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Introduction In China’s relationship-driven B2B market, the right media mix can dramatically accelerate trust-building and shorten long sales cycles for overseas brands. With more than a decade optimizing media plans on Baidu, WeChat, Douyin, Zhihu and industry vertical platforms, we’ve helped international companies turn precise media exposure into high-quality opportunities. Here are the media strategies that are delivering the strongest results today.
1. Baidu-Centric Media Planning for Intent-Driven Reach
1.1 Brand Zone + Information Flow Integration Secure Baidu Brand Zone placement to own the first screen when decision-makers search industry terms, then amplify with native Information Flow ads. Combine display banners, knowledge cards, and video units for full-funnel coverage. This approach delivers 3-5× higher assisted conversions compared to standalone PPC for overseas brands entering China.
1.2 Baidu Know (Baidu Zhidao) & Baijiahao Seeding Publish authoritative articles and Q&A answers on Baijiahao and Baidu Know that rank permanently for long-tail queries. Seed content with brand mentions and links back to your .cn site. Evergreen media assets continue generating leads months after publication at virtually zero marginal cost.
2. WeChat Ecosystem Media for Relationship Depth
2.1 Channels Video + Official Account Synergy Post short-form technical explainer videos on WeChat Channels (formerly Video Accounts) and drive viewers to subscribe to your Official Account for deeper content. Use Channels’ algorithm to reach cold audiences, then convert with gated whitepapers. Video views routinely exceed 100 k within weeks when topics solve real industry pain points.
2.2 WeChat Search Optimization (WeChat SO)** Optimize Official Account articles and Mini-Program pages for WeChat internal search, which now rivals Baidu for B2B queries. Include high-search-volume keywords in titles and use structured menus. Brands that rank in WeChat Search enjoy recurring organic traffic inside the closed ecosystem.
3. Zhihu & Industry Community Media for Thought Leadership
3.1 Sponsored Columns and High-Quality Answers Purchase Zhihu institutional columns or sponsor trending industry topics while maintaining organic answer dominance. Provide data-rich, unbiased responses that link to your resources. Zhihu’s professional user base converts at 4-6× higher rates than consumer platforms for complex B2B solutions.
3.2 Private Domain Traffic Loops from Public Communities Use Zhihu and Pulse (Maoyan) to attract readers, then guide them via QR code to WeChat Groups or Official Accounts for continued nurturing. This public-to-private media loop creates owned audiences that reduce future media dependency.
4. Douyin & Bilibili Video Media for Younger Decision-Makers
4.1 Short Technical Explainer Series on Douyin Produce 60-90 second “problem-solution-benefit” videos featuring Mandarin-speaking engineers or animated demos. Use Douyin’s Star Map platform for KOL amplification in niche industrial categories. Video media now influences 40%+ of buyers under 35 in manufacturing and tech sectors.
4.2 Long-Form Tutorials on Bilibili Upload 10-20 minute in-depth tutorials and case breakdowns on Bilibili, optimized with detailed timestamps and bullet comments. Seed with paid Spark ads. Bilibili’s high-engagement audience shares content widely within professional circles.
5. Integrated Multi-Media Retargeting & Attribution
5.1 Cross-Platform Retargeting Pools Build retargeting audiences from Baidu visitors, WeChat engagements, Zhihu readers, and Douyin viewers, then serve unified sequences across all platforms. Consistent messaging shortens consideration phase dramatically.
5.2 Offline Event Media Amplification Live-stream industry exhibitions on WeChat Video Channels and Douyin while running simultaneous search/display media to capture extended interest. Hybrid media approach routinely triples event ROI.
Case Study: Swedish Industrial Sensor Manufacturer
A Swedish sensor brand wanted visibility among Chinese factory automation engineers. By securing Baidu Brand Zone, publishing 50+ Baijiahao articles, running WeChat Channels technical videos, dominating Zhihu automation topics, and retargeting across platforms, they achieved 400%+ media-driven lead growth in 14 months, with 62% of new enterprise contracts attributing initial awareness to the integrated media plan.
Conclusion
The winning China B2B media strategies in 2025 combine Baidu intent dominance, WeChat relationship depth, Zhihu authority, emerging video platforms, and seamless retargeting. Overseas brands that orchestrate these channels cohesively gain disproportionate share of voice and pipeline.
PLTFRM is an international brand consulting agency that works with companies such as Red, TikTok, Tmall, Baidu, and other well-known Chinese internet e-commerce platforms. We have been working with Chile Cherries for many years, reaching Chinese consumers in depth through different platforms and realizing that Chile Cherries’ exports in China account for 97% of the total exports in Asia. Contact us, and we will help you find the best China e-commerce platform for you. Search PLTFRM for a free consultation!
