Yachts on Sina Weibo

Sina Weibo, with over 500 million registered users, is one of the most popular social networks for businesses in China. Although Weibo does not publish statistics on the number of registered users residing in Greater Vancouver, many popular Vancouver-based organizations on Weibo have over 40,000 followers.

Given that more than 50% of Weibo users access e-commerce sites “after noticing relevant information on Weibo” and Chinese e-commerce sales are estimated to triple by 2015

[i], it is important to know what “relevant information” users are saying on Chinese social media sites. Here’s a brief overview of some discussions on Weibo by Vancouver residents. We’ve organized them into three broad themes:

1. Boat Shows

The annual Vancouver International Boat Show generates interests among yachts lovers. Users care about the latest boat designs and price ranges.

2. Lifestyle

Yachts are not only considered as a status symbol, but also as an attitude towards life for some people. Here is the translation of what one netizen writes: “Chinese in Vancouver are now pursuing an ownership of yachts rather than luxury cars.” Pictures and stories have also been shared about various yacht parties and weddings on Weibo.

3. Real Estate Advertising

Because of the growing popularity of yachts and its indication of a lifestyle, real estate agents also put up advertisements about private yacht ports to attract potential buyers.