Yet many international marketers choose the wrong WeChat business account, also known as WeChat official accounts. Or worse, they don’t understand the limits and risks until it’s too late. In China, the type of account you open directly affects visibility, trust, and sales.

We work daily with international brands entering the Chinese market. We have opened, managed, and optimized WeChat business accounts across industries, from lead generation to full e-commerce. We know what works, what doesn’t, and why.

In this article, we clearly explain the different WeChat business account types. We show you which one fits your goals, how to avoid common mistakes, and how we help brands turn WeChat into a real growth channel in China.

What are WeChat Official Accounts?

WeChat Official Accounts, also known as WeChat Business Accounts or WeChat public accounts, function similarly to Facebook’s brand pages but are tailored specifically for the Chinese market. Just as you might use a Facebook page to connect with your Western audience, the WeChat Official Accounts platform allows individuals or organizations, including celebrities, influencers, businesses, government entities, and media outlets, to engage with the vast Chinese WeChat user base.

Having a WeChat Business Account serves as an excellent entry point for international brands looking to tap into the Chinese market. Chinese users prefer interacting with authentic accounts, making WeChat official accounts their go-to source for information and product purchases.

With your own WeChat Official Account, you can amass followers, create targeted content, direct traffic to your eCommerce platform, and even send push notifications for your marketing campaigns. The platform offers various features to engage your audience effectively:

1. Broadcast Messaging: Send group messages to your followers.
2. Comment Management: Manage comments on your official account.
3. Analytics: Gain insights into your account’s performance.
4. Direct Messaging: Reach out to Chinese users individually using WeChat’s direct-messaging app.

It’s important to note that not all these features are available for every account type. Therefore, it’s essential to consider your business needs and available resources when selecting the appropriate account type for your brand. In the subsequent sections, we will explore the various account types and determine which one best suits your business requirements.

Why is it Important to Have a WeChat Official Account?

Having a WeChat Official Account is essential for the success of your brand in the market. You might wonder why you need an official account when a regular account seems sufficient. The answer lies in the plethora of marketing tools and the level of trust you can establish with your WeChat official account followers.

Furthermore, you’ll be competing with numerous brands in China that are already leveraging official accounts for their business. To avoid being at a disadvantage, creating a WeChat business account for your brand in China becomes crucial.

WeChat Official Account is an Indispensable Marketing Tool

Official accounts offer your brand an organic channel for growth, given that Chinese users do not have access to platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Through your official account, you can effectively reach your audience.

Bulk messaging is an excellent feature available exclusively to WeChat official accounts, enabling you to broadcast brand updates and engage with a broader audience more efficiently. This feature is particularly advantageous for eCommerce as it allows for a targeted approach to reaching your audience.

Chinese Consumers Prefer Official Accounts for Brand Information

The check badge granted to all official accounts by WeChat reinforces their authenticity, making them the preferred choice for Chinese users seeking real and trustworthy accounts. Official accounts act as substitutes for websites, providing users with crucial information such as contact details, product offerings, brand values, and supporting content like articles, images, and videos.

While official accounts primarily interact with existing followers, they also play a role in attracting new followers and contributing to the overall success of your brand on WeChat. Once users subscribe to your WeChat business account, they will receive notifications for each brand promotion campaign you initiate, further enhancing their engagement with your brand.

Differences Between All the WeChat Accounts

When selecting a WeChat Official Account, various options cater to different organizational needs and availability. As a brand, you can choose from two main types of official accounts: service accounts and subscription accounts. The most suitable choice for your brand will be determined by your organization’s nature and the specific types of accounts available.

What is a Subscription Account on WeChat?

WeChat subscription accounts are ideal for brands that focus on content creation and effective brand communication. Media outlets and magazines, for example, utilize WeChat subscription accounts to keep their followers updated on their latest content. These accounts function as a daily source of content for users, akin to a newspaper or Facebook’s news feed feature.

When users subscribe to your official account, they can find it under the WeChat subscription tab, where it is grouped with other subscription accounts. Unlike service accounts, subscription accounts do not send push notifications for new content postings. Instead, you can publish content once a day, with the option to post up to 6 articles in each publication. These updates will be sent to your followers’ subscription folder without triggering push notifications.

For content-centric brands or small businesses seeking to expand in China, WeChat subscription accounts present an excellent choice. Though they may not have as much visibility as service accounts, subscription accounts offer the advantage of publishing more content for your followers. It’s worth noting that subscription accounts are only available to brands with a Chinese business license.

Who Should You Choose a Wechat Service Account?

WeChat service accounts offer a robust set of features, making them an ideal choice for eCommerce businesses and service-oriented brands. With a service account, you can efficiently manage customer relationships, integrate WeChat APIs, and gather valuable data from your followers.

Verified WeChat service accounts to gain access to advanced features such as WeChat Pay integration and the ability to set up a dedicated WeChat store. These enhancements elevate your WeChat business account’s appeal to customers, making shopping and payments more convenient for your followers.

Additionally, verified service accounts can leverage other advanced APIs like instant customer service, GPS, payments, multiple QR codes per accounts, and HTML pages.

Compared to subscription accounts, WeChat service accounts enjoy higher visibility due to their ability to send push notifications every time you publish content on your wall. They are prominently displayed on your followers’ dashboard, rather than being nestled in a separate folder, leading to more frequent interactions.

However, similar to subscription accounts, service accounts have limitations in their publication frequency. You can only publish four times a month, with six articles allowed in each publication, which is less than what subscription accounts offer.

Additional Types of WeChat Official Accounts

Beyond the well-known service and subscription accounts, which excel in promotion and brand awareness, there are two other notable types: Enterprise Accounts (WeChat Work) and WeChat mini-programs.

WeChat Work primarily serves as a communication tool designed for companies seeking efficient internal communication. As Chinese users were using WeChat for both business and personal purposes, WeChat introduced this distinct service tailored for business-oriented interactions.

On the other hand, WeChat mini-programs are more than just public accounts; they form an entire ecosystem of mini-apps within WeChat. Companies leverage these mini-programs to bolster their brand promotion, share updates, and facilitate sales through in-app stores with the WeChat payment option. For comprehensive insights into WeChat mini-programs, you can explore more detailed information on this topic.

Setting Up a WeChat Business Account: Requirements and Options

Creating a WeChat business account may seem straightforward, but international brands face specific challenges due to certain prerequisites. To register a WeChat official account, you’ll need the following documents:

• Chinese business license
• Chinese ID linked to a WeChat Payment Account

Brands with a Chinese legal entity have an advantage, as they can submit a scanned copy of their Chinese business license, pay a verification fee of RMB 300, and provide a Chinese ID with a WeChat payment account.

For international brands without these documents, there are two alternatives to complete their WeChat official account:

1. Register a local Chinese business license: Some brands can create an overseas WeChat official account using a Chinese commercial license, such as a wholly foreign-owned enterprise (WFOE). However, this method requires significant investment and time.
2. Use a third-party business license: The most popular option for foreign brands is to use a third-party business license. Although affordable, it comes with limitations, as the account cannot be handled independently, and the third-party name will be associated with the official account.

Another approach is to use your own international business license, but approval is not guaranteed and can take up to 3 months, compared to a week with a Chinese business license. Additionally, the annual registration fee for an overseas WeChat official account is around USD 99, more expensive than the Chinese counterpart.

Considering these differences, it is advisable to find a Chinese business partner or register your business in China to open your WeChat official account. The steps for creating your Official account can be found here.

Engage a Professional Agency to Create Your Accounts and Thrive in China’s Business Landscape

At GMA, we offer comprehensive support for your WeChat journey. From registering and creating your WeChat official account to managing it and devising a successful marketing strategy for entering the Chinese market, we’ve got you covered.

As an international team of 70+ professionals based in Shanghai, we understand the challenges and intricacies of doing business in this unique market. We are eager to learn more about your project and provide the expertise you need.

Get in touch with us now to inquire about WeChat official accounts or any other information you may require. Let’s make your China expansion a resounding success together!

For international brands entering China, visibility is no longer driven only by search or social media. Content discovery now plays a central role. Toutiao, China’s #1 news and content app, sits at the heart of this shift, powered by some of the most advanced AI recommendation algorithms in the market.

We have worked on China digital strategies for years, helping international brands navigate platforms that operate very differently from Western media. From content distribution to paid advertising, we have seen how Toutiao can outperform more familiar channels when used correctly.

In this guide, we explain how Toutiao really works and why it matters for marketers. We show you how we approach content, advertising, and targeting on the platform, and how international brands can use Toutiao to gain visibility, credibility, and measurable growth in China.

WHAT IS TOUTIAO ABOUT?

Toutiao, which literally means “Today’s Headlines”, is an emerging mobile platform of content creation, aggregation, and distribution, featured by machine learning techniques. The name “Toutiao” originates from the company’s belief that “Only the things which all the readers care about can be the headlines.”
Toutiao uses AI algorithms to analyze users’ reading habits and then generate for them a tailored feed list including articles, videos, or ads. Different from the traditional news platforms, Toutiao abandons the old model of users looking for information and instead analyzes the features of content as well as users’ interaction with the content to offer a personalized reading list of content customized for each user.
In this era of information explosion, its new AI content analysis techniques provide a more convenient user experience, raising Toutiao to one of China’s largest mobile platforms of content creation, aggregation, and distribution, underpinned in just 6 years’ time.

TOUTIAO’S AMAZING GROWTH FIGURES

By March 2018, the Toutiao App’s DAU (Daily Active Users) reached over 200 million, with an average opening it 9 times per day and using it 76 minutes per day, which is more than the average Facebook and WeChat user. Known as the No. 1 intelligent content distribution platform in China, it has got over 1.1 million publisher accounts, which update over 380,000 pieces of content and achieve 4.2 billion views per day.

Besides investment in text content, Toutiao also boasts a series of video platforms, including “Xigua Video”, “Huoshan Video”, “Douyin”, etc.

Among them, Xigua Video’s users reached over 100 million by June 2017, and Douyin’s daily views reached 3 billion.

Thanks to the fast growth and cutting-edge technology, Toutiao, which was founded in March 2012, now values 75 billion US dollars!

HOW DOES TOUTIAO WORK?

Toutiao initially showcases general content to a first-time user, then uses machine learning to learn about the reader’s browsing habits and interests based on how the reader engages with the app, and thus is able to recommend the articles you want to read. For example, you can tap the small “close” button on every post to dismiss stories you don’t want to read; this action will then be recorded and analyzed by the AI system.

By tracking and analyzing such behaviors on the site: What you click on, how long you spend on a story, where you stop scrolling, the type of story you’re reading at a certain time of day, even where you’re physically located, Toutiao’s AI algorithms can come up with the most personalized recommendations for your reading. As the reader starts to use the platform more frequently, Toutiao gets smarter and understands better users’ interests to provide them more relevant content over time.

Notably, Toutiao is not using recommendations from your friends like Wechat or Weibo but rather focuses on your individual preferences. Remember, unlike those social media platforms, Toutiao isn’t about connecting friends. It has social elements – you can link your social media profile if you want – but the stories it serves up come from its AI recommendation system, not from your friends.

WHY IS TOUTIAO ATTRACTIVE FOR MARKETERS?

1. Sticky and Young User Base

Chinese users stay on Toutiao for an average of 76 minutes per day. The data is impressive as the average time people spend on WeChat is only 66 minutes. The size and stickiness of the user base have been growing exponentially, clearly showcasing the power of marketing on the platform.

Most Toutiao users are male, with a gender ratio of 60%. Over 85% of the range in age from 18 to 30 years old and are mostly concentrated in first or second-tier cities.

The education level of Toutiao users is quite high as well, with 41.3% of them holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. Another interesting note is that 37.8% of the users’ occupations are freelancers, self-employed and private company owners.

From the above data, it is likely that a fair proportion of Toutiao users are young Chinese running their businesses or working as managers. Toutiao can be very helpful when it comes to B2B marketing in China. The platform is also suitable for promoting trendy products to youngsters.

2. FREE content exposure to the RIGHT audience

Toutiao has the most powerful recommendation algorithms, which allows it to easily bring your content to the most interested readers. With a huge and growing base of 200M daily active users who are hunger for information, Toutiao helps marketers reach new potential customers and get a ton of content exposure. Since Toutiao serves articles to users based on their interests, each view/reach that you acquire for your articles on this platform is highly targeted. Content marketing strategies that take full advantage of Toutiao’s smart AI algorithms can definitely receive an impressive ROI.

One example is ” 欢子tv“ ( Huanzi TV). This creator creates short videos about folks’ lives and customs in the countryside of China. Each of his videos has an average of 700,000 views, while the views in his Wechat official account are less than 1/40 of that on Toutiao. Toutiao has enabled the long tail of contributors to reach their most relevant audience more cost-effectively than any other platform in China.

Additionally, Toutiao has also begun offering social features. Users can share articles they like under a separate tab. That gives publishers the chance to go viral both socially and through the Toutiao Algorithm. Becoming a registered publisher with Toutiao is a simple and easy way to open your business to the possibility of going viral. Becoming registered on the platform should be on every business planning to enter China’s checklist. As long as they’re good, your stories will get seen and go viral even though you don’t invest much time in content distribution (since this happens naturally for you on Toutiao).

3. Diverse content formats means diverse tools for marketing

Except for news, Toutiao also provides videos to further entertain the users. Next to the homepage button, you will find a link to ‘Xigua Video’.

The button titled ‘Short Videos’ at the bottom right provides funny short videos and jokes to users. Toutiao manages to keep users busy with these engaging clips. It is easy for users to watch one after another in a series.

The page of ‘Xigua Videos’ (Left); The page of ‘Short Videos’ (Right)

These days with the abundance of information, it is hard to keep people’s attention. Users leave and go in split seconds if they are not interested. Consequently, short videos have arisen as a new popular form of entertainment. Toutiao has taken advantage of this trend by integrating well with Chinese users’ most favorite short videos apps such as Douyin, and aggregating these videos all in one place, enabling users to consume different content in a very convenient way.

