strategies. Prevalence of social media platforms has allowed the Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) to connect with the general public, and brands to use them to sell.

For instance, Douyin 抖音 (TikTok in the West), a short-form video sharing platform, has witnessed an growth of users. As a consequence, influencers have emerged, and they massively have created content to share with followers in no time. Indeed, Statista reports that 600 millions users are daily connected to Douyin, in China, in August 2020.

If you want to run a successful KOL campaign in China, your focus shall not be on the number of followers the influencer has. Instead, it is important to understand its audience and to estimate the reach and the conversions one can bring to your brand.

Some brands will also consider to work with lower-tier and micro-KOLs, due to the more authentic voice and better targeted audience. Compared to KOLs, KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers) connect to smaller group of people and deliver more personalized messages.

Micro KOLs are also interesting in terms of budgets, as they are generally more affordable, with a high ROI. Instead of paying a fee, the brand can offer free products or samples as an alternative.

Livestreaming becomes more important

Gen Z and Millennials value connection with KOLs and are most influenced by people in real situations who are not trying to fake things and the livestream marketing has emerged in China.

For a live stream to be successful, it is important to make sure that the person on the camera is spontaneous, creative, and entertaining as followers will only engage with the brand if the KOL shows positive and entertaining energies. Indeed, the influencer can also share a deeper understanding of the products to its audience and lead the viewers to purchase the product.

For instance, Taobao Live is one of the live stream platforms that works well in China, where thousands of potential buyers watch influencers introducing products on daily basis.

Merchants can take advantage of livestream to sell their products and a hiring a China marketing agency would help your brand to understand your market and targets by developing tailored campaigns. China has a lot to offer but defining a strategy is necessary.

The city-tiers and generations in China

Understanding the city-tier system in China is crucial for your budget planning. If you are planning to hire, top tier cities will involve much higher wages and rent your brand exposure will grow in a faster way.

The country's tier system also dictates the consumer dynamics in terms of purchase behavior:
• The younger generations, Millennials, and Gen-Z, have different consumer behavior. They tend to buy online instead of typical, traditional bricks-and-mortar stores.
• Online influence is more persuasive on Gen-Z while the Millennials rely more on learning customer reviews rather than traditional advertisements. Every eight out of ten millennials never buy a product without checking the customer reviews.
• The baby boomers prefer to buy in a traditional store, however, the Xers are more inclined to price drops and discounts.

China's marketing evolves quickly and 2021 will not be an exception. Understanding your market and consumers is a key to succeed in China. KOL marketing and livestreaming will still be the crown-bearer. Any business targeting the Chinese market should focus on the norms of the country's marketing trend.

The Asian market contributed to 63% of all wine sales in 2018, according to Southeby’s Annual Market Report. This number has not died and is made manifestly clear in the major wine events across Asia that occurred in 2019. Given the hunger for wine in the Asian market, it is worth exploring which trends have the best chances of succeeding this year.

Wine Is A Click Away

In the eyes of the consumer, convenience is king. Consumers in Asian countries like Singapore and the Philippines are now seeking to purchase their wines in a more convenient manner. Around 46% of consumers in China are now buying their wine from online stores, according to Rachel Arthur. The wine industry has taken note and has added e-commerce channels to reach their target market. With wine offerings simply a few clicks away, consumers can now order white wine from Qantas and other online stores.

Health-Driven Consumerism

There has been a steady rise of health-driven consumerism around the globe and wine-makers are rising to the challenge. Asian consumers tend to prefer red wine with its associated health benefits. Australia, in particular, is leading the market through its production of the local Shiraz grapes that turn into exquisite red wine. The known health benefits of Shiraz-based wines can include lowering the risk of cancer, stroke prevention, and so many others.

Nearby Exporters and New Producers

The biggest trend to help shape the Asian wine industry is the rise of new wine producers and nearer exporters. Historically, the largest wine exporters in the world are from France and Spain. In the span of a few years, China, Japan, and India are developing and exporting their own wines. While the wine industry in China is still relatively young, they have managed to win multiple international awards. In doing so, it effectively showcased that new producers offer substance despite being beginners in an old industry. In effect, wines made more affordable for Asian consumers due to the proximity of exporters.

