The mainland has by far the world's most active social media population, with 95 per cent of the nation's 513 million internet users having registered on a social networking site such as Twitter-like Sina Weibo, according to a survey by management consultancy McKinsey.
As social media sites increasingly influence mainland consumers' purchasing patterns and decisions, companies can't afford to ignore these platforms. Some 39 per cent of the respondents to the McKinsey survey said they had already used these services as their primary digital tool to reach customers.
The survey, based on 5,700 respondents, also showed that 91 per cent of mainland internet users have visited a social media site in the last six months, compared with 67 per cent in the United States and 30 per cent in Japan.
'Chinese social media sites are already nearly as important as portals as an entry point to obtain content,' McKinsey said.
Mainlanders spend 46 minutes a day visiting social media sites, beating Americans' 37 minutes and seven minutes for the Japanese.
Chinese consumers rely on recommendations from friends before making any purchase decision.
