Yang Mei

yangmei_szdaily@163.com

IN the ever-churning digital landscape, Shenzhen Daily not only embraced, but excelled in captivating its audience on diverse international social media platforms in 2023, such as X (@szdaily1), Facebook (Shenzhen Daily), YouTube (Shenzhen Daily), Instagram (Spanish-language account hola_shenzhen), and TikTok (eyeshenzhen, living in Shenzhen), sharing with individuals worldwide the city’s dynamic economy, diverse cultures, thrilling technological advancements, and commitment to preserving its ecological treasures. But what exactly resonated with its diverse followers? Let’s dive into the standout moments that defined Shenzhen Daily’s social media landscape in the past year.

Most viral video

If asked to name one most sought-after foreign dignitary visiting Shenzhen this year, California Governor Gavin Newsom is definitely on the list. Newsom himself is already an online celebrity with 2.11 million followers on X, 805,000 on Instagram, and 1.17 million on Facebook.

A Shenzhen Daily-made video on the governor visiting the Shenzhen Bus Group Antuo Hill Depot posted on YouTube on Oct. 24 became an instant hit receiving an avalanche of views and comments. As of Dec. 27, the video had garnered a total of 128,870 views, 364 comments, and 1,612 likes.

During the trip, Newsom learned about Shenzhen’s green technologies, exchanged climate conversations, and most notably — test-drove BYD’s off-road SUV Yangwang U8, lavishly praising the scale and scope of Shenzhen’s electric revolution as well as the design, functionality, and smart weight distribution of Yangwang U8, calling it “another leap in technology.”

The video received enthusiastic responses from netizens. “He may get amazed how much technology and infrastructure in advance in China, United States simply leading behind in many sectors being as an American I have to admit China will be the global hub for innovation and technology development that is the future!!!” exclaimed a YouTube user under the name @landstar3657. Another YouTube user  @syarizansulaiman6554 commented: “Bring this to California and can resolve air pollution problem.” A netizen named @googl2503 said the video had him change his attitude towards the politician, saying: “This is the first time I like about Gavin Newsom. At least he’s not one of those neocons. Truly appreciates him for being pragmatic.”

City development

recognized

On Shenzhen Daily’s account on the social media platform X, which was opened in July 2014, official X accounts of government officials, influencers, and KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) have always kept a close eye on Shenzhen’s economic, social, cultural, and ecological development, and been very generous with praise for the city’s achievements.

A Sept. 7 post on Shenzhen Daily’s X account regarding the approval of the establishment of an international mangrove center in Shenzhen was liked and retweeted by Convention on Wetlands (@RamsarConv), the official X account of the Standing Committee of the Ramsar Convention, drawing 12,000 views and 212 likes in total.

Shenzhen’s efforts to provide its latest happenings and services to people from all over the globe were acknowledged by X users, evidenced by the fact that an X post about the launch of Shenzhen’s multilingual official website June 10 received thousands of views.

The EyeShenzhen multilingual website, operated by Shenzhen Daily, started trial operation June 10.

The website, www.eyeshenzhen.com, features nine foreign languages, i.e. English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Arabic, and Portuguese, providing residents, investors, and tourists with all-inclusive and up-to-date information about Shenzhen.

In terms of Shenzhen’s international exchange and interactions, two posts stood out. Michiel Borstlap, a world-renowned Dutch pianist, composer, and pioneer of a new generation of jazz, liked, retweeted, and followed Shenzhen Daily’s X account Aug. 30, after the news about his piano song named “Shenzhen” being released as a part of his 2024 solo album “World Tour” was posted. The award-winning pianist and composer also posted a screenshot of Shenzhen Daily’s exclusive report Aug. 30 and mentioned the newspaper’s X account, saying “Thank you @szdaily1 for the cover article.”

In addition, an X post on a delegation of 40 German companies visiting BYD, Han’s Laser, Huawei, and China Merchants Shekou in September amassed over 5,000 views and was retweeted by Cyrus Janssen (@thecyrusjanssen).

He commented: “This is why it’s important to follow the ‘actions’ of the business leaders and not the ‘words’ of politicians. Western politicians will say anything to get a vote, meanwhile the movers and shakers of economic growth travel to China for future business opportunities.”

Janssen is an American geopolitical analyst, investor, speaker, and social media influencer with over 1 million fans across his social media platforms.

On TikTok, a video clip introducing Shenzhen-produced dance drama “Wing Chun” posted July 29 garnered 37,000 views and 3,800 likes, and received positive comments.

UGC contents

make an impact

Starting from November, Shenzhen Daily has collaborated with Bolivian-American designer, entrepreneur, and photographer Joshua Fernandez (@Joshua_Fern), who has been living in the city for over 10 years. Shenzhen Daily’s X, Facebook, and Instagram accounts have opened a dedicated weekly column marked with the hashtag #JoshuaSZFinds to showcase Fernandez’s captivating photographs he has taken during his explorations of Shenzhen.

With his camera, he beautifully documents life in Shenzhen, portraying its people and essence. To date, we have posted eight issues of his photos depicting the city’s natural sceneries, street views, architecture, and people’s lifestyle.

Additionally, Shenzhen Daily also posted Colombian biologist Isaac Cohen’s wildlife photos he captured in Shenzhen under the hashtag #DiscoverShenzhen. The photographer has been photographing the beautiful and colorful wildlife in Shenzhen since arriving in town in 2017.

In July 2021, his weekly photo column “Discover Shenzhen” debuted on Shenzhen Daily and its official WeChat account. So far, Shenzhen Daily’s WeChat account has published 116 issues of his photo series.

Shenzhen Daily’s 2023 social media journey is a testament to the power of storytelling, audience engagement, and a genuine connection with the community, which reminds us that in the digital age, it’s not just about clicks and shares, but about sparking meaningful conversations and leaving a lasting impact to all.