If the trends are anything to go by, both the local and international wine producers are increasing their efforts to bite into the Asian market. Wine lovers have a lot to look forward to in 2020, with wine markets around the world designed to captivate them. Only time will tell which trend will reign supreme above the others.

In 1998, legendary Chinese entrepreneur Liu Quingdong founded the company that he has become synonymous with. This company, known as JD.com, experienced tremendous growth over its evolution as a company. What began as a store in the traditional brick and mortar style has evolved into the leading e-commerce retailer in the Chinese market. Under the guidance of Liu Quingdong, JD.com has also become the leader in innovation in the Chinese retail sector and one of the foremost leaders in this area globally. The humble business that Richard Liu began in 1998 is now one of the members of the prestigious Fortune Global 500. Beyond being China's biggest retail operation, JD is also the company that brings in the largest amount of online revenue in the market as well. Commitment to innovation has been a huge factor in this massive growth and success as well as the JD commitment to impressive levels of customer service that Richard Liu demands.

Richard was born in the town of Suquian which is located in the Jiangsu Province. His family was hard-working but of modest means. Richard excelled in his education and desired to attend college. In the end, he was able to do so with some critical support from the members of his village that wanted to see he provided with the opportunity to attend college. Richard attended China's Renmin University where he undertook a course of study in the Sociology major. After completing this course, Richard Liu went on to earn his EMBA Degree at the Business School at China Europe International.

The youth of Richard Liu was a time where China was experiencing some major changes. These changes included a massive restructuring of the economy that led to a lot of new opportunities for entrepreneurship. Richard was impressed by these changes and he was also inspired to make his mark. He founded a brick and mortar store, that eventually became JD.com, in 1998. It was in 2003 that an event occurred that would cause Richard to shift to focus at JD in a manner that would set the future course for the firm. This event was the SARS epidemic that terrorized China. This event had the effect of shutting down storefronts across the entirety of the country and causing businesses to grind to a halt. The citizens of China also stay indoors which added to the effect of business slowing to a crawl. Richard saw an opportunity and started to shift his business model to the online sphere. This was a formative change that helped to push JD.com to the next level. Since that time, Richard has fully committed to operating in the online sphere and has guided JD to a status of being one of the world's preeminent innovators in online sales and supply chains.

This impressive innovation campaign that JD has embarked on under the leadership of Liu Quingdong has had to effect of giving the firm the biggest and most sophisticated infrastructure network for the fulfilment of orders that any e-commerce firm has globally. The system of infrastructure parks that are run by JD is some of the most technological and automated facilities in the world of order fulfilment. One of the biggest projects that Richard and his team of supply chain experts are working on now is to continue to expand so that the JD supply chain becomes fully connected to the entire world. The goal is to make it possible to provide any product and brand to any consumer that wants it on a global basis. This is consistent with the kind of innovative work that Richard has demonstrated throughout his career.

While substantially increasing your sales can help your business to make more money each year, there are other ways to boost your company’s profitability and ensure its longevity.

If you want to make 2019 your organization’s strongest financial year yet, you must routinely look for ways to secure its growth. Here are six steps to take to increase your business’s profit margin.

1. Increase Your Pricing

If you are struggling with mounting overheads and want to find ways to double your profitability, consider increasing your pricing. While it could result in you losing a small number of customers, it could augment your annual profit margin, so it would have been a worthwhile move. However, don’t increase your pricing too much or you could rule your business out of the market.

2. Review Your Suppliers

If you suspect you are being overcharged for various services or goods, you must review different suppliers in your industry to find the best deal for your needs and budget. For example, routinely compare commercial gas prices to add hundreds or thousands of dollars onto your profit margin.

