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Generative AI is everywhere now. You see it in content, campaigns, customer experiences, and even internal workflows. It promises speed, scale, and efficiency, but there’s a harder question sitting underneath all that progress; Do your audiences actually trust it?

Trust in the Age of AI: What Consumers Really Think About AI Generated Content

Today, PR teams aren’t just tracking media coverage and share of voice. They’re also measuring how their brand shows up in AI-generated answers, search summaries, and large language models (LLMs). This new LLM visibility layer is quickly becoming a critical part of PR performance.

15 Must-Have PR KPIs and How to Track Them

See how one platform can power every decision across PR, communications, and marketing.

The Meltwater Blog

Blog Topics: Generative Engine Optimization, Media Intelligence, Media Relations, Social Listening, Consumer Intelligence, Influencer Marketing

Find out how you can leverage Facebook to boost your brand's online presence and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

Facebook Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage Instagram to boost your brand's visual appeal and gain a competitive edge. Explore our category page today!

Instagram Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage LinkedIN to grow your professional network and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

LinkedIn Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage TikTok to elevate your brand with creative content and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

TikTok Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage X / Twitter to engage your audience effectively and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

X / Twitter Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage YouTube to create engaging video content and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

YouTube Blog | Meltwater

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is transforming how brands show up in AI-powered search. Explore insights, strategies, and best practices to help your content rank and resonate across conversational engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot.

Explore insights and strategies for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to help your brand stay visible and discoverable in AI-powered search.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Blog Collection | Meltwater

Every day billions of conversations take place on social media: tweets, posts, comments, blogs, reviews, podcasts, and much more.
Learn how to use social listening to make sense of all of that data.

On our social listening category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around social listening and social media monitoring. Read more.

Social Listening Blogs | Category

Business Reputation Management: What does it take to add reputation management to your marketing strategy? More importantly, how do you keep your reputation sparkly and shiny? Here’s your all-access guide to online reputation management for the long term.

On our reputation management category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around business reputation management. Read more.

Reputation Management Blogs | Category

From your brand's logo to your website, your social media presence to your customer support—these elements combined are what constitutes a brand in the minds of customers. But, there are thousands of other businesses that have a logo, website, social media presence, and website. So, how can you position your business on the market and make it stand out from the competition?
The key to success is branding & brand management!

On our brand management category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around brand management. Build your strategy and reach your goals!

Brand Management Blogs | Category

Competitive intelligence and the act of collecting competitive data can be seen as growth drivers for a company. Our guide will help you understand the concept of competitive intelligence (CI) by answering questions such as: What is the definition of competitive intelligence? How is competitive intelligence useful to organizations? What is the goal of competitive intelligence? And more.

On our competitive intelligence category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around competitive intelligence. Learn how to stay ahead.

Competitive Intelligence Blogs | Category

Let’s dive into the customer journey framework and how to optimize the process by creating a customer journey map and using metrics that matter when analyzing the customer journey.

On our customer journey category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around mapping and understanding the customer journey.

Customer Journey Blogs | Category

What Is Data Analytics? [Beginner’s Guide 2023]
How can I grow my business? 
How do customers interact with my newly launched product?
How do I increase the productivity of my employees?
How do I know if my marketing efforts are working?
We have just two words for you...Data analytics!

On our data analytics category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around AI and data analytics. Technical and still easy to understand.

AI & Data Analytics Blogs | Category

Public relations and media relations can add impact to any marketing strategy. It’s an opportunity for brands to grow their reach beyond traditional sales messages. PR helps to shape the image you want people to have of your brand.
So, what is PR and how do you use it? This guide shows you everything you need to know to build a strong public relations foundation.

On our public relations (PR) category page, you find all our blogs covering public relations and communications topics. Step up your PR game.

Public Relations (PR) Blogs | Category

We all know exactly what the roles of sales or accounting are in a company, right? We might even have a slight idea of what the IT guys are doing.
But there is another business discipline, that plays a crucial role in organizations, even more so during the pandemic – internal communications!
But what exactly do we mean by that, what purpose does it serve and what steps can you take to ensure you and your employees will communicate effectively?

On our internal communications category page, you find all our blogs about internal comms topics. Learn about the intranet, internal newsletters, and more.

