B2B (Business to Business) & Lead Generation in China

B2B and Industries in China

Digital marketing is not only for B2C, especially in China. B2B means all the commercial relations between two companies. How can the Internet help you to attract leads? Some digital marketing agencies have adapted and specialized their services in offering B2B marketing strategies. A primary objective for a business is to increase its sales and eventually its customers’ loyalty. 

About the industrial sector in China

The industrial sector represents 70% of China’s gross domestic product (GDP). China is a major producer of products and equipment around the world. Their economic model based on cheap labor and very low resale prices is however changing with the development of the middle class and an increase in wages. This is why more and more Chinese industrial companies seek better quality and automation of their production. We can classify industrial products into 2 categories: standard products and customized solutions.

• Read also Top Marketing Guide for Industries in China

How to Optimise your Online Lead Generation for Professional Chinese Buyers?

Website Optimization

In China, 80% of buyers are looking for their information (sourcing) on the Internet and 95% of industrial buyers use the Internet to find suppliers.

We also notice that some industrial companies use Alibaba, an e-commerce platform, to obtain low-value consumables.

Another example is BAIDU, the leading search engine in China which must be used to get organic traffic by developing SEO technics and optimizing your website and its reputation.

Market Test: An Adwords campaign?

An Adwords campaign can be a smart way to test the Chinese market. Your company can decide how much it wants to invest in these PPC (paid per click) adverts so the cost can be relatively low. Even if users prefer natural results (more trustful), some do not hesitate to click on promotional links.

Baidu remains the favorite search engine in China with a 70% market share.

The e-marketing strategy in China B2B

To develop a good e-marketing strategy, you need to identify your customer needs, new trends, and innovations to fully meet the requirements of your relevant audience segments.

Thereafter, we must identify the best ways to reach the target audience by segmenting the market by sector, size, or geographical area. With online localization services, this is becoming increasingly easier to implement.

 

How to communicate in the industrial sector?

Often industrial companies with limited budgets prefer non-digital solutions to communicate with their customers (catalogs, trade shows, brochures, etc.). However, this approach is not adapted to the reality of the Chinese market and the dominance of the Internet in today’s digital world.

It is very important to first have a website in Mandarin to be listed on search engines so prospective buyers and prospects find you easily. Thereafter it will be essential to meet production deadlines, provide exemplary quality, and follow up with customers, all this in order to retain a sustainable flow of business from China.

E-reputation a cornerstone in your strategy

Your reputation plays a key role in your success, you are operating and marketing your product to a market that doesn’t know you. As we said earlier, the Chinese, including industrial entrepreneurs go on the Internet to gather information about a business or product, therefore it’s essential your e-reputation (comments and users’ reviews left on forums and networks) is pristine.

This is a crucial step when generating leads … Ensure the information that Chinese buyers will find on your product is great. In order to do that you can use 2 types of marketing tactics.

WeChat

The Chinese love to share their opinions on social media, if you want to communicate and influence their perception then you need to put social media at the center of your digital strategy. The most popular social media in China is WeChat with nearly 700 million active users. We recommend using this medium to communicate easily and quickly at a lower cost with your potential buyers and current customers.

Public Relations

PR agencies will inform professionals and experts of the reliability of your products and services. Having an expert and a leader talking in a positive way about your product is very good for your reputation.

From a B2B perspective, digital marketing is often overlooked… it’s a mistake, especially in China. Chinese customers turn to the Internet to find information and expert opinions.

The industrial sector is still booming, and many foreign companies want to expand commercially in China. Their ability to adapt to this different market depends on their digital strategy, it is the most effective way to generate leads and attract potential buyers.

To generate leads in China, you need to become known, have good customer comments, and communicate with targeted segments in an appropriate and effective way.

You can contact us to hear more about our case studies