With today’s short attention spans, powerful videos and creative storytelling are essential to capturing consumer interest. Global brands are leveraging video marketing in China across various platforms to maximize their reach.
READ MORE >>> A Global Company’s Guide: English to Chinese Video Translation Workflow
Combine Online and Offline Experiences
A strong strategy integrates online and offline efforts. Publishing impactful videos can spark a snowball effect, increasing exposure when done right with the support of a skilled team.
For example, if you already have an English promotional video, you can:
- Add Chinese subtitles or captions.
- Include voice-over in Mandarin or Cantonese, depending on your target region.
- Share videos on platforms like Youku, iQiyi, Tudou, Kuaishou, or Douyin, where short videos resonate with younger audiences.
WeChat blog posts with embedded intro videos are also highly effective for driving engagement.
So, before you work on that project, you might want to ask these questions first to yourself or with your team. It’s an excellent way to assess how much you’re willing to invest in your China marketing efforts.
1. How much am I willing to spend?
Video marketing can tap both translation and localization work. For example, if you only need the translation of the captions in Chinese, the turnaround time is short. It could even be about 24 hours or less for short 5-10 minute video.
Example: Coca-Cola’s personalized campaigns in China use localized storytelling to engage audiences through platforms like WeChat and Douyin.
Budget: Allocates 20-30% of its global marketing budget for digital campaigns, with significant investments in localized video ads for different regions.
The more requirements for the project, the more you need to set a budget, whether for small or large scale one. Producing a video from scratch and hiring local talent as models is also another option. But the cost is high, too. Some brands publish 5-10 second snippets, with a few punchy captions and that’s it.
3. Am I willing to be creative and flexible on their ideas?
If you’re producing a video in Chinese from scratch with the local team, you need to be flexible. Your brand may have guidelines for marketing and campaigns for consistency. Moreover, Chinese video marketers also consider these guidelines. But it would be best if you also thought of how you can be engaging with your customers with a localization strategy.
The local team likely knows your audience well, so better listen to what they think is best for the campaign. You definitely know the business well. But leave marketing and storytelling with videos to them. The videos should be relevant and culturally engaging.
Imagine launching a new soda flavor in China. While you, as the global team, know the product inside out, the local marketing team suggests focusing on cultural relevance by incorporating popular Chinese festivals into the campaign.
For instance, a video highlighting the product as a refreshing drink for family gatherings during the Lunar New Year resonates deeply with the audience. Featuring traditional red and gold colors, festive lanterns, and a storyline of family reunion creates a culturally engaging and relatable narrative.
By trusting the local team’s insights and creative approach, you ensure the campaign aligns with the audience’s values and traditions, maximizing its impact.
4. Can I trust this team with my documents and materials?
You can only share so much to them about the project. So the answer to this question can be a “Yes” based on your judgment from the second question above. If Fortune 500 companies have trusted the team on their campaigns, do you think they can handle yours?
🚩It’s a red flag if they’re charging you too high on upfront fees. For video translation, you also need to know the documents they will send with the final format. We have a complete guide for video translation you can review as well.
5. Do they offer other services that can boost my video marketing efforts?
Video marketing includes other online activities like social media marketing, microblogging, and copywriting. One way to maximize the budget is to ask for a custom package. It may include these services, which may help boost your efforts.
It’s also an edge when that same team works with the project. They already know what’s behind the story of the video. Moreover, they can pass on more ideas for copywriting in Chinese. Videos can go viral with the right content on microblogging platforms like Weibo. Followers can comment and share the post with friends and followers, too. Other services related to video marketing can be PPC ads and online advertisements.
There’s so much you can do once you finish localizing that video with the right company or agency in China.
