The Complete Guide to Douyin (TikTok) Marketing in China

Douyin, also known as 抖音 in Chinese, is China’s dominant short-video platform with over 800 million active users. Owned by ByteDance and launched in 2016, before its international counterpart, TikTok, which was released by ByteDance globally in 2017, the platform has evolved from an entertainment-focused app into a comprehensive ecosystem that integrates content creation, social interaction, and e-commerce functionality. This guide covers everything you need to know about marketing on Douyin in China, from understanding the platform’s unique characteristics to implementing strategies that drive measurable results.

What is Douyin (抖音)? 

Douyin began as a short-video sharing platform where users created 15-second music and dance videos. It has since transformed into China’s most influential entertainment-commerce platform, where content virality directly translates into purchasing behaviour. Unlike RedNote’s search-driven discovery, Douyin prioritises algorithm-powered content delivery that keeps users engaged for extended periods. 

Why is Douyin Important for Foreign Brands?

According to Qianfan data, Douyin users spend an average of 100 minutes per day on the platform

Users follow a “Discover, Engage, Purchase” journey where they discover products through entertaining videos, engage with content and creators, then make purchases either on Douyin’s integrated e-commerce platform (抖音电商) or through external platforms. Research indicates the platform generated approximately CNY 3.5 trillion in gross merchandise value (GMV) in 2024, representing a 30% year-over-year increase, making Douyin the third-largest e-commerce platform in China, behind only Taobao and Pinduoduo.

How Does Douyin Function?

Douyin functions primarily as an algorithm-driven content platform where the “For You” (推荐) page serves as the main content discovery channel. Douyin’s recommendation algorithm analyses user behaviour, including watch time, likes, comments, shares, and completion rates, to deliver personalised content.

The platform’s algorithm, ByteDance’s own Volcano Engine (火山引擎), prioritises content that generates high engagement and watch time. Videos that maintain viewer attention through to completion receive significantly more distribution. The “share” metric also carries particular weight because it indicates content resonates strongly enough for users to share it with friends or followers. Douyin’s algorithm-based content discovery opens opportunities for both viral growth and sustained visibility on the platform.

Users come to Douyin for short-form, entertaining content, and they purchase as a result of engaging with it. This allows brands to build awareness and drive conversions through creative, engaging content that doesn’t feel like traditional advertising.

Who Uses Douyin?

Douyin’s user demographics make it particularly valuable for brands targeting young, digitally-native consumers:

• Approximately 35% of users are aged 16 to 24, 27% are ages 25 to 30 and 16% are ages 31 to 35.
• 53.8% female users, 46.2% male users
• Majority of users are concentrated in urban areas, with strong penetration in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.
• Average daily usage: 100 minutes per platform session

This demographic concentration makes Douyin particularly effective for fashion and beauty brands targeting young consumers, as well as consumer electronics and tech products, food and beverage brands with visual appeal, entertainment and lifestyle services, and affordable luxury brands.

How Can Foreign Brands Enter Douyin?

Foreign brands have three primary pathways for establishing a presence on Douyin. All three require Chinese regulatory compliance, but differ in operational structure and capabilities. It’s important to note that, while Douyin does not strictly require brands to complete Enterprise Account (企业号) verification or obtain Blue V status (蓝V认证) in order to open a store, it is strongly recommended for all merchants, including domestic enterprise stores and cross-border stores. Verified accounts receive significantly higher trust and visibility, improved search and algorithm performance, access to expanded marketing and analytics tools, and a smoother integration between the official account and the Douyin store. As a result, nearly all successful brands on the platform upgrade to a verified enterprise or Blue V account as part of standard best practice.

Option 1: Direct Foreign Company Registration

Foreign companies can directly register as part of the Douyin Global Shopping (全球购), Douyin’s cross-border e-commerce initiative launched in 2021. This model allows foreign companies to market and sell on Douyin as an overseas entity without establishing a Chinese subsidiary. Foreign companies operate under a cross-border merchant identity (跨境商家身份), relying on Douyin’s Global Shopping structure as opposed to opening a separate Domestic Enterprise Store (普通企业店).