Internal Communications Blogs | Category

As the internet has taken root in more areas of our lives — everything from entertainment to shopping to paying bills and more — traditional marketing is becoming less impactful. As any marketer knows, you need to focus on where your audience is if you want to reach them. Since the average person spends about seven hours a day online, it’s no surprise that content has maintained its hold on marketers.

Here's a closer look at what content marketing is and why it matters more than ever in our digital-first economy.

On our content marketing category page, you find blogs about content marketing topics. Learn about strategies, KPIs, tips, and more. Make your content king!

Content Marketing Blogs | Category

The rise of the influencer marketing space – today a $10 billion industry, growing 50% per year – is one of the clearest examples of how social media is transforming traditional marketing. These days having a business website, presence on social, PR coverage, and your own content isn’t enough to compete.
We'll dive into the intricacies of influencer marketing to help ensure that you're equipped with the insights needed to be successful in this space.

On our influencer marketing category page, you find blogs about influencer marketing topics. Build your strategy, find influencers, and measure results.

Influencer Marketing Blogs | Category

Have you just launched a new product or service that you want to get the word out about? Maybe you want to share with consumers why it is awesome and how it is so much better than the one your competitors offer.

Well, then, there is one thing you can't do without...Marketing!

On our marketing category page, you find blogs about marketing topics. Learn about all the different angles and types of marketing and improve your results.

Marketing Blogs | Category

In this guide, we want to give you a peek into the definition of social media management, the daily schedule of a social media manager, social media platforms to promote your business, and the do’s & don’ts of social media management.
Are you ready to begin the journey of becoming a social media superstar?

On our social media management category page, you find blogs about social media management topics. Build and manage your online community.

Social Media Management Blogs | Category

Building a following and using social media platforms to reach a wider audience requires a well-planned social media marketing strategy. In this guide, we’ll be looking at why social media marketing is so essential and how you can make it work for your business.

On our social media marketing category page, you find blogs about social media marketing topics. Learn how to get the highest paid social ROI!

Social Media Marketing Blogs | Category

In the fast-evolving realm of digital marketing and public relations, utilizing the right tools is crucial for success. Our interdisciplinary category showcases all the pertinent tools for digital marketing & PR. These tools help in enhancing your online presence and effectively reaching target groups, whether through reputation management, influencer marketing, or social media management.

On our digital marketing and PR tools category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around mapping and understanding the customer journey.

Digital Marketing & PR Tools Blogs | Category

This year, the denim brand wars took off in a major way thanks to a handful of ad campaigns that got the world talking. From Beyoncé’s year-long Levi’s partnership to Addison Rae’s collaboration with Lucky Jeans (and, of course, American Eagle’s much-discussed Sydney Sweeney commercials), we’re in a booming era of celebrity-centered jeans marketing. However, one commercial in particular got the world not only talking, but dancing, sparking a wave of fan-made content in the process. 

If “Milkshake” is already playing in your head, then you know where we’re going with this one: Gap’s music video-esque commercial featuring girl group superstars Katseye is one of the most well-received of the year. And according to the brand itself, it may be “one of the most iconic brand campaigns that we’ve done.” We used our social listening capabilities to examine the buzz around this runaway success of a campaign.

What is the Katseye x Gap “Milkshake” commercial?

Better in Denim.

On August 19, Gap premiered the latest commercial in its Better in Denim campaign, and it took off with a bang. Starring multicultural girl group Katseye in an energizing dance number to Kelis’s 2003 hit “Milkshake”, the ad mixes Y2K nostalgia with K-pop hype to highlight the brand’s line of Long & Lean jeans. According to Gap, the Katseye ad has already outperformed its four previous releases combined, including those from 2024 featuring Tyla and Troye Sivan, respectively.

How much buzz did the Katseye Gap ad generate, and what drove it?

From August 17 to September 1, 2025, there were about 131,000 mentions of the Katseye Gap ad across social, digital, and traditional media sources. After an initial discussion spike for the campaign’s August 19 premiere, mentions surged again on August 24, with the vast majority being positive. 

