Don't Assume China Mimics US-Style Social Media
China enjoyed center stage this week thanks to President Obama's visit. Naturally, trade relations were on the agenda.
For Internet companies sitting in the US, news reports that chronicled the President's every move in China were a visible reminder of the business opportunity that may seem a click away.
This guest post was written by Wei Wang.
So, why not export social media to China just like KFC and American Idol? After all, seeing Yao Ming, arguably China's grandest international star, on Facebook and Twitter, one naturally figures, aside from the language and periodic blocking of websites, "What's the diff?"
But Facebook has gained little traction in China (with only 390,000 users), and tweets have virtually ground to a halt since the government started blocking Twitter, and these factors point to the "diff."
Simply flinging an American product into the Chinese market won't succeed, because every social media category has a Chinese equivalent that is tuned to the particular needs of the mainland Chinese market.
One of China's "Facebooks," Kaixin001.com, has already secured over 40 million users since launching only last year. The platform gained its initial popularity through applications that you would recognize from the real Facebook, such as "Friends for sale" and "Parking wars" - but with a Chinese twist.
Take, for example, the application called "Xingming Yuanfen," in which you type in a friend's name to test your "yuanfen" (i.e. your predetermined relationship with that person). Another application explains who you were in your previous life. It turns out I was a bandit, much to the chagrin of my parents.
These "fortune-telling" applications enjoy incredible popularity on computers and mobile phones. While fortune-telling jars Western sensibilities, it remains a part of Chinese culture.
The B-B-what?
But the best example of China walking to the beat of its own drummer is the continued popularity of the BBS.
That's not a typo.
That is the same bulletin board system that went by the wayside in the US with dial-up modems and US Robotics. Chinese students - who, like their counterparts in the US, are more open to experimentation than other segments - established the foundation for BBS' to flourish in China.
All major universities operate their own BBS. Peking University and Tsinghua University (which are the Harvard and MIT of China) host the Weiming BBS (named after Weiming Lake at Peking University) and Shuimu Tsinghua BBS, respectively.
With 10+ years' worth of graduates who grew up on BBS' now driving the Chinese Internet market, these same people have fueled a range of BBS sites tied to their interests and professions. According to the latest CINIC (China Internet Network Information Center) report, roughly 30% of Chinese Web users spend a significant amount of time on a BBS. So, these sites certainly transcend geekdom.
55BBS, for example, is an online community where users share discount information, coupons and other creative ways to land a good deal. Users also share news of what they got from their latest shopping spree, showing off a photo of skin care products as if it were a trophy.
Perhaps the most unique phenomenon in China is Tianya, the #1 BBS, with almost 30 million users.
What is Tianya? Think of it as a gathering place for an eclectic blend of intellectuals, journalists, freelancers, professors, researchers, gadflies, etc. Users write on and comment about sensitive social issues that may be off-limits to mainstream media. People also head to this forum to gossip about celebrities (okay, some things don't change between cultures).
A Chinese word has been coined for BBS evangelists: "Da'rens," which roughly means "people who really know how to do something." We're now starting to see some "Da'rens" parlay their popularity into commercial success. The famous makeup Da'ren known as Arora started out writing about cosmetics on a BBS before launching a blog for the mega-portal Sina.com.
From a Chinese perspective, the fundamental difference between a blog and BBS is that a BBS allows for anonymity, which appeals to the introversion of many Chinese. Blogging is also more of a solitary activity, with readers chiming in with comments later. The BBS, on the other hand, is more of a collaborative undertaking, which also appeals to the Chinese.
This all means that Internet companies from the US looking to crack the mainland Chinese market need to do their homework and tailor their products accordingly.
Here's an easy litmus test when planning your market entry in China: "What's the difference between the US and Chinese version of your product?"
If the answer takes more than 60 seconds to explain, then you've got a fighting chance.
Wei Wang is a digital consultant with The Hoffman Agency, a communications consultancy with offices in Beijing (where Wei is based) and Shanghai, as well as throughout Asia, the US and Europe. She can be reached at WWang@Hoffman.com.
Learn more about social media managment from experts -- check out the ReadWriteWeb Guide to Online Community Management. It highlights the hottest issues in online community management (Download a free sample of the document here), and you get access to a password protected online aggregator that automatically serves up the most-talked about blog posts concerning community management each day -- a great resource for ongoing professional development.
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This article is like saying - social media in China is a little more than a translated version of Facebook or Twitter. Sure, and a lot of people would agree to that.
The fact still remains that social media sites in China learnt social media from the likes of Facebook, Myspace, the blogging sites and other social media pioneers. They took the ideas, concepts, workflows (even layouts) from the sites and then tailored them to fit the taste and thought process of Chinese users.
The customizations just happen to be more detailed than mere social media clones in Germany and some in South America.
