DIVE SOCIAL: Social Media Report

The DIVE SOCIAL survey was conducted out of the need to gain a deeper understanding of the motivations and triggers that drive Chinese netizens to use social media. Based on different motivations, the report divides social media users into four types:

• Fun Seekers (19%) – These users seek excitement and fun on social media. They shop online most of the time because it caters to their instinctive need for instant gratification.
• Social Life Manager (13%) – This type of user uses social media to manage their life. They are highly active and use social media to ensure their social life is efficient.
• Social Integration Participation (56%) – This type of user stays connected with others on social media. They have more social media accounts than others, but rarely follow brands because their main purpose is to build social connections.
• Self-affirmation seekers (12%) – This type of user uses social media to show their individuality. Young and promising people from second- and third-tier cities see social media as a means to express themselves and strive for higher achievements.

The research also explores differences in usage and user attitudes across cities and on different social media platforms, providing insights into how people react to brand activity on social media, including triggers and barriers to engaging with brands. Some key findings include:

• On social media, men are more likely to be driven by functional needs (such as health care), while women are more likely to seek enjoyment and entertainment. In addition, men trust opinion leaders (KOLs) more than women, and they also have more social media accounts and use them more frequently.
• Although WeChat is increasingly used, WeChat Moments is used much less frequently. Most people spend an average of 5 hours a day on WeChat, but only 2 hours on WeChat Moments.
• Social media users in second-tier cities are more interested in video ads and interactive content from brand official accounts, while users in third-tier cities are more likely to look for more practical information such as promotions/discounts.
• Consumers in first-tier cities are more likely to use Weibo, while users in third-tier cities are more likely to use QQ and Qzone, spending up to 8 hours on QQ every day.

Source: rtbchina.com