On one hand, that second bump was fueled by Gap’s steady stream of bonus content across social channels, like this dance tutorial from choreographer Robbie Blue and this video profile of creative director Humberto Leon. It was fueled, on the other hand, by highly-engaged fan- and influencer-made content recreating, reinterpreting, and reacting to the commercial, or even just documenting it. For example, this 11-second YouTube Short posted by a Katseye fan simply shows footage of a screen displaying the ad in a Gap store set to Katseye’s “Gnarly”. Despite how basic it is, the Short has garnered 1.5 million views in only 12 days. As we saw with the success of KPop Demon Hunters, bonus and fan-made content have been huge forces in the Gap Katseye campaign’s social media virality. 

Lastly, media coverage and analysis of the campaign also helped boost discussion in the week after its premiere. In particular, far-reaching articles from AOL, CNN Entertainment, and others praising the campaign for its inclusivity and timeliness helped boost the positive sentiment spike.

For Gap as a company, the commercial’s success paid off in a 171% increase in brand mentions during the time period analyzed, with positive mentions surging by 286%. The most-used phrase of the conversation? “Gap campaign”.

Lessons for marketers from the Gap x Katseye campaign

Not every brand can count on superstar endorsements for their next marketing hit, but the Better in Denim campaign does offer some more universal lessons: 

Give fans lots of bite-sized content to engage with. From behind-the-scenes footage to cast and crew featurettes, Gap gave fans a lot of content to consume and remix themselves. As a result, the campaign generated discussion over time instead of being a much-hyped flash in the pan. In your own campaigns, see how to build in audience participation from the ground up with content that will deepen their interest instead of as an afterthought.

Cultural intelligence is foundational. Gap truly knew how to read its audience when it decided to go full-force on artistry, Y2K aesthetics, and cultural diversity for this campaign. Other brands can do the same, using social listening to understand both the zeitgeist and their audience’s place within it. 

How Viral Was the Katseye Gap Campaign and Why?

Note: This blog is based on the Global Digital Report 2025 (Digital 2025 China) – produced in partnership with Meltwater and We Are Social. See Simon Kemp's article about The Essential Guide to the Global State of Digital in 2025. Download the Global Digital Report 2025 for free.

China has the world’s second biggest population at 1.42 billion, with 1.11 billion people online (+1.9% or +20 million). Social media usage continues to expand, now covering 1.08 billion user identities in the country, up 2.5% from last year. The biggest and most notable shift, however, is in mobile: cellular connections have risen by 108 million, reaching 1.87 billion or 132% of the population. This moderate increase reflects how China continues to scale its digital infrastructure, with technology becoming more embedded in the daily lives of its people.

What's ahead for social media in China in 2025?

China’s demographic profile reflects scale and digital readiness.

With a total population of 1.42 billion, China remains the world’s second most populous country behind India (1.45b), even after a slight year-on-year dip of -3.2 million (-0.2%). Its gender split is relatively even at 49.1% female, 50.9% male. Additionally, the median age is 40.1, placing China in a similar bracket to Thailand (40.6) and Australia (38.3), but significantly older than young populations like Malaysia (31) and the Philippines (26.1). Literacy rates remain high: 97% overall, with 95% literacy among women and 98% among men.

Urbanisation stands at 66%, which is lower than some might expect for a country that’s established itself as highly advanced in digital technology. The reason is simple: China’s massive land area supports a large rural population, as millions of people live outside major cities. Despite this, many still participate in digital life through their established mobile connectivity. With a population density of 147.5 people per km², brands must look beyond Beijing and Shanghai and create strategies that reach users across both their urban centres and equally connected rural areas.

China’s population is concentrated in its working-age core, with fewer young people coming up behind.

The largest age demographic in China sits between 30 and 59, with each five-year bracket between this range having more than 90 million people. The peak is in the 35–39 and 55–59 ranges, with 122 million (8.6% of the total population) and 117 million (8.2%) people, respectively. These segments represent the backbone of China’s consumer base.

Meanwhile, China’s under-20 segment is relatively small: only 6% are aged 15–19, and just 5.6% are aged 20-24 years old. This points to a maturing population with slower generational turnover than neighbouring markets like Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. For marketers, this signals a need to prioritise strategies that target middle-aged consumers while potentially building long-term brand relevance with a relatively smaller Gen Z base.

China remains one of the largest online populations in the world, with consistent growth still underway.

