How to Build Your Online Presence Remotely Without Visiting China These Days

Are you looking to build your online presence in China but don’t have the time or resources to visit? Don’t worry – it’s possible to do so remotely, with a little bit of effort. For two years, the pandemic has changed how foreign companies conduct business with their Chinese counterparts. With rising cases and lockdowns everywhere, it can be dragging for entrepreneurs and business owners to keep up with uncertainties and ongoing changes of travel restrictions and policies.

In this blog post, we will share some tips on how to get started in building your online presence, whether this is your first time or you have been doing business in China for years. Everything else boils down to capitalizing on the power of the internet to get things done even if you can’t travel these days. Here are some of the activities you can do remotely.

#1 Create a Pitch Deck or Powerpoint Presentation About Your Company

You may have already built a pitch deck before going to China, but you can also create a presentation about your company. This is a great way to show potential partners and clients what you do, how you do it, and where you’re headed next. It’s high time for you to put together a compelling slideshow that best describes your business plan with crucial focus points such as how big the market is, what products or services will be offered, etc.

You want it to inspire confidence in your would-be partner that there are enough resources invested into the project, so they should take it seriously too. Canva is one of the best online tools that allow you to design compelling pitch decks and presentations where you can choose from hundreds of templates available. Microsoft Powerpoint is also a great choice, and it’s best to have an English and Chinese version of your presentation. If your clients are based in Mainland China, better to have a Simplified Chinese translation of your pitch deck.

#2 Capitalize on the Power of WeChat

WeChat is China’s largest social messaging platform with over 1 billion active monthly users. It’s where entrepreneurs and business owners can join groups, form connections, or even do live streaming events to reach out and interact with people in real-time while using their personal accounts. Businesses and start-ups can also use WeChat as their marketing tool by adding a “WeChat Official Account” – similar to having a blog – which allows you to post content and news about your company, as well as display your profile information.

Most entrepreneurs would like to verify their WeChat account for several reasons: it shows they’re serious about their online presence; they want to be recognized by the community, they wish to foster closer connections with everyone, and more. A verified account is created by adding a phone number that WeChat sends a code to for verification before you can proceed and use it.

If you have a WeChat account, you can join groups to discuss certain topics from business to finance, marketing, and more. Some consultants offer an invite-only group so you can network with other members or directly ask questions related to their specialization. If you’re serious in using WeChat advanced features such as mini-programs, then you need someone to do the work for you to develop a mini-app. There’s so much you can do with WeChat, especially when it comes to marketing and e-commerce.

#3 Use MaiMai to Network with Professionals in China

Last but not least, you can use MaiMai, the LinkedIn-like platform in China, to network with professionals online. If you’re looking for connections, whether for networking or hiring, you can search for people, clients, investors, and relevant companies on the platform. Instead of exploring other platforms, you can save more time in finding the right partners.

MaiMai provides a sense of security to users because of its anonymity feature. Users can verify their employment status so it’s easy for you to search for people working at different companies. But they can also post anonymously in a forum.

You can find the employment status of people you’re searching for and post anonymously in a forum. On the business side, you can look for potential clients and search for business and investment opportunities. Using MaiMai requires you to be fluent in Chinese, so we recommend this for business people, entrepreneurs, and professionals who are fluent in reading and speaking in Chinese.

Final Thoughts

It’s no secret that having a strong online presence is critical for businesses looking to succeed in today’s digital age. However, establishing and growing an online presence can be challenging for companies with no physical presence in China.

In this blog post, we shared three tips on how you can build your online presence remotely without visiting China. These tips include creating a pitch deck or PowerPoint presentation about your company, capitalizing on the power of WeChat, and using MaiMai to network with professionals in China.

If you need help implementing these tips or want to work with a team of experts who have years of experience expanding businesses into China, contact LIMPID today.