Cross-border e-commerce represents a major growth opportunity for companies selling into China. As a regional manager, having the right strategy to take advantage of this opportunity is key to driving business results. This blog breaks down key steps regional managers can take to successfully sell into China through cross-border e-commerce platforms.
Understand the Cross-Border E-commerce Landscape
China’s cross-border e-commerce market reached $146 billion in 2021, an increase of 31% over the previous year. This growth is expected to continue as demand increases for imported products across categories like beauty, health supplements, baby products, and more.
As a regional manager, getting familiar with major cross-border platforms like Tmall Global, JD Worldwide, and Kaola can help inform your strategy. You should also stay updated on cross-border regulations and how they impact aspects like customs clearance, taxation, and import inspection. Tracking cross-border policy changes should be an ongoing focus area.
Optimizing Brand Positioning
Thriving on cross-border e-commerce requires more than simply translating your domestic brand appeal to Chinese consumers. Companies must carefully evaluate brand positioning and messaging to resonate with Chinese cultural values andshopping habits.
For example, clinical claims and experts often hold more weight than celebrity endorsements when marketing health and wellness products. Chinese consumers may also prioritize different product features than Western shoppers. Regularly surveying target demographics is crucial for truly connecting with what Chinese shoppers care about most.
You’ll also need to carefully consider your brand’s English name and how it translates into Chinese. The name should be distinctive, easy to remember and communicate your key brand attributes. Invest time upfront getting the translation right.
Partnerships Are Key
Successfully selling via cross-border e-commerce requires strong partnerships on the ground in China. The ideal partner depends on your business, but could include agencies to help manage account setup, digital marketing, and more. You may also consider working with influencer networks to activate the right Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) on platforms like WeChat, Xiaohongshu and more.
Building relationships with cross-border e-commerce platforms directly also unlocks added benefits. For example, developing close ties with business development managers allows you to better leverage consumer insights reports, data tools, and other platform resources. Identify key stakeholders early on and develop plans for regular communication.
Getting the Marketing Mix Right
While cross-border platforms offer built-in exposure to Chinese shoppers, you can’t rely on this alone. Brands still need to execute targeted marketing strategies that drive consumers to their official flagship stores.
Social media platforms like RED, Weibo, and WeChat offer excellent channels to generate awareness and consideration. KOL marketing also plays a major role in driving purchases. Think beyond major national KOLs to identify mid-tier and micro influencers with niche, targeted audiences that closely match your consumers.
Search optimization is equally important in helping Chinese consumers find your products when browsing cross-border sites. Work closely with your e-commerce partners to optimize elements like Chinese product titles, descriptions, images, tags and more.
Listen and Learn
The cross-border e-commerce space moves fast. As a regional leader, you need to constantly gather consumer insights and Shift your approach accordingly. Chinese shopper motivations, preferred brands and buying patterns are always changing.
Set up processes to continually monitor social listening data, reviews, ratings, questions and other signals. Use analytics dashboards on cross-border retailer sites to stay on top of your sales velocity, conversions, repeat purchase rate and more. Be ready to test new product offerings, marketing messaging, promotions and more.
While selling into China through cross-border channels brings complexity, the rewardsmake it well worth the effort. Maintaining flexibility and dedicating resources to regularly optimize your strategy is necessary to stay ahead. Use the steps in this guide as a starting point as you grow your cross-border e-commerce presence.