As of January 2025, 1.11 billion people in China are online, a +1.9% increase from last year, adding 20 million new users. Internet penetration is at 78% of the total population, with usage continuing to expand across both urban and rural areas.

Nearly all internet users (97.1%) go online using mobile phones, with daily internet usage averaging 5 hours and 35 minutes, up by 2 minutes or +0.7% from the previous year. With continued gains in both reach and screen time, China remains a highly active and deeply connected online market.

Chinese people experience a majority of their time on the internet using their mobile phones.

Of the 5 hours and 35 minutes that Chinese users spend online daily, 3 hours and 32 minutes happen on mobile phones. That gives smartphones a 63.3% share of total daily internet time, which is nearly two-thirds of all screen activity.

Meanwhile, computers and tablets make up the remaining 2 hours and 3 minutes, showing that while desktop still plays a role in Chinese internet usage, mobile is the primary means for most browsing, streaming, and scrolling.

The main reason Chinese people go online is to stay in touch with friends and family, cited by 56.5% of users. This is followed by watching videos, TV shows, or movies (51.8%), and keeping up to date with news and events (48.5%). Finding information comes next at 45.6%, while general browsing and filling up spare time round out the top five at 43.2%.

These internet usage habits reflect a digital culture in China rooted in both function and entertainment, while also highlighting how people increasingly use the internet to gain knowledge and skills such as education and study-related purposes (36.3%), learning how to do things (34.7%), researching places, vacations and travel (32.4%), and exploring products and brands (28.9%). For marketers, this suggests that Chinese users often go online to solve problems, making educational content, practical guides, and product discovery important strategies for connecting with them.

China’s most-used apps are powered by social connection, video, and digital payments.

Topping the list of apps in China with the most monthly users is Douyin (ByteDance), China’s version of TikTok. Weixin, developed by Tencent, which is the equivalent of WeChat internationally, comes in second, highlighting its central role in everything from messaging to mobile payments in China. Third is Kuaishou, a local competitor of Douyin, which is another short-form video platform that reflects the continued dominance of content-based social media.

Outside of social and entertainment, Alipay ranks fourth, highlighting how digital payments have become a central way for people in China to transact. Pinduoduo, Taobao, and JD.com also make the top 10, showing that shopping and transactions are integrated into the mobile experience.

For brands, these apps show how content, communication, and commerce make up the internet routine of people in China. With users actively consuming, sharing, and shopping in the same digital spaces, brand success depends on crafting content that’s designed to perform within platform algorithms and social behaviours.

China’s social media usage is both massive and steadily growing.

As of early 2025, China has 1.08 billion social media user identities, a +2.5% year-on-year increase that adds 27 million new accounts. This figure represents 76.5% of the total population, and more importantly, 98% of internet users in China. With social media reaching nearly all internet users in China, the scale of the audience offers brands a wide pool of potential customers to reach with the right social media strategies.

But, despite the expanding number of social media identities in China, daily time spent on social media has dipped slightly to 1 hour and 54 minutes, down by 3 minutes from the previous year. Meanwhile, gender distribution is nearly even, with 51.4% of identities male and 48.6% female.

In China, social media is just as much about e-commerce as it is about keeping connected.

The top three reasons users in China turn to social media are keeping in touch with friends and family (45.4%), filling spare time (36.5%), and seeing what’s being talked about (30.3%). These reflect the same social and entertainment behaviours seen in broader internet use, but the fourth most common reason marks a shift in intent, and it’s one worth watching for the brands and the marketers in China.

28.8% of internet users in China say they use social media to find products to purchase, which is nearly one in three users actively browsing platforms with buying intent. Add to that the 26.3% who watch livestreams, and you get a clearer view of how China’s influencer-driven online ecosystem is connected to digital marketing and e-commerce. On top of that, there’s also 23.1% who use social media to find inspiration for things to do and buy, further connecting content consumption and online shopping habits.

In short, social media users in China aren’t just scrolling to kill time: They’re looking for what to buy next. And as we’ll see later in this report, brands are taking note by investing heavily in influencer marketing and digital media ad spend to reach these intent-driven users.

