Baidu is a very successful internet company in China that offers multiple services and products: but it is most known for its search engine. Basically, it is the Chinese equivalent of Google. There are many other search engines in China, but none quite as popular as Baidu. Much like other search engines around the world (like Google), Baidu also generates revenue using advertising techniques. However, its target audience is limited to the Chinese alone. While this may not seem like a winning case, note that any company looking to expand its borders into the Chinese market can easily utilize Baidu advertising and reap the benefits!
Baidu SEM: As Good as It Seems?
Baidu SEM or Search Engine Marketing follows the same techniques as other search engines. It is a type of internet marketing that involves promoting websites in search engine result pages (through paid advertising) that helps the website increase their visibility and in turn, traffic. In China, the lack of Google equates to finding Baidu SEM techniques to increase your brand visibility. People talk about how effective Baidu SEM is; is it really as good as it’s glorified? Let’s go through the list of advantages of using Baidu SEM, which in turn helps you find out the role that Baidu SEM plays in business growth!
A Massive Reach: Bigger Pool, Bigger Pockets
Baidu has an extremely wide reach, a massive market share in China when it comes to its search engine. Research shows us that no other competitor comes close to Baidu’s search engine. Therefore, one thing is for sure: advertising with Baidu or Baidu SEM will reach a lot of people (target audience or not). This could be customers looking for products and services in your business category or not! Needless to say, this plays a massive role in your business growth.
If you’re wondering about the language barrier for international businesses, keep in mind that advertising in Baidu usually happens in Mandarin (and not English). Localization is key. Even though many foreign companies insist on keeping English as their main language, this is not nearly as successful as having the entire website in Mandarin. Another alternative would be to use English landing pages with Mandarin keywords. Remember that Chinese internet users prefer searching in Mandarin and therefore prefer webpages and landing pages in Mandarin as well. (Your intention for Baidu SEM should not be blocked by the language factor: there are many workarounds).
Heavy Return On Investment
Baidu SEM and advertising methods have been proven from time to time to be very effective: it is, therefore, safe to say that you can expect a high return on investment (ROI) with Baidu SEM. Online advertising is much more effective and quite a popular advertising means in China. It also happens to be the only seamless manner to help promote your brand and visibility of your business. Just make sure to use the right Baidu SEM techniques (depends on multiple factors) and you can reap great rewards with Baidu SEM! Always remember, anyone and everyone in China that uses the internet is most likely going to use Baidu for their online searching purposes. Paid campaigns on Baidu and SEM techniques target your customers directly!
An Ever-Helpful Source
Baidu SEM is very helpful, which is particularly beneficial to international companies looking for a way into the Chinese marketplace and don’t know too much about Baidu. Note that Baidu is loaded with useful resources for advertising account holders. This helps you reach your customers more effortlessly. Some tools are Baidu Zhishu: this is similar to Google Analytics that helps you analyze the data and search for trends vis-a-vis the keywords you’re looking at. You also have a keyword planner that helps you choose the apt keywords for your business. Other analytical tools are the most effective when it comes to Baidu SEM and online marketing. Make sure to use these tools: which in turn only help in the furtherment of your business.
Baidu SEM: A Cost-Effective Approach
Business growth is only spurted by cost-effective marketing: when you know you’re not exceeding your budget while effectively reaching your target audience, you know things will sail smoothly. Baidu SEM guarantees a cost-effective approach. In fact, foreign companies will find the SEM cost on Baidu to be a lot cheaper than in other countries. The cost of bidding on keywords is much lower on Baidu too!