Chinese firms 'building trust' overseas through global opinion leaders, original video

Driven by globalization and digitalization, Chinese companies are expanding overseas at an unprecedented pace, with more brands recognizing that competitive pricing or product technology alone are no longer sufficient to win the trust of international customers.

New research from LinkedIn, the world's largest professional network, has found that in today's information-saturated environment, building long-term trust with target audiences has become more challenging, with evolving solutions to match.

Vianne Cai, head of Marketing Solutions at LinkedIn China, said: "The essence of brand communication is shifting from content placement to authentic dialogue, from one-way output to two-way interaction. For Chinese companies aiming to succeed in overseas markets, they must embrace the new marketing paradigm and speak the language that resonates with the new generation of global buyers."

In an era of information overload, professionals do not primarily rely on search engines or AI tools when making decisions — they turn to their professional networks. LinkedIn data shows that 43 percent of professionals worldwide trust their social networks as their first choice for work-related advice.

For B2B companies, this trend is even more pronounced, as Millennials and Gen Z make up 71 percent of B2B buyers. These new buyers don't solely want information from brands — they want insight from people they trust to guide their decisions.

"This means that Chinese enterprises must shift from 'content output' to 'trust building' when building global brands," said Vianne, adding that "They need to fully leverage overseas social platforms where their audiences are active, and continuously build authentic and trustworthy brand images through employee stories, customer testimonials, and creator collaborations."

LinkedIn, with over 1.2 billion members with real professional identities, is not only a platform for Chinese enterprises to communicate globally but also a crucial space for building trust.

Meanwhile, influencer marketing has become a major trend in B2B brand strategies, with LinkedIn data showing that 87 percent of B2B buyers are more inclined to trust reliable industry experts or influencers.

For Chinese enterprises expanding globally, collaborating with local influencers alone is far from enough. To effectively reach overseas audiences, they must partner with international industry experts with strong credibility and authority in their respective markets — especially in key regions such as Southeast Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East.

It has been learned that with the support of LinkedIn's AI-powered marketing solutions, brands can now identify ideal collaboration partners more quickly and accurately.

Audrey Chia, a LinkedIn creator in brand marketing, noted that unlike other social platforms that focus heavily on entertainment, LinkedIn fosters professional and business conversations, making it an ideal platform for showcasing brand value, expanding business partnerships, and attracting potential customers.

Furthermore, in an age of information overload, brand communication is shifting from "content sharing" to "sparking conversations".

LinkedIn data shows that 80 percent of global marketers believe the most effective brand moments come from authentic dialogue. Video has become the primary medium for sparking these conversations, with 81 percent of marketing leaders agreeing that video is the new language of the internet and video uploads on LinkedIn have increased by over 20 percent this year, while video views rose by more than 36 percent.

For Chinese enterprises, building a brand overseas requires deeper interaction with local audiences.

Since 2024, several Chinese enterprises have pioneered this approach. For example, Trip.com collaborated with Singapore-based AI creator Tianyu Xu on a series of creative short videos.

The videos attracted strong attention and engagement from AI professionals on LinkedIn, helping Trip.com broaden its overseas audience base.

Please contact the writer at hanjingyan@chinadaily.com.cn