Douyin is a platform beloved by Chinese youngsters. It allows users to watch and produce funny 15-second music videos. Users can lip-sync or dance to the music, while the app provides special effects or filters for editing. Even the latest trending meme- ‘Karma is a bitch’ challenge is from DouYin, showing how influential the platform can be. Toutiao is now the “go-to platform” for short video content. More than half of Toutiao’s 76 mins daily usage for each user is spent watching short-form videos.

Meanwhile, Xigua Video and Huoshan serve different video needs. Xigua Video has over 100 million users while Huoshan has gathered thousands of powerful Chinese KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders).

Toutiao’s integration with these platforms not only gives users more choices for media consumption but also more tools and ways for brands to get creative and engage better with the customers as well as increase brand awareness.

Read More About Social Media in China

HOW CAN BRANDS MAXIMIZE TOUTIAO?

1. Advertising on Toutiao can have exceptional effect

Unlike WeChat users, content consumption is the primary focus of Toutiao users. The app has no additional features such as chat messaging to distract users from viewing new content. Brands interested in using the platform would now have access to millions of users that are constantly using the app to search for new and quality content. Placing advertisements on the platform or releasing advertorials can have exceptional effects on brand awareness and credibility.

Powerful targeting functionality Thanks to its machine learning algorithm and the nature of the platform, Toutiao is able to offer a richer, more powerful audience targeting functionality similar to that of Facebook.

Read more about Paid Advertising in China with our Guide

Here are some of the ways you can target your audience on Toutiao:

• Audience gender
• Audience age
• Audience interest
• Keywords
• City/region
• Time of day
• Weather
• Occupation
• Phone carrier
• Phone system
• Phone brand
• Internet environment

Re-targeting based on a series of audience behaviors: Toutiao tracks readers’ behaviors like reading through, clicking, video watching, etc. So, an advertiser can choose to expose the ad only to an audience who has clicked on previously launched ads. Moreover, different rates can be set for different levels of customer engagement.

Auto expanding on seeds audience: Marketers firstly upload an “audience pack” as a seed pack and the system would automatically recognize the similarities (age, geo, interests, etc.) of the audience and expand on it to find a more “lookalike” audience. The target audience base will double or triple easily by leveraging this tool.

The 3 most popular formats of ads on Toutiao are:

• Streaming feed Ads,
• News banner ads, and
• App open-up Ads.

It supports both pictures and videos display. The app uses artificial intelligence to personalize ads for its users.

Cost-effective compared to Wechat: In terms of cost, advertising in Toutiao is quite reasonable as compared to WeChat. The cost per click on most formats ranges between RMB 0.2-1.0 compared to WeChat advertising costs ranging between RMB 2-5 CPC.

Geo-targeting down to 6km: Geo-targeting on Toutiao is down to business district with default radius being 6km. Advertisers can launch one campaign in several business districts across different provinces in China. This is very valuable for offline retailers and advertisers that have customers with specific geo-location.

Comprehensive ad network: With the popularity of its’ other apps, Bytedance has created a pretty comprehensive ad network that covers Douyin (Tik Tok), Xigua Video (A competitor to Tencent Video/Youku), Toutiao, and a range of other publishers, making it very attractive to marketers.

2. Content marketing is everything on this No.1 content distribution platform

Create an official account and share your content

Toutiao created the function of Toutiao Hao or Good Headline, which allows different users to register an account based on their own category and post articles or videos on their own page to gain followers. This is an appealing playground for marketers looking for new ways to amplify their voice through great content.

As of Q3 2018, Toutiao had over 1.1 million publisher accounts registered on the platform! These publishers include media organizations, government institutions, individual websites/bloggers, and companies. According to thepaper.cn nearly half a million stories are published on Toutiao every day.

You can create and share insightful contents on your Toutiao account to establish/ reaffirm your brand positioning as an industry expert. Read more about how to create an official account on Toutiao https://marketingtochina.com/how-to-register-a-toutiao-business-account/

Focus on great ideas

In this age of stiff competition, good content will no longer suffice. Your content has to be above average because your target audience knows better now. They’re desperately searching for great content that will solve their problems. As long as they’re good, your stories will get seen by people who otherwise would not have been exposed to your content even though you may not invest too much in content distribution (it happens naturally for you on Toutiao). Try your best to provide information customers can’t find anywhere else.

Other tactics your business can implement in order to excel on Toutiao

1. Don’t limit yourself to writing: try other content formats since not all stories need to be expressed in writing. Why not create a comic, illustration, infographic, short videos… and see how people respond? Toutiao’s ecosystem provides various tools for marketers to approach target customers in different ways.
2. Share Toutiao content on other social media platforms: Don’t rely on Toutiao’s algorithm alone to get your content in front of new readers. You should also share your content on your established social media channels. Eventually, you may see the majority of your content views coming directly from the platform, but an initial nudge will be extremely helpful.
3. Share your articles to be published by other established accounts: Prestigious news such as CCTV and People.can have millions of followers on Toutiao. You can approach and arrange with them for your articles to be published on their account and reach their huge number of keen readers.
4. Re-publish content from your blog or website on Toutiao to get more exposure.
5. Use UTM parameters to measure traffic from your posts: When you link to your website, landing page, or blog in a Toutiao article you should use UTM parameters in order to track which articles are performing the best.
6. Enhance e-reputation at Wukong Q&A: Toutiao developed a conversational forum called Wukong, a community similar to Quora. With Wukong, users can post questions and receive responses from the user community, on topics ranging from travel to retail to health and wellness. Brands should involve themselves in customers’ discussions to understand them more and help them solve problems, which confirms its position as an expert in the field.

To emphasize once more time, Toutiao is a medium platform with a recommendation system. How many exposures your content can get on Toutiao depends on how well the system understands your content. This requires the creator to have an excellent understanding of its target users and create content that contains reader- and system-friendly keywords.

WE ARE TOUTIAO MARKETING AGENCY 

We are a team of native digital experts based in Shanghai, we have a deep insight into this fascinating market and stay ahead of the curve.

If you have a serious project for the Chinese market you can consider this news app, contact us for a meeting with one of our consultants.

We also work extensively in the following areas:

Baidu SEO/PPC
WeChat Development
Weibo Marketing
Chinese Content
PR/Media Exposure
Targeted Forums & Blogs (niche markets)
Ecommerce set up & branding
Lead Generation Services on Multiple Platforms

With over 300 million users, Little Red Book is one of our go-to Chinese social media has transformed from a simple review app into China’s most powerful word-of-mouth engine. For international brands, this platform is no longer optional; it is the primary gateway to reaching China’s young, affluent, and “ready-to-buy” female consumers.

At GMA, we have spent years on the ground in Shanghai, navigating the complexities of the Chinese digital ecosystem. Our team has successfully launched hundreds of global brands on Xiaohongshu, leveraging deep data and local cultural insights to turn scrolls into sales. We don’t just track trends; we help create them.

In this guide, we will show you exactly how to build a winning 2026 strategy. We will walk you through everything from identifying the right KOLs to closing the loop with social commerce. By the end of this article, you will have a clear, actionable roadmap to master the platform and scale your brand in China.

I.     WHAT IS LITTLE RED BOOK(XIAOHONGSHU)?

小红书 is a social e-commerce shopping app based in Shanghai, China. Targeting 18-to-35-year-old Chinese urban females. The platform helps users discover and buy luxury, fashion, and beauty products from overseas as well as share shopping tips, and swap fashion ideas.

Little Red Book was originally designed as a UGC (user-generated content) social sharing platform; targeting young, urban (esp. in large cities like Beijing and Shanghai) females’ desire to discover and share shopping lists and experiences of traveling in and out of China.

As of 2020 RED count:

• 300 Million registered users
• 100 Million MAU

RED Users profile:

• 56% of RED users live in 1st and 2nd Tiers Cities
• 72% of RED users are Millenials
• +85% of RED users are females

Young (wealthy) Chinese Female Users

RED came as a great platform to shop Luxury and high-end beauty/fashion products from foreign brands. It has its own logistics network, can link to other eCommerce apps via hyperlinks, and is perfect to look for information on beauty products in general.

The integrated eCommerce store came later in the life of the app, but users already got used to following influencers and KOL’s (key opinion leaders) on RED by the time stores were online.  If you are in the cosmetic industry, having a presence on RED can positively affect your brand.

Little Red Book is a LifeStyle Shopping App

Little Red Book has successfully gathered a large group of females who enjoy luxury/fashion shopping and sharing. The app successfully created a safe shopping environment for its customers.

Little Red Book launched its own cross-border e-commerce platform, the “RED Store” in 2014. It connects Chinese consumers with global brands by enabling users to buy overseas products directly through the app.

Since then, Little Red Book has formed strategic partnerships with many overseas brands including Lancôme, Swiss, and Innisfree.

The Most Popular Topics on RED are:

• Make-Up/Cosmetics
• Fashion
• Travel & Food
• Health
• Maternity

RED (Little Red Book): an astonishing success

As a user-generated content platform, Little Red Book is a hub for females’ talks and sharing about beauty and fashion products with 100,000 new content added every day, making a total of 780 million product contents on its platform. As a social e-commerce platform, it has achieved great success in recent years, especially in 2015, when it grew its GMV from approximately 1 million RMB to over 100 million in just 6 months.

It’s continually growing and now has over 300 million registered users as of 2020. In 2020, it was valued at $6 billion USD. Being one of the most popular e-commerce platforms in China, it provides an outstanding opportunity for foreign marketers who want to get into the massive China market.

II. WHAT MAKES LITTLE RED BOOK A MUST-BE FOR MARKETERS IN CHINA?

Incorporating Chinese social media into your china communication & Marketing strategy is crucial for your success in the country. If you are a brand in fashion, lifestyle, beauty, or travel, Xiaohongshu is a definitive must-have (among others), and here is why!

 1. An enormous hub of young, urban women

According to its official website, Little Red Book has acquired 300 million registered users as of 2020, with those born in the post-90s and post-95s as the most active users. According to IResearch statistics, over 50% of users were under 30 years old, while more than 80% of them are female. 56% of os users live in the 1st tier and 2nd tier cities. More than 50% of them belong to the higher middle and middle classes.

With such a robust and highly converting audience base, Xiaohongshu is doubtlessly an ideal platform for international fashion and beauty brands to sell and advertise their products. This makes the platform the ideal channel to target young, affluent female shoppers that have the intent and ability to consume branded products.

2. Highly targeted and converting users

Little Red Book gathers savvy users who research and review their products extensively on the app. It is a trusted source of advice and recommendations for its community of fashion and beauty lovers. It seems like a must to check out comments and opinions on Xiaohongshu about the products before you buy them.

Most Chinese People get on Little Red Book not only to talk or read about fashion and beauty tips but also to search for and purchase products. Little Red Book has a much higher conversion rate than other e-commerce platforms.

8% of Little Red Book users make an order on the app after reading reviews, compared with 2.6% who do the same on Tmall, China’s largest marketplace for brand goods, owned by e-commerce giant Alibaba. Ready-to-buy customers with significant trust on the platform pose an amazing opportunity for brands.

3. An interactive and engaging community

Apart from creating their own content, users can also “Save” posts, interact with others through “Likes”/”Comments”, or even press “Follow” to subscribe to a particular user/brand that they like.

Little Red Book uses a recommendation algorithm to create a customized homepage based on users’ browsing and searching history. It also offers an “Explore” feature based on this same data. This function allows users to focus on topics they are interested in and sort out unwanted information.

“Nearby” shows hot topics according to the user’s location, while “Follow” shows the latest posts from subscribed accounts.

 Trust & Proximity

Thanks to its engaging features, XiaoHongShu has successfully reinforced this feeling of trust, safety, and belonging to a community of like-minded friends. A sizable proportion of consumers are opening the app up to seven times a day. Brands’ awareness and reputation can be quickly built up and expanded here if well-managed and have the right strategies.

4. Extensive word-of-mouth effect with KOLs marketing

There are plenty of stars sharing their latest shopping picks and lifestyle hacks there every day, mixed with snaps of their not-so-glamorous side of life. This has created a unique UGC (user-generated content) circle made up of well-known influencers with massive followings.

The (RED) Lipstick Master

Examples of Little Red Book hu influencers include Austin Li, nicknamed “KouHongGe” (The Lipstick Master/Brother; 口紅哥), who tries on luxury brands’ lipsticks such as Gucci and M.A.C. He has accumulated 3,169,800 followers and his comments are constantly shared by other lipstick lovers.

Fan Bingbing on RED

Dubbed “Queen of sales” Fan Bingbing actually temporarily brought down the server of Little Red Book one time, thanks to a shopping note endorsing the latest beauty finds she just published.

Reviews from influencers often bring massive attention and exposure to products. These reviews tend to be spread by more and more users (thanks to the platform’s multiple interactive tools), which quickly create a viral effect for those products. This kind of nonstop cycle significantly raises brand awareness and helps to generate customer leads.

5. Direct Link to An E-commerce store: Closing the Loop

Having accumulated a huge amount of social and consumption data from a largely urban female user base, Little Red Book has since developed a closed shopping cycle on the cross-border sale of luxury items, which allows users to purchase the products directly from merchants after reading reviews.

Little Red Book is able to ensure the quality of its merchandise by acting as a first-party distributor, handling delivery, and customer service. Qualified brands are also permitted to set up their own digital shops. In this case, Little Red Book provides brands with full logistics, customer services, and marketing support including data insights and in-app advertisements.

III. Marketing Checklist to succeed on Little Red Book

1. Work with key opinion leaders

Influencers are the key to attract people’s attention. KOLs can be a star, an internet celebrity, or a simple user. With the platform’s unique strength as an extremely close-knit and trustworthy community, influencers on Little Red Book are much more powerful than those on other social media. Every single user can become a micro-influencer as long as they’re willing to share their real and comprehensive experiences. They often have a huge fan base, who follow their activities closely. The content generated greatly affects user’s purchasing decisions as they are considered more trustworthy than reviews from other platforms or brands.

KOLs are meeting today’s modern Chinese consumers’ ideology quite well. In recent years, Chinese consumers have evolved. The focus is shifting to prioritizing premium products and living a more balanced, healthy, and family-centric life. If you plan to collaborate with an influencer, finding the right person to be the brand representative can be crucial for your brand success.