The most-used platforms among Chinese internet users aged 16+ reflect a balance of utility, entertainment, and discovery. At the top is Weixin (WeChat), used by 91.8% of internet users, which does not come as a surprise, as it’s the default app for messaging, payments, and more. Douyin follows at 83%, as it’s the backbone of China’s short-form video and influencer economy with its algorithm-driven, commerce-friendly design. Whether Chinese users are filling spare time or researching what to buy, Douyin serves as the central hub that meets many of the reasons Chinese people go online in the first place.

Third is QQ (63.4%), Tencent’s older messaging platform developed back in 1999, which still draws a loyal base. Baidu Tieba (60.2%) offers a search-driven community experience similar to Reddit, where users engage in groups about their common interests. Rounding out the top five is Xiaohongshu (56.3%), a lifestyle-focused app often described as a mix between Instagram and Pinterest, known for product reviews and curated, aesthetic feeds. It’s especially popular among younger women looking for inspiration on what to buy and how to style themselves, with content often presented in a lookbook format.

You may be wondering where the typical social media platforms are. You know, the ones you often see at the top of these kinds of charts. As you can see, there’s a clear pattern among the top platforms we just mentioned: they’re the Chinese equivalents of global apps. Others we haven’t discussed yet but are also among the most used in China include Weibo, a commentary and opinion-sharing platform with a blog-like vibe similar to X. Then there’s Kuaishou, which, as mentioned earlier, is a short-form video platform similar to TikTok - known in China as Douyin (the Chinese app that the globally-used TikTok is based on). And of course, Weixin, which is known internationally as WeChat.

Nearly 8 out of 10 internet users in China use social media for brand research.

With 79.1% of internet users in China aged 16+ using social media platforms to learn more about products and companies, it’s safe to say that having your brand visible on social media already puts you in front of a highly motivated audience. For companies looking to enter and grow in the China market, investing in a social media presence isn’t just something to consider; it’s one of the key ways to improve brand visibility and drive engagement.

WeChat and Weixin have an established social media presence in China, adding over 46 million users over the past year.

As of early 2025, WeChat and Weixin have a combined global user base of 1.38 billion, growing by +3.4% year-on-year, with an additional 11 million users joining in the most recent quarter alone. Together, they now account for 24.8% of all internet users in China and 16.9% of the global population. Gender distribution remains fairly balanced, with 52.2% male and 47.8% female users. Additionally, over a fifth of the people in China aged 13 and up (21.4%) use it, showing how it’s a part of daily life for both middle schoolers chatting with friends and China’s predominantly older users staying in touch with colleagues.

Out of the 5 hours and 35 minutes that users in China spend online daily, 3 hours and 32 minutes are spent on mobile. That’s over 63% of all internet time happening on a smartphone. It’s always a good idea to optimise content for mobile usage in China, whether it’s websites, ads, content, or shopping links that branch from social media platforms. To keep it simple: if your content doesn’t load quickly, scroll smoothly, or grab attention, it risks being ignored and wastes your digital marketing spend.

On top of being heavily used for internet access, mobile connections in China are still growing. There are now 1.87 billion cellular connections, a +6.1% increase from last year, adding 108 million new lines, which means mobile connectivity stands at 132% of the population. If there’s one takeaway from these previous two sections, it’s this: if your brand strategy isn’t prioritising mobile optimisation in China, you’re likely already a step behind the competition.

E-commerce in China is growing rapidly and at scale, with over 80 million new online shoppers added in the past year.

In 2024, a total of 946 million people in China purchased consumer goods online, amounting to a +9.3% increase year-on-year. This increase in the number of online shoppers in China helped push total e-commerce spend on consumer goods to $1.47 trillion, up +17.1% or $214 billion from the year before. On average, each shopper spent $1,553, marking a +7.1% increase in annual revenue per user.

With the rise of mobile usage in China comes the rise in spending using them: 53.3% of all consumer goods e-commerce spend came from purchases made via mobile phones, an increase of +7.1% from the previous year. With 31.2% of total retail value now coming from online channels, up +11.4% year-on-year, it’s clear that digital shopping is a major trend to watch in 2025 and beyond.

Physical media tops China’s e-commerce categories, with a tech-savvy twist.

Surprisingly, the #1 e-commerce consumer goods category in China is physical media, with an annual spend of $333 billion. At first glance, this might seem unexpected in a digital-first era, where almost anything can be accessed and paid for with a tap. But, many of these physical purchases include scannable QR codes or bonus access to digital content, merging traditional ways to consume media with China’s high-tech culture.