It is fairly standard that social technologies will be shaped by the society its being used in. If you are trying to remind people that Chinese Culture is different that American culture, I think that most people are aware of that. The problem I see is mentioned here. The Government seems to have one design. Suppression of anything that it deems dangerous, and exalting China. Whether that means suppressing social freedom through ANY means necessary, or by stealing technologies outright and calling them Chinese, they seem to have no problem doing that.
I really try to be positive in most of my posts, but this one makes me mad. China is one of the largest civil rights abusers in recent history, and continues to hide, lie, and deny. If the expansion of social media can weaken the oppressive government structure there, then by all means tell us how to do it.
And by the way, while America has exported things like fast food and entertainment, I would hope that we could export something more important to China namely freedom of speech, and civil rights.
It bums me out to write this, and Im not even sure ill hit the submit button. I realize I might be stigmatized for talking like this, but I seriously cant reconcile the murderous atrocities of the last 20 years with trying to just pretend nothing happened...all for a share of the emerging Chinese market. They say love covers a multitude of sins...it appears that greed does too.
It is true that Chinese social media sites do a good job tailoring services for local needs. But to suggestion that global social media sites are failing because they don't tailor to local needs is missing the point. They are failing because the Chinese government blocks almost all global social media. I live in China. I can't see Facebook, Twitter, most blogs, most wikis, most forums, URL shorterners, Google Docs, Scribd, YouTube -- or many other sites (without a VPN, which most Chinese don't have access to). Global sites like Facebook are successful in many countries, and would be in China as well if the government didn't deny access to its citizens.
Also living in China, I have to agree with Jim.
Facebook was doing really well in chinese big cities. And most of the people I know here prefer to use Facebook rather than renrenwang or any other.
Facebook's growth has always been viral and in China it started in the places with the most foreigners ie: shanghai, beijing, guangzhou and hong kong. And then dragged chinese people in. Renrenwang on the opposite has big advertisements on bus, the TV in my elevator etc... But why would facebook advertise in a market that cannot access it's website!
Now try to grow in China when you're a website and have to tell your users: okay to acces my website, first go to this site, then install this wpn software, then launch it, ok now you can access my website, yes it's very slow, but that's because of the vpn, it could be faster, you would only need to pay 200 RMB or more per month. Isn't that great?
Regarding the applications on kaixin, well like the apps on FB, they were not made by the core website, so the developers might as well have developed one for FB instead.
Seems that a social site is fine in China as long as it has less than 1% foreigners, so they won't spread their rubbish ideas about freedom or anything.
Aaron, by the way you might be interested to have a look at this ted.com video: http://khepin.posterous.com/how-the-internet-helps-dictatorships which started to make me think that social media and the internet is maybe far from helping chinese people on any of the issues you mentioned.
For once I'm not sure you spotted the right reason about this issue!
Thanks for teaching something new this morning Wang Wei. I am usually surprised to find more similarities than differences when comparing other countries' PR and social media practices against ours in the UK. However, China is an exception! This is a perfect illustration why 'acting locally' will continue to be essential. [disclosure: I am a long-distance colleague of the author]
@Aaron
"I seriously cant reconcile the murderous atrocities of the last 20 years with trying to just pretend nothing happened"
Hmm, well look at Iraq and Afghanistan first.
Hi Im also in Shanghai since 2002 and Chinese people keep saying China is different but its not true. People are the same and the differences between cultures are minor and mainly linguistic look at KFC sucess in China with its rich food history... What makes Chinese think they are more different from the US than say an African culture ? However this line is pushed by the government to have special policies which would not be accepted elsewhere . Hence you see alot of talk about Chinas special situation eg China is special and needs a Communist party to ensure stability.
Does that mean you can succeed with the same product in China ? No . The regulations will prevent it and you are also competing with state owned companies and oficials which have a comercial stake in restricticting your activities and promoting there own. When Youtube started getting banned occassionaly you wouldn't believe how good business was for its Chinese competitors once it grew large enough they banned it permanently.
btw that dictatorship link is blocked in China...
Business is business. The reason why companies and people do businesses in China is that they can make money there, not that they want to help China be a better place.
In this sense, the article has good points. If an internet company wants to be successful in China, it has to act quickly and tailor to China's culture, not just social media. For example, taobao.com beats Ebay in China. I believe Ebay is not blocked there.
Thanks for your wonderful site.It is very informative article.I keep always in my mind...
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The US style BBS is historically a serial connection, and now increasingly mimicked using telnet. I don't think that the Chinese BBS is either of those. Actually, unless it's SSH, there is no real anonymity such as the writer claims is preferred by the Chinese people. Even then most people will still have a traceable IP.
I very much enjoyed this article as I came here looking for information about BBS usage. However, I must say that a little technical knowledge would be appropriate in writing about a subject like this. The fact is that according to the article, the US BBS culture does not resemble the Chinese one unless you mean that TCP/IP is the contemporary preference in both. Although non technical in nature, the article still highlights a huge difference. I do think that some of the comments above were also not aware of current US BBS usage.