Chinese social media is way ahead of the rest of the world when it comes to integrating customer experience in the funnel

The constant supply of new innovations in Chinese social media has not stopped in 2021. Many Chinese social media apps now double as payment solutions, so consumers can seamlessly move between their social media streams and make purchases without leaving the app. Fast technology and a strong customer focus have shaped the social landscape in China. It’s only a matter of time before the Western social media ecosystem starts to adopt more commerce integrations. In this article, we explore five of the latest innovations to social media in China that have taken marketers and consumers alike by storm.

1. WeChat gesture recognition

Originally set up to mark Chinese Valentine’s Day, WeChat released a popular new feature in the summer of 2020 called gesture recognition. This is a hand gesture that uses two…

Chart of the Day: An international benchmark of the adoption of digital media and technology by consumers in different countries

We're fortunate to have regular quality research on how consumers use digital media from the UK government Office of Communications, OfCom. I have been following their research for several years now since they provide some of the best quality benchmarks with at least one thousand people. Each August OfCom publish a report on the UK consumers use of telecoms including digital media (download the 2017 Communications Market report). This latest report, released today, features an international benchmark which helps compare the 'digital readiness' of different countries based on their consumer's use of telecoms. Here is the summary which shows which are the leaders in each of the seven countries featured in terms of different measures of digital technology adoption. …

AusAustralia's digial ad spend may be where the rest of the world is headed.

Australia currently has the highest digital ad spend per user in the world and by 2018 projections saw that more than 50% of their total advertising budgets will be dedicated to both online and mobile. As Australian marketers have increased spending in digital advertising, they have struggled to engage their consumers. Why is this you might ask? Studies show that 81% of all Australian consumers currently use ad blocking software so that as much as one in five consumers will not see any digital ads over a 30 day span. On top of all that Australia has the lowest click-through rates for banner ads throughout the world. So you might ask yourself why exactly Australian marketers still continue to spend when their consumers are not engage through the digital medium. Australian consumers are buying more connected devices to suit…

A guide to Mastering SEO when there is no Google

Operating in a world where Google and many other familiar channels don’t exist is something that many search marketers in the west might feel unsure of. The fact is, many of the fundamental rules are the same, but the context in which you’re operating becomes dramatically different. For search marketers that successfully venture into the Chinese market, the 'size of the prize' is huge. With over 640 million internet users, you’ve got the potential to reach an audience that’s more than twice the size of the US. Yes, twice the size! For any business looking to grow an audience in China, gaining visibility and coverage on the nation’s biggest search engine Baidu should form a key part of any strategy. With SERPs that may look familiar on the surface, Baidu has a lot of features that actually differ from what we’re used to,…

The best Digital marketing tools for B2B promotion in Russia

One of the most effective channels to attract B2B customers is Digital marketing, and Russia is no exception. A foreign marketer or an entrepreneur planning to create a comprehensive Digital strategy in Russia faces many questions – how to work here, what platforms give the best results? The strategy of attracting customers using digital channels includes a variety of solutions, such as: Search engine optimization; Contextual advertising (PPC); E-mail marketing; White papers; Working with social networks.

Digital marketing tools for B2B promotion

Contextual advertising (PPC)

Contextual advertising is one of the marketing tools which allow the displaying of ads only to those users whose potential sphere of interest matches or coincides with the subject of promoted products or services. The undeniable advantage of contextual advertising is a quick result. No need to wait for months to get higher up…

Russia's current digital landscape: Search and Social

We all know Russia is geographically big, but it is also a big market when it comes to social, search and e-commerce. Russia has 87.5 million active internet users, and 67 million active users of social media accounts. It is estimated that Russian's will make $36 billion worth of purchases online this year. What is more that amount is set to increase considerably to $43 billion next year as shown by this summary from wearesocial. Russia represents a big opportunity as a vast market with high rates of annual growth in the digital sphere. However it also presents a series of challenges because it is very different to Western markets. The big players with which we are all familiar, such as Facebook and Google, do not dominate in the same way as…

3 tips for getting into the hands and pockets of mobile users in Australia

Australia has one of the highest penetrations of smartphones and tablets in the world at 81% and 50%+ respectively according to the Deloitte: Australian Media Use and Preferences August 2014, that's higher than our cousins in the US, Canada and even just across the gap in New Zealand. This is also backed up by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA): Tablets, Love at first swipe research. When the iPhone was originally launched, the Australian Trade Practices Act deemed it uncompetitive to launch on only one carrier and as a result of a multi-carrier launch we have an exceptionally heavy dominance of iPhones. This device ubiquity is a significant opportunity for marketers to capitalise on and unique amongst global markets. So, if the average Australian is no more than arms reach from their mobile phone for more than 14 hours per…