How can Chinese B2B enterprises build brand narratives when going global?

Text by Hu Puxin

Knocking on the door of decision-making is the key to sales success.

For Chinese enterprises going global with ambitious goals, engaging in conversations with decision-makers is a tough battle that transcends geographical distances and cultural barriers. They not only have to overcome language obstacles but also bridge the gap in concepts to gain the trust and resonance of key decision-makers in unfamiliar business landscapes.

Celia Huang currently leads the new business development team at LinkedIn. With 20 years of experience serving Chinese B2B enterprises going global, she has witnessed the painful transformation of China from being known for "affordable and high-quality products" to "brands going global." She realizes that in today's era when AI technology is reshaping the information distribution mechanism, the overseas marketing of Chinese enterprises is undergoing a profound transformation. The traditional extensive model that relied on trade shows and price competition is gradually fading away, replaced by a new paradigm centered around trust building, with social platforms as the main arena, and localized narratives as the link. "In the past, customers thought Chinese suppliers were highly homogeneous, and in the end, it all came down to price. Now, they value whether you can provide long-term and reliable solutions more."

As an active participant in the wave of Chinese B2B enterprises going global, she systematically sorted out the overseas marketing methodology for Chinese enterprises, deconstructing the cutting-edge insights and practical lessons within it.

From 'Supplier' to 'Strategic Partner': All It Takes is the Right Story

During a coffee break, an overseas procurement director came across a video of a leading domestic construction machinery enterprise's smart factory on LinkedIn and then sent an inquiry for cooperation.

As a heavy machinery manufacturer that excels at telling corporate stories, this enterprise has built a three-dimensional brand image on LinkedIn that combines "technical strength + brand trust + global resonance." It covers everything from corporate news, leader interviews to project showcases and industry trend analyses.

The most popular content is the video of the "dark factory," which is a lighthouse factory it built in Africa. Instead of falling into the marketing cliché of emphasizing efficiency above all else, it tells the story of how they train locals to use modern tools, how they teach locals to operate various types of machinery, and how they solve local employment problems, bringing modern working methods to Africa.

They are not only willing to showcase the hardcore strength of their giant machinery but also excel at telling the "human stories" behind the machines. This narrative strategy has touched their customers. A European purchaser left a message in the comment section: "What we need is not just machines but also partners for long-term cooperation."

Geek+ is also very good at leveraging LinkedIn.

One popular video shows: In a Japanese distribution center of a certain brand, hundreds of Geek+ robots are shuttling orderly in a huge shelf matrix. Warehouse employees only need to operate easily at fixed workstations, and the robots will automatically transport the shelves with the target products to them, and the employees can just pick them up. During the peak sales period when orders surge and the labor force is limited, Geek+ directly addressed the brand's pain points through a cyber warehouse and straightforwardly demonstrated the extreme efficiency of its solutions.

"We only focused on brand exposure in the first two years and started lead conversion in the third year," revealed Manas, the digital marketing director of Geek+. This is also Geek+'s thinking in building its brand overseas. By providing valuable, non-promotional content, it attracts potential customers and subtly establishes the brand's professional authority and thought leadership.

This patience has also paid off. Manas introduced that the conversion rate of sales leads Geek+ obtained on LinkedIn is 40% higher than that of traditional channels, and the quality of customers has significantly improved. Currently, Geek+'s business covers more than 40 countries, with over 850 global customers and a repurchase rate of over 90%.

Trust Deficit, Cultural Gap, and Cognitive Bias: How Can Chinese Brands Go West Across the Sea?

A report shows that in 2024, China's outward direct investment reached a record high of $192.2 billion. From being known as the 'infrastructure powerhouse' to becoming digital pioneers, Chinese enterprises going global are undergoing a strategic transformation from 'product going global' to 'brand going global.'

The随之而来的挑战则是，如何跨越文化鸿沟讲好品牌故事，不再只是拼价格、拼参数，而是让海外市场从“认知”到“认同”；如何用本地化的叙事方式建立信任感，把“中国制造”的标签升级为“中国创造”的价值感；以及如何在复杂的全球舆论场中，传递出品牌的温度与担当。

This requires enterprises to have both the strategic determination with a global perspective and the delicate operation to penetrate into specific markets.

Manas noticed that "when we first started expanding into overseas markets, we were used to showcasing technical parameters and product functions. But we soon found that overseas customers are not concerned about the technology itself but what value these technologies can bring."

Celia has accompanied enterprises going global to trade shows around the world and also witnessed their shift from offline trade shows to online social media operations. She found that 80% of customers still focus on products when outputting content and have not shifted to a solution-oriented output mode. The underlying misunderstanding is that overseas buyers are looking for partners who can solve practical problems, not just product suppliers.

Meanwhile, due to different regions, the decision-making mechanisms and purchasing habits of buyers also vary. The European and American markets not only focus on product solutions but also attach importance to corporate social responsibility and humanistic care, while emerging markets value corporate strength, especially the friendly relationships with governments and local large enterprises.