3. Stop Wasting Money and Resources

Sadly, many companies fail to learn from their internal mistakes, which can dent their profit margin. For example, rather than spending money on a marketing campaign that fails to connect with an audience, spend your time and resources on developing more compelling strategies. You also must encourage your sales team to follow up on all leads to avoid a loss in custom, especially if you have spent a considerable sum driving them to the business.

4. Deter Theft

Unfortunately, your staff or customers might be tempted to steal from your business each day, which can slowly but surely destroy your organization’s finances. To deter theft, you must introduce anti-shoplifting measures, such as:

• Monitoring customers and staff on CCTV
• Educating employees to spot the signs of a shoplifter
• Hiring a security guard
• Hanging signs and mirrors across your business

You also must routinely balance your tills and pay close attention to who completes your company’s banking every day.

5. Pay Bonuses to the Right Employees

It is imperative to reward employees based on merit. If you grant every member of staff with a bonus, you could be handing over your company’s hard-earned finances to employees who fail to go above and beyond for your organization or regularly hand out discounts to clients to secure a sale. To save your company money and grow your profitability, you must review each member of staff’s performance to identify whether they deserve an annual bonus.

6. Say Goodbye to Unhelpful Customers

If you have a large database of clients, you should meet with your sales representatives to identify their biggest complainers. You must then compare the cost of a client’s order to the cost of managing their account. If they are costing the business more than it is making from the order, it might be time to say goodbye to the account, so you can focus your attention on your less demanding clients.

Historically, people were unaware of the world but as the trade begins, the entire world became accessible. Today a person can trade anywhere, in any sector around the globe. This has benefitted numerous people to flourish and expand their trade worldwide. But Globalisation has its own unique features. It is the one which brought in the global competition. Now every company has to tackle this task of luring the customers. Providing various deals, coupons, and several other offers is a part of attracting customers toward them. Many e-commerce portals are offering deals on a transaction like PayTm Recharge Offers and other.

Coupons and deal offers are now becoming very popular and almost every company is providing it. Whether you are shopping online or by personally visiting a store, a customer is mostly attracted toward the one offering the best products with attractive offers and deals. There offers and deals have their own science. Offers and deal designers make the deals in a way so that the customer has to visit them again to avail that offer. Providing cash back offers and shopping coupons is one of them. When you offer customer cash back, he is attracted toward the deal unaware of the fact that this cash back can only be redeemed in that particular portal only. Similarly, when a company provides its customers with a shopping coupon, those attractive coupons will only work on those respective shops or portals only. This is a psychological strategy to lure the customer and to increase the footfall and hits on their shops and online portals respectively.

Every company has an extreme desire to expand their business and to gain huge profits. Only potential customers can fulfill this desire of shopping portals and e-commerce websites. The deals and couponing help in providing huge growth rate to the company. Several market research has shown that the shopping portal or an e-commerce website gets huge hits and traffic who are offering various deals and offers. Couponing is the key to profit. Couponing brings in new customers and happy customers become the available point of advertisement for the other new customers. This creates a huge customer base of that the very company. The huge customer base will result in huge profits. Another important point is the competition in the market. There are various online and e-commerce portals available for customers today. Online trade is gradually becoming popular among the old aged too and this will bring an all-new segment of customers. Now various companies are targeting this segment of the population. The aged have been marginalized from this online portals for a very long time but and everybody is possessing smartphones, customers are becoming smart too. They are performing their odd tasks online. Paying telephone, electricity, gas and water bills online by e-commerce portals and shopping for themselves or for gifting to their loved ones is becoming common. The aged people are very concerned about their money and most of them are scared of shopping online. They are potential customers. Offering deals and coupons relevant to them will lure them toward online trade and transactions.