In 2020, the trend is Micro-Influencers. They are less expensive but have a better engagement rate and proximity with their followers.

2. Create quality posts regularly (every day in the beginning)

The contents which are quite popular on Xiaohongshu are comparison articles that analyze in-depth similar products from different brands to give readers an overview and good judgment for their buying decision. These are called “Gan Huo” (干货). Even If readers don’t buy directly on Xiaohongshu, the content viewed will influence their future purchases and brands’ images. In Little Red Book, it isn’t just a place for brands to do storytelling but also to provide useful information about products such as the prices, the available ranges, and variations as well as places to buy.

Our team of content writing experts contributes largely to successful campaigns for brands on Little Red Book by researching excessively and generating high quality, in-depth and diverse content (photos, videos, articles, etc…) that both reinforce brands’ positioning and convert readers into buyers.

3. Be proactive in interacting with users

It is important to take part in, monitor, and control the interaction and discussion part around the content. As the Chinese are very active online, they may have questions about the products shared. They also like to comment, discuss, and complain about products or brands. Therefore, it is essential for brands to always be responsive and interact with users on time.

The constant engagement with users ensures brands’ credibility as well as influence largely their decisions to make a purchase with brands or not. That says, creating and publishing good content is not enough. Brands need to be proactive and wholehearted in nurturing and following up with the discussion.

4. Connect with Weibo, WeChat, and other social media accounts

Different social media in China serve different purposes. Chinese consumers are usually active on more than one platform. Therefore, it is critical for brands to ensure their presence at important touchpoints as well as a smooth customer journey across multiple platforms.

Little Red Book alone isn’t optimal but Little Red Book in connection with Weibo or Wechat would make sure that brands follow and guide customers throughout their buying journey. Weibo is a micro-blogging platform that has a massive customer base sharing and talking about anything.

Posts on Weibo gain large publicity and can reach millions of viewers. Meanwhile, WeChat has the advantage of allowing customers to reach you directly and personally. It helps with customer relationship maintenance and enhancement.

As consumers can move and interact freely with brands on Little Red Book to other media platforms such as Weibo, Wechat, and others. Brands need a team to connect, manage and follow up with customers’ actions regardless of which platform they are on.

5. Strategically use hashtags for broader exposure

If your account isn’t backed by the Redbook team, it can be quite difficult to be on the main page or viewed by a lot of people. When users open the platform for fun, most of them only check the posts on the “Explore” section, matching with their latest research or their interests.

If they already followed your account, you will be displayed on their “following” section. However, to reach more people, you need to use active hashtags in your posts. To be found more easily by users, you will also figure on their main page (the “Explore” section) if they searched for a topic similar to yours.

LITTLE RED BOOK GMA-CASE STUDIES

We have developed several successful e-commerce projects because we know how to effectively promote your e-commerce business in China by using the latest digital tools, including Little Red Book.

You want more Case studies and receive Our RED GUIDE.

Send us an email at agency@markertingtochina.com

DO YOU WANT TO DEVELOP YOUR BRAND ON LITTLE RED BOOK?

 GMA is your Partner

As part of the e-commerce revolution for purchasing better products, Little Red Book’s unique positioning as a trustworthy, celebrity-approved distributor of overseas products is a great channel for brands that look to capitalize on the social commerce trend.

It is always better to fill in more and more information about customer’s or viewer’s opinions or comments.

GMA also can help you associate with other major social media platforms like WeChat and Weibo. And it is essential to collaborate with KOLs or influencers on Little Red Book to raise your e-reputation.

Gentlemen Marketing Agency is specialized in digital marketing in the Chinese market. Do not hesitate to contact us if you want to discuss any projects in China.

Read more about Little Red Book:

• Little Red Book Marketing Services for foreign companies in China
• Increase your sales on the Little Red Book
• Little Red Book: Native Ads

In fact, this platform handles over 20 million food orders every single day. For a restaurant, being invisible on Dianping means losing out on the world’s most active and tech-savvy consumer base.

Dianping is the “digital bible” for food and lifestyle in China. It is where millions of users go to discover new tastes, book tables, and hunt for the best deals. If you want Chinese customers to find your tables, you need to understand how this ecosystem works.

Our agency has spent years helping restaurants and F&B brands break into the Chinese market with precision. We have seen firsthand how a strong presence on this app can turn a quiet storefront into a local hotspot. We know the local algorithms and, more importantly, we know what makes a Chinese diner click “reserve.”

In this article, we will show you how to master Dianping marketing for your restaurant. We will guide you through building a 5-star reputation, using “Must-Eat” lists to your advantage, and turning reviews into a steady stream of guests.

Meet the Chinese leading O2O platform, Dianping

People often use the American company Yelp to present Dianping but actually, Dianping was created before Yelp. It was founded in April 2003, as the first website providing independent consumer reviews on local services in the world. Dianping is headquartered in Shanghai, China, with established branch operations in 250 cities nationwide. Today, it is China’s leading O2O (online to offline) platform for urban and lifestyle services.

A review app … with 2020 data

Chinese consumers rely on Dianping app for restaurants searching. The app provides merchant information and a lot of consumer reviews. Dianping has more than 260 million active users per month. Over 100 million user-generated reviews.

Annual Active Merchants on its platform grew by 16.2% to 5.9 million in the 12 months ended June 30, 2019 from 5.1 million in the 12 months ended June 30, 2018. it also served nearly 400 million Chinese users.

Overall monetization rate increased to 14.3% in the three months ended June 30, 2019, from 12.2% in the same period of 2018.

 Convenience at the heart of Succeding in China

Wang Xing’s (founder of Meituan) goal: to help people “eat better, live better”. Bet successfully since his empire has become so powerful that it is even more advantageous to have a meal delivered than to cook yourself. Thanks to a powerful artificial intelligence program, deliveries are optimized in time and cost, allowing more than 20 million orders every day.

Food and beverage are not lacking at all in China. Walking across china’s street, you will see restaurants and snack stands anywhere. Also, there is a huge competition in this market. Cities’ landscape is changing fast, with new stores opening and taking the place other shops.

Offering Good deals is not to neglect

Dianping also offers group-buying, online restaurant reservations, take-out delivery, e-coupon promotions, and other O2O services, covering local businesses in industries including dining, movies, lodging, entertainment, beauty, wedding, mom & kids, home renovations, etc. With its growing number of users, Dianping is becoming the most powerful online partner for local businesses.

In addition, abroad restaurants are also entering this platform in order to attract more Chinese consumers.

Dianping is seeking to create a community

Dianping updated the version for its app for the sixth time within 3 months. People said that its main weakness is that users only go to Dianping to check information about a place to eat and then they exit the application while there are so many other features to use on its platform. This is also because customers are accustomed to other mobile apps for food and beverage delivery.

To catch the attention of users and help its app to become more valuable, Dianping is developing itself.

Learning from Xiaohongshu and Douyin

Xiaohongshu or Little Red Book and Douyin are two very popular apps in China. The first one is an app for sharing things about life. It includes feedback on products, and small tips and it is a daily used app by a lot of Chinese consumers (an article will be written later about Little Red Book). You can find it in the photo, on the right Little red book’s platform, and on the left the Dianping’s latest updated interface for sharing.

Chinese consumers spend a lot of time on social media apps. Douyin is the hottest one in China. It is an app for mini-videos (like the American app Vines), to watch but also to create. Dianping is trying to add video sharing on its platform to engage its users and keep them longer in Dianping App.

“Fake restaurants” on Dianping

In December 2017, Dianping faced some troubles by letting license-free restaurants settle in its platform. Actually, the restaurant used another one’s license to apply for a presence on Dianping. It was discovered by the real owner of the license, who said “if there are troubles later, we will be the one to be pursued by the legislation”

This kind of case happened also before. Why are license-free restaurants allowed to enter Dianping? The main reason is that the online ordering platform does not strictly check the catering service providers. After the problem, it removed the store from its platform.

How to attract Chinese customers?

As we said, competition is very important in the Chinese catering industry. Those who succeed, have to make sure of three points:

Product Quality

This is an essential characteristic to ensure food and beverage companies, especially in China. This is because of scandals that happened in the past in the country, which have caused health issues for a lot of people. It also generated fear among consumers and now they care much more about what they are eating.  The second reason is that the Chinese are seeking greater quality products and ways of life. Bad quality or non-nutritious foods will be replaced over time by the most high-end ones. This is a trend in China that will keep going along with the country’s growth.

Brand reputation in the Chinese F&B is Key

Chinese people are very connected to them. They do not trust a lot in Brands but more in other consumers. This is also why companies are trying to create communities and go on branding strategies. Chinese social network helps them to achieve that, providing many ways to advertise and interact with their target consumers. But at the same time, the information spreads fast over the Chinese network in and Brands have to be careful of that.

GMA can help you to increase your visibility and manage your communities on Chinese social networks. Contact us to learn more.

Online presence

Actually, an online presence is not only needed for the catering industry but for almost all activities in China. Dianping has become an indispensable smartphone application for Chinese-speaking consumers. Whatever you are doing business in China or in another country, Dianping is the main app to consider in order to reach Chinese consumers.

You can make a difference with your competitors. As Chinese are accustomed to this kind of app, be present on it will naturally attract more clients. In addition, it offers them a better experience and it is a benefit for your promotion in Chinese.

“Must-have new strategy”

In April 2020 Dazhong officially announced the” 2020 must-have series” or “必住榜” shortlist, converting not only restaurants but also shopping malls, hotels, and attractions.

A total of 1990 business from 35 cities across China joined the new campaign. comparing with the” 2019 must-have series”, in 2020 the app received more than 8.7 million authentic reviews created by 3.2 million commentators.

Dazhong diversifying in health trends

in 2020 Dazhong Dianping with a platform diversified to all kinds of businesses such as beauty services, shopping, and many other categories where you can share your experience of the community you share at. they also offer electronic coupons for all these new leisure activities that you have found through these new features in the app

GMA is up-to-date with the latest marketing tools in China and we can also provide help on your business development in China. Our agency offers a complete range of services for e-commerce marketers from e-commerce consulting to digital marketing operations, including services about Dianping and Meituan.

Feel free to contact us for more information.

You may like :

• Vietnam is becoming a hot destination for Chinese tourists 
• Agency little red book China Xiaohonshu 
• The craze of Victoria secret in China
• http://www.ittime.com.cn/news/news_35710.shtml

For international brands, Douyin marketing is no longer optional. It has become a key channel to build awareness, influence purchase decisions, and sell directly to Chinese consumers.

We work daily with foreign brands entering China. As a certified Douyin partner agency, we help companies set up accounts, design content strategies, run ads, and collaborate with KOLs with measurable results.

In this article, we break down Douyin marketing step by step. You’ll understand how the platform works, what strategies perform best, and how we guide international brands from first exposure to real growth in China.

Douyin: China’s Most Popular Short-Video Platform

What is Douyin?

The Douyin app offers to capture and disseminate creative entertainment content and global knowledge, as well as the precious little moments of life. Douyin empowers everyone to be a creator and encourages users to share their passions and creativity through their videos. In this, it competes with the giants of social networks such as WeChat or Weibo.

Douyin stands out from the competition, thanks to its positioning as an entertainment platform rather than dedicated to lifestyle. Its ease of use makes it very attractive since anyone can easily become a content creator. That’s why it attracts so many fans all over the world.

On Douyin, anonymous people became stars overnight, allowing them to monetize their services as part of influencer marketing strategies. This platform now offers a wealth of opportunities for brands and entrepreneurs in e-commerce, dropshipping, and even print-on-demand. Many luxury brands already joined the platform, spreading brand awareness, collaborating with Key Opinion Leaders on Douyin marketing campaigns, or selling through Douyin eCommerce.

It is projected that by 2025, Douyin will have more than 835 million users, making it the most popular short-video platform and second most popular social media platform, right after WeChat.

The content of Douyin is categorized into several themes which each correspond to the preferences and expectations of the audience. The music category is central, it is at the heart of the application. Most influencers take a selfie and add music to the background, this is called “Playback” which is the flagship format of the app.

The comedy category features videos with themes related to Chinese women’s preferences: love, celibacy, separation, and obesity. In the dance category, you can find parodies of famous dance choreographies of the moment.

There is also unsurprisingly a pet category because the Chinese love cats and dogs. There are also other categories like makeup, education, and celebrities.

Why should you use Douyin Marketing?

Douyin allows companies to bring them different values.

• First of all, it is the platform that will offer the most visibility in the shortest time frame thanks to its algorithm which can highlight absolutely all types of content without necessarily needing to have a large community.
• Logging into the Taobao store is the most common way to sell KOL products from Douyin.
• Anyone with 10 video posts can drive traffic to a Taobao store.
• You can enable the Douyin merchandise-sharing feature to sell Taobao products. This is the most used feature in Douyin stores. However, make sure you have at least 10 videos posted to your Douyin account before using this feature.
• Douyin also has a native e-commerce system. You will be able to purchase directly in the Douyin app.
• The store could be linked to other applications in the Bytedance ecosystem, such as Toutiao, Huoshan Video, and Xigua Video.
• The most popular e-commerce categories on Douyin are women’s clothing, men’s clothing, cosmetics, and food products.

Who are Douyin users?

The main users of Douyin are young and belong to Generation Z. They come from an educated background, are predominantly female, and with high incomes. About 70% of users are under the age of 24, and these users live in major cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin.

The majority of TikTok Douyin users are from tier 1 and tier 2 cities, which are the developed metropolitan regions in China. It is a great platform for businesses having young and affluent people as their target audience.

How to Create Your Certified Douyin Account?

Who can get a certified account? 

For individual accounts:

• A minimum of one video published
• At least 10,000 followers
• A phone number linked to your account

The content creators: Artists, KOLs, and Sportsmen are those that need certified personal accounts on Douyin. Douyin is an amazing tool for personal branding.

Steps to apply for a certified account on Douyin

For business accounts:

• A Mainland Chinese business license
• An ICP license if you want to link to your website
• Submit an application letter
• Pay a 600 CNY yearly fee

What are the benefits of having a business account on Douyin?

