Chinese social media marketing on platforms like WeChat, Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and Weibo holds immense potential to raise your brand awareness in China and boost sales.
To reach your target audience in China, social media is the way to go. In fact, brands dedicate 14% to social media marketing in China to promote their products and services. Do you want to know how?
Let the experts at China Gravy take you on a tour of advertising options on the most popular Chinese social media platforms to promote your brand and inspire sales. We have ample strategies and case studies for you!
Chinese Social Media Marketing
With Facebook, Instagram, and the likes banned in China, new social media platforms have emerged and are more en vogue than ever.
And Chinese people love browsing, scrolling, and researching online. In fact, Chinese internet users spend an average of five and a half hours on the internet these days.
In this article, we will take a look at promoting your brand on China’s most common social apps, so you can position yourself ahead of the competition. Specifically, we will examine:
- Douyin
- Xiaohongshu
So, if you are a global business aspiring to enter the Chinese market or expand in it, Chinese social media marketing allows you to
- raise brand awareness
- generate leads and sales
These strategies are particularly useful for brands in the service sector, but also suitable for other industries as well.
WeChat Advertising
Started in 2011, WeChat has become indispensable in the daily lives of nearly all Chinese people. An all-in-one app used for messaging, social media, payments, and more, WeChat is one of the most widely used platforms in China and offers a variety of advertising options.
Select the right marketing strategy based on your goal and budget.
1. Influencer marketing
Collaborating with KOL and Wanghong in China remains a crucial strategy on any social media platform.
On WeChat, influencers often publish long-form articles on their Official Accounts. These articles can include product reviews, tutorials, lifestyle tips, and personal stories.
Besides, KOL also posts updates in their Moments (Newsfeed) or engages their followers through live-streaming.
2. Content marketing
To publish content as a brand on WeChat, you need a verified overseas Official Account (annual fee of 99 USD). There are
- Subscription Accounts: media and content-heavy businesses => NOT available for overseas businesses
- Service Accounts: recommended for most businesses
Content types include articles, Moments (Newsfeed), mini-programs, and WeChat Channels.
Remember to add value to your followers with your content (tell a story), post consistently, and provide opportunities for interaction (polls, contests). Educational series, user-generated content, as well as campaigns and promotions, are generally most successful.
3. Paid ads on WeChat
Running paid advertising on WeChat also requires an official WeChat account as well as a WeChat advertising account.
The minimum advertising budget is 1,000 RMB (~150 USD) and CPC (cost-per-click) rates start from 50 RMB (~7 USD) per day.
- Moment Ads: Native ads that appear in users’ social feeds, similar to Facebook ads. They can include images, videos, and links to external sites or mini-programs.
- Official Account Ads: Typically banners that redirect users to destinations such as online stores, WeChat official accounts, or H5 pages. It enables advertisers to drive traffic to their desired landing page seamlessly and engage with their WeChat followers and target audience more interactively.
- Video Account Ads: Also known as WeChat Channels, this is a short-video platform integrated into the app. And like any other feature in WeChat, advertisers can choose an ad format to display within its video stream.
- Mini-Program Ads: These are lightweight apps within WeChat that offer additional functionality, such as e-commerce, games, or interactive experiences.
- Search Ads: WeChat search is the main source of organic traffic for most brands. Ads allow you to reach an audience with high intent, but a Chinese business entity is required for this!
Regardless of the ad type, WeChat offers precise targeting to reach your ideal audience, according to gender and age, locations, interests, and much more.
Example: Technion
China Gravy assisted a well-known international university Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in launching a WeChat advertising campaign to recruit for their summer program. Within five weeks, they received 32 student sign-ups through the lead form.
Next, let’s take a look at advertising on Douyin.
Douyin Advertising
Established in 2016, Douyin is the “original” TikTok. As such, it is a short video platform that has become a major player and is particularly popular among younger audiences. Find out more about the detailed look and setup of Douyin as well as marketing on Douyin.
1. Influencer marketing
On Douyin, influencers can help you discover new audiences and strengthen the bond with your followers. KOL have a strong connection with their fans, which often leads to higher engagement compared to other platforms.
Whether mega-star or micro-influencer, KOL marketing on Douyin stands a high chance of going viral, which is ideal for brand awareness, especially among a younger audience.
2. Content marketing
Douyin’s USP is short, creative, and engaging videos that put a spotlight on brands. Challenges and branded hashtags are ideal to encourage user participation, and thus increase reach and user-generated content (USG).
Interactive features like polls, quizzes, and filters further fuel user interaction and engagement.
3. Paid ads on Douyin
To run ads on Douyin, you will need a Douyin ad account (free), but not necessarily an official account (additional benefits like analytics).
