Bloggers Going North: 3 Hong Kong Women Ride on Consumption Frenzy Using Mobile Lens to Explore the Bay Area

 
New changes at Dongmen Old Street, Zhongshan crispy meat catfish in Huanggang Village, must-visit amusement parks in Longhua, food pursuit via the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor, a recommended 2-day-1-night itinerary in Guangming... The YouTube videos by Hong Kong store-exploring vlogger Zeng Xiaomei present fans with lively and vibrant mainland scenes. Hong Kong bloggers like Zeng Xiaomei offer a unique and important perspective to witness the nation's development and the deep integration of cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Through everyday content of eating, drinking, and entertainment, they help Hong Kongers understand other Bay Area cities while establishing their careers in the north. ●Reported by Hong Kong Wen Wei Po’s Hu Yong’ai from Shenzhen

In September 2024, Zeng Xiaomei almost drives weekly from her home in Qingyuan to Shenzhen to shoot store-exploring videos. "The last peak like this was at the end of April welcoming the May Day holiday, and now it is a prelude to the Golden Week in October." Since the beginning of the year, the number of business promotions she received has surged, peaking at 10 ads shot in 5 days, with each promotion fee ranging from 2,000 to 8,000 yuan (RMB, same below). "Usually, businesses state their requirements, and then I integrate their stores or products into my video's style." On Zeng Xiaomei's main page, you can see a myriad of promotions for restaurants, massage parlors, beauty salons, dental clinics, and more in Shenzhen and surrounding cities, with good viewing, commenting, and saving data from Hong Kong people.

Before 2019, Zeng Xiaomei started as a YouTube vlogger in Hong Kong, focusing mainly on local entertainment and overseas travel content. "After the amendment turmoil began, it was almost impossible to get promotions to earn money, so I chose to leave Hong Kong and settle down and develop on the mainland."

Mainland's Cost-effective Consumption, Videos Well-received

Zeng Xiaomei believes that the current golden period of her career is thanks to the nation's development and strength. "Take Shenzhen for example; the variety of dining options, as well as the environment and service here, are excellent. Since this year, it has attracted wave after wave of Hong Kong people to consume here." Mainland businesses discovered this opportunity, naturally starting to look for Hong Kong bloggers with good fan bases and interesting content, which led her to be inundated with ads, quickly becoming a leading Hong Kong store-explorer on the mainland.

Now, Zeng Xiaomei has formed her small team, hiring an editor, subtitle person, financial, assistant, etc., to help her complete store-exploring videos more effectively and with higher quality. "There was once a period where my fan count on the YouTube platform remained around 90,000 without rising. Once I seized the consumer trend of Hong Kongers heading north and transitioned to a mainland store-exploring vlogger, I accumulated nearly 120,000 fans in a short time, proving that these videos are valuable, meeting the demand of Hong Kong consumers."

Hong Kong Girl Starts Business in Qianhai, Building KOL Full Industry Chain

Another Hong Kong girl from the 90s, Xu Ziyan, is not only a Little Red Book vlogger but also an entrepreneur settled in Qianhai, Shenzhen. Xu Ziyan recalls that visiting Shenzhen with family and friends used to be just a simple meal and a quick stroll through Dongmen before heading back. "During a gathering with friends, we passed by a construction site in Nanshan District, Shenzhen, in the early hours to find it still brightly lit with ongoing work. It was later discovered that there were monthly changes and updates, and the speed of Shenzhen’s construction and economic development was astonishing, making me determined to start a business and live here."

Sharing Experiences, Teaching Hong Kong Youth to Become Bloggers

In her office at Qianhai Dream Factory, Xu Ziyan’s office space is half used for computer desks and office supplies, and half for placing client products and lighting setup for product video shoot. "Our company's current business is varied, but overall it revolves around the full industry chain of KOL." In recent years, Xu Ziyan has focused on the Little Red Book platform, targeting the deep-Hong Kong life of Hong Kong girls, possessing nearly 100,000 fans. "I usually use my account to share life and take ads, also using my account as a case to teach aspiring Hong Kong youth to become bloggers on mainland self-media platforms to share in this wave of benefits."  

During the interview, Xu Ziyan picked up a product, a home beauty device developed by a Hong Kong beauty salon, saying the client approached her this year hoping to leverage her resources for brand promotion in the mainland market. Xu Ziyan's team firstly helped the brand set up an official self-media account, planning video and graphic content for release. Additionally, she, along with over 20 bloggers under her, would find the right time to implant the product into their self-media platforms, expanding brand awareness and influence. "In September, we co-hosted over 60 SMEs for a visit and exchange in Shenzhen together with the Qianhai Dream Factory. There are more and more Hong Kong entrepreneurs eyeing the vast mainland market, increasing our opportunities."