• You can create longer videos
• Have access to paid ads
• Have access to customized stickers that are great for brand promotion
• Thanks to the platform’s algorithms, verified accounts have the potential to reach a wider range of users
• Once verified, your account becomes officially trusted by Douyin as a trusted thought leader, strengthening your brand’s authority on the platform

How to create a certified Douyin account?

Step 1: Go to Douyin’s official account platform

Step 2: Start the verification process

Step 3: Complete the verification form

You’ll then be taken to a form that asks for the following information:

• Type of account you want (company or individual)
• Category
• Region of registration and operation
• Details of any offline stores
• Business license (scanned copy)
• Operator details (name, phone number, email address)
• Click “Submit” when it is complete

Step 4: Wait for approval

How to use Douyin for Marketing?

To establish the best marketing strategy for Douyin, we must not forget that the content on this social media is dominated by music videos. It is important to adapt to this type of format to push the curiosity and interest of consumers.

The other important aspect is to bet on originality. In order to get noticed, find the ideal frequency to broadcast your content. And to engage your community, engage with users.

Like the hashtag system on Weibo, on Douyin influencers can use a “challenge” to be more visible to targeted users. They are used by users because they increase the popularity of your account.

How to create engaging content on Douyin?

Techniques for engaging users with our content may vary depending on location. In China, for big cities, the tips are different compared to the international level.

For a video to work, you have to prioritize creativity and content, unlike Instagram which has stable and regular statistics, Douyin highlights videos based on content that will generally speak to three different targets. To be able to define these targets, you have to create as much content as possible, be regular, and post once a day if possible.

Following these posts, you will have to look at the different profiles that emerge from the comments and identify their characteristics. After identifying the audience, it is possible to adapt the content and vary it so that it speaks to the users as much as possible.

Watch-time is also important, this is what will allow the video to have a good ranking and that the algorithm puts it forward. There are several tips for this, such as: putting a very short text at the end of a video (for example a promo code, a joke, or the fall of a story) so that the user watches the video several times.

Making lives once the content is created is very interesting: you need a minimum of 1000 subscribers. You need an attractive title and a live stream that offers content: a live just to answer questions does not keep users on it and can create blanks. Creating content that exudes as much emotion as possible to speak to the widest possible audience helps to engage users as much as possible.

Working with KOLs on Douyin: the most important tool to increase visibility

Using influencer marketing on Douyin is an effective way to build awareness of your brand. This social media marketing strategy allows you to quickly increase your visibility on the social network and expand your community in record time thanks to Key Opinion Leaders. Plus, you can more easily track your audience engagement rate.

Before entering into a partnership, first, make sure that the influencer community matches your target audience. For best results, choose a professional specializing in a particular topic. We provide digital marketing matching service, including KOL marketing, so feel free to contact us!

Several possibilities are available to you when you want to use a KOL to advertise on Douyin.

The first possibility is to use one or more large KOLs, bearing in mind that large accounts (eg accounts with more than 10 million subscribers) are very rare and therefore become very expensive. Your advertising should be very organized and the content will be more automatic but will necessarily be seen by a large number of users.

Conversely, if you use nano KOLs and KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers), advertising will be cheaper, and influencing it will take more time on your content. He will not offer a more researched and original video later, which may therefore go viral.

Li Jiaqi is a very famous blogger on Douyin. He made himself known to the general public thanks to a video where he tested and recommended lipsticks that were directly out of stock after the publication of his video which made the “buzz”. From now on, Li Jiaqi has become a reference, especially with the female public and the young generation.

Douyin Paid Advertising

It is estimated that about 57% of the Douyin users are based in China and that, it accounts for eight out of every 10 minutes spent on Douyin. The application makes for a good place to attract fans and win new customers. There are many ways to integrate your advertising on the platform.

Open Screen Ads

Open Screen ads are displayed each time the short video app is opened. There are two types of Open Screen ads: static, in poster form, and dynamic, in video form. Static ads display for three seconds and dynamic ads display for four to five seconds. An advantage of this type of ad is the absence of interference and a strong visual impact.

Douyin Feed Ads

Brands can promote short videos from 5 to 60, which are displayed in the native ad style in the Douyin feed. It is perfectly integrated into the Douyin flow, helping advertisers achieve the goal of marketing promotion. The feed announcements are again free of interference. Stream ads allow users to share advertising content with friends or on other social platforms. It helps spread brand awareness across multiple platforms.

Sticker Ads

Brands can make customized stickers to promote a product or their company. Users can add these stickers to their video clips and create funny and engaging content. Videos with sticker ads inspire other users to try out themselves, which expands the reach.

eCommerce: Douyin’s Flagship Stores

In March 2021, Douyin launched its flagship stores, available for brand accounts on its platform, marking a major step into e-commerce. Brands are now able to create their own flagship store directly on Douyin, which will allow them to increase their conversion rate. This feature also includes the possibility to create campaign banners, send vouchers and recommendations, but also offline store information.

Amid emerging douyin marketing trends, Adobe Firefly’s AI picture creator builds your brand empowers you to transform your visual storytelling and capture audience attention.

Consumers are then able to claim these vouchers, which can be used both online and offline. Since the launch of this new service, more than 220 brands like Huawei, Winona, Peacebird, and Perfect Diary, have already introduced their flagship stores, including international brands. The purpose of Douyin is to reach one trillion yuan at the end of the year, in order to be amongst the top e-commerce players in the Chinese market.

It is possible to find four major types of flagship stores on Douyin:

• Brand’s Flagship Store: A store operated directly by a brand to sell its product.
• Retailer’s Flagship Store: A store operated by distributors or retailers with an authorized trademark.
• Specialty Store: A store operated by a reseller of a brand that has been given distribution authorization.
• Franchise Store: A store operated by a reseller of brands with distribution authorization. Franchise stores must represent at least two brands in operation.

Examples of Campaigns on Douyin by International Brands

Cartier

The French luxury jeweler decided to use the Douyin platform to promote the “Pasha de Cartier” series of watches. To promote this, the brand launched a “Square round battle wait for you to dance” dance challenge for users. A total of 96,000 videos were posted and the number of total views on the hashtag reached 440 million.

Lancôme

On its professional account Douyin, the French brand Lancôme not only has video content, but also has direct access to buy its products from the main page, close contact with consumers, or even the origin of the products presented. Thanks to this, the page catches the public eye which leads to an increase in the purchase volume.

Michael Kors

The brand created a challenge with the goal of increasing the scale of their event “The Walk Shanghai event”. To do this, the brand asks people to invent their own Michael Kors fashion show with a personalized video filter. Michael Kors also appealed to KOLs, asking them to stage their own fashion show wearing the brand’s clothing.

We Are a Certified Douyin Partner Agency! Contact us Today!

Entering the exciting world of Douyin marketing can seem daunting, particularly for foreign brands eager to tap into the dynamic Chinese market. But worry not, because our agency is here to navigate those waters for you. As a certified Douyin partner, we bring a wealth of experience and expertise to your brand’s journey on China’s most popular short-video platform.

Understanding Douyin’s intricate algorithm, keeping up with the latest creative trends, and gaining insights into audience behavior are all crucial parts of a successful Douyin strategy. Our team has these areas covered, ensuring that we tailor content specifically designed to resonate with Chinese consumers.

Setting up a Douyin Business Account, especially for a foreign brand, comes with its complexities. That’s where our partnership comes into play. We’ll handle the process on your behalf, allowing you to concentrate on your primary role – running your business.

Ready to unlock the vast potential of Douyin and connect with millions of potential customers in the Chinese market?

Feel free to contact us to learn more about our Douyin, Social Media, and Digital Marketing solutions in China. We will be happy to have you in our offices for a talk and a coffee or through a phone call if that works better for you.

Exciting News…. dec 2025…. new WeChat Feature for brands is a Game Changer

I m Olivier VEROT, founder of GMA… into DIgital marketing since 2012 in China…

WeChat’s recommendation algorithm

“Friends Are Reading”

In early 2025, a surprising data point spread quickly across China’s marketing community: a simple lifestyle post about a small neighborhood café exploded on WeChat. Within 48 hours, it achieved 10 times its usual readership, driven almost entirely by WeChat’s “Friends Are Reading” feed. The surge translated into real-world impact steady foot traffic and a wave of new customers who had never heard of the café before.

This was not luck.
This was WeChat’s new public-domain recommendation engine in action.

For years, WeChat Official Accounts (公众号) relied almost exclusively on one thing: private-domain followers. Your article performance was tied to the size of your fan base. But those rules no longer apply. The WeChat ecosystem home to more than 1.3 billion monthly active users is quietly undergoing the biggest distribution shift since its inception.

Today, WeChat is opening its massive public-domain traffic to high-quality content, allowing even small, newly created accounts to reach hundreds of thousands “or millions ” of users through algorithmic recommendation.

For brands competing in China, the world’s most dynamic consumer market, this marks a transformational moment.
A new growth engine has arrived for WeChat Ecommerce (Understand full article here )

From “Private Subscription” to “Public Recommendation”: A Traffic Revolution

WeChat may still be the most important app in China, but its internal content landscape has evolved dramatically. In the early years, Official Accounts enjoyed sky-high open rates. Over time, however, user behavior shifted,and content consumption became more fragmented.

WeChat needed to re-energize discovery.

So it introduced a strategic shift: algorithm-powered public-domain distribution.

Instead of relying solely on who a user follows, WeChat now uses sophisticated behavioral modeling to recommend content to anyone who is likely to find it valuable.

This mirrors the breakthrough model that made Douyin and Toutiao dominant. But the difference is profound: WeChat has an even deeper social graph and a broader daily-use ecosystem.

Today, over 300 million users read public articles on WeChat every single day. The recommendation engine now controls a significant portion of how that content travels, and unlike paid advertising, this traffic is free for the creators who earn it.

The playing field has been reset.
For brands, especially emerging ones, the opportunity is unprecedented.

Where the Traffic Comes From: How WeChat’s Algorithm Actually Works

To win, brands must understand one thing clearly: WeChat’s recommendation system is not random it rewards signals of quality, relevance, and social credibility.

Here are the most important algorithm-driven entrances for WeChat Marketing:

1. “Recommended for You” The Algorithm’s new super Machine

This is the core of WeChat’s new distribution engine.

Users now see articles in a dedicated “Recommended” section based on:

• reading history
• interest tags
• behavior patterns
• social relationships
• content quality metrics

A single well-performing article can generate 60%+ of its views from this channel alone.

2. “Friends Are Reading” The Most Trusted Social Signal

This feature has become a viral engine.

When someone reads, likes, or shares your article, it may appear in their friends’ “正在看” (Friends Are Reading) tab;one of WeChat’s highest-trust discovery surfaces.

This mechanism mimics word-of-mouth at scale, turning every reader into a potential gateway to dozens or hundreds of new ones.

Its influence on conversions, especially for local businesses and niche brands, is enormous.

3. “Selected Updates” Premium Placement Inside the Subscription Feed

WeChat now blends algorithmic discovery directly into the user’s subscription list.

Users will see:

• “Updates from Accounts You Follow”
• “X Friends Follow This Account”
• “Recommended Based on Your Interests”

These placements blur the boundary between private and public traffic, giving high-performing content a second life.

4. WeChat Search (搜一搜) : Where Intent Meets Discovery

WeChat’s built-in search engine plays a bigger role than ever.

Optimized keywords allow content to appear when users search topics such as:

• “coffee shop near me”
• “sensitive skin skincare”
• “study abroad tips”
• “fitness for beginners”

Search traffic blends both active intent and passive algorithmic suggestion, becoming a powerful hybrid channel for brands.

Together, these entrances form a dynamic ecosystem that continuously evaluates and distributes content.
Mastering them is the key to unlocking WeChat growth in 2025.

Four-Step Strategy: How to Make Your Content Algorithm-Friendly

Winning WeChat’s recommendation algorithm is not about luck—it requires a systematic approach. Here is the blueprint.

STEP 1: Strengthen Your “Account Identity” Your Digital ID Card

Before the algorithm recommends you, it must trust you.

Brands should ensure:

• Official verification is completed
• Account name is culturally relevant and easy to recognize
• Description clearly communicates industry and value
• Tags accurately define your niche

This helps WeChat classify your account correctly and improves your baseline recommendation weight.

Treat your account like a storefront: if it looks credible, the algorithm is more willing to send customers.

STEP 2: Create “Recommendable Content” Value That Justifies Traffic

This is the heart of the strategy.

1. Prioritize originality and depth

WeChat’s algorithm strongly rewards:

• expert insights
• problem-solving content
• topical analysis
• educational materials

Shallow content;translations, summaries, or generic ads rarely earns traction.

Examples:
• A study-abroad institution shouldn’t simply list courses; it should publish “5 mistakes Chinese students make in US college applications.”
• A beauty brand should not only describe ingredients; it should decode “Why ceramides matter for sensitive skin.”

Depth = distribution.

2. Craft high-conversion titles and cover images

Titles must either:

• spark curiosity
• promise a specific benefit
• provide insider knowledge
• reflect trending conversations

Paired with clean, professional cover visuals, this becomes your first algorithmic filter.

3. Increase retention through multimedia

WeChat evaluates:

• reading completion rate
• time spent on page
• scroll depth
• video engagement

Embedding Video Account (视频号) clips, infographics, and high-quality visuals can dramatically increase these metrics.

The longer people stay, the more WeChat pushes your content.

STEP 3: Build a Growth Flywheel Through WeChat’s Integrated Ecosystem

Read this for more

WeChat is no longer a single product;it is an interconnected network. The strongest brands use this ecosystem to generate exponential momentum.

1. Bind Your Video Account and Official Account

This is non-negotiable in 2025.

Benefits include:

• videos can drive traffic to articles
• articles can embed videos to increase retention
• cross-follow prompts help grow both channels
• short-form discovery funnels users into long-form trust-building

Short video → Article → Conversion
Article → Short video → Exposure

This circular flow becomes your long-term growth flywheel.

2. Activate Social Distribution

Encourage:

• likes
• “Share to Moments”
• “Share to Friends”
• “Mark as ‘Reading’ (在看)”

Because over 55% of recommendation weight comes from social behavior, every interaction multiplies your reach.

Think of each action as sparking a new “micro-explosion” across social networks.

