Maimai vs LinkedIn: How Brands Can Thrive on China’s Professional Network
With LinkedIn's departure from China in 2023, Maimai, often dubbed "China’s LinkedIn," has stepped into the spotlight. As China's leading professional networking platform, Maimai boasts over 110 million registered users (as of 2024), with a growing influence among professionals and businesses. For brands looking to enter or expand in China, Maimai presents a unique and powerful channel to connect with local professionals, enhance brand visibility, and tap into B2B opportunities.
In this article, we'll explore:
What sets Maimai apart from LinkedIn
Key strategies for brands to leverage Maimai effectively
Real-world examples of successful brand integration
What is Maimai? The "LinkedIn of China"
Maimai (脉脉, pronounced 'My-My') launched in 2013, is a professional social network tailored specifically for the Chinese market. Unlike LinkedIn's global approach, Maimai focuses solely on China's local workforce, offering a mix of real-name networking and anonymous forums, which cater to both professional engagement and candid workplace discussions.
Key Features of Maimai
Real-Name Networking: Allows professionals to build verified profiles, connect with colleagues, and explore career opportunities.
Anonymous Communities: Unique to Maimai, this feature encourages users to share honest insights about their workplaces, making it a popular space for industry news and discussions.
Recruitment Tools: Maimai offers job listings, direct headhunting opportunities, and AI-driven talent matching.
Content Sharing: Brands can publish thought leadership articles, promote company culture, and share industry insights.
Maimai vs LinkedIn: A Quick Comparison
| Feature | Maimai | |
|---|---|---|
| User Base | 110M+ (China-focused) | 930M+ (Global) |
| Language | Predominantly Chinese | Multilingual |
| Key Features | Anonymity, localised insights, job postings | Professional profiles, job postings |
| Content Style | Candid, often anonymous discussions | Formal, professional updates |
| Advertising Options | Community-based promotions, recruitment ads | Sponsored content, talent solutions |
Why Should Brands Leverage Maimai?
As China’s business landscape evolves, leveraging a localised platform like Maimai offers brands a strategic edge over global platforms. Unlike Western networks, Maimai is deeply integrated with Chinese workplace culture and boasts unique features that enhance brand engagement, recruitment, and market research.
1. Access to a Large and Engaged User Base
With 110 million registered users, Maimai is China’s largest professional network, providing brands with direct access to a vast pool of professionals and decision-makers. The platform is particularly popular among millennials and Gen Z, with over 65% of users aged 25-40, a demographic known for its influence in corporate purchasing decisions.
High Engagement: Maimai's "职言" (Workplace Talk) forum consistently ranks among the top online communities for workplace discussions, generating millions of interactions monthly (iResearch, 2024). These discussions offer brands a direct line to unfiltered employee opinions, industry trends, and competitor insights.
Targeted Reach: Maimai’s sophisticated algorithm allows brands to target audiences by industry, job role, and career interests, ensuring content reaches the right professionals. For example, a B2B software company can focus its ads specifically on IT managers and tech leaders, boosting ROI on advertising spend.
2. Build Brand Awareness Through Content Marketing
Maimai's content-friendly format supports a range of marketing strategies, allowing brands to showcase expertise, share insights, and establish themselves as industry leaders. This is particularly effective for B2B brands, as 76% of Chinese professionals prefer engaging with educational and thought leadership content.
Effective Content Strategies for Maimai:
Industry Reports: Share exclusive data and insights to build brand credibility. A fintech brand, for example, could publish research on China's evolving financial technologies, positioning itself as a trusted resource for financial professionals.
Success Stories: Highlight real-world applications of your products. Case studies demonstrating how your brand solved industry challenges can resonate well with Maimai’s professional audience.
Employee Testimonials: Humanise your brand by showcasing authentic workplace culture. Videos and stories from employees discussing career growth and company values can help attract top talent.
Case Study: When Huawei launched a recruitment campaign on Maimai, they not only posted job listings but also shared behind-the-scenes content about life at Huawei. This authentic approach boosted their application rates by 30% within three months.
3. Gain Market Insights Through Anonymous Forums
Maimai’s anonymous posting feature offers brands a rare glimpse into authentic employee experiences and market trends. The platform's forums are a goldmine for market research, allowing brands to gain valuable feedback and conduct competitor analysis.
How Brands Can Utilise Maimai for Market Insights:
Monitor Industry Sentiment: Analyse anonymous discussions to understand public perception of competitors, industry challenges, and emerging opportunities.
Test Marketing Messages: Brands can introduce product concepts and gauge reactions before a full-scale launch, reducing the risk of market misalignment.
Product Development Feedback: During a soft launch, a SaaS company used Maimai to collect beta product feedback, refining features before officially launching, which led to a 15% improvement in customer satisfaction.
Spot Emerging Trends: During the remote work boom in 2024, Maimai discussions highlighted a growing demand for digital collaboration tools. Brands like DingTalk capitalised on this trend, promoting tailored solutions that resulted in a 20% increase in market share.
Conclusion: Why Now is the Time to Embrace Maimai
With LinkedIn out of the Chinese market, Maimai stands as the premier professional network in China. For brands looking to build relationships, recruit talent, and enhance their visibility, Maimai offers a unique blend of professional networking and candid, unfiltered market insights.
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