Coming in second is food, at $284 billion, reflecting the growing integration of e-commerce into daily needs for the Chinese people. Fashion follows at $237 billion, solidifying the role of social media platforms in shaping how consumers look for clothes and accessories online. DIY & hardware and tobacco claim the fourth and fifth spots, with $148 billion and $122 billion, respectively, while electronics rounds out the top notable e-commerce goods categories at $116 billion.

In China’s e-commerce landscape, savings and social proof drive conversions.

Consumers in China are more likely to purchase things online if they’re cheap and highly rated by others. Free delivery tops the list at 36.3%, standing out as a key priority, highlighting how shoppers are actively looking for ways to cut costs. When relying more heavily on e-commerce for daily needs, these delivery fees stack up, especially on goods from different sources. Close behind are coupons and discounts at 29.3%, pointing to the strong influence of seasonal promos and app-specific deals. It’s clear that e-commerce in China is highly price-driven when its top 2 priorities point to this.

Social likes and comments come in third at 25.5%, just ahead of easy returns policies at 24.8%, followed closely by customer reviews at 23%. This backs the idea that what fellow shoppers say, whether friends or strangers, plays a major role in the final purchase decisions of consumers in China. For marketers, that means savings will always be the top priority, with social proof potentially tipping the scales in your favour.

Digital payments have also been on the rise in China, as its mobile-first lifestyle continues to influence how its masses shop and spend.

With mobile usage in China rising, internet access happening mostly through phones, and e-commerce accelerating, digital payments have followed suit, also climbing quickly in China. Nearly everything can now be paid for with a smartphone in seconds, often via WeChat or Weibo’s QR code system, which links directly to users’ savings accounts. 

This transformation is echoed in its numbers: 908 million consumers in China made digital payments in 2024, up +10.6% or +87.2 million, while the total annual value of digital payments skyrocketed to $3.74 trillion, a +13.6% or $449 billion increase. All this has resulted in a per-user annual spend of $4,120, showing just how big a part of daily life mobile is in China.

Brand discovery in China may seem fragmented, but it all leads back to social media.

At first glance, you might think social media doesn’t top the chart, but a closer inspection reveals otherwise. Word of mouth leads at 28.4%, but word doesn’t spread on its own: It travels because people see brands first through social media. It’s no coincidence that social media comments rank high too, at 25.7%, matching the percentage of users who rely on search engines to find new products. These comments act as testimonials and help validate purchasing decisions, which, as we saw earlier, play a huge role in converting casual browsing into action.

Meanwhile, social media ads (23.6%) and mobile app ads (21.7%) continue to be some of the most straightforward ways to place your brand in front of the right audience. The numbers might be spread across multiple touchpoints, but with Chinese users spending most of their time on mobile and scrolling through platforms like Douyin or Xiaohongshu, social-led digital marketing strategies remain one of the most direct and effective routes to drive action.

Brands in China know how important digital ads are, with allocated budgets climbing fast.

China’s total advertising spend reached $233 billion, and the majority of that went into digital ads at $200 billion, marking a +10.3% increase year-on-year. This is $18.8 billion more than the year before, as digital now makes up 86% of all ad spend. Brands in China are ramping up their online campaigns to become relevant and stay visible in a mobile-first market, where consumers are easily influenced nowadays to make purchases even during their downtime.

All roads lead back to social media in China, as its ad spend surges with brands chasing attention where it counts.

Social media marketing has continued to gain ground in China, with annual spend on social media ads capping at $84.7 billion, up 16% from the previous year. It now makes up 42.3% of total digital ad spend, growing by +5.1% year-on-year. These figures signal precisely that marketers are putting their money where consumers are spending their time.

Influencer marketing takes centre stage in China’s social media strategy.

As social media marketing continues to grow in China, influencer advertising has become one of the main ways brands promote themselves on these platforms. Ad spend on influencer campaigns hit $19.2 billion in 2024, a jump of +14.3%, adding $2.4 billion to the previous year’s total. It now makes up 9.6% of all digital ad spend in the country, with its allocation growing by +3.6% year-on-year.