3. Optimize for WeChat Search

Just like managing SEO for a website, brands should:

• research user search behaviors
• place relevant keywords in titles and body text
• ensure consistent topic clustering
• build an archive of evergreen content

Search traffic is highly targeted and highly valuable.

STEP 4: Drive Continuous Optimization Through Data

Brands that win on WeChat treat analytics as a steering wheel.

Monitor:

• sources of recommendation traffic
• average read time
• where readers drop off
• which topics trigger social sharing
• which publication times generate the highest conversion

A/B testing should be ongoing.

For example, a beauty brand might see:

• Thursday evening tutorials → 40% higher engagement
• Monday morning releases → low retention
• posts with 2–3 embedded videos → 1.6x longer read time

Let data shape your editorial calendar.
Let iteration shape your growth curve.

Brand Action Plans: What You Should Do Next

Different brands face different starting points. Here’s the roadmap.

For International Brands New to China

Your priorities should be:

1. Register and verify a WeChat Service Account
2. Build a China-localized content framework
3. Develop original insights instead of translating global material
4. Invest early in Video Account + Official Account integration

Localization is not translation it is cultural alignment.

For Existing Accounts Struggling With Growth

You should immediately:

1. Audit your content using the “Recommendable Content” criteria
2. Improve your cover designs and titles
3. Strengthen integration with Video Account
4. Launch a high-quality editorial campaign tied to current trends
5. Build a sharing incentive mechanism to activate readers

Even dormant accounts can revive algorithmic recommendation resets the game.

Use WeChat Ads to Boost Strategic Moments

If you have a major product launch or seasonal campaign, WeChat advertising (e.g., Moments Ads) can:

• accelerate initial traffic
• increase engagement signals
• boost follow rates
• create momentum for organic recommendation

Paid + algorithm = maximum amplification.

Avoid These Mistakes They Kill Recommendation Weight

To maintain algorithmic favor, avoid:

1. Poor mobile experience

• long unformatted text blocks
• oversized images
• slow loading

User drop-off penalizes your score.

2. Heavy sales push

WeChat prioritizes user value, not advertisements.
Overly promotional content reduces distribution.

3. Rule violations

• exaggerated claims
• clickbait
• plagiarism
• forced sharing

These can lower your account’s long-term trust rating.

Some stats about WeChat

Conclusion: The Algorithm Era Has Arrived And Quality Finally Wins

For the first time in WeChat’s history, great content now has power comparable to large budgets.
Brands no longer need massive follower counts to win traffic; they need clarity, quality, creativity, and respect for the platform’s evolving rules.

China’s consumers live inside WeChat.
WeChat’s algorithm now determines what they see.
Brands that adapt early will dominate the next phase of digital growth.

The future of WeChat is simple:

Human value × Algorithmic efficiency = Explosive brand growth.

From Gen X to Gen Z, each generation connects, shops, and interacts online in completely different ways. For international brands, understanding these differences is key to building trust, engagement, and sales in China’s fast-moving digital world.

At Gentlemen Marketing Agency, we’ve spent over a decade helping global brands succeed on platforms like WeChat, Weibo, Douyin, and Xiaohongshu. Our on-the-ground experience gives us deep insight into how Chinese users across generations behave, share, and buy online.

In this article, we’ll break down how Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z use social media in China, and show you how to adapt your strategy to reach each group effectively.

Chinese Social Media Landscape

As of 2023, there are more than 1 billion Internet users in China and a majority of them use Chinese social media apps on a daily basis. The biggest one, WeChat, registered a monthly active users’ base of 1.26 billion people, which is unseen anywhere else in the world.

Social media in China is not just a digital evolution; it’s a cultural phenomenon that has reshaped the way people live, work, and communicate. The growing importance of social media in the country can be attributed to rapid technological advancements, increasing smartphone penetration, and government initiatives to foster digital infrastructure.

Due to the ‘Great Firewall’ of the Chinese Internet, there are no social media from the Western world available, therefore, Chinese users spend their time on social media apps like WeChat, Weibo, Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), Douyin (Chinese TikTok), Kuaishou, Bilibili and more. Those platforms will be analyzed today, so if you’d like to learn more about their functions and purpose, check out our social media article.

A short introduction to the most popular platforms

To put it simply, let’s check what the main Chinese social media platforms have to offer:

• WeChat functions as an all-in-one super app, integrating everything from messaging to banking
• Weibo serves as a public forum for news and opinions
• Xiaohongshu focuses on lifestyle and shopping
• Douyin and Kuaishou are renowned for short-form videos, targeting different Internet users bases
• Bilibili attracts a younger audience with its anime and gaming content

Chinese Social Media Users

As you can see in the graph above, 99% of Chinese users send instant messages, which is the core function of all social media in the world. But what’s interesting is that a striking number of 94% of active users watch videos and 62% watch live-streaming. These numbers are a clear indicator of the popularity of short video and video streaming platforms in the Chinese market.

Now that you got insights into the Chinese social media landscape and Chinese internet users’ statistics, let’s dive into the generations’ insights.

How Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z Use Social Media in China?

Understanding how Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z engage with social media channels such as WeChat, Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Douyin, Kuaishou, and Bilibili provides crucial insights into the multifaceted digital landscape of China, revealing a rich tapestry of intergenerational behaviors and preferences.

Gen X – 65-80′ Generation

Chinese Gen X, typically those born between the mid-1960s to early 1980s, has witnessed the rise of digital communication and social media platforms in China, and their usage reflects a blend of traditional and modern values.

WeChat

For WeChat, this generation often uses the platform as a primary means of communication with family and friends, valuing its ability to connect them across distances. They may also engage in financial transactions through WeChat Pay, which is often seen as a convenient and trusted method.

Weibo

When it comes to Weibo, Gen X tends to consume content rather than create it, keeping up with news and current events, but generally refraining from active engagement in political or controversial discussions.

Other Chinese social media platforms

On platforms like Xiaohongshu, Douyin, Kuaishou, and Bilibili, their engagement is usually more passive. They may browse these platforms for entertainment or to follow specific interests, but they’re less likely to actively participate in trends or create content. The preferences of Gen X on these platforms often lean towards traditional content, nostalgia, and themes that resonate with their life experiences.

But, you might be surprised to see some older Chinese creating content on Douyin and RED, working as ‘influencers’ for older Internet users.

Furthermore, Gen X’s approach to privacy and data security often leads them to be more cautious and thoughtful about what they share online. They’re more likely to prioritize face-to-face communication and value the quality of connections over the quantity.

Chinese Millennials – 85-95′ Generation

Chinese Millennials have grown up alongside the digital revolution, leading to a more multifaceted and engaged approach to social media.

They are the biggest spenders in luxury, which results in the majority of foreign brands targeting this generation. Today, this group is also starting to become parents, investing a lot of money in the best quality of products and services for their children, becoming the most lucrative group for the baby products market in China.

WeChat

With WeChat, they use it not just for communication but also for a wide array of daily tasks including shopping, payments, and entertainment. For many, it’s an essential part of their daily life, a hub that integrates numerous aspects of their digital existence.

Weibo

When it comes to Weibo, Millennials tend to be more vocal, utilizing it as a platform to voice opinions, follow celebrities, engage with social issues, and keep tabs on the latest trends. They’re not merely consumers but active participants, sharing and creating content.

They check Weibo for beauty tips and lifestyle or tech content, often looking for tutorials and educational posts.

Xiaohongshu

Xiaohongshu is particularly attractive for this generation due to its focus on lifestyle, fashion, and shopping. Many Millennials use this platform to discover new products, share personal experiences, and connect with others over shared interests.

Little Red Book also became the most favored platform for Millennial moms, that interact on baby topics, follow parent influencers and look for product recommendations or other women who can share their parenting experiences.

Short-video platforms

The rise of short-video platforms like Douyin and Kuaishou aligns perfectly with Millennials’ preference for fast-paced, interactive content. They engage with these platforms not just as viewers but often as creators, sharing snippets of their lives, participating in viral challenges, and expressing themselves creatively.

They are mostly interested in cooking content, or restaurant recommendations, as well as humor and everyday life content.

Bilibili

Bilibili has found a unique place among Millennials as well, especially those interested in subcultures such as anime and gaming. It’s not just a platform for consumption but a community where they can find like-minded individuals, collaborate, and even contribute to subtitling and other creative endeavors. They also check the platform for movie reviews and information.

Chinese Millennials’ interaction with social media platforms is dynamic and multifaceted, reflecting their wide-ranging interests and comfort with technology. They are not merely passive consumers but active participants and creators, using social media to express themselves, connect with others, stay informed, and even shape the digital culture.

Chinese Gen Z – Post 95′ Generation

Chinese Gen Z is a truly digital-first generation, with the internet having been a constant presence throughout their lives. Their social media usage is thus highly sophisticated, varied, and constantly evolving.

WeChat

WeChat, while used by Gen Z for messaging and social connections, often takes a backseat to newer and more interactive platforms. However, its integrated services like WeChat Pay still play an essential role in their daily lives.

Weibo

Weibo is used by some Gen Z users, but its popularity is waning among this demographic. They may follow celebrities or specific interests but tend to perceive it as a platform more suited to older generations.

Xiaohongshu

The attraction towards Xiaohongshu Chinese social media platform for Gen Z lies in its lifestyle orientation. They use it to explore fashion trends, beauty products, and travel experiences, often influenced by KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) and influencers.

Short-video platforms

Chinese Gen Z’s interaction with Douyin (TikTok in China) and Kuaishou extends beyond entertainment; these platforms serve as hubs for creativity, connection, and commerce. They are spaces where Gen Z can express their individuality through dance challenges, lip-syncing, and sharing personal stories.

E-commerce features are seamlessly integrated, allowing users to shop directly from videos, influenced by influencers and Key Opinion Leaders.

Live-streaming on these platforms has become popular, offering real-time interaction with hosts, exclusive shopping discounts, and a sense of community engagement.

Education and localized content further enrich Gen Z’s experience, making Douyin and Kuaishou multifaceted tools that cater to their diverse interests and needs, blending entertainment, shopping, and social connections in a way that resonates strongly with this digital-native generation.

Video streaming platforms

Bilibili holds a unique appeal for Gen Z, especially those engaged with anime, comics, gaming, and other subcultures. The platform’s community-driven content, including bullet comments and user-generated subtitles, fosters a strong sense of belonging and engagement.

Live-streaming platforms, often linked to shopping experiences like Taobao Live, have found particular resonance with Gen Z. They engage with live streams for entertainment, social connections, and increasingly, shopping influenced by real-time interactions with hosts and other viewers.

Environmental and social awareness also plays a part in how Gen Z engages with social media. They often support and engage with brands and content that align with their values regarding sustainability, social justice, and ethical practices.

Lastly, Gen Z’s comfort with digital technology leads them to explore new and emerging platforms and trends continually. Their tastes can be highly fluid, moving quickly from one trend to the next, reflecting a broader cultural desire for novelty and innovation. You also need to remember that this generation are mostly mobile users and they check Chinese social media apps merely on their phones.

Let’s compare!

The distinct generations in China exhibit unique behaviors and preferences across social media platforms. Gen X, primarily focused on information and connectivity, leans towards traditional platforms like WeChat and Weibo. Millennials are engaged across a broader range of platforms, embracing e-commerce, short videos, and niche interests. Gen Z, the digital-native generation, gravitates towards interactive and multifaceted platforms like Douyin and Kuaishou.

By tailoring strategies to these distinct generational profiles, foreign brands can create more targeted and effective campaigns.

• Gen X, valuing stability and tradition, gravitates towards platforms that offer news and connections with family and friends. Brands targeting this generation must emphasize trust, quality, and values that resonate with their lifestyle.
• Millennials are tech-savvy and socially influenced, engaging in content creation and e-commerce across various platforms. For foreign brands, leveraging influencers, offering loyalty programs, and creating engaging multimedia content can be key strategies to capture this audience.
• Gen Z, the digital natives, interact with platforms that offer creativity, live-streaming, and personalized experiences. Foreign brands seeking to engage Gen Z must be innovative, aligned with their values, and adaptable to the latest trends and technologies.

Whether it’s building trust with Gen X, engaging Millennials through influencer partnerships, or connecting with Gen Z’s creativity and values, recognizing the nuanced preferences of each generation is pivotal in crafting successful marketing and brand positioning within China’s multifaceted digital landscape.

We Can Help You Target Chinese Consumers on Social Media Platforms

Are you a foreign brand aiming to tap into China’s vast and diverse consumer landscape? Understanding the distinct preferences and behaviors across generations can be a complex task, but Gentlemen Marketing Agency is here to simplify it for you.

With our expertise in digital marketing strategies tailored specifically for the Chinese market, we leverage deep insights into Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z to create campaigns that resonate.

Whether it’s through WeChat, Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Douyin, Kuaishou, or Bilibili, our team crafts innovative solutions to connect you with the right audience. From traditional content that builds trust with Gen X, to influencer partnerships that engage Millennials, to creative multimedia experiences that capture Gen Z, we ensure your brand’s unique voice reaches its intended market.

Contact Gentlemen Marketing Agency today, and let us guide your brand to success in the world’s largest consumer market.

While platforms like WeChat and Weibo dominate the headlines around Chinese social media, Douban has become a powerful space for word-of-mouth influence among China’s educated and trend-conscious consumers. For brands aiming to build genuine trust, this community is where opinions are shaped and reputations are made.

At our agency, we’ve helped global brands discover the hidden potential of platforms like Douban. With years of experience in China’s digital ecosystem, we know how to connect with audiences who value authenticity, creativity, and cultural depth.

In this article, we’ll explain what Douban is, who uses it, and how your brand can leverage it as part of a successful China marketing strategy. We’ll share practical insights to help you engage with the right audience—and make your brand part of China’s vibrant cultural conversation.

Douban: A Powerful Social Networking Platform in China

What is Douban?

Launched on March 26th, 2005, Douban (豆瓣) is a Chinese social networking service website and app. Being more than just a social media like Facebook or Twitter, Douban is indeed a vast ecosystem of services. Over the years, Douban has been able to attract Chinese netizens and has grown to a whopping 300 million monthly active users that span all ages and backgrounds.

