The online services market continues to grow rapidly around the world. Among those states in which the most active development of the corresponding segment is expected is China. Of particular popularity among users of China are social networks. But not always the ones we are used to hearing about, but completely unique, national online projects. What is their specificity? What social networks of China can be attributed to the most popular?
Are social networks popular in China?
Before considering the popular Chinese social networks, we will examine the question of whether the corresponding communication portals are in demand in China in principle?
As many experts note, the Chinese are very used to social networks and spend a significant amount of time reading the information presented in them. However, the same is probably worth saying about the inhabitants of many other states. There are Chinese social networks in Russian: their appearance, on the one hand, may indicate the interest of developers from China in the development of the Russian-speaking segment of the Internet, despite strong competition from, in fact, Russian projects, on the other hand, reflects the popularity of the Russian language in the world. Quite a lot of Russian-speaking citizens live in China itself.
Features of the development of social networks in China
It is worth noting that popular Western online projects - such as Facebook and Twitter - are difficult to use in China due to the presence of state control over access to relevant resources. Thus, online platforms that have become familiar to the western layman may simply not be known to many people in China. But, despite the strict approach of the PRC government to regulating citizens' access to the Internet, the main technological trends characterizing the development of online have not bypassed China.
Thus, the uncontrollable growth in the popularity of social networks that occurred on a planetary scale in the second half of 2000 was also reflected in the Chinese segment of the Internet. While Facebook was victoriously marching on users' computers in the West, Vkontakte and Odnoklassniki were victoriously marching in Russia, Chinese social networks developed on their own, completely not inferior to the world's leading models in functionality, and in a number of aspects and surpassing them.
Chinese social networks today
Thus, social networks in China, as in other countries of the world, have become popular and continue to be so today. At the same time, the factor of Internet autonomy in the PRC left an extremely noticeable imprint on the structure of the corresponding online segment: the national and not international projects became the most popular social networks in the PRC. The star of the Chinese social network Weibo, perhaps, will not be inferior among the inhabitants of China in popularity to world-famous characters who have accounts on Facebook and other international portals. At the same time, it is noteworthy that those who wish can gain fame by using several large online platforms at once.
The largest social networks in China
What are the most recognizable Chinese social networks? It is quite difficult to compose a rating of such, if only because the online market in China continues to develop actively, and if today some projects are leading, then tomorrow, in principle, they can be replaced by others. But if we talk about the most popular brands of the Chinese online industry in the segment of social networks, then the following projects are legitimate:
- WeChat.
- Sina Weibo.
- QQ.
- Renren.
- Baidu Tieba.
Let's consider them in more detail.
The largest social networks of China: WeChat
Let's start looking at Chinese social networks with a major WeChat project. This social network appeared in January 2011 in the format of a mobile application, the main functions of which were voice calls and text messaging between users. In addition, using the interfaces of this application, users were able to exchange pictures, audio and video recordings.
The most notable features of the WeChat project include the implementation of algorithms that allowed organizing the exchange of multimedia content with little traffic. Another feature that characterizes the social network in question is the use of functions based on determining the location of a person.
According to some reports, about 400 million users are registered on the WeChat social network. The interfaces of the social network in question are available in several dozen languages. Thus, if we consider Chinese social networks in Russian, the WeChat project will rightly be attributed to the largest of them.
It can be noted that the functionality of the corresponding application is used by residents of the PRC mainly to find interesting entertainment, make emergency calls, taxi, pay for purchases, as well as various services via the Internet. The functionality of the considered social network allows you to conduct cash transactions.
It is noteworthy that it was in the WeChat application that stickers were implemented when sending messages. This function was subsequently adopted by other well-known social networks.
The WeChat project has been recognized as one of the most commercial successful. In 2015, according to some sources, the revenue of the social network exceeded $ 14 billion. Other Chinese social networks, experts say, have not yet achieved similar results.
It can be noted that the WeChat project is actively developing in the Indian market. Its promotion is carried out using the Ibibo website with the assistance of telecommunications company Tencent from China.
Sina weibo
Another popular social network in China is Sina Weibo. It appeared before WeChat, in 2009. According to experts, the Chinese social network Weibo in basic functions is similar to the Russian project "Vkontakte". Using the interfaces available on the corresponding portal, users can exchange messages, audio and video, as well as various documents.