This format is working precisely due to how consumers in China are highly tuned into recommendations, especially from creators and influencers they trust. It’s about credibility as much as it is about visibility in China’s current social media advertising landscape. As the year comes to a close, this is a key trend worth paying attention to. In a market where social proof drives buying decisions, choosing the right influencer might be your most important marketing move you make.

Social media in China is developing and expanding fast, shaping a smoother customer experience from discovery to conversion. Similarly, as mobile usage rises, the connection between brands and consumers is becoming more direct and seamless. Here’s where brands should keep their eyes in the months ahead:

Mobile will continue to drive strategy
With over 63% of internet time spent on smartphones and 132% mobile connectivity, mobile-first experiences need to be prioritised. Brands that fail to optimise content, checkout, and ad formats for mobile will fall behind the competition.

E-commerce and social media have become a joint package for consumers in China
Nearly 1 in 3 Chinese users browse social media platforms to shop (28.8%) and research brands through social media (79.1%); this behaviour is being matched by rising digital ad spend (+10.3%). Expect more influencer livestreams and creator-led shopping formats to dominate the e-commerce landscape in China - and don’t forget to follow suit.

Social Media Statistics for China [Updated 2025]

In recent years, QR codes have become staples in numerous consumer settings, from replacing paper menus and bills in restaurants to decorating the corners of ads. At the same time, the emergence of QR code-based scams, known as “quishing” and broader privacy concerns may have dealt a serious blow to trust in this once-novel technology. 

As our Global Digital Reports show, monthly use of QR codes was increasing steadily for two years before decreasing nearly 5% at the end of 2024. Nevertheless, as of July 2025, 16.2% of internet users aged 16 and up still use QR codes provided by companies and brands at least once a month, with the highest rates of usage among those aged 65 and up.

Download our 2026 Global Digital Report to access the full collection of data on digital marketing, consumer habits, and more.

We used our social listening and analytics solution to dig into the discourse on QR codes today.

Our analysis found that, across all sources, mentions of QR codes and trust are up 116% over the past six months compared to the six months prior. This increase was significantly driven by the launch of the United Nations’ initiative to standardize digital product passports and discussion of QR codes’ potential use in that capacity.

Similarly, our data shows that the much larger general conversation about QR codes also grew, though much less dramatically, by 18%. This increase was primarily driven by discussion around the use of QR codes in functions requiring public trust. This includes elections, with US President Donald Trump’s May executive order banning bar codes and QR codes on ballots. And it also includes transparency in public infrastructure, a discussion sparked by a viral post on X suggesting that roads should feature QR codes linked to information about their construction.

This Reddit post about Labubu authenticity generated hundreds of responses, featuring several mentions of using QR codes for verification.

Interestingly, QR codes have also emerged as a talking point in one of this year’s biggest pop culture sensations, Labubu dolls. The top Reddit channel for discussion of QR codes over the past six months is r/Labubu, where the technology has been mentioned more than 4,700 times. Since becoming a global phenomenon, Labubus are a highly faked and counterfeited item. The QR codes on the dolls’ tags and packaging are key to confirming their authenticity. This discussion, as well as the continuation of the UN’s previously noted initiative, hints that QR codes’ use in consumer goods manufacturing and retail will likely continue to be a hot topic in the months ahead.

Learn more about counterfeiting and consumer trust in our Consumer Insights: Luxury Fashion Resale report. 

What the QR codes discussion means for marketers and brands

Overall, our analysis didn’t uncover evidence that public trust in QR codes is waning. It did, however, suggest that trust in QR codes will continue to be a hot topic for both public- and private-sector organizations to pay close attention to. Marketers, take note:

QR code use is evolving, not disappearing. Monitoring the discussion around it can help you see early cues of how to use QR codes strategically, if at all, in different realms.

Trust is central. Pay attention to the latest alerts around QR code scams to learn how to better protect and educate your customers and audience. 

Consider your audience. Older consumers are much more likely to interact with branded QR codes than younger ones. Precise link tracking and social listening, though, can give you a better understanding of where your particular audience stands.

Do Consumers Trust QR Codes?

Is your social media going haywire? Content ideas come from every direction, deadlines sneak up, and you spend half your time digging through email threads or chasing approvals. To get your hands on better results, you need a better system, which is why a social media workflow is so valuable.