So what’s so special about it? We can pretty much say that Douban is like a combination of IMDb, Goodreads, Facebook, Blogger, Spotify, and Ello. People can post reviews on movies; create lists of movies they want to watch; share their favorite books with friends, etc., you will find forums dealing with a variety of topics depending on your tastes: TV shows are ranked by popularity, while music lovers can create playlists that they can share on the platform.

As we can see according to this statistic, Tencent’s WeChat still remains the most popular mobile app with 73% of respondents saying they used it frequently in a survey conducted this past October 2019. It was then followed by QQ, Weibo, Momo (an Instant messenger), Zhihu (a Q&A website), Tantan (a dating app) along with other smaller networks like Lianke or Douban, that are having significant success among Chinese netizens.

Read more about Chinese Social Media Guide

Who are Douban users

With over 300 million monthly active users on Douban, it is estimated that Douban has 180 million registered users and that 100 million are using the app without registering. Being extremely popular in 1st and second-tier cities, Douban is mainly used by degree-holders living in major cities, and having a middle-class lifestyle.

The majority of them were born between 1985 to 1995, and are using it as a forum-like platform sharing their opinion and reviews on a diversity of topics. In terms of ratio, there are 52.3 female and 47.7 male users. Thus, unlike Weibo for example, Douban appeals to white-collars, literate and sophisticated people.

“Most of the users live in major big cities of China. They are office workers, artists, freelancers and students who share common interests in arts, culture and lifestyle.”

Yang Bo, Douban’s founder

Why does Douban matter for businesses?

Unlike other popular social media platforms, Douban is more like a niche-focused platform based on the principle of a community, as its organic content is generated by users according to the number of reviews, the ratings, etc.

Moreover, Douban is accessible to everyone, not only in Mainland China, but everywhere in the world, and without having to register on the app! Unlike almost all the platforms (Western platforms included), people can have access to its services without logging in or creating an account, which is extremely useful for people that are just using it casually.

Why is Douban a great marketing tool?

Douban is a wonderful tool for marketing as it focuses on expressing oneself and one’s lifestyle. Users often post content to talk about movies, books, music, or even events. The landscape of the app constantly shifts with trends emerging and dying off relatively quickly in comparison to other similar platforms such as Reddit, where information can overwhelm someone’s feed, allowing him to explore some topics more deeply.

Overall, Douban allows users to download e-books, books, tickets for movies and concerts, listen to their favorite radio station, create forums, etc. Douban is a friendly app that allows users to keep up with what their friends are doing and share their passion.

In terms of users, it is clear that Douban is less popular than WeChat and Weibo (for which users need to register to have access to it) attracting non-registered users. Even though it might seem redundant to you, if you’re looking for an app to promote your artsy goods, Douban may be the perfect platform. It’s easy and convenient enough so that anyone can use it, unlike other platforms

Why should you use Douban as part of your marketing strategies?

It’s important to take into account that Douban is not targetting all the Chinese population. As mentioned earlier, the demographic of users on this platform are mostly citizens from Tier 1 and 2 cities, which leaves out the rural areas in China. This means there are fewer potential customers who can access your products or services if you focus solely on marketing here.

On top of that, Douban is not considered as a purely marketing app, as it only has banner ads. However, it is an interesting alternative to other social media platforms, offering a low CPM of 15-20 RMB for advertisements, and allowing brands to have their own page called a “brand station”, on which they can post content about their story (useful for story-telling), logo, history, CEO, etc.

On the other hand, as you might probably think of it when reading the presentation paragraph, Douban’s success secret for marketers is the power of its word-of-mouth.

As depicted by this survey from Hootsuite, word-of-mouth is the main source of new brand discovery for Chinese consumers. In fact, Chinese consumers are extremely cautious when buying new products, which explains why they heavily rely on their relatives and friends’ opinions. The rising use of social media has contributed to this phenomenon, with a much larger base and much more opinions than before.

As this type of public platform relies heavily on reviews, ratings, and discussions for its success, brands can take advantage of it to change or improve opinions about their products with great effectiveness, as well as engage with their community, replying to questions, and even creating events reuniting people sharing the common interests in order to get their feedback.

What are Douban Features?

Douban’s Music “音乐”

Douban’s Music section is probably its most popular feature, allowing the new artists to present and promote their songs to the audience and get their reviews. We can compare this functionality to MySpace. It is a good opportunity for users to discover new artists and support them.

Douban’s groups “小组”

Another core features of Douban are its group communities called “小组” on which people can share their experiences and join groups to talk about specific subjects with people sharing the same interests.

Douban’s Movie Reviews “电影”

Douban’s movies section is similar to IMDB.com (which is blocked in China) allowing users to rate movies and give reviews. It is also extremely useful as people can directly book tickets on the app, find out movies that are at the theater, select the genre of movies they want to watch, etc.

On a movie page, people have access to the trailer (to see if it’s worth it), ratings from other users who’ve seen them first-hand as well as their comments.

Douban’s Serie Reviews “电视”

This section is pretty similar to the movie section, allowing users to rate and review the series. There is a large variety of series, from classical Chinese series to the latest American series. There are also top rankings that allow users to click on it and have direct access to the top-rated series.

Douban’s Book Reviews “读书”

Douban’s books section is a place where people can review and discuss books, buy them directly from Chinese websites such as the e-commerce platform JD.com for example. This makes up one of its revenue sources, which is considerable and has become part of its core strategy. People can find old foreign books like “1984” or the “Little Prince”, but also some contemporary Chinese novels, fanfictions, etc.

Douban City “同城”

Douban’s “City” section features an array of events, such as festivals and exhibitions, with a section for people who are interested in group activities as well. Thus, it allows users “living in the same city” to not only discuss online but also meet in real life.

Douban FM

Douban.FM is a music streaming service that allows you to listen to tracks based on your taste and preferences, much like Spotify or Youtube Music, but with more customization ability in terms of skipping or liking tracks, etc.

Douban’s goods “豆瓣豆品”

In order to attract and retain users, Douban created its section “Douban’s Goods”, offering the opportunity for users to purchase goods with the logo of Douban on it for example. Moreover, Douban recently launched its “new stuff” section (quite similar to Taobao), allowing brands to display their products, and allowing users to directly purchase on the app. Even though this feature is not as popular as e-commerce platforms, it is slowly taking part in Douban’s growing success.

How to use Douban for your marketing effort in China?

Douban is a Chinese social media site that is going to bridge the gap between e-commerce and marketing. They are one of few companies in China that have embraced the rise of online shopping with open arms, as their new Stuff sections reflect this change. This move also opened up possibilities for more sophisticated promotion campaigns targeted toward upscale urban consumers through communities and groups on Douban’s platform and for brands that are looking to promote their products through different channels.

For example, Lancôme took advantage of Douban to attract a wider audience and diversify its marketing channels. As seen in this picture, brands can advertise through banner ads, and open screen ads.

Case Study: One Plus Mobile Phone

One plus took advantage of Douban’s word of mouth to rely on the platform several posts about a music festival. It was part of their online strategy. On the other hand, they also took advantage of Douban’s “groups” and Douban’s “City” to organize an event, encouraging people to participate, which was part of their offline strategy.

One plus was able to generate online traffic with thousands of reactions following their posts on Douban, as well as to organize an event in real life and retain users. Thus, when used with both online and offline strategies, Douban can be an extremely useful tool for marketers.

Contact us to get started on Douban

Our agency is born out of our passion for the web, digital marketing, and business in China. Located in Shanghai, Gentlemen Marketing Agency is positioned and focused on the Chinese market and on social media.

With our experience in many different industries, we understand the issues and opportunities foreign brands have to face when entering the Chinese market. We can help you achieve your goal and get started on several platforms that will help you increase your Return on Investments. Using Douban can be an excellent way to help you promote your brand in China, and raise your brand awareness as well. Our experts can help you understand the right techniques on Douban, and help your register as well your official account. Do not hesitate to contact us if you need more information or if you have inquiries, and we will reply within 24-hours.

For international brands, these groups are a real opportunity: they’re communities where real conversations, trust, and sales happen. Understanding how to use them effectively can open powerful new doors in China’s digital ecosystem.

At our agency, we’ve helped global brands with their WeChat Marketing to connect with Chinese consumers for over a decade. From building brand communities to managing social engagement campaigns, we’ve seen firsthand how WeChat Groups can turn casual chats into loyal customer relationships.

In this article, we’ll show you how to use WeChat Groups to grow your brand, engage your audience, and drive measurable results in China.

How are WeChat groups significant for your business?

WeChat is integral for businesses attempting to reach consumers in China as well as increase brand awareness and sales. A key advantage of using WeChat is the high engagement from members; meaning that more people will see your messages.

To begin with, it might be time-consuming to find and join the groups that are related or relevant to your brand’s business in China but it is worth the effort. There are a numberless amount of groups out there that will serve as a great marketing space for you.

Best ways to use WeChat groups for promoting your business

Create your own group

You can set up your own WeChat groups once you’re familiar with how they work. You are the leader, it’s your responsibility to keep the conversations going by posting relevant messages regularly. If you’re not available all the time, you can use schedule options to post messages ahead of time.

Also, start discussions about topics related to your products or industry to get people talking. And finally, don’t forget that you can remove anyone from the group who isn’t using it appropriately or whose presence could damage the brand in some way.

Create exclusive sales for the group

WeChat groups are magic when it comes to connecting with customers. Brands can alert their customers about exclusive discounts, promotions, special deals, or quick sales. Sales associates of the brand send messages to the group. Group member receives this message like receiving a message from a friend. It is indeed more effective than receiving messages from a brand name.

Add influencers to your group

Adding a group member who would influence the other members is a very effective way to increase your brand’s awareness. These influencers will be highly active in the group, promoting the brand by joining discussions and adding new members or simply answering back text messages. These influencers are engaged customers of your brand and are the backbone of any profitable business. You can show your appreciation for their efforts in recruiting new members by sending them a small gift.

Automate your frequently asked questions

Your customers will surely ask you some questions. How about creating an informative introduction for your group members about the things they would like to know? Automating your frequently asked questions will not only save you plenty of time and resources in the long run but also make your brand look more professional.

How do WeChat groups work?

Sending Invitations

To join a WeChat group, you have to be invited by another member of the group. You can’t discover groups independently. One of your contacts or your friends who are already in the group has to add you. For groups with less than 100 people in, you can be invited with a QR code. Or else you have to be invited directly through the app.

The best way to learn about which groups exist is probably just to ask your network of friends and contacts in China, particularly those who live in the same city as you.

Setting the Admins

The person who creates the group automatically becomes its leader. The leader is akin to an administrator, with the power to add and remove members from the chat as they see fit. You can identify who the current group leader is by clicking on group information on the right top of your screen.

Managing the size of the groups

A WeChat group is limited to 500 members. Up to 100 members can be added without restriction, but after that, an invitation must be accepted before the person joins the group. If a group reaches its 100-person limit, then anyone wishing to join must link their bank account to their WeChat if they want to access it. This promotes people using the WeChat wallet for payments and enables businesses bigger opportunities to direct customers to other WeChat shopping channels such as WeChat mini-programs.

Setting sticky on top feature

Using the Sticky on the top option, you can keep the specific group on top of your WeChat app. This is handy to access the group quickly if you are active in it.

Muting Notifications

Setting the mute notifications on, this setting is useful when you end up in a group that is very noisy and sends irrelevant text messages all the time. It can be annoying and distractive. With this setting, you can mute the group without leaving it together.

Saving WeChat group to your contacts list

This setting allows you to add the WeChat group to your contacts list. This can be beneficial for businesses that need to quickly send messages to multiple groups since they’ll be compiled in an easily accessible list.

Using QR codes

You can join groups by scanning their QR code with your phone. This is a quick and easy way to find new groups or promote your own group by sharing and promoting your unique QR code on your space.

Advertise on WeChat with our help

WeChat is a powerful marketing tool for businesses. It allows you to reach out to potential customers who are already using the platform and engage with them in a variety of ways. WeChat advertising can help you promote your brand, products, or services to a wider audience, and it can also be used to drive traffic to your website or online store.

GMA can help you get started with WeChat advertising easily. We have a team of experienced professionals who can assist you with creating and managing your WeChat account, as well as developing and executing your advertising campaign.

Discover how to use WeChat groups for marketing purposes! Contact us today and grow your business in China.

With platforms like Douyin dominating the market, Alibaba launched Luke Taobao live shopping to capture this fast-growing trend. For international brands, understanding how these platforms compete is key to winning Chinese consumers.

At Gentlemen Marketing Agency, we’ve helped global companies succeed in China’s competitive e-commerce market. We even run our own TaoBao store where we test out strategies.

Our team combines on-the-ground expertise with proven strategies tailored to foreign brands.

In this article, you’ll discover how Luke Taobao live shopping compares to Douyin, why it matters, and what steps your brand can take to thrive in China’s booming e-commerce scene.

In short:

• Douyin/TikTok has experienced significant growth in the e-commerce sector, combining content creation and live-streaming capabilities to drive sales.
• Lu Ke is a new app developed by TaoBao as their answer to Douyin/TikTok for e-commerce, offering features such as seamless integration with online retailers and influencer marketing.
• Livestreaming is a growing trend in e-commerce, revolutionizing how brands connect with consumers and driving significant sales. Platforms like Douyin/TikTok and Lu Ke are capitalizing on this trend.

The Rise of Douyin in the Chinese E-commerce Market

Douyin, also known as TikTok in China, has experienced a remarkable rise in the e-commerce space due to its emphasis on integrating shopping features into its content platform and leveraging live-streaming capabilities.

Douyin has recognized the opportunity of merging e-commerce with its highly popular platform. In 2020, they strategically shifted toward this direction by seamlessly integrating their content platform with e-commerce.

This move, akin to unlocking a new level in marketing, resulted in the overnight success of Douyin Box, their e-commerce product, particularly among China’s young audience, with a focus on fashion products.

Douyin Live-streaming

Douyin has successfully combined content creation and e-commerce. The platform features a wide range of content creators who cleverly incorporate product promotions into their short videos.

