85: Private traffic in China — Taking back the power from platforms

After an extended hiatus, John and Matt are back! This week, they look at the increasingly effective trend of private traffic. Powered by WeChat and its mini programs, marketers and brands are increasingly creating and driving organic traffic to their shops. Like owned traffic in the West, this is a direct response to the rising costs of reaching fans and followers. Matt delivered a presentation on the topic during the ChinaChat 2019 conference and they take a deep dive into the phenomenon this week.Key questionsWhat is private traffic?Why are brands resorting to this method?How does private traffic work?How do WeChat and Tencent view private traffic?What are traditional e-commerce platforms like Taobao doing to combat private traffic?LinksTechCrunch Shenzhen Nov 11-12Presentations from ChinaChat 2019China Tech Talk 83: Podcasting and why the open web is dead in China with Rio ZhanChina Tech Talk 10: [Interview] Influencers in China and the future of brands with Elijah WhaleyChina Tech Talk 37: Weibo’s KOL woes with Elijah WhaleyBecome a member of TechNode SquaredHostsJohn Artman, @knowsnothing, TechNodeMatthew Brennan, @mbrennanchina, ChinaChannelEditorPeter IsachenkoPodcast informationiTunesSpotifyRSS feedMusic: “Theme from Penguins on Parade” by Lee Rosevere, Music for Podcasts 3