Bachelor
2025/2026
Social Media Marketing in China
Type:
Elective course (Business Administration)
Delivered by:
Department of Marketing
When:
4 year, 3 module
Open to:
students of one campus
Instructors:
Челнокова-Щейка Анна Витальевна
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
4
Contact hours:
40
Course Syllabus
Abstract
The aim of the course is to form a basic understanding of the social media ecosystem in China and local promotional methods, taking into account the specifics of Chinese consumer behavior. Students will study the features of content creation and monetization opportunities on major platforms. The course covers key Chinese social platforms (WeChat, Weibo, Douyin, Little Red Book, etc.), their characteristics, and their audiences. Students will master tools for running marketing campaigns in China, including working with official accounts, using KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) and KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers), and the basics of analytics on these platforms. Special attention is paid to cultural aspects of communication and their relationship with promotion in Chinese social networks. Students will learn to develop basic promotion strategies in collaboration with other specialists and to evaluate existing campaigns, considering the features of Chinese social media platforms, cultural specifics, and the use of modern promotional tools, including work with KOLs/KOCs.
Learning Objectives
- «Social Media Marketing in China» course aims to introduce the system of social media market in China and to develop basic understanding of the Chinese promotion patterns, content creation and monetization opportunities on the main platforms. The course provides the insights to the specifics of the Chinese internet culture and the way how it can be used in Chinese social media marketing.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Knows: Characteristics of the Chinese digital market, major social platforms, and their audiences.
- Knows: Legal and cultural restrictions when conducting marketing in China.
- Can: Develop content strategies for various Chinese social platforms.
- Can: Work with analytical data from marketing campaigns on Chinese social networks.
- Possesses skills in: Using tools for promotion in Chinese social networks.
- Possesses skills in: Adapting content to the cultural characteristics of the Chinese audience.
- Understands the basic characteristics of Chinese consumer behavior and their relationship with social networks in China
Course Contents
- Understanding the Chinese Consumer: Navigating the Local Market
- China's Consumer Trends 2025: A Look Ahead
- Russia-China Collaboration: Identifying Opportunities in Key Industries
- Inside China's Social Media Ecosystem: The Rise of Local Giants (Part 1)
- China's Social Media in Flux: Key Trends and Transformations (Part 2)
- Chinese VOD -platforms: Tencent, Youku, iQiyi
- The China SMM Playbook: Tools for Engagement and Growth
- From Data to Revenue: Analytics and Monetization in Chinese Social Media
- Cracking the Cultural Code: Resonating with Chinese Digital Audiences
Assessment Elements
- Group task
- Group Assignment
- Questions during the class + attendance
- Individual Homework AssignmentAssignment: Creating content for a Chinese social network Goal of the assignment: Independently create a post in Chinese for a chosen brand, demonstrating mastery of the material and the ability to work with modern AI tools. Work format: A text publication with an illustrative picture or video (duration no more than 1-2 minutes), adapted for a specific Chinese social network (e.g., Little Red Book / WeChat / Weibo / etc.). Detailed Task Description 1. Brand and Platform Selection: Students independently choose an international or Russian brand and a target Chinese social network, considering its audience and content specifics. 2. Concept Development: It is necessary to come up with an original post idea that will suit the chosen platform and effectively represent the brand to the Chinese audience. 3. Use of AI Tools: The use of any AI generators is permitted and encouraged for: creating or voicing videos generating images checking or optimizing text 4. Post Content: The text/video with text should be written in Chinese and may include an adapted brand name, slogan, product or promotion description, and a call to action. To be admitted to the seminar discussion, the assignment must be submitted to the instructor well in advance, 5 working days before the scheduled date. The deadline will be announced in class.
- Final Group Project
Interim Assessment
- 2025/2026 3rd module0.3 * Final Group Project + 0.2 * Group Assignment + 0.2 * Group task + 0.2 * Individual Homework Assignment + 0.1 * Questions during the class + attendance
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Батанов К.Н. - Китай для бизнеса: Тонкости взаимодействия с китайскими партнерами и потребителями - 978-5-9614-8613-1 - Альпина Паблишер - 2023 - https://znanium.ru/catalog/product/2180810 - 2180810 - ZNANIUM
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Казанин, М. В., Деловая культура Китая и практика ведения международных переговоров : учебное пособие / М. В. Казанин. — Москва : КноРус, 2025. — 231 с. — ISBN 978-5-406-14557-9. — URL: https://book.ru/book/958111 (дата обращения: 04.07.2025). — Текст : электронный.
- Собольников В.В. - Менталитет, ментальность и этнопсихологические особенности китайцев - 978-5-9558-0561-0 - Вузовский учебник - 2024 - https://znanium.ru/catalog/product/2116872 - 2116872 - ZNANIUM