- In-Feed Ads: Typically short and highly targeted videos that appear in the users’ feed, blending with organic content. They can drive traffic to a website, app download, or Douyin’s in-app store.
- Brand Takeover: Full-screen ads that appear when a user opens the app before any other content is shown. Maximum impact but limited frequency (to avoid fatigue).
- Top View Ads: Appear when the app is opened after an initial loading screen. Top view ads are full-screen format and have high exposure.
- Banner Ads: Appear at the bottom or top of the screen, less intrusive and ideal for consistent brand visibility.
- Branded Hashtag Challenge: Paid challenges encourage users to create and share content around a certain hashtag, which often results in viral trends.
- Branded Effects: AR, filters, as well as animations and overlays, serve as interactive elements that users can apply to their videos.
- Sticker Ads: This allows brands to create custom, branded stickers which users can add to their own videos.
- Search Ads: Paid search ads appear at the top of the in-app search results page, giving them high visibility when users search for relevant terms.
These ads are priced on a cost-per-click (CPC), cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM), or cost-per-action (CPA) basis, depending on the ad format and campaign objectives.
A deposit of 750 USD is required to get started and setting up an advertising campaign will cost about 250 USD. Attention: Douyin ads don’t have a fixed price but depend on industry and competition!
Example: Samyang
This food manufacturer launched a branded hashtag challenge on Douyin with impressive results.
Next, let’s take a look at advertising options on Sina Weibo.
Weibo Advertising
Launched in 2009, (Sina) Weibo targets a broad demographic, including young urban professionals and students. It is a microblogging app and can be described as a mix between X (Twitter) and Instagram. Find out more about the role of Weibo in the Chinese social media landscape.
1. Influencer Marketing
The platform’s integrated features for viral sharing (trending topics, hashtags) make it ideal for KOL collaborations. Weibo influencers have a particularly strong follower engagement and credibility.
2. Content Marketing
Weibo’s dynamic and highly interactive environment allows businesses to publicize a variety of content to promote their brand. The platform furthermore offers rich media formats and live streaming for community building and growth.
3. Weibo paid ads
Running ads requires an official account on Weibo as well as an advertising account (1,499 USD deposit required). The basic official account is free, but at least a verified account (1,000 USD) is recommended to show your followers that you are “the real deal”.
- Display Ads (Banner Ads)
- Homepage Banner Ads: high visibility, but pricey
- News Feed Ads: organic look & feel
- Sponsored Posts
- Fan Tunnel: promotion to the feed of targeted users (interests, behavior, etc.) for most effective reach and visibility
- Fan Headline: promotion of a specific post to keep it at the top of followers’ feeds for a defined period of time
- Fan Stop
- at the top of the app, when users open it; high visibility, but very pricey
- Video Ads
- Pre-Roll Ads: short video just before UGC
- In-Feed Video Ads: organic look & feel in the users’ feed
- Search Ads
- Promoted content appears when users search within the app
The CPC rates on Weibo start from 30 RMB (~0.04 USD).
Example: Alila Anji
China Gravy launched a Weibo ads campaign for the grand opening of the luxury hotel and resort Alila Anji in China, which generated over 160+ inquiries about hotel bookings.
Finally, we examine advertising on XHS.
Xiaohongshu Advertising
Started in 2013, Xiaohongshu (XHS) or Little Red Book (RED) is a social media and e-commerce platform focused on beauty, fashion, and lifestyle, making it the “Chinese Instagram”.
XHS is popular among young Chinese women and is known for its user-generated content, including product reviews and recommendations. Take a deep dive into understanding the role of Xiaohongshu in China.
1. Influencer marketing
Partner with influencers to create authentic and engaging content that resonates with your followers. Xiaohongshu collaborations are ideal for lifestyle and shopping content, where trusted reviews and personal experiences drive high engagement and purchasing decisions.
2. Content marketing
As a brand, publish posts, videos, and articles that blend seamlessly with user-generated content. Xiaohongshu specializes in beauty, fashion, and lifestyle, which results in a highly engaged community that seeks genuine recommendations and discovery of the latest products and services.
3. Paid ads on XHS
Reach your ideal target demographic on Xiaohongshu with
- In-Feed Ads: Appear within the users’ feeds as they browse and have an organic look and feel.
- Banner Ads: High visibility as ads are displayed prominently within the app.
- Search Ads: Appear at the top of the in-app search results, ensuring visibility when users are looking for relevant content.
These CPC campaigns start at 0.30 RMB (~ 0.04 USD) per click, with a minimum advertising spend of 5,000 RMB (~700 USD).
To run ads on RED, you need an approved brand account as well as an advertising account. This is also available for overseas businesses.