It is noteworthy that the interaction between users on the Weibo social network is censored. Thus, profanity, forbidden information, as well as communications, which for whatever reason are prohibited by the government of the PRC, are filtered. It can be noted, however, that users who post unwanted information on Weibo's social network have the ability to delete it without consequences. On this they are given some time.
Among other notable functions of the considered social network is the ability to use the gaming platform. It is not necessary to register in the social network.
It can be noted that the portal in question can also be actively used by residents of the PRC to make purchases on the network: the corresponding social network is integrated with the popular online shopping service Shangou.
Social Network QQ
The next popular Chinese project is QQ. There is another name for the social network in question - Qzone. It is a service through which users can exchange messages, make video calls when using various devices.
It is noteworthy that the corresponding social network is popular not only in China, but also outside the PRC. If we consider, in particular, the popular Chinese social networks in English, the project in question can be attributed to the most recognizable.
According to some reports, the corresponding social network is the third largest in the world in terms of the number of users. It yields only to the largest international projects - Facebook and Google. More than 600 million users are registered in it.
Project Developer - China Telecommunications Corporation Tencent Inc. This company is the largest Internet provider. This brand, therefore, also deals with the support of the WeChat social network, the specifics of which we examined above.
Renren Project
The next major online project that is being developed by Chinese experts is the Renren social network. According to experts, this portal is especially popular among Chinese students. This platform is one of the earliest - it appeared in 2005.
The social network was developed by students of Tianjin University. Through the interfaces of the corresponding social network, users can exchange messages, various types of multimedia content, play games, pay for purchases in online stores.
Monetization of the Renren social network is carried out by various methods. In particular, commercial pages bring profit to the project: large brands can successfully use them in their marketing strategy. Thus, from the point of view of commercialization, Chinese social networks may be the most successful projects.
Among other notable features of the Renren social network is the availability of capabilities to ensure the highest level of user data privacy. So, the owner of a personal page in this social network can hide information about himself as much as possible from viewing by third-party users.
Baidu Tieba Project
The next powerful online project in China is the Baidu Tieba social network. It also belongs to the category of the earliest - a social network appeared in December 2003. A feature of this project is the ability to find data of interest using key phrases. The main goal of this platform is to unite people with common interests. Thus, if we consider Chinese social networks for dating, then the Baidu Tieba project can be attributed to the most attractive for users.
Baidu as an international brand
The network in question is actually part of the Baidu search engine , which is one of the largest in the world. It can be noted that another service within Baidu, which can be called a full-fledged social network, is Baidu Space.
In general, the Baidu search engine includes quite a lot of popular and technological services. It also implements many useful communication functions.
Social networks in China as a tool for promoting business
It can be noted that Chinese social networks - in Russian, as well as in others that are foreign to the people of the PRC - are in many cases used by interested parties as effective marketing tools in promoting their own business in China. In this sense, the possession of knowledge about the respective platforms can be of particular interest to commercial enterprises planning to get used to a promising market.
Chinese marketing resources are used by many of the world's largest brands. In many cases, those approaches to the promotion of goods and services that have proven themselves outside of China, it becomes possible to reproduce in China. This tactic becomes possible, first of all, due to the very significant involvement of Chinese citizens in communication in the format of social networks, as well as a high degree of universalization of the interfaces of the respective platforms, if we compare Western and Chinese projects.
Summary
So, we have studied popular Chinese social networks. The list of those that we reviewed, of course, cannot be considered a rating, but it generally reflects the fame of the respective projects. Residents of the PRC were involved in harnessing the potential of social networks at a pace fundamentally not inferior to those that characterize the activity of Western Internet users.
The most powerful online projects in the social media segment in China are those created by Chinese developers. Western projects are under state censorship, and even if it is weakened, it is completely possible that the people of the PRC will switch to visiting international portals en masse. This may be due primarily to the fact that Chinese social networks are in principle not inferior to those that are developed outside the PRC, in terms of functions, convenience of interfaces, and technological level.
The social networks of China can be used by major brands as an effective marketing tool - similar to how resources of the corresponding type are used outside of China.