As we enter 2024, a significant trend emerges: an increasing number of Chinese B2B manufacturers are accelerating their expansion into international markets. In their pursuit of excellence in products and services, these companies are also exploring and advancing their digital marketing efforts. LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional networking platform, offers unparalleled opportunities for B2B companies. Its professional environment and global reach make it an ideal stage for these companies to showcase their strengths, attract potential clients, and establish their industry reputation.

By analyzing the LinkedIn marketing strategies of leading companies such as JA Solar, Mindray, and Wanhua Chemical, we have distilled the following three key content strategies. This guide aims to provide practical insights for Chinese B2B manufacturers to thrive on LinkedIn.

Multi-Dimensional Topic Selection Strategies

To stand out in today’s competitive landscape, B2B companies should break free from conventional thinking and flexibly adjust their topics to cater to the distinct characteristics of both domestic and international markets. In the Chinese B2B market, buyers prioritize technological innovation and practicality. As a result, companies typically emphasize the latest technologies, product features, and their market leadership on LinkedIn. However, to effectively engage a broader audience and build trust in challenging international environments, B2B companies need to go beyond product advantages and case studies. They should also share compelling brand stories, showcase their corporate culture, articulate their values, and demonstrate their commitment to social responsibility to forge deeper connections with overseas audiences.

Here are the LinkedIn topic selection dimensions for three leading outbound brands:

• Mindray: Their topics focus on industry activities (forums, exhibitions, joint events/courses) at 40%, brand publicity (corporate culture, team activities, values, recruitment, holidays) at 30%, and product introduction (solutions, case studies/technical explanations, innovation) at 30%. Mindray’s content covers a broad spectrum, including industry technology innovation, global business expansion, social responsibility, upstream and downstream relationships, corporate culture, and employee development, reflecting its leadership position in the global medical device industry.

  
  

• JA Solar: Their topics primarily cover brand publicity (ESG practices, honors/awards, corporate culture, holidays) at 50%, industry activities (exhibition promotion, industry seminars) at 30%, and product introduction (product & technology innovation, project cases) at 20%. JA Solar places a stronger emphasis on ESG practices, product and technology innovation, and cultural activities, aligning with their growing international influence within the industry.

  
  

• Wanhua Chemical: Their focus is on industry activities (exhibition promotion, events) at 50%, brand publicity (corporate culture, honors/awards) at 30%, and solutions (industry applications, industry knowledge) at 20%. Compared to the other two companies, Wanhua Chemical’s topic dimensions are somewhat narrower, likely due to the specific nature of the industry and the targeted audience. However, recent posts indicate a notable increase in topics related to innovative solutions.

Topic Emphasis at Different Stages of Development

The examples above illustrate companies at more advanced stages of their outbound development. Companies at various stages should carefully consider the focus of their content topics:

•  Early Stage: Focus on establishing brand awareness and trust through core products/technologies, corporate vision, and active participation in industry discussions. At this stage, attempting to cover broader industry links and higher-level topics may not be realistic or practical.

  
  

• Growth Stage: With a solid foundation in the overseas market, topics should include customer success stories, progress in global business expansion (entry into new markets, international cooperation, localization strategies), corporate culture, and social responsibility to reinforce the brand image and attract partners who share similar values.

  
  

• Mature Stage: For companies with significant market influence, the priority should be consolidating their leadership position and deepening customer relationships. Content topics should include industry research, thought leadership perspectives, in-depth case studies, innovation, and sustainability.

Conclusion

These topic selection strategies provide a roadmap for Chinese B2B manufacturers to effectively execute content marketing on LinkedIn. Building on these principles, companies should tailor their topic selection strategies to align with their current development stage, operational goals, target audience, and business characteristics. This approach will maximize the benefits of the LinkedIn platform and achieve their commercial objectives.

Stay tuned for our next discussion on best practices and examples of LinkedIn content formats.

As a senior cross-border communication service provider, Landelion can provide one-stop overseas social media operation services for overseas enterprises. If you have any overseas marketing and social media operation needs, please call +86 400 097 8816 or send an email to marketing@landelion.com Contact us.