The Weibo social network is extremely popular in China and is known as the “Chinese Twitter”. Its importance is mainly due to the fact that the Chinese government prevents the local population from using western social networks like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and even WhatsApp, which leads them to resort to alternatives that have the same functionality.
What is Weibo?
Weibo was created in 2009 by Sina Corporation, a Chinese company. Its name means “microblog,” which clearly denotes what the social network’s function is: to work similarly to Twitter, allowing posts with a limited number of characters followed by images, links or videos.
In 2013, the site reached the milestone of 600 million users, equivalent to half of China’s total population (1.386 billion, according to data released in 2017). In addition, 43.7% of Weibo users are known to be women and 56.3% men, most under the age of 30.
As with social networks such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, Weibo users can access multiple sponsored posts, as the site’s popularity in China catches the attention of many companies interested in promoting their products. In addition, Chinese celebrities have official Weibo accounts to reach out to their audience, and the social network is used by many Chinese brands (including tech products) to announce upcoming news.
How Weibo Works
Weibo looks like Twitter not only in terms of functionality, but also in its interface. It is currently possible to post up to 2,000 word posts on the platform and have access to specific accounts that post news about politics, entertainment and other relevant topics.
As Weibo has evolved, its interface has gained new features that, in addition to Twitter, look like Facebook. You can also share music, videos, and photos directly from your phone, and send private messages to other users. Weibo has a website that can be accessed via the web and can also be used in the Android and iOS application format .
How to sign up for Weibo
The registration process in Weibo is similar to that of other social networks, but has a hindrance: the language. Since the site is in Mandarin, you will have to resort to an online translator if you do not know the language. Google Translate may be a good option in this case.
In addition, care must be taken with content posted on the site due to Chinese government oversight. It is important to read the site’s usage rules and be aware of conduct that is considered inappropriate before you start using the network.
The details required to register with Weibo are: e-mail address, full name and a mobile phone number that has the China area code. Click here to access the Weibo website.