A new report on how the Chinese are embracing web 2.0 gives me ideas on new strategies for reaching this mission field (hat tip to Sampsung @ HiLaws). According to the report, Chinese Internet users are much more likely to use user-generated content to make purchasing decisions than Americans (58% to 19%). They are also much more likely to post comments to blogs and are younger than those in the US. To me, this points to a trust issue: the Internet users their trust each other more than those here. It could also possibly point to a distrust of corporate web sites as well. If we want to reach these users, we should understand this. Tools such as Facebook, MySpace, SecondLife, and others should not be foreign to those trying to reach the next generation of Chinese…or Americans, for that matter. Missionaries should not create new web sites but, instead, learn how to get involved in the spaces where the people already are.
But are any missions organizations giving this a focus? I honestly don’t know…but I’ll find out!