Livestreaming is a key component of this business model, setting trends of its own. In addition to the engaging videos, there are various shopping portals tailored to different consumer preferences, enhancing the digital customer experience for everyone.

Influencer marketing is taken to a new level here, allowing fans to directly purchase products endorsed by their favorite personalities while watching the live streams. Interactivity is not only encouraged but also rewarded with discounts and exclusive offers for participating in live streams.

Douyin’s Growth in China

Douyin has seen remarkable growth in the Chinese e-commerce sector. It grew from 720 million monthly active users in 2022 to more than 880 million, increasing by 22% in just one year.

Additionally, Douyin’s gross merchandise volume (GMV) for online sales has doubled, solidifying its position as a strong player in the Chinese market.

This rise has sparked intense competition in the e-commerce industry, with Douyin now being seen as a potential rival for major players like Alibaba and Meituan. The booming short-video app has over 700 million daily active users, and it is aggressively expanding into the e-commerce market, showcasing its potential in this field.

Douyin is becoming a popular platform for emerging brands to grow their businesses. Its success hints at a new playground for brands, leveraging the trend of live-streaming for e-commerce. Douyin’s growth reflects the changing dynamics of the Chinese e-commerce industry.

Lu Ke: The New App from TaoBao

Lu Ke is a new app created by TaoBao as a competitor to Douyin/TikTok. It is available for download on Android and iOS devices, allowing a large number of users to access it. The name “Lu Ke” is derived from the word “look” and reflects the app’s purpose.

Lu Ke offers unique features and functionalities to provide users with a smooth experience in discovering products and making purchases.

It’s important to keep up with emerging trends in the e-commerce market, as Lu Ke has already made waves in China’s social commerce scene.

Features of Lu Ke

Lu Ke is packed with features that make it a formidable competitor to Douyin/TikTok in the e-commerce space. Here are some of the key features that set Lu Ke apart:

• Seamless Integration: Lu Ke seamlessly integrates with TaoBao’s extensive network of online retailers, allowing users to shop directly from within the app. This makes the buying process quick and convenient, eliminating the need for users to switch between multiple platforms.

• Live-streaming Capabilities: Just like Douyin, Lu Ke offers live-streaming capabilities that allow brands and influencers to connect with their audience in real-time. This feature has proved immensely successful in driving sales and engaging consumers, making it a crucial aspect of Lu Ke’s strategy.

• Influencer Marketing: Lu Ke leverages the power of influencer marketing by partnering with popular content creators who have a significant following on social media. These influencers can showcase products, provide recommendations, and generate buzz around brands, ultimately driving more traffic and sales.

• Interactive Features: Lu Ke incorporates interactive features like live chats and Q&A sessions during live streams, enhancing user engagement and facilitating direct communication between sellers and buyers. This personal touch helps build trust and encourages consumers to make confident purchasing decisions.

• Shoppable Content: With Lu Ke, users can easily purchase products featured in videos without leaving the app. This shoppable content feature capitalizes on impulse buying behavior by enabling seamless transactions within a few taps.

• Algorithmic Discoverability: Similar to Douyin’s personalized recommendation algorithm, Lu Ke utilizes advanced algorithms to present users with tailored content based on their preferences and purchasing history. This ensures that users are exposed to relevant products and increases their chances of discovering new items they may be interested in.

• User-Generated Content (UGC): UGC plays a significant role in driving engagement on Lu Ke as well. Users can create and share their own videos showcasing products they love, providing genuine reviews and recommendations that resonate with other users and encourage them to make purchases.

How Lu Ke aims to compete with Douyin

Lu Ke is planning to compete with Douyin in the e-commerce market. The platform aims to use the popularity of short videos and social media to drive sales. One of the ways Lu Ke plans to compete is through its algorithmic matching feature, similar to Douyin. This feature matches products with potential customers based on their interests and preferences, increasing the likelihood of a purchase.

Additionally, Lu Ke seamlessly integrates with Taobao’s online shopping platform, allowing users to access product information and make purchases directly within the app, making the buying process more convenient.

This convenience factor sets Lu Ke apart from other short video apps and enhances user engagement.

The Role of Livestreaming in E-commerce

Live-streaming is a growing trend in e-commerce, revolutionizing the way brands connect with consumers and driving significant sales. Discover how live-streaming campaigns have become game-changers for businesses and why it’s crucial to leverage this powerful tool for success in the competitive world of online shopping.

Live-streaming as a growing trend

Livestreaming has quickly emerged as a dominant trend in the e-commerce industry, particularly in China. Platforms like Douyin have capitalized on this growing trend, offering users a unique and interactive way to shop online.

With the live-streaming e-commerce market projected to reach $76.42 billion US by 2025, it’s clear that this is not just a passing fad. Chinese consumers are increasingly drawn to the convenience and excitement of shopping through live video streams, with platforms like Taobao’s Lu Ke aiming to compete with Douyin for a share of this rapidly expanding market.

The Impact of live-streaming on sales

Live-streaming has revolutionized the way businesses connect with customers and sell products. It allows brands to engage with their audience in real-time, establishing trust and driving sales. Research shows that live-streaming e-commerce not only enhances brand marketing efforts but also significantly influences purchase intentions.

Customers are more likely to make a purchase after watching a live stream because they can see the product in action and hear reviews from influencers or celebrities. Livestreaming also creates an immersive and interactive shopping experience, increasing customer engagement on social media platforms.

With platforms like Douyin/TikTok and Lu Ke making strides in the live e-commerce market, it’s evident that live-streaming is a powerful tool for driving sales growth.

Examples of successful live-streaming campaigns

Live-streaming has become a dominant method in the industry, and platforms like Douyin and TikTok have excelled in this space. Here are some examples of successful live-streaming campaigns that have made a significant impact:

1. Perfect Diary’s “Four Seasons” Livestream: Perfect Diary, a Chinese cosmetics company, hosted a four-day-long livestream called “Four Seasons.” They partnered with popular beauty influencers who showcased their products and provided makeup tutorials. The campaign resulted in over 200 million views and $120 million in sales.
2. Li Jiaqi’s Lipstick Livestream: Li Jiaqi, also known as the “Lipstick King,” is one of China’s top beauty influencers. In one of his livestreams, he sold 15,000 lipsticks within five minutes. His charismatic personality and product recommendations have made him extremely influential in the livestream shopping space.
3. Taobao’s Double Eleven Livestream Gala: Taobao, an online marketplace owned by Alibaba Group, hosts an annual livestream gala on November 11th (Double Eleven), known as the world’s largest shopping festival. The event features celebrity performances, exclusive discounts, and interactive games to engage viewers and drive sales.
4. ByteDance’s Tech Gadgets Livestream: ByteDance, the parent company of Douyin/TikTok, leverages its immense user base to promote tech gadgets through live streams. Influencers showcase the latest smartphones, smartwatches, and other gadgets while providing detailed reviews and answering viewer questions.
5. Maybelline New York’s Virtual Try-on Livestream: To tackle the challenge of buying cosmetics online without trying them physically, Maybelline New York introduced virtual try-on technology during their live streams. Viewers could use their smartphones to virtually test different shades of lipstick, eyeshadow, and foundation, boosting confidence in the purchasing decision.

We are your local partner in China! Contact us!

Lu Ke is a platform that aims to become TaoBao’s equivalent of Douyin/TikTok for e-commerce. It focuses on live-streaming and aims to compete with Douyin in the social commerce space.

Livestreaming has proven to be effective in driving sales and revenue, and it will be fascinating to observe how these platforms evolve and influence the future of social media marketing in China’s thriving online shopping industry.

Keep an eye out for Lu Ke as it makes waves in the e-commerce market!

We are a China-based marketing agency offering cost-effective solutions to foreign brands interested in tapping into the Chinese eCommerce market. Our team of Chinese and foreign experts has the experience and know-how needed to succeed in this lucrative, yet complicated market.

Gentlemen Marketing Agency offers many digital marketing and e-commerce solutions, such as web design, e-commerce and social media marketing strategies, localization, market research, KOL marketing, and more.

Don’t hesitate to leave us a comment or contact us, so that we can schedule a free consultation with one of our experts, that will learn about your brand and present you the best solutions for your China market strategy.

China Social Media Marketing 2025: Top Platforms and Winning Strategies

Foreign brands always ask me:” “Philip, which Chinese social media platform should I be on?”

My answer: “All of them… if you have Alibaba’s budget. But if not, choose wisely, or you’ll burn cash faster than you burn dumplings.”

China’s social media is not like the West. Here, apps are super-apps. We don’t just scroll. We shop, we pay rent, we book a massage, and yes… we might even break up with someone on WeChat. That’s the ecosystem you’re entering.

Let’s break it down.

The Top 5 Platforms in 2025

1. WeChat (微信)

Still the king. With 1.3 billion users, it’s like oxygen. You don’t choose WeChat. You have to use WeChat.

• Mini-Programs = Your mobile site + e-commerce + loyalty card, all in one.
• Official Accounts = Your brand blog + CRM.
• WeChat Pay = Everyone’s wallet.

Tip for foreign brands: Don’t just post pretty content. Use Mini-Programs for sales funnels. Example: Nike runs exclusive sneaker drops inside WeChat, bypassing Tmall and JD.

2. Douyin (抖音)

746 million users, endless scrolling. It’s short video + livestream = shopping machine.

• Algorithm stronger than your ex’s stalking skills.
• Livestream = conversions that make your CFO cry with joy.

Example: Cleer Headphones did a livestream push on Douyin and sales jumped 1.5× overnight. That’s the power of TikTok’s big brother.

3. Xiaohongshu (小红书 / RED)

The fashion, beauty, and lifestyle temple. 300 million users, mostly Gen Z and millennial women.

• UGC “notes” feel like diaries, not ads.
• People search here before buying anything: “Best anti-aging serum 2025” → boom, your product must appear.

If you’re a luxury or fashion brand: this is your credibility stage. Dior, Chanel, and local indie brands all play the same game:authentic seeding (种草).

4. Weibo (微博)

Still relevant. Think of it as Twitter + TMZ + Crisis Hotline.

• Want to go viral? Do it on Weibo.
• Want to manage a scandal? Also on Weibo.

Example: When Kris Wu had his scandal, every brand rushed to Weibo to distance themselves. Lesson: keep a Weibo account even if it feels “old school.”

5. Kuaishou (快手)

The “real people” platform. 380M DAUs, deep in Tier 2–4 cities.

• More grassroots, less polished than Douyin.
• If you sell affordable fashion, household goods, or snacks → this is your battlefield.

Example: Local down jacket brands kill it on Kuaishou with “farmer-to-fashion” livestreams. Authenticity converts better than glossy ads here.

10 Winning Strategies for 2025

1. AI Is Your Intern (That Never Sleeps)
   Baidu’s AI , DeepSeek, Douyin’s algorithm… these tools target better than any human. Use them to test content, adjust bids, and personalize at scale.
2. Livestream = Sales Engine
   $200B in sales already. On Douyin or Taobao Live, a good host can move more inventory in 2 hours than your Paris boutique in 2 months.
3. Partner with KOCs, Not Just KOLs
   Key Opinion Consumers (micro-influencers) = higher trust, lower cost. JD Sports boosted sales this way. Why? Because real people sell better than celebrities who can’t pronounce your brand name.
4. Grass-Planting (种草)
   Think content marketing + SEO + Instagram aesthetics. RED users literally type “Best handbags under 5000 RMB.” If you’re not there, you don’t exist.
5. WeChat Mini-Programs
   Your shop-in-shop inside WeChat. Nike, Sephora, Starbucks use them for loyalty, flash sales, and exclusives.
6. UGC Everywhere
   Foreign brands often fear user-generated content. In China, it’s gold. Ubras (underwear brand) reposts customer selfie : authenticity sells.
7. Cross-Platform Strategy
   Douyin for awareness, WeChat for conversion, RED for trust. Stop treating platforms separately. Chinese consumers hop across them like it’s a fashion show.
8. Go Lower-Tier
   Growth isn’t just in Shanghai. Kuaishou + Pinduoduo dominate smaller cities, where consumers have cash and less brand loyalty.
9. Real-Time Trend Riding
   Weibo hot topics + Douyin memes = brand exposure. Example: vivo and BYD surfed trending hashtags for free PR. Timing matters.
10. Social Commerce Integration
    Remove friction. In China, “I saw it, I liked it, I bought it” happens in 3 clicks. If your funnel is longer than that, you’re done.

The Future of Social Media Marketing in China

• AI as Co-Creator: Virtual influencers, auto-generated scripts, predictive targeting.
• Global Expansion: Douyin, RED, and even WeChat pushing outside China : foreign brands can use this to test markets.
• Hyper-Niche: From “frog lovers” to “玄学 youth,” China’s subcultures are goldmines if you respect them.

COME TO CHINA OR STAY HOME?

For foreign brands:

• Stop thinking in “campaigns.” Think in ecosystems.
• Forget control, embrace UGC chaos.
• Don’t just show products. Tell stories that feel real.

And most importantly: localize with humor, honesty, and speed. In China, if you’re slow, you’re dead. If you’re fake, you’re roasted.

This shift is transforming how consumers discover, trust, and buy products online. For global brands, it’s not just a trend: it’s one of the fastest-growing entry points into the Chinese market E-Commerce.

At GMA, we’ve helped international companies tap into platforms like WeChat, Douyin, and Xiaohongshu, seeing some of the highest ROI in our campaigns.

In this guide, you’ll learn why social commerce is booming in China, which platforms matter most, and how your brand can use proven strategies to succeed.

Key Takeaways

• Social commerce is rapidly growing in China, accounting for 16.3% of online retail e-commerce sales in 2023.
• In social commerce, people use apps like WeChat and Xiaohongshu to shop and interact with other buyers, sellers, and influencers before making a purchase.
• The shift from traditional e-commerce to social commerce has led to changes in marketing strategies, focusing on platforms that integrate social interactions and shopping experiences.
• China’s successful social commerce model is being replicated globally, offering new opportunities for businesses worldwide to increase brand visibility and engage customers effectively.

What is Social Commerce in China?

Social commerce is when social interactions and online shopping come together, creating a smooth and enjoyable shopping experience. It’s about combining the convenience of e-commerce with the fun and connection of social media.

