New Regulations on China Internet Marketing: Impacts on Foreign Companies

New Regulations on China Internet Marketing: China sets new rules tightening the technology sector to regulate the companies’ algorithms on recommending products and services to users. The government aims to eliminate monopolistic behavior and unfair competition, including handling users’ sensitive data.

China’s Cyberspace Administration published the new regulations citing that algorithms should not promote content that will endanger national security, disrupt economic and social order, and infringe the rights and interests of others.

Fair Competition, No to Internet Hijacking

One of the tricks that some tech companies do is they use algorithms to create fake user accounts, and the government aims to eliminate that bad practice. On top of that, the rules are part of China’s efforts to protect the privacy of users and the security of data.

These new policies also demand businesses that they shouldn’t use algorithms to hijack their competitors’ website traffic that can affect customers’ transactions or influence their buying behavior.

The new regulations have affected the shares of most Chinese internet companies. However, the cleanup and implementation of new internet guidelines are also signs that the government wants fair play among tech companies from the long-term perspective.

So, what can you do as a company? How will these new guidelines affect your online marketing activities?

4 Tips on China Internet Marketing

• Refrain from working with unreliable Baidu specialists and SEO experts who might be using bad practices on search engines for you to rank higher. There’s no such thing as overnight success or shortcuts when working with algorithms. Above all, publishing high-quality Chinese articles is the best way to grow your online presence organically.
• If you plan to live stream or conduct live selling, ensure that the sales stars or influencers speak Mandarin and dress appropriately. China regulators have scrutinized live streaming activities as some shoppers accuse influencers and salespeople of misrepresenting the products they sell or declaring fake sales.
• Chinese search engines can’t read foreign languages. That’s why if you want to rank on Baidu, only publish Simplified Chinese articles. On top of that, if you want to improve the loading time of your website, better host it on a local server instead of overseas.
• Leverage the power of social media platforms as WeChat remains the most popular app and has reached 24 billion monthly active users. Other platforms that you can explore, depending on your brand’s KPIs, are Sina Weibo, QQ, Zhihu, Douyin, Toutiao, and Xiaohongshu.

Final Thoughts

The new internet guidelines show that the government encourages fair competition among technology companies. For foreign companies, it’s best to be aware of these policies and work with a trusted digital marketing agency that knows how to navigate the China market.

That said, if you want to know more about the new regulations and how you would proceed with your marketing strategies, you can send the LIMPID team a message for assistance.