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Mastering Douyin and Xiaohongshu Marketing: A Complete Guide
In the vast realm of China's social media landscape, where Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have no presence, two powerful platforms reign supreme for brands targeting Gen Zs and millennials: Douyin and Xiaohongshu(XHS). As of January 2023, China had 1.03 billion social media users1. Douyin and XHS are two go-to Chinese social media platforms for global brands with ambitions to sell to Gen Zs and millennials in China.
Douyin and TikTok are Not the Same
To clarify any confusion, let us debunk a common misconception - Douyin and TikTok are not interchangeable. While both platforms are owned by ByteDance, they are separate entities. Douyin app is exclusively accessible only to users based in China, while Tiktok app serves international audiences.
Some Impressive Numbers of Douyin
Douyin has experienced remarkable success, and it continues to capture the attention of millions of users. According to Statista, Douyin had 743 million monthly active users (MAUs) in December 20222, making it the most popular short video app in China. This showcases the immense reach and influence it commands in the digital landscape. As far as demographics are concerned, one in every three Douyin users is below 26 years old, with the majority of them living in first-tier cities including Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou.
Tips for Marketing on Douyin
Douyin has evolved from a video-sharing app into a social commerce platform. Its viral content creation, e-commerce functionality, and innovative technologies like AR try-on have created a closed-loop system of product, effect, and sales. Douyin offers brands and businesses a lucrative opportunity to reach out to their targeted Chinese consumers.
Content Resonating with Target Audience
Marketers are indeed competing for viewers on Douyin. Apart from the universal steps of opening an account and a store, etc., brands should develop compelling content that resonates with their target audience. The key to success lies in creating relatable content that can evoke emotion and has the potential to go viral. Also, by crafting engaging and entertaining content, brands can captivate Douyin users and establish a strong connection that drives meaningful engagement and ultimately boosts brand visibility and success.
Douyin Livestreaming: Leveraging AI-Powered Curation
Douyin’s AI-powered curation ensures the right viewers are watching. Marketers can leverage short videos on Douyin for seeding and attracting traffic for live streaming, which can stimulate user demand and conversion. In addition, the right KOL (Key Opinion Leader) or KOC (Key Opinion Customer) can help in getting content discovered by niche groups, increasing a brand’s visibility speedily.
Paid Advertising on Douyin: Tailored Solutions for Success
A range of interactive and diverse paid advertising options are available on Douyin to drive effective traffic to your official website or e-commerce store, including brand takeover, top view, in-feed ads, search ads, and live stream ads. With the dedicated support of iClick's Global Account Management team, tailored Douyin Advertising Solutions can lead to impactful results.
Third-Party Links and Douyin Flagship Store
With a Douyin business account, brands can add links to their content that redirect viewers or existing customers to their own websites, search engines, or online stores. Alternatively, brands can create their own flagship stores directly or drive traffic to their stores on e-commerce platforms including Tmall, Taobao, or JD.com to generate sales for products or services.
Unlocking Xiaohongshu’s Potential
Xiaohongshu(XHS), also known as Little Red Book or RED is a social e-commerce platform focusing on fashion, beauty, and lifestyle. This platform appeals predominantly to young urban females seeking authentic product reviews before making purchases.
Find out more about Xiaohongshu in our article: Precision Marketing Based On Big Data | Xiaohongshu
Selling on Xiaohongshu — the Know-How
The Prerequisite
To embark on a successful journey on Xiaohongshu, businesses must have a registered company in China, enabling access to the platform's e-commerce feature. But rather than a traditional sales approach, think of Xiaohongshu as a place to share stories, as content-driven conversions rely heavily on word-of-mouth recommendations
Think This Way: Sharing Engaging Stories with People
Deliver content that resonates with Xiaohongshu's community, focusing on educational, informative, and useful posts such as product comparisons, tutorials, and shopping guides. Avoid hard-selling tactics and create content such as shoppable posts to higher the retention rate of your fans.
Popular types of posts on Xiaohongshu
From captivating product unboxing & review sessions to revealing top favorite products, users love informative tips, exciting store check-in experiences, engaging events, entertaining mini-dramas, immersive game trials, and mesmerizing cosmetics content.
Embracing these content types can help brands forge stronger connections with Xiaohongshu's community and drive meaningful interactions that lead to increased visibility and success.
Observe the rules
When marketing on Xiaohongshu, it is essential to adhere to China's norms and etiquette. Posts containing censored words or banned content could negatively impact your traffic and engagement levels.
Collaborate with KOLs and KOCs
User-generated content (UGC) by Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and Key Opinion Customers (KOCs) holds immense value in Xiaohongshu. Audiences love to hear real-life experiences about products, cuisines, and travel-related comments from KOLs and KOCs, as they find such content more trustworthy than conventional advertisements. Partnering with KOLs and KOCs can effectively charm target audiences and boost brand appeal.
iClick Xiaohongshu Marketing Solution
As Xiaohongshu's official overseas advertising partner and award-winning marketing agency, iClick Interactive provides a wide range of comprehensive, data-driven, and AI-powered Xiaohongshu marketing solutions. Our all-rounded services encompass advertising placement service, content creation, account operation and management, and KOL/KOC advertising strategies, allowing brands to efficiently and effectively target and acquire the right customers.
We have a proven track record of assisting numerous global brands in successfully tapping into the Chinese market through Xiaohongshu, unlocking its full potential for remarkable success. Reach out to us now to explore how our comprehensive solutions can elevate your marketing strategies.
iClick Douyin Marketing Solution
As Douyin’s official advertising partner, iClick Interactive provides an extensive range of services tailored to unlock the platform's true potential, delivering impactful results that deeply resonate with your target audience. Our offerings encompass brand building through verified business accounts, expert management of e-commerce traffic and engagement, and lead qualification to drive sales generation.
Let's harness the full power of Douyin and elevate your marketing endeavors for remarkable success. Reach out to us and discover the full spectrum of data-driven and AI-powered marketing solutions we have to offer.
About Us
Founded in 2009, iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited (NASDAQ: ICLK) is a leading enterprise and marketing cloud platform in China, operating in over 11 countries, including the United Kingdom (UK), Australia, and Singapore. With its leading proprietary technologies, iClick's full suite of data-driven solutions helps brands drive significant business growth and profitability throughout the full consumer lifecycle and engage with their target audience through leading Chinese media channels and China’s internet giants. Over the years, iClick has won immense trust from our 3000+ direct marketers and agency clients and was listed on NASDAQ in 2017.
References & Source
1 https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2023-china
2 https://www.statista.com/statistics/1361354/china-monthly-active-users-of-douyin-chinese-tiktok/
https://sekkeidigitalgroup.com/why-and-how-to-sell-on-douyin-china/#What_Is_Douyin_It_Is_Not_TikTok
https://fashionchinaagency.com/douyin-e-commerce-boost-your-sales-in-china/
https://www.fca.edu.sg/blog/tips-tricks-to-sell-on-xiaohongshu/