In the world of marketing, it seems nothing is free. Even for an official platform content, you need to hire people to publish and manage posts to get possible exposure. So how is this true? Can a brand get free exposure? I think the answer is yes, especially with the development of a social network. The problem is if you only focus on only pushing content, you just ignore the opportunity to engage with your audience.
For brands who want to explore the China market and have a try, building up reputation is the first very important step as we have seen many cases who start from abroad and get popular in China by UGC content.
We are living in a world of comments and shares, so do not miss a chance of getting your brand be exposed from other people’s word of mouth.
The question is “How to drive UGC?”.
If you have budget, then this will not be a problem for you. With simple incentives and encouragement, you will be able to win people’s affection.
If you do not have a budget, this is still possible. Remember the below key points; free marketing exposure is just one easy step.
SERVICE & CARE
Good service & care is a must for every industry and this is also the first step of getting affection by your client. If you are not able to provide the service & care that they like, how will people remember you and promote you? To Chinese, it is even more important when you are a foreign brand; they will feel overjoyed when receiving care & service when not expected.
If you own a restaurant, a menu in Chinese is a must with recommendation of the best choice with a description of taste and flavour to avoid misunderstandings. If you own a store, a tax refund guide in Chinese will be of great help. And if you can offer exclusive discounts and/or gifts, this will be a contributing factor to convert to sales. If you are a destination, a Chinese speaker tour guide will help them enjoy the tour instead of to try to understand what you are saying in your language. The service & care covers a lot of areas; by thinking from the consumer’s perspective you will get the correct answer.
DON’T FORGET TO REMIND
Chinese people are relatively introvert, so they will not always show their feelings so directly. But they love sharing their comments about their experience on social media. It is needed to always remind people to share their comments about your business so that they do not forget.
The reminder can be in a poster in the cashier desk, a tag on your product or combined within the greeting message of your staff. This will not cost you a lot time and energy; and the results will support future consumers’ decisions.
THANKS AND INTERACT
People will always feel happy if their question and comments are thanked and answered, especially from the official side. If you receive any encouragement and recognition from your Chinese guest, please do not hesitate to ask them to share. They will be more than happy to share their recommendations and your social media pages with their friends.