Behind this is the profound transformation of global B2B marketing. Celia analyzed that the trend of younger global decision-makers is obvious, with 71% of global B2B buyers being millennials and Generation Z. They are more inclined to obtain decision-making information from trustworthy individuals rather than brand channels. 77% of B2B marketing leaders said that the target audience no longer relies on enterprises' own channels to distinguish brands but judges through social networks to obtain brand information. 43% of professionals regard their social networks as the primary source for work advice.

The entanglement of multiple factors such as generations, media, regions, and development stages has made global B2B marketing complex and difficult to solve.

In the Global Chess Game, How Can Chinese Enterprises Make a Move for Their Brands?

Realizing the difficulties, many brands have started to actively adjust their marketing strategies. Professional social platforms like LinkedIn are becoming important fulcrums for Chinese enterprises' global layout.

Data shows that more than 86% of Chinese B2B enterprises going global use LinkedIn as their primary social media marketing channel. Through this professional platform that covers more than 200 countries and regions around the world,

At the root, LinkedIn has 1.2 billion users, and 98% of the CEOs of the world's top 500 companies have personal accounts on LinkedIn. In other words, you can reach decision-makers in various enterprises on the LinkedIn platform.

In terms of users' perception, LinkedIn's workplace and learning attributes are deeply ingrained in people's minds. Users hope to obtain more industry information, improve themselves, and at the same time look for opportunities, so customers have a stronger sense of trust.

LinkedIn is not a platform for selling products but a platform for building an expert perspective and trust. This is the unanimous recognition of LinkedIn by the public.

In other words, for B2B enterprises, LinkedIn can accurately target decision-makers.

"On LinkedIn, the authenticity of users is beyond doubt. The difficult part is how to have the same level of conversation ability with the executives of these enterprises." Celia pointed out. "You find the procurement director of a company. Why should he reply to your message? Why should he interact with your enterprise? Whether your content can influence and move him, and whether a trust relationship can be established with your enterprise and you personally are the difficult points."

So how to build a comprehensive corporate image and win customers' trust?

Based on her experience, Celia proposed a set of targeted strategies:

Newcomer enterprises going global: They should focus on market education and brand awareness, with content accounting for about 70%. Build a professional image through industry white papers, technical analyses, and founder stories. For example, Li Bin of NIO, He Xiaopeng of XPeng Motors, and Fu Sheng of Cheetah Mobile are all 'influencers' on LinkedIn. They showcase their brand images and technical strengths by operating their LinkedIn profiles.

Growing enterprises: They should place equal emphasis on brand content and lead generation content, with each accounting for 50%. They can establish authority and generate leads through customer case studies, solution showcases, and online seminars.

Mature enterprises: They can allocate their budgets in a customized manner according to the needs of different markets. In the Belt and Road markets, 70% of the budget may be used for lead generation, while in the European and American markets, 70% may be used for brand building.

Of course, strategies should be adjusted according to different regions.

In the European and American markets, brands need to emphasize their technological innovation, social responsibility, and sustainable development. For example, Geek+ emphasizes how its solutions improve energy efficiency and reduce waste.

In emerging markets, such as India and Southeast Asia, brands need to showcase their strength and reliability. They can prove their brand strength and influence through cooperation cases with local governments and large enterprises.

In the Middle East market, as the logistics infrastructure is developing rapidly, brands can emphasize how their solutions can help the local area achieve leapfrog development.

Celia particularly emphasized: "There is no one-size-fits-all strategy for all enterprises. We need to first understand the stage the customers are in and their target markets, and then customize solutions."

After changing the strategy, Geek+ focused on highlighting real cases, such as how a distribution center doubled its throughput before the peak season, how a cold chain facility was launched and put into operation within 90 days, and how customers achieved a repurchase rate of over 90% through Geek+'s solutions.

SunPower has accumulated more than 530,000 followers through continuous brand content construction, far ahead of other new energy brands. Its content strategy covers multiple dimensions, including corporate culture, product introductions, customer case studies, and exhibition activities, creating a three-dimensional brand image.

Keenon Robotics cooperated with KOLs in the AI technology field on LinkedIn. By combining real people with AI special effects, they created creative short videos to promote the brand's values and product innovation, winning the attention of many overseas AI professionals.

Brand trust is a complex topic. To succeed in the global B2B market, localized marketing, conveying profound brand narratives, and building a solid trust foundation are all indispensable.

For Chinese enterprises with global ambitions, this is not only a battle for market expansion but also a test of brand value and cultural understanding. By taking brand narratives as the core pillar and trust as the cornerstone of connection, and with technical strength, fulfillment capabilities, and a long-term approach, they can elevate themselves from being on the 'supplier' list to becoming trustworthy 'strategic partners.'

This article is from the WeChat official account "Yibang Power," Author: Hu Puxin.