"Nowadays, I don't read newspapers nor do I watch TV. Most of my

information feed is from weibo. The speed of weibo SNS information sharing and the vastness of its spread are also beyond reach for blogs or forums, which, in a way, has brought about the decline of the latter. MSN blogs closed on March 17 after a five-year existence," says Li.

According to the Internet Real-time Public Opinion Index Annual Report 2010 released by the Communication University of China in Beijing, weibo has become the third-favorite online source of information for public opinion, after news portals and online forums.

"At the moment, weibo serves more as a content provider and disseminator than a social networking platform," says Zheng Yingqin, a PhD from Cambridge University and a senior lecturer with the De Montfort University in UK, who specializes in information & communication technology (ICT) and social development.

"According to research, the main content providers on Twitter largely fall into four categories - celebrities, media, individual bloggers and enterprises/organizations. The first two are mostly interested in their own networks, i.e. they follow weibo accounts in the same category, while the other two have broader interests and may pay more attention to other groups. It is likely that the same applies to weibo," says Zheng.

"People log onto weibo for a variety of reasons, and social networking is only one of them. Weibo differs from existing social networking services such as QQ or Facebook in that its connections can be unidirectional. One can follow other people without their permission or reciprocal attention and nor does one necessarily need any fans (followers) to enjoy a fulfilling weibo experience. It also provides minimal tools to support one to one interactions, unlike QQ or Facebook."

"Weibo may evolve to incorporate stronger social networking functions in the future, as there seems to be such a demand from some users. More importantly, it is changing the way we perceive the world and the way we connect to each other. Potential opportunities of open innovations, for example, user-led product development and network-based business models, are yet to be explored," says Zheng.

The huge population base of weibo has greatly enhanced its potential in social commerce and influence. By the end of August 2010, a total of 466 major media companies, including TV, radio, print and magazines, have registered with Sina Weibo. The latter has also verified some 2,500 companies as its weibo users, covering over 30 industries such as automobiles, food, film and entertainment.

Sina chief executive Cao Guowei says that his company's advertising revenue grew 28 percent in 2010 thanks to the weibo platform. "There is still enough room for Sina Weibo's growth," says Cao.

Other companies are also taking advantage of weibo, but in more creative ways. Sohu is providing weibo dating services, while several companies are using it for recruitment by asking potential employees or interns to describe themselves on weibo in whatever way they like. Prominent include French advertising company Publicis Groupe, Taobao.com, and Hangzhou City Express, a local newspaper in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, that attracted some 500 million yuan (53.7 million euros) advertising revenue in 2010.

Many European companies and organizations in China have also followed the trend of creating weibo accounts in China. These include the Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions and the British Tourist Authority. The Delegation of the European Union to China officially launched its "EU in China" blog and micro blog service in Beijing on March 28.

"Blog and micro blog are a promising way to reach out to different types of people whom we don't meet in our daily work," says Markus Ederer, ambassador of the EU Delegation to China.

The EU Delegation blogs on four major Chinese portals - Sina, Tencent, Tom and Sohu. Most topics are on European lifestyle and pertain to films and travel. "Hopefully the interactiveness of blogging will help Chinese understand why we are the way we are," says Ederer.

William Fingleton, press officer with the EU Delegation, says blogging the EU in China "is perhaps the best way to reach out to young people who spend a lot of time indoors and in front of their computers."

The EU delegation has chosen food as its first blogging theme, to coincide with the recent visit of the EU Agricultural Commission and the introduction of its geographic identification system in China. Special guests to the ceremony included Chinese food bloggers like Great Chef Bai Du and Transparent Purple, who showcased their self-made favorite European dishes to the audience.

"Weibo has made understanding our customers easier, and them us," says Ogilvy's Liu. She says her team addresses questions to followers of their clients, sometimes trivial questions like the duration of time taken to apply cosmetics. Feedback from the followers also helps us understand their interests and also whether they are more interested in brand history and culture, or whether they are more interested in sales and discounts.

"Weibo is an integral platform for companies to communicate with their customers or potential clients. What you get is first-hand material. It is fast and effective and without the participation of any third parties. Previously, we may have to physically go to 10 cities to collect samples, which are time consuming, and the samples are limited. But within two days, an online survey on weibo may get more than 100 feedbacks from across the county," she says.

Each company approaches micro blogs differently and their styles vary. Dell China has set up several micro blogs, intended for differentiated customers, like one for medium- and small-sized companies, and one for after-sales. L'Oreal decides on the next city for its road show by fans' votes on its micro blog.

"When the fans' wishes are answered, they feel they are respected," says Liu. "And once an emotional bond is connected, it will last for a long time. Eventually it may lead to sales."

"But everything is still in the early stages of trial and error. A business model with weibo is yet to be set up," says Liu.