Requirements:

• Valid business license from your home country, translated into Chinese by a certified translation agency. This is typically a certificate of incorporation. 
• Trademark registration certificate (either international or Chinese trademark registration)
• Mainland Joint-Liability Entity (境内连带责任人). This must be a local Chinese entity that holds a valid Chinese business license (营业执照). This entity serves as the accountable party within China for any disputes, compliance issues, or consumer protection matters
• Legal representative information. This is required from both the overseas entity and the joint-liability entity. 
• Basic contact information for store/account operations
• Compliance for cross-border logistics. Products must be shipped via overseas direct mail or a bonded warehouse, with duties handled through Douyin’s cross-border system.

Douyin requires proof of trademark registration in China. If you don’t have a Chinese trademark, you can use an international trademark, but be aware that trademark squatting is common in China. To learn more about trademark registration in China, read our full guide. 

Advantages:

• No need to establish a Chinese legal entity (WFOE)
• Lower initial investment compared to WFOE registration
• Direct control over account management
• Access to Douyin Global Shopping’s cross-border e-commerce features
• Highlight “overseas direct supply” (海外直供) as a key selling point
• Platform assistance with customs clearance and tax settlement
• Ideal for brands testing the Chinese market before major investment

Disadvantages:

• Chinese-only interface and support
• Requires finding and partnering with a qualified joint-liability entity
• Cross-border logistics may have longer delivery times (typically 2-5 days)
• Limited to cross-border import model rather than domestic inventory
• Platform commission fees: 3-6% depending on category (health supplements: 4%)
• An additional 0.6% payment service fee

The verification process typically takes 5-7 business days for document review. The Douyin Global Shopping status requires annual renewal and ongoing compliance monitoring.

Option 2: Establish a Chinese Subsidiary (WFOE)

Foreign companies that establish or already have a Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise (WFOE) in China can register a Douyin Business Account (企业号), obtain the Blue V verification and access Douyin’s standard enterprise store model (普通企业店), operating as a domestic merchant (境内本土商家身份) rather than a cross-border merchant. 

Requirements:

• Chinese business license (营业执照) from your registered WFOE
• Chinese bank account verification
• Chinese trademark registration certificate
• Tax registration certificate
• Legal representative identification
• Business account verification fee: CNY 600
• Store deposit: CNY 2,000 to 5,000 for standard stores, CNY 100,000 to 400,000 for flagship stores, depending on product category

Advantages:

• Operate as a domestic merchant (境内商家) with full platform access
• No need for joint-liability entity partnerships
• Direct use of Chinese corporate bank accounts for settlements
• Products sold from domestic inventory with faster fulfilment (significantly improved logistics speed)
• Enhanced credibility with consumers preferring “domestic shipping”
• Access to full range of domestic e-commerce features

Disadvantages:

• Significant time investment to establish WFOE (typically 2-4 months)
• Higher initial costs (WFOE registration, office lease, staff hiring)
• Ongoing compliance and tax obligations
• Annual audit and reporting requirements
• Requires dedicated resources for entity management
• Better suited for established brands with long-term China strategy

Option 3: Partner with a Local Chinese Entity

Foreign brands can work with Chinese partners such as AppInChina, who provide Douyin promotion services, including Douyin Business Account (企业号) set up and store management. Douyin platforms are technically accessible to foreign companies; however, partnering with local experts addresses practical barriers, including Chinese-only interfaces, specialised platform knowledge, content production requirements, regulatory compliance, and market research.

Local Partners Can Help With:

• Account registration and verification
• Content creation aligned with Douyin’s best practices
• KOL identification and partnership management through Creator Marketplace (巨量星图)
• Advertising campaign setup and optimisation through Ocean Engine (巨量引擎)
• E-commerce integration: product uploads, inventory management, order fulfilment
• Regulatory compliance navigation across advertising, product claims, and platform rules

Advantages:

• Immediate market entry without establishing a Chinese entity
• Access to local expertise and platform knowledge
• Professional content production and localisation 
• Established KOL and agency networks for faster partnerships
• Risk mitigation through compliance expertise
• Lower initial investment than WFOE
• Ongoing support and optimisation
• Handle joint-liability entity requirements on your behalf

Disadvantages:

• Agency fees and service costs (varies by scope)
• Less direct control over day-to-day account operations

How Can Foreign Brands Succeed on Douyin?

