Net stars redefine e-marketing

Eating hot pot and streaming the "event" live on a smartphone app could be an effective way of marketing a restaurant - that's what Wu Guoxu, owner of a chain of 13 restaurants in Shenzhen, realized recently.

Wu invited a young, married couple to use live streaming apps to showcase the environment at his restaurants and the food there.

Surprisingly, the strategy attracted hundreds of new customers. In the following weeks, Wu's chain pulled in about 35,000 yuan ($5,255) more than normal as word spread near and far about the great hot pots at his restaurants.