Social media management workflows take the guesswork out of creating, posting, testing, and analyzing content. It turns messy back-and-forth into clear roles, repeatable steps, and consistent processes. This gives you space to focus on what really matters: strategy, engagement, and growth.

Meltwater enables workflows and collaborations to keep your efforts on track. Here’s how you can create a social media workflow that works as hard as you do.

Why a Workflow Matters in Social Media Management

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Social Media Workflow

Tools That Support a Seamless Social Media Workflow

Final Thoughts: Getting Your Team in Sync

Social media workflow: A repeatable process that outlines each step to plan, create, publish, and analyze social media content.

Ideally, a social media workflow should contain these elements:

Ideation: Document how you brainstorm ideas based on campaigns, trends, audience needs, feedback, or performance insights.

Creation: Set rules for turning ideas into drafts, visuals, or videos, including role assignments and deadlines to keep things moving.

Approval: Clarify who approves what before it goes live.

Scheduling: Define the tools and steps you need to upload content and choose posting times.

Monitoring: Decide who will monitor for comments, DMs, and engagement, how to respond, and ways to keep the community active.

Reporting: Track performance metrics to understand what’s working, what isn’t, and how to improve next time.

These steps bring clarity to chaos and turn social media into a scalable, strategic part of your marketing.

Even with a clear idea on what needs to be done from post to publish, a well thought-out workflow holds value. Without it, social media management can quickly become reactive: a scramble to meet deadlines, a post-something, post-anything mindset, or a blind chase for feedback across channels.

A solid social media management workflow adds structure and predictability to the process, giving you real results. 

Workflows create predictability, even when the unexpected happens. When everyone knows the schedule and the process is repeatable, social media publishing stays on track. 

Ultimately, this means you’re less likely to skip days or rush content. That consistency builds trust with your audience and improves your impact over time.

Social media involves many players: creators, designers, marketers, freelancers, and other internal and external partners. Workflows keep everyone on the same page: Each person knows their role, when their part is due, and what comes next.

Improved efficiency and fewer bottlenecks

With a clear process in place, your team spends less time guessing and more time doing. You eliminate the back-and-forth emails, reduce approval delays, and free up time for high-impact work. The result is faster turnaround and more breathing room in your calendar.

Social media workflows bake in review and approval steps, so content doesn’t slip through the cracks. Keep every post on-brand, hold your team accountable, and ultimately produce better content that gets results.

TIP: Don't miss our Social Media Management Toolkit, which features plenty of helpful resources for time-strapped social media managers everywhere!

The value of a social media marketing workflow cannot be overstated. The best way to harness this value is to create one that suits the way you already work. Your workflow will be unique to you, but these basic steps will help you produce a quality workflow that aligns with your needs.

Your workflow’s purpose is to help you manage your social media efforts better than how you’re already doing it. It should align with your overall marketing strategy and ideally solve challenges you’re currently experiencing. 

Get specific with what problems you’d like to fix or what you hope your new workflow will help you achieve. 

Whatever your goals, make them clear and actionable. Then, assign success metrics that will help you confirm your workflow is working.

Your metrics should relate directly to your goals. If you’re wanting to streamline content approvals, for example, you might choose metrics like time to publish or number of posts per week.

To create your social media content workflow, consider each step of the process and how you move from one step to the next. Then place these steps in chronological order.

For example, you can’t publish content until you develop the assets, but you can’t develop assets until you brainstorm ideas. 

Common steps in a social media content workflow include (but are not limited to):

Creating reports on content and campaign performance

You can break some of these steps down into more granular action items, depending on how you operate.

TIP: Stuck on social media content creation ideas? Check out our article about the best social media marketing examples, complete with an AI assistant that can help you instantly brainstorm content ideas. Need a whole campaign? It can help with that too!

3. Establish review and approval processes

It’s important to assign roles and deadlines for each step to maintain accountability. Deadlines may change depending on the urgency of a campaign, but having clear expectations for creating posts from start to finish gives everyone some predictability.

How long do they have to approve content?

How will stakeholders know when items have been approved/rejected?

How should stakeholders prioritize rejected content?

How can approvers communicate their desired changes or reasons for rejection?

Collaboration tools can streamline this process, cutting out email threads and keeping content moving through your pipeline.

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