Mobility of services is another important feature that is neglected by many online portals. India is growing but still, there is a number of people who do not have access to personal computers or laptops. But most of them own a mobile phone with internet connection in it. Cab provider companies like Ola and Uber have their dedicated mobile applications which help the customer in booking rides from anywhere. Online shopping and e-commerce portal like PayTm and Amazon to have their own mobile application which a customer can use to avail the services. In the absence of these, a customer will not be in a position to enjoy the services. Again, the selling of the product is pricing based. Deals and coupons act as a catalyst that increases its sales. But the deals and coupons must be relevant to the customers and not segment centric. A segment based coupons and deals can only be enjoyed by a limited number of people but a general deal is for all. Deals and offers are a way to reach to the customer and enhancing businesses and thus increasing profits.

Internet- the most transforming invention in human history, the most dynamic fragment of technology, evolving ever so rapidly that it has come down to the irony that we humans are catching up with the internet rather than it catching up with us. The advent of technology has opened many doors for us in all spheres. Today even imagining a day without smartphones may crank up our routines. The internet has seeped into our lives to such an extent that now its impact is almost non-reversible.

One hardly can be a part of tech-dominated society without connectivity. Today, everything from grocery shopping to car cleaning has a dedicated online store. Therefore, it is imperative for the enterprises to reach out to millions by connecting with them through the internet.

Internet- The driving force behind E-commerce

The truth of the matter is, Internet sells fast. Selling through websites is the fastest growing method of trading worldwide. There are two main forms of e-commerce:

There are many different types of products and services that are traded on line including books, CDs, holidays, and insurance.

Nowadays, the consumers can purchase goods online too, basically a business to consumer transactions where a consumer can select the product online and order it, the company will deliver it at his/her residence. Everything is done and controlled by the internet.

Expansion of E-commerce through internet

Thanks to the mid-2000 internet boom for online shopping, online trading, businesses online, etc., e-commerce has flourished and spread like wildfire. Now the net has become an indispensable part of the structure of a business. Before the advent of internet, a business model was geographically constrained by the limits of the area of the business. Everything, from socializing to grocery stores and stock markets, has been e-zoned. Ever since the hit of internet, the business has turned into e-commerce, thus opening itself to millions of customers that it could previously not reach out to before.

Internet Generating Employment through E-commerce

The Internet accounts for a significant portion of global GDP. The consumption and expenditure related to internet alone can be comparable to that of agriculture or energy sector.

Being a vast mosaic of economic activity, the internet regularly hosts millions of daily online transactions and communications. Because of this, it generates direct and indirect employment on a daily basis. Millions of people are getting gainfully employed in skilled and semi- skilled jobs through the internet whether it is for programmers or website developers, or freelance writers. The advantage to internet is that it gives the comfort of switching your work space as well; one can work from home too if one wants. Which is a great benefit for new mothers, or disabled persons or people who prefer working in the comfort of their homes.

Results in Cheaper and Better Quality Products and Services

Internet is such a boon in our lives. Indeed, the world has become one tiny global village and this has also resulted in a massive customer base for e-commerce websites. With every website and online store competing against one another for monopolising over the sector, the competition just gets tougher for them. The customers are the real winners in this situation. In a bid to win, these stores work on different strategies like enhancing the quality of products and services, slashing prices, bringing out lucrative offers and schemes for long term investments, etc. At the end of the day, it’s a win-win for the customers as they get massive discounts of products and services. It is the time for customers to make the most of this and shop smartly. There are several websites like Zoutons which offer coupons for other e-commerce websites. One should make use of such coupons to get the best deal possible.

Making Shopping Easier for the Customer

Consumers of today have more places and ways to shop than ever. They are not just limited to their local markets. Today, they can shop, sitting in India, from any store around the world. The e-commerce websites have made things as easy as they can be. Door to Door delivery, customer reviews and added information about the products, multiple payment options, reliable customer services to name a few. E-commerce websites are actually investing in providing comfort to their buyers and giving them the most convenient and relaxed experience, as when the prices cut down on products everywhere, this is many a times, what it comes down to- giving customers a satisfactory experience.