Once a Douyin Business Account (企业号) has been opened, brands can integrate with Douyin’s shopping ecosystem, allowing brands to include their products in the Douyin Mall (抖音商城). Once on the Douyin Mall, brands can include product tags in videos, sell their products during live streams, and integrate one-click checkout capabilities, allowing users to transition from viewing content to purchasing products from your Douyin store. 

Successfully promoting your brand’s products on Douyin requires understanding the platform’s marketing ecosystem. Douyin has three main platforms that brands can use to help them succeed in China:

• Ocean Engine (巨量引擎). Ocean Engine is ByteDance’s advertising platform for creating and managing all paid advertising campaigns across Douyin, Toutiao, Xigua Video, and other apps, reaching 1.9 billion monthly active users across the network.
• Xingtu (巨量星图/Star Map). Xingtu is Douyin’s official influencer collaboration platform connecting brands with over 2.1 million registered KOLs and KOCs, providing AI-powered creator matching, campaign management tools, transparent pricing structures, payment processing, and real-time performance tracking.
• Douyin Analytics Dashboard (抖音商家管理). Douyin’s Analytics Dashboard allows brands to track performance, including video analytics, audience insights, e-commerce metrics, advertising performance, and competitive benchmarking.

These three platforms support brands promoting their products on Douyin by helping users discover entertaining content and increasing conversion rates to maximise ROI.

What is a Recommended Douyin Marketing Strategy?

Based on platform best practices and successful brand campaigns, an effective Douyin marketing strategy typically uses three traffic sources to drive conversions: organic content creation, e-commerce integration, and paid advertising amplification.

Content Creation (内容场)

Content creation is the foundation for increasing brand visibility. Douyin’s algorithm-driven “For You” page distributes content based on user interests and behaviour, rewarding videos that maintain viewer attention through completion. To maximise conversions through content creation, brands can: 

• Create short videos (15-60 seconds) and longer-form content (up to 15 minutes) that entertain first and sell second. Content with strong opening hooks in the first 3 seconds receives significantly more algorithmic distribution. The “share” metric carries particular weight because it indicates content resonates strongly enough for users to spread it to their networks.
• Partner with influencers through Xingtu (星图) to create authentic content that resonates with their audiences. Use Xingtu’s AI-powered matching system that analyses over 200 content dimensions to suggest ideal creator-brand pairings based on audience demographics, content style, and historical campaign performance.

E-Commerce Optimisation (商城场)

The Douyin Mall contributed to 40% of Douyin’s GMV in 2024, showing that users increasingly treat Douyin as a shopping destination. Brands can maximise conversion by: 

• Optimising product titles, descriptions, and store content with relevant keywords to improve discoverability. 
• Integrate live streaming commerce where products link directly to Douyin Mall storefronts, enabling instant purchasing. Over 40% of Douyin’s e-commerce GMV came through live streaming channels in 2024, with real-time demonstrations, limited-time offers, and interactive Q&A driving urgency.

Paid Advertising (广告场)

After content has been created, brands can use Douyin’s Ocean Engine (巨量引擎) to reach and target high-intent users with paid advertisement. Brands can target specific demographics, behaviours, interests, and devices. Brands can maximise conversions through paid advertising using:

• In-feed ads (信息流广告) to promote your best-performing organic content, typically videos with high completion rates, engagement, and positive comments. These native video ads blend with organic content in the “For You” feed.
• Search ads (搜索广告) to capture users at the highest intent point when they actively search for products. These ads appear at the top of search results for relevant keywords, connecting brands with users already in purchase mode.

What is Best Practice Overall for Douyin Marketