KAWO Blog

RED (Xiaohongshu) and Bilibili are known to be popular to younger generations, especially Gen Z. However, the presence and potentials of seniors can not be ignored on those platforms.

Seniors are flocking to RED

Though RED is commonly known as a playground for the younger (upper-to-middle class female) consumers, the number of active senior users on RED is estimated to be over 11 million [S], and the number of senior influencers has doubled in 2022 [S]. 

The bottleneck of “Old Red Book”

Global brands in China are more socially involved than ever as social media accounts let you communicate with your target audience and customers immediately and directly, and most importantly, build a lasting relationship that boost brand loyalty for the brand.

But, the question is how can you tell if the brand’s social media profiles are driving good engagement to keep your competitors at bay, and help you excel in your field?

As a marketing professional, you probably already know that social media analysis is the answer to this question; without it, your brand will have difficulty determining whether or not and how your Chinese social presence is helping you build a name there.

Read on to learn about the benefits of social media analysis, and how you can run them yourself to optimize your Chinese social media accounts in a smarter way.

In recent years, the open rate for WeChat Official Accounts (“OA”) has been declining due to fierce competition for readers’ attention. However, this is not the case for accounts with mostly senior followers who tend to stay loyal and focused.

The perfect place to engage directly with seniors

Seniors (51 years and older) account for 23% of WeChat’s 1.31 billion monthly active users, [S]. WeChat’s extensive list of features designed for better communication, content sharing and entertainment makes it the most popular social media platform for seniors in China.

Wonderland for online community building

The Boom of WeChat Channels

Modeled after “Dou Kuai” and launched in 2020, Channels was not originally                        considered a serious competitor, yet just 2 years later, its video views have increased by 200%, and live-stream views increased by 300%. The number of Channels’ content creators with 10k+ followers also increased by 308% [S].

In recent years, social media usage and purchasing power of seniors have increased exponentially, yet little effort has been put into studying their needs and behavior changes … This is a missed opportunity for brands across many industries. 

Short Video: Seniors’ Favorite

80% of netizens over age 60 spend on average 1.5 hours each day browsing short videos [S]. Many retired seniors report experiencing common issues such as loss of vision and hearing capabilities. Short video, offering graphic motion and clear sound, is more entertaining and effortless for seniors to enjoy and kill time compared to plain text and images.

Douyin and Kuaishou are China’s two major short video players. 49.3% of senior viewers choose Douyin as their go-to video platform, while Kuaishou comes in a close second at 33.3% [S]. With both focused on live-streaming and e-commerce, “Dou Kuai” (Short for “Douyin and Kuaishou”) continue to grow and increasingly encroach on each other’s territory vying for viewers.

If you’re an international company based outside China, and uses Chinese social media such as WeChat, Weibo, and Douyin, you may face such challenges:

😫 Cannot see what the content actually looks like before they are out?

😫 Don’t know exactly what time, what content types and formats work best for your target audience?

😫 The language barrier and time difference even further complicate the process of approving, scheduling and publishing content?

We understand your struggles. In fact, more than 75% of KAWO’s clients face similar issues, which is why we have built a solution to address these challenges.

WeChat, Weibo, Douyin, Kuaishou, and Bilibili are fully integrated into KAWO, a bilingual (Chinese & English) platform that lets you write, edit, publish, and manage multi-accounts across social networks in one place from any time zones 🌍.

Let’s take a look at a few features that could make your life easier 👇

1. Post Editors

2. Smart Scheduling

3. Tag Insights