Mobility Emerged as a New Driver of E-commerce

With the increase in numbers it is clearly evident that mobile phones lead the E-commerce market it is crucial for the enterprises to up their game and be a part of the mobile phones to reach bigger numbers in terms of their sales. In this era of smartphone technology and growth in mobile internet traffic, a significant impact can be witnessed in e-commerce sector too. Mobile phone users are slowly moving from desktop version to mobile app usage and this is evident with the changing traffic to few top e-commerce stores in India. 44% of the Amazon traffic is coming through mobile devices as per 2016 Recode statistics. At this time, one can only switch up their game and join the app frenzy.

E-commerce has made huge impact on business culture. Customer can shop online in privacy of their own houses. This has also strengthened small businesses to be completely online or modify their marketing strategies. With the advent of the internet technology, E-commerce has been affected in all spheres, be it retailer picture, or products and services quality or promotions and schemes. Costumer’s approach to spending money and purchasing has also been permanently altered. It is undeniable that this is all to stay and that the dynamic trends on internet will continue to pressure companies to change their marketing strategies.

Photo by Daniel von Appen on Unsplash

In this modern world, it is vital that you are constantly on the lookout for new ways to save money, time, and effort. Otherwise, you will end up being left behind and lose your competitive edge. Most young businesses fail due to cashflow challenges, and so forward thinking is especially important when it comes to financial transactions. Giving and receiving funds is a huge part of daily life, so it is important that you understand the process. Long gone are the days of writing a check and waiting days for it to be cashed. Even tangible capital and pin machines are beginning to look dated. That is why you should embrace innovative payment methods.

Innovative payment methods can keep you organized

If you really struggle to keep on top of your budget and cashflow, you really must get your affairs in order. Take advantage of direct debits and standing orders to pay bills so that you never miss a pay date. By understanding your income and regular outgoings, you will be able to set yourself financial goals and regain control of your accounts. Using technology and innovative payment methods allows your accounting systems to record transactions accurately, which is essential for your business’s success – and your accountant’s happiness!

Innovative payment methods can save you effort

Innovative payment methods have transformed how we consume. They enable you to save considerable time and effort having to buy either goods or services. For instance, when you buy items online, you can avoid lengthy queues and the inconvenience of having to physically attend a brick and mortar store. Think about when you want to attend a sporting fixture or concert, and you find out when the tickets are being released; you no longer have to queue at a ticket office, but can easily access them online from companies such as Ticket Sales at a time that is convenient to you. This is a quick and easy way method for you to obtain exactly the tickets you want and at the best price available.

Innovative payment methods can save you time

You should also embrace innovative payment methods in an effort to save valuable time. Making use of contactless alternatives, such as fit-pay, will help you to deal with your transactions at lightning speed. When you are struggling to manage a busy schedule, every second counts. If you are going to secure success in life, you need to ensure you are making the most of your time.

Innovative payment methods can send a message

Making use of these payment methods will also help you to send a message that you are forward-thinking and up to date with technology. This is especially important if you are a business professional who is looking to impress your industry peers or your valuable clients – you want your business to be streamlined for efficiency, and that itself is attractive to current and potential customers, and will convey the message that you are a slick operating business.

While Baidu is about one-sixth the size of Amazon, it is growing very quickly. This is why Baidu was one of Motley Fool's major buy recommendations in 2016. Baidu is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Chinese e-commerce but it reflects many changes the region is facing in this area.

Beijing is no Longer the Epicenter

There have long been jokes that the capital or largest city of a nation is the entire nation and that everything of importance happens there. This is how e-commerce rolled out in the United States, primarily in San Francisco or in New York City. This isn't true in the case of China. In fact, e-commerce growth in China is driven by demand in third-tier and lower cities. A similar trend is seen in India, too, as middle-class consumers with less access to physical retailers order goods online.

Online Selling through Social Media Platforms is becoming the Norm

The Facebook Marketplace that rolled out in 2016 can be seen as copying WeChat's e-commerce model. A third of WeChat users were buying items online through WeChat in 2016, a percentage guaranteed to rise as the WeChat ecosystem of service providers continues to grow. Other messenger platforms in China are adding bots, online marketplaces, and information appliances capable of voice recognition to facilitate e-commerce like Amazon's Alexa.

