Tencent’s Qzone Still Reigns in China Despite Sina Weibo’s Buzz

Tencent’s social site may not enjoy the hype of Sina Weibo, but it still accounts for significant usage and user share


Chinese online media giant Tencent has agenuine hit with instant messaging in QQ, reporting over 700 million (unaudited) users at the end of 2011. But what about the firm’s other services?

Tencent Weibo, probably the second most well-known internet service developed by the firm, is popular, but often plays second-fiddle in the marketing press to competitor Sina Weibo.

Perhaps the success of QQ can help the firm in other endeavors, then. According to an April 2012 report from McKinsey & Company, a global consultancy, Tencent’s Qzone, the social site linked to the IM app, was the most popular social media site among internet users surveyed in the country.

Social Media Site Used the Most by Social Network Users in China, 2011 (% of respondents)

The report, which was based on a survey of 5,700 internet users throughout urban areas in China during 2011, found that Qzone was more than twice as popular as the next two social sites, Sina Weibo and Renren. The simple format of allowing users to create their own pages for updates, photos and videos has proven popular among internet users, many of whom access via their mobile phones.

Third-party social sharing service JiaThis supports McKinsey’s survey. According to data tracked within the JiaThis network, which is similar to ShareThis in the US, Tencent’s Qzone and QQ accounted for 12.95% and 6.98% of social shares during March 2012, respectively, compared to 8.35% for Sina Weibo and 3.95% for Renren.

While Tencent may not have all of the hype of Sina Weibo, it certainly has captured a significant audience who is actively engaged with many of its products.