With social commerce, people can buy products directly within their favorite platforms like WeChat and Xiaohongshu, without having to leave the app. It’s all about making it easier for customers to shop while also allowing them to interact with others and share their experiences.

So, instead of just browsing through products on a website, social commerce lets you explore items in a more interactive way, discover recommendations from friends or influencers, and make purchases with just a few clicks.

How did it all start and why China is a definite pioneer in social commerce?

Back when I first started observing China’s digital landscape, things were just taking off. Everywhere I looked, people were glued to their smartphones, browsing, chatting, and, of course, shopping. What fascinated me was how naturally social interactions blended with commerce.

At the heart of this was the trust Chinese people placed in recommendations from friends, family, and even popular figures online. I remember seeing a makeup tutorial on Douyin and being amazed when the influencer directly linked to the lipstick she used. It was genius – shopping made as easy as a single click.

With time, new platforms were sprouting up, each adding its twist to the social shopping experience. And the giants – Alibaba, Tencent, JD.com – they weren’t just watching. They were at the forefront, pushing boundaries and integrating more engaging, social features.

But it wasn’t just about the tech. It was the people. Young Chinese shoppers were adventurous. They didn’t just want products; they craved experiences, stories, and connections. As platforms catered to this desire, social commerce naturally took the lead, and China emerged as its global champion. What began as a curiosity turned into a revolution, and I was right there, watching China reshape the future of shopping.

What’s the current size of China’s social commerce?

Thanks to the fact that China has the largest social media population worldwide (only WeChat gathers 1.26 billion monthly active users), it’s no wonder that it is the country pioneering in social commerce.

On average, Chinese Internet users spend more than two hours a day browsing different social media platforms. In 2022, around 84% of Chinese consumers bought at least one product on Chinese social media platforms, in comparison to only 36% in the US.

As of 2023, social commerce sales account for 16.3% of total e-commerce retail sales value in China and they will record a steady growth in the future. In comparison, the US stands at around 5%.

It is predicted that next year (2024), social commerce sales will reach $507.94 billion, with an annual growth of more than 10%.

ResearchAndMarkets.com forecasts that China’s social commerce industry could hit $2 trillion by 2028 from its 2022 value of $363 billion. The market research firm said the sector’s value would grow at a compound annual growth rate of 33.7% between 2022 and 2028.

Changes in marketing strategies due to digital content growth

The rapid growth of social commerce in China has led to significant changes in marketing strategies, particularly due to the increase in digital content. Companies are now shifting their focus from traditional e-commerce channels to platforms that integrate social interactions and shopping experiences.

This shift requires brands to adapt their marketing tactics by incorporating elements such as interactivity and informativeness on social media platforms. In the US, companies are looking towards China’s social commerce market for inspiration and insights into consumer shopping trends.

Benefits of social commerce

Social commerce offers several benefits that can help companies increase their brand visibility, enhance customer engagement, and streamline the customer journey.

• Increased brand visibility: Social commerce allows businesses to reach a wider audience and gain more exposure for their brand. By leveraging social media platforms, companies can showcase their products and services to a large number of potential customers.

• Enhanced customer engagement: Social commerce provides a more interactive shopping experience on social media platforms. Customers can engage with brands through comments, likes, and shares, fostering a sense of community and connection. This engagement helps build trust and loyalty among customers.

• Streamlined customer journey: With social commerce, customers can discover products, read reviews, and make purchases without leaving the social media platform. This seamless integration makes the shopping process convenient and efficient for customers.

Key Players and Platforms in China’s Social Commerce Market

China’s social commerce market is dominated by key players and platforms such as Xiaohongshu, Pinduoduo, WeChat, and Douyin. These platforms offer personalized customer experiences and shoppable content that are driving the growth of social commerce in China.

Discover more about these influential players and the emerging trends in this dynamic market by reading on.

WeChat

WeChat is a super popular social media platform in China, developed by Tencent. It has over one billion users! In 2021 alone, WeChat made $17.4 billion from social network revenue.

In fact, WeChat is where everything started. With the introduction of WeChat mini-programs, an e-commerce solution within the platform, Chinese Internet users started enjoying online shopping within their favorite social media platform. Mini-programs allowed them to share their favorite products and brands with their friends and more.

Thanks to an extensive user base and an integration of many commerce-friendly features, like in-app shops, e-brochures, and the WeChat Pay payment method, WeChat became a leader of social commerce in China.

Check our guide to WeChat eCommerce to learn more!

Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book)

If you’re looking to tap into China’s social commerce market, you can’t ignore Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book). As China’s most trusted social shopping platform, it has gained popularity among young female shoppers in top-tier cities.

With 200 million monthly active users, it is a popular platform, especially for Chinese women who are interested in beauty products. So, if your target audience includes these demographics and you want to reach them with your brand or product, XiaoHongShu could be the perfect platform for you.

Xiaohongshu has its own integrated marketplace, where you can sell your products directly to the users of the app. It’s especially profitable for fashion and beauty brands, that can promote their products, collaborate with Key Opinion Leaders and Key Opinion Consumers, and organize live-streaming sessions, during which they will present products and sell them directly.

It’s a very convenient platform for shopping, and it’s the most trusted one, in terms of product reviews and recommendations.

Here is our Little Red Book eCommerce Guide!

Pinduoduo

Pinduoduo is the one of biggest social commerce platforms in China, and it’s making a big impact in the digital marketplace. It has quickly become the third-largest e-commerce player in China, just behind Alibaba and JD.com, the most popular traditional e-commerce platforms in the country.

In fact, Pinduoduo didn’t start from social media, but from e-commerce. It gained popularity thanks to its unique business model, where people can engage in group buying, inviting friends to purchase products in bulk, to get a better price. This model turned out to be a big hit, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people were teaming up inside their buildings, to buy the necessities without leaving the house.

Here is how it works:

One of the reasons for its success is that it has gained popularity among consumers in lower-tier cities and rural areas. In fact, Pinduoduo achieved a market capitalization of USD 100 billion in less than five years! This shows how significant social commerce is becoming in China’s digital market, especially when it comes to reaching Chinese consumers who are shopping online.

Here is our more detailed step-by-step guide

Douyin and its integration of shoppable content

Douyin, a prominent player in China’s social commerce market, has successfully integrated shoppable content into its platform. This means that users can seamlessly purchase products directly from video creators within this social commerce platform.

Douyin Stores, introduced in May 2018, is a native e-commerce system that allows for this convenient shopping experience. This integration reflects the growing trend in China of blending entertainment and e-commerce together.

With its explosive growth in e-commerce sales, Douyin has become a key platform for brands looking to target Chinese consumers.

Here you can check our guide to Douyin Flagship Stores

Taobao

Alibaba’s online behemoths, Taobao and TMall, have seamlessly woven social commerce into their fabric via the pioneering GuangGuang platform. Bolstered by the star power of live-streaming mavens like Li Jiaqi, the “lipstick king,” and an assortment of vibrant sales events beyond just the famed 11.11 festival, GuangGuang has set new standards for the e-commerce realm.

At its core, the massive reach of Taobao and TMall ensures that a vast audience is constantly engaged in the social shopping arena. Moreover, the platform’s retail-centric approach ensures that users are primed for purchasing, making every interaction count. The regular splash of unique sales events further spices up the shopping journey, offering irresistible deals and memorable moments to shoppers.

Emerging Trends in Social Commerce

Shoppable Content, Livestream Shopping, Shoppable Chat, Merging Marketing and Transactions, and Personalization through First-Party Data – are just a few of the emerging trends in China’s social commerce market.

Shoppable Content

When it comes to social commerce in China, shoppable content is a big trend that brands should pay attention to. Platforms like Douyin have become popular for their ability to integrate entertainment and shopping seamlessly.

With short videos and live streaming, these platforms create engaging experiences for consumers while giving them the opportunity to make purchases directly. In fact, brands like Taobao have achieved great success by leveraging shoppable content on platforms like Douyin.

This emerging trend is gaining traction in China’s social commerce landscape and provides an exciting opportunity for brands to connect with their target audience in new and innovative ways.

Livestream Shopping

Livestream shopping has experienced remarkable growth in China, becoming a booming market worth $720 billion. It has revolutionized how brands engage with and sell to their customers.

In fact, live-streaming has become an integral part of e-commerce in China. The numbers speak for themselves – live-streaming commerce sold over $720 billion in 2023 and continues to grow at a rate of 53%.

This trend has had a tremendous impact on boosting brand recognition and driving sales performance in the Chinese market. With such impressive results, it’s clear that livestream shopping is here to stay as an effective way for businesses to connect with consumers and generate revenue.

Shoppable Chats

WeChat and Douyin are essential platforms when it comes to social commerce in China. They have become vibrant shopping hubs, offering high-value content that is highly social and relatable.

Shoppable chat, which allows users to seamlessly shop within the chat interface, is becoming increasingly important in social commerce. With WeChat being one of the most powerful e-commerce platforms in China, and Douyin’s integration of shoppable content, these platforms are leading the way in shaping the future of online shopping in China.

Merging Marketing and Transactions

In China, platforms like WeChat, Weibo, and Douyin have undergone a transformation by merging marketing and transactions. These platforms offer messaging and blogging features combined with e-commerce and online payment options.

By integrating these functionalities, they create a comprehensive ecosystem for social commerce. This trend reflects the growing popularity of social commerce in China, where brands can learn from the merging of marketing and transactions to leverage this trend for their success.

It presents an opportunity for marketers to engage with customers through multiple channels while facilitating seamless transactions within the same platform. Such integration allows businesses to reach their target audience more effectively and provide a convenient shopping experience all in one place.

Personalization through First-Party Data

First-party data is the information businesses collect directly from their customers, such as purchase history, browsing behavior, and preferences. By leveraging this data, marketers can create more personalized and targeted marketing strategies.

Personalization allows businesses to understand their customers on a deeper level and tailor their messaging accordingly. It helps to deliver relevant content and offers that resonate with individual customer preferences, increasing engagement and driving conversions.

Moreover, personalized marketing has become a growing trend as customers expect brands to understand their needs and provide a tailored experience.

Through first-party data, businesses can segment their customer base into specific groups based on behavioral patterns or demographic information. This segmentation enables targeted advertising campaigns that are more likely to reach the right audience at the right time with the right message.

Shopping in the Metaverse: Introduce the concept of “Metaverse Shopping”.

Have you heard of “Metaverse Shopping“? It’s an exciting new trend in social commerce. Basically, it means shopping in a virtual reality world. Instead of going to a physical store or shopping online, customers can step into a virtual environment and browse and buy products using their avatars.

It offers a more immersive and engaging experience for shoppers. And guess what? Gen Z, who grew up with 3D experiences, is expected to be the first to embrace this kind of shopping.

So, get ready for the future of retail in the metaverse!

Virtual Influencers as Brand Ambassadors

Let me tell you about the rise of virtual influencers as brand ambassadors in China. Virtual influencers are digitally created personalities who are gaining popularity among China’s young consumer base.

These virtual influencers serve as online ambassadors for brands, leveraging their strong presence on social media platforms to engage with their Gen Z audience. The emergence of virtual influencers is closely tied to the growing influence of social media and the power it holds in shaping consumer behavior.

Chinese tech giants like Tencent and Alibaba are leading the way in developing this market by creating their own virtual human characters. This trend is not limited to China alone, as virtual influencers have also gained traction in other Asian markets such as Japan and South Korea.

Success Factors of Social Commerce in China

Social commerce in China offers numerous benefits, including integrated social media, e-commerce, and content creation, enhanced user engagement through influencer marketing, and the rise of community group buying.

Integration of social media, e-commerce, and content creation

In China, the integration of social media, e-commerce, and content creation is a game-changer for businesses. It allows them to reach customers directly through platforms like WeChat and Douyin and sell their products seamlessly.

By combining engaging content with shopping features, brands can attract and retain customers more effectively. This integration not only enhances brand visibility but also provides a personalized customer experience.

So, when it comes to social commerce in China, integrating social media, e-commerce, and content creation is key to success in social commerce growth.

User engagement and influencer marketing

Influencers play a significant role in driving consumer engagement and online retail sales on social network platforms. In fact, it is predicted that 60.9% of Chinese social commerce sales in 2023 will come from influencer marketing.

The influence of social media influencers helps to build trust, increase brand visibility, and enhance customer engagement. By leveraging influencers’ reach and credibility with their followers, brands can effectively promote their products or services to a highly engaged audience on various social media channels.

This type of marketing strategy has become essential for brands looking to tap into the growing social commerce market in China.

The rise of community group buying and live streaming commerce

In China’s e-commerce market, two trends have gained significant traction: community group buying and live-streaming commerce. Community group buying allows consumers to pool their resources together for discounted bulk purchases, while live-streaming commerce enables brands and influencers to showcase products through interactive live streams, allowing viewers to make purchases in real-time.

These emerging trends have rapidly grown in popularity due to their ability to create a sense of community engagement and offer unique shopping experiences. With China’s advanced influencer economy and high e-commerce penetration rate, the rise of these trends further strengthens the social commerce industry in China.

Conclusion

In conclusion, understanding and leveraging social commerce is crucial for brands looking to succeed in the Chinese market. With its rapid growth and impact on consumer behavior, embracing new ways of shopping on social media platforms is essential for staying ahead in China’s digital economy.

By integrating social interactions, e-commerce, and content creation, brands can enhance customer engagement and capitalize on the opportunities presented by social commerce trends such as livestream shopping and personalized experiences.

To thrive in this evolving landscape, proactive adaptation is key. In this rapidly evolving landscape of Chinese social commerce, brands need a guide, a partner, and a strategist – that’s where Gentlemen Marketing Agency steps in.

With our unparalleled insights into the Chinese market and a deep understanding of social platforms like WeChat, Xiaohongshu, Douyin (we are a certified Douyin Partner!), or Taobao, we are primed to help your brand make its mark.

Whether it’s collaborating with top-tier KOLs or creating standout campaigns for special sales events, our expertise ensures that your brand not only enters the Chinese social commerce space but thrives in it.

Join us and be part of China’s next big social commerce success story. Social commerce adoption is your key to success in today’s China!

Contact us to schedule a free consultation