Social Commerce now the Soul of China's e-commerce

In Asia, half of all e-commerce is driven by social media. This is facilitated in part by the online selling that popped up on social media sites like WeChat. It is also driven by Baidu hosting two-thirds of all web searches in China and offering many items for sale online. Tools like The Email Finder remain critical for B2B sales, but reaching consumers requires going onto the platforms where they shop.

Chinese Preferences are Fueling Innovation

Alibaba pioneered the 'pay with your face' feature to let you authenticate payments by taking a picture of yourself. This builds on the technology of the billion-dollar Chinese startup Face++ used by Alipay, a Chinese equivalent to PayPal. It even protects against fraudsters using a photo by requiring people to move during verification. Alipay itself is starting to rival PayPal and other payment options. Not only is it accepted by half a billion businesses in China, but it is being used by Chinese as they travel overseas. Alipay launched in Europe in 2016 and 60% of its users are already outside of mainland China.

Chinese e-commerce is growing the fastest in the third and fourth tier cities that lack the shopping opportunities of big cities like Beijing. Selling through social media sites is the norm in China and the Chinese prefer to use one, large site than shop with smaller sites. The preference is so ingrained that Amazon chose to partner with Baidu rather than try to move into China under its own name. China is far ahead of the United States in using facial recognition for payments and integrated ecosystems built into sites like WeChat to support e-commerce. China's large population at home and abroad is likely to make IT companies like Alipay a global brand.

Convenience and value for money have become priorities when it comes to shopping these days. And what better than online shopping - a host of catalogues to flip through, a wide range of products in the same segment and a killing deal! But along comes skepticism; what if the goods are damaged or are of improper size or maybe you are simply dissatisfied.

Here comes in the option to return the goods you don’t like. Almost all the online stores have ‘Return’ and ‘Exchange’ policies based on certain criteria. So here’s a few trustworthy names for easier returns and having fun shopping.

Terms On the Go

Shopping has become a hassle free cake walk today! Especially, now with online shopping and banking, you can go about splurging your money on a shopping spree without moving an inch. Purchases are just a click away. The varieties are endless. Speedy deliveries. Return and exchange policies and so much more. The advantages never end, do they? Let’s find out the top five ways why online shopping weighs out offline shopping!

1. Find everything at a click

Finding a thing online is much less complex than hunting it down in the area store. In a store, you have to filter for the thing you require; in case it's not there, you may need to visit a couple of other stores, which is tiring and dreary. Regardless, online you can shop without quite a bit of a stretch journey for any thing by using the web page's request highlight.

2. Cheap deals all day long

Products are frequently less costly online than they are in stores. There are a couple of clarifications behind this including no store rental, variable cost, miscellaneous other reasons. In addition to that, you don't have to waste your time going to stores, searching, spotting items and staying in lines. You can shop hassle free on the world wonder web!

3. Shopping online gives you access to a more broad extent of options

You have a fantastic chance of choice when you shop on the web illustrated by top e-commerce stores like Snapdeal, Flipkart, Freecharge, Paytm, Jabong and more That pretty much says it all. The Internet gives a significantly broader extent of things than that in any close-by store. Customers are more than fulfilled. These days, shopping online is to a great degree tried and true. Merchants are viewed as capable by customer feedback and overviews. Without a doubt, even in online stores where you buy from distinctive customers.

4. It's less difficult to pursue for an exceptional deal

You will in like manner have the ability to value the chance of quality flexibility. On the off chance that, you don't lean toward the expense of a thing from an online shop, you can change to another store conveniently. Also, sites like Freecharge never run out of deals and availing them is very easy!

5. Finding uncommon items and keeping up privacy

Shopping online is extremely useful in obtaining extraordinary things. Also, there are a couple of things that you essentially would incline toward not buying publicly. You can buy any kind of thing online while keeping up your security.