Baidu Advertising in Hong Kong - Tap Into Mainland China's Market

11/03/2025 Katrina Leung Optimize your media budgets

As the economic integration of the Greater Bay Area accelerates, expanding into Mainland China is no longer just an “option” for Hong Kong brands — it’s a “must-learn” step for long-term growth.
In this process, Baidu Advertising has become one of the most direct and effective gateways for Hong Kong companies to enter the Mainland market.

Want your brand to be seen in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, or Zhongshan? Baidu Ads are the key to unlocking that market door.

What is Baidu?

Baidu is China’s largest search engine, holding over 80% of the country’s search market share.

With more than 600 million active users every month across Baidu Search, Maps, News Feed, and Baidu Baike, it’s the first stop for nearly anyone in Mainland China looking up brands, products, stores, or courses.

For Hong Kong brands, this means:

You can reach China’s first wave of search-driven consumers.
You can build credibility through the officially verified Baidu Advertising Platform.
You can break through language, policy, and platform barriers to communicate directly with Mainland audiences.

Related article: Keyword Advertising Guide

Three Key Advantages for Hong Kong Brands

1️⃣ Geographic Advantage: A Market Just Across the Bridge

Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area are not just geographically close — they also share similar cultures, languages, lifestyles, and even media habits. This gives Hong Kong brands a natural advantage in being understood and trusted by Mainland consumers.

For example, when people in Shenzhen or Guangzhou search for “Hong Kong medical aesthetics” or “Hong Kong boutique hotels,” they already associate those terms with trust and quality.

If your brand appears on the first page of Baidu Ads with clear information in Simplified Chinese, you’ll immediately stand out and connect faster than brands from other regions.

Hong Kong businesses can also leverage their “One Country, Two Systems” identity — combining international perspective with local cultural fluency. By blending Cantonese phrases, Hong Kong-style design, and global brand tone, they can create a distinctive and relatable advertising voice.

2️⃣ Trust Advantage: Official Verification + Brand Zone

For Mainland users, “official” and “verified” mean safety and authenticity. The Baidu Advertising Platform offers tools like “Baidu Verified” (enterprise certification) and “Brand Zone,” allowing businesses to display their logo, brand story, product categories, customer service QR codes, and special offers right at the top of search results.

This is especially valuable for industries like beauty, education, and tourism, where trust is key. Many Hong Kong brands use these features to turn their “Hong Kong quality, international standard” reputation directly into clicks and inquiries.

3️⃣ Data Advantage: AI-Powered Precision Targeting

Baidu’s AI system automatically optimizes bidding based on location, interests, devices, and search behavior. You can target high-value keywords like “Shenzhen free travel,” “Hong Kong aesthetic clinic,” or “Zhuhai English course,” ensuring your budget focuses on the audiences most likely to convert.

Practical Strategies: How to Run Baidu Advertising Effectively

1️⃣ Target by Region: Create separate ad groups for Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Zhongshan, and Foshan, and tailor your content to each city’s consumer habits.

For example:

Shenzhen and Guangzhou: Focus on innovation and quality — ideal for tech, education, and medical aesthetics brands.
Zhuhai and Zhongshan: Highlight travel and leisure — great for hospitality and F&B brands.
Foshan and Dongguan: Emphasize manufacturing and family life — suitable for home appliances, interior, and family-oriented brands.

2️⃣ Create Bilingual Content: Use Simplified Chinese for your landing page, but keep elements that highlight Hong Kong’s identity — such as “Made in Hong Kong” or “Official HK Site.”

Here’s how:

Write the main body in Simplified Chinese, but keep English or “Made in Hong Kong” tags in your logo or headline.
Add credibility markers like “Official Hong Kong Website” or “Original Import” to signal authenticity to Mainland users.
Include “Company Information,” “Contact Details,” and “WeChat Support” at the bottom of the page — these instantly boost trust.

Source: Baidu Marketing

3️⃣ Combine with Baidu’s Content Ecosystem: Appear simultaneously across Baidu News Feed, Baidu Zhidao, and Baidu Maps to create a full-funnel loop — search + content + trust.

Example workflow:

Post branded articles or video ads (e.g. “3 Myths About Hong Kong Aesthetics”) in Baidu News Feed to generate interest.
Publish related Q&A articles on Baidu Zhidao to establish “organic credibility.”
Open a verified business listing on Baidu Maps and link it with your Brand Zone for extra visibility.

4️⃣ Track & Optimize: Use Baidu’s analytics dashboard to monitor impressions, clicks, and conversions, and adjust keywords or creatives weekly.

Here’s how to interpret performance:

High CTR but low conversion? Your landing page content or form may be too long.
Low impressions but high conversion rate? Increase your budget or bids.
High engagement from a specific city? Increase spend in that region.

Review keyword reports weekly and check overall campaign structure (ad groups, creatives, budget allocation) monthly.

Key Considerations

Running Baidu Ads in Mainland China is very different from using Google Ads in Hong Kong. Beyond the platform differences, you’ll need to adapt to new regulations, language, and payment systems. Here are five key points you must not overlook:

1️⃣ Strict Ad Review
China’s Advertising Law forbids exaggerated or absolute claims (like “the best,” “number one,” or “guaranteed results”). Keep your copy factual and data-backed — otherwise, your ad may get rejected.

2️⃣ Industry Qualifications Required
Industries such as medical aesthetics, education, and finance must provide valid business licenses or certification documents. If your company isn’t registered in Mainland China, you can open an account via Baidu’s authorized overseas agents.

3️⃣ Localized Websites
Simplified Chinese landing pages + fast Mainland servers = higher conversion rates. Avoid blocked services (like Google Maps or YouTube) and make sure to include WeChat contact options.

4️⃣ Adapt to User Payment Habits
Supporting WeChat Pay or Alipay is essential. If you’re not an e-commerce brand, include QR codes or Baidu form links to encourage inquiries and seamless conversions.

5️⃣ Data & Privacy Compliance
If you collect user data from Mainland China, you must clearly state its purpose and comply with the Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL). It’s safer to use Baidu’s built-in tools such as “Shangqiao” (live chat) and Baidu Forms.

Conclusion

The Greater Bay Area market is closer than ever. Cross-border shopping, travel, and searches are now part of everyday life — and Baidu Advertising is the shortcut for Hong Kong brands to be seen. It’s not just a search ad platform — it’s a powerful tool to understand Mainland consumer behavior, test product potential, and build brand trust.

From search visibility to content exposure, from verified brand presence to AI-driven targeting, Baidu has become a vital bridge connecting “Hong Kong creativity” with the “Mainland market.” For Hong Kong brands, the question is no longer “whether to enter the Mainland” — but how to enter smarter. By adapting your language, localizing strategy, and using data intelligently, your brand can be discovered in Guangzhou, shared in Shenzhen, and remembered in Zhongshan.

Baidu Advertising is not just a gateway to China — it’s a roadmap that helps Hong Kong brands go further, deeper, and smarter into the market.