Establishing Industry Expertise: Unleashing the Power of Zhihu’s Q&A and Brand Sector

January 4, 2024

In the dynamic realm of online marketing, staying ahead of the curve is essential for brand success. One platform that holds immense potential, particularly in the Chinese market, is Zhihu. 

Explore how to leverage Zhihu’s unique Q&A and Brand Sector format to position your brand as an industry expert. By incorporating informative content, engaging with the community, and strategically publishing product updates, you can harness the full power of this platform.

 

What is Zhihu?

Often called China’s Quora, Zhihu is an online content community where people come to find solutions, make decisions, seek inspiration, and have fun. Founded in 2011, it distinguishes itself from its competitors by offering high-quality questions and reliable responses. 

Brands typically open their own official accounts to spread brand awareness and industry knowledge and can either publish their own articles or respond to questions already asked by the public.

Zhihu China Quora

If you would like to learn more about the platform, check out our previous article introducing Zhihu:

🤔What is Zhihu? And 4 key benefits of using it

Developing Informative and Insightful Content:

The cornerstone of any successful brand positioning on Zhihu lies in the creation of content that is not just promotional but genuinely informative. Focus on addressing queries and pain points relevant to your industry. Craft answers that showcase your expertise and provide real value to the users. By becoming a go-to source for valuable information, you establish credibility and trust, crucial elements for brand success.

Remember, quality triumphs over quantity. Rather than inundating the platform with a barrage of posts, concentrate on producing well-researched and insightful content. This not only ensures that your brand stands out but also positions you as a reliable authority in your field.

 

Engaging with the Community:

Firstly, Zhihu is not just a platform for broadcasting; it’s a thriving community. Actively participate in discussions, answer questions, and build relationships with potential customers. Be genuine in your interactions, demonstrating a willingness to share knowledge and assist others. This approach not only helps build a positive brand image but also fosters a sense of community around your brand.

When engaging with the Zhihu community, be mindful of cultural nuances and preferences. Chinese consumers value authenticity, so tailor your responses to resonate with the local audience. By establishing a meaningful connection with users, you create a foundation for long-term brand loyalty.

 

Publishing Major Product Updates:

To solidify your brand’s standing as an industry leader, leverage Zhihu’s Brand Sector to publish major product updates. This dedicated space allows you to showcase your company’s advancements, innovations, and milestones directly to your target audience. Craft these updates in a way that highlights not just the features but also the benefits they bring to users.

 

Strive for a balance between informative and promotional content

While it’s essential to showcase your achievements, ensure that the messaging remains customer-centric. By framing product updates as solutions to common challenges or enhancements that elevate the user experience, you position your brand as a thought leader committed to addressing real-world needs.

In the competitive landscape of digital marketing, Zhihu emerges as a valuable platform for brands seeking to establish themselves as industry experts. By focusing on developing informative content, actively engaging with the community, and strategically sharing major product updates, you can unlock the full potential of Zhihu for your brand.

Therefore, As you embark on this journey, remember that success on Zhihu is not an overnight achievement. Consistency, authenticity, and a genuine commitment to adding value to the community are the keys to building a strong brand presence on this dynamic platform. So, seize the opportunity, embrace the unique features of Zhihu, and position your brand as a trusted authority in your industry.

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Top 5 alternatives for LinkedIn in China you need to know now

November 29, 2021

Linkedin, the world’s most popular professional social networking site, recently announced that it will cease operations in China due to a “significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements in China,” according to Mohak Shroff, LinkedIn’s senior vice president of engineering. LinkedIn has been the only major Western social networking platform operating in China for nearly seven years.

China was LinkedIn’s second-largest market behind the United States, with over 54 million users. They would lose access to a platform for networking with professionals from other nations as a result of its departure. There are none with a similar global reach in China.

However, there are a few Linkedin alternatives to consider for users in the world’s most populous country, and here is a list of a few of them.

⚠️ August 2023 UPDATE: WeChat as a LinkedIn Alternative in China – Navigating Professional Networking Beyond Borders

Alternatives for Linkedin

Maimai

Maimai is a China-based career and social networking platform with over 80 million users. Lin Fan established the platform in 2013, and it is now China’s most popular professional social networking site, surpassing LinkedIn. 

You may acquire access to relevant firms, clients, and investors by using MaiMai instead of wasting time on other random and foreign platforms looking for the right partners. And since China’s corporate structure is so complex, such platforms make it easier to communicate directly with the company’s decision-makers.

 

Angelist

Unlike LinkedIn, Angelist focuses on entrepreneurs and industry newcomers interested in pursuing a new career path.

If you’re wanting to invest in a startup, raise capital for your own startup, or recruit professionals for your firm, AngelList is the place to go.

 

Xing

Xing is a European-Asian version of Linkedin, with over 200 countries represented and a multi-language (over 16 languages) interface to aid networking in a culturally varied world. 

Another appealing feature is the opportunity to attend events organised by Xing’s “Ambassadors,” where professionals may network, share ideas, and seek business guidance.

 

Hired

Hired is a great place to look for a job if you’re looking for one. They’re a two-sided marketplace that connects cool companies with tech talent while also providing free professional profile hosting.

 

Meetup

Meetup is the most preferred LinkedIn alternative because of its corporate features, social features, easy registration procedures, and new “virtual interview” tool for speeding up recruitment processes. 

Meetup will keep you up to date on any events that may be of interest to you and are strongly recommended when applying for jobs at startups. It is used by 16 million people in 196 countries throughout the world.

 

Conclusion

Overall, it is critical to emphasise the significance of networking in China. Many contracts and economic ventures are agreed upon based on people’s contacts. So, if you want to flourish in the very competitive Chinese market, you’ll need to make some “good friends” who can assist you and your company.

So, regardless of which platform you choose to join, social business networking is important and may assist you in developing these contacts, which can help you grow your business in China.

If you require further support with setting up your account please contact our team. We use our knowledge and expertise to help businesses build meaningful partnerships and develop their network among Chinese customers. For additional information, please contact us by phone – Shanghai or Hong Kong

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What is Zhihu? And 4 key benefits of using it.

November 23, 2021

WeChat, Weibo, and Douyin are almost certainly the first platforms that come to mind when it comes to social media marketing in China. While Zhihu may not be as well-known on a global scale, its reputation is unmatched. As one of China’s most reliable, expert-led social media platforms, it is worthwhile to investigate further.

Zhihu, which was founded in 2011, distinguishes itself from its competitors by offering high-quality questions and reliable responses. 

Its name is derived from the classical Chinese phrase 

“Do you know?”. 

The platform’s main feature is that users can ask and answer questions on a variety of topics, from software development to postnatal care

People can rate, bookmark, share, and comment on responses, as well as invite individual users to respond to their queries. Experts and professionals from a variety of industries utilise this platform to offer high-quality thoughts. 

According to the platform’s SEC registration statement, Zhihu is one of China’s “top five comprehensive online content communities.” It has 76 million monthly active users and 43.1 million cumulative content creators who have published 315.3 million questions and answers since it began as an invite-only service (as of 31 December 2020). 

Zhihu Marketing and its Benefits

Any company that wants to reach educated professionals in China with more disposable income should advertise on Zhihu.

However, certain brands will gain more than others from Zhihu marketing. Those in the B2B, IT, or professional services industries, for example, would be in the best position to boost brand awareness by providing true value to platform users. Whereas, fashion and beauty brands, on the other hand, are unlikely to succeed unless they’re expressly targeting the professional market.

 

Key Benefits 

 

  • Raise brand awareness by organising a Q&A session
    Zhihu is popular among the well-educated. According to studies, 80% of registered users have a bachelor’s degree or more, and 20% have had international educational experience. Zhihu’s user base is made up of people who have a lot of money, a lot of spending power, and a lot of knowledge, and who can talk about more high-level, technical, and premium issues.
  • 3rd-Party Mentions Can Help You Build Trust
    Being mentioned on the platform can help your company create credibility and go viral through word-of-mouth within the community because the majority of the users are well-educated. Many people come to Zhihu for in-depth evaluations and research when they need to make a purchasing decision, making it an immensely strong tool for soft-selling and influencing long-term buying decisions.
  • A well-educated user base
    Zhihu receives around 26 million daily visits on a typical day. This indicates that it is commonly used by Chinese internet users. As a result, Zhihu is an excellent platform for showcasing your brand to a big number of educated and well-off people. Given a large number of users and the platform’s “Q&A” character, this is a great platform for increasing brand visibility or marketing a new product.
  • High search engine authority
    Many popular search engines, such as Baidu, Sogou, and 360.com, rank Zhihu extremely high. It has a Baidu domain authority of 8/10 and a 360 search domain authority of 9/10. This demonstrates that major search engines trust Zhihu material, making it simpler for the platform’s content to rank high in search results.

 

Conclusion

Asking and answering questions, particularly ones that connect directly to your brand’s expertise is the simplest method to engage with the community. Users don’t respond well to overt promotion, so content should be meaningful and informative rather than brand-focused. 

Additionally, some of the platform’s newer features, such as Zhihu Live, can be used by firms to demonstrate their competence; for example, a cosmetics brand could live stream basic beauty demonstrations.

The company is preparing to develop a national knowledge-based content platform, thanks to some recent investments. It intends to expand spending on content, knowledge services, and marketing, as well as artificial intelligence technology for better content personalization. Therefore, with a large number of high-level intellectual users, Zhihu provides lucrative marketing opportunities for brands and organizations.

If you require further support with setting up your account please contact our team.   We use our knowledge and expertise to help businesses build meaningful partnerships and develop a digital marketing strategy that better targets and engages Chinese customers. For additional information, please contact us by phone – Shanghai or Hong Kong

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