Example: Cambridge Seminars College
With our help, the overseas education institute Cambridge Seminars College launched paid ads on XHS targeting students who are interested in studying abroad. As a result, the institute saw a significant increase in exposure (more than 1 million impressions) and generated 248 leads during the campaign, which lasted 2 x 2 weeks.
Now that we have gotten to know all relevant Chinese social media platforms, let’s take a look at them in comparison.
Chinese Social Media Marketing: Comparison
While all platforms have an overlap in certain areas (topics, audience, and so on), they all also have stand-alone features and USPs that set them apart from the competition.
Let’s take a closer look at the following overview:
| Douyin | Xiaohongshu | |||
| Potential reach | 945 million MAU | 755 million MAU | 605 million MAU | 300 million MAU |
| Key audience | Young adults (18-35 years) | Teens and young adults (13-24 years) | Young adults (18-30 years) | Young women (18-35 years) |
| Main topics | News, health, lifestyle, shopping/ e-commerce, food | Dance challenges, comedy / lip sync, beauty, fashion, food, lifestyle | Entertainment, news, social issues, lifestyle, humor | Beauty, fashion, travel, food, lifestyle, study, experience sharing |
| Analytics tool | WeChat Analytics | Douyin Data/ Douyin Analytics | Weibo Data Center | Xiaohongshu Data |
Next, let’s examine the options to run Chinese social media ads on these popular apps:
| Douyin | Xiaohongshu | |||
| Influencer marketing | Close-knit and loyal following, effective for niche industries and personalization | Viral and engaging content, ideal for brand awareness targeting younger demographics | Above-average engagement and credibility, ideal for sharing trending topics and viral short videos | High engagement, specialized in lifestyle and authentic product reviews |
| Content marketing | Versatile long-form content options for in-depth articles, multimedia posts, and interactive experiences | Short, creative, and captivating videos that stand out from the crowd | Real-time updates, trending topics, and USG that starts and drives conversations | Authentic USG and product reviews, focus on genuine storytelling and recommendations |
| Paid ads | Precise targeting, five advertising options, minimum 1,100 USD to get started | High viral potential, seven advertising options, minimum 1,000 USD to get started | High engagement, real-time marketing (trending topics, hashtags), eight advertising options, minimum 1,500 USD to get started | Trusted environment drives conversions, three advertising options, minimum 1,000 USD to get started |
| ROI | Lowest CPM | Medium CPM and CPC | Low CPC | Low CPC |
| Ideal for | Larger brands (e-commerce, retail, technology, finance, healthcare, lifestyle) targeting urban professionals, millennials and Gen Z. | Small – large brands (entertainment, fashion, beauty, food, lifestyle) targeting GenZ and millennials, less expensive products | SME – large brands (media, entertainment, fashion, beauty, travel, technology) targeting urban professionals and millennials | Small – large brands (fashion, beauty, skincare, lifestyle, and travel) targeting young women |
This brings us to the end of this article on Chinese social media marketing on today’s most relevant apps in China.
Chinese Social Media Marketing – The Takeaway
To sum it up, Chinese social media marketing is ideal for leveraging the vast potential of the Chinese market. In particular, local and international businesses use social ads to raise brand awareness and drive sales.
In terms of influencer marketing (KOL, Wanghong), all four platforms offer opportunities to promote products or services.
- WeChat is most effective for niche sector and personalized influencer collaborations that speak to their highly connected and loyal following.
- Xiaohongshu scores with high engagement and is ideal for lifestyle topics and authentic product review influencer collaborations.
- Douyin with its high engagement is ideal for influencers to share trending topics and viral content in the form of short videos.
- Weibo specializes in viral and engaging influencer marketing to boost brand awareness, especially among a younger audience.
For content marketing, each platform provides unique features tailored to their formats and audience preferences.
- WeChat excels with versatile in-depth content like articles and multimedia posts.
- Douyin thrives on visually captivating short videos.
- Weibo offers real-time updates, trending topics, and USG that serve as conversation starters.
- Xiaohongshu focuses on authentic product reviews, recommendations, and lifestyle content.
When it comes to paid advertising, all platforms offer targeting options and various ad formats to help brands reach their target audience effectively. However, the cost and performance of ads may vary depending on factors such as platform popularity, ad format, and campaign objectives.
- WeChat ads score with precise targeting, 5 ad options, and lowest CPM.
- Douyin ads offer high viral potential, 7 ad options, medium CPC/CPM.
- Weibo ads provide high engagement and real time marketing, 8 ad options, and low CPC.
- Xiaohongshu ads drive conversions in a trusted environment, 3 ad options, and low CPC.
Keep in mind that your advertising goal defines the right platform and strategy. Would you like some help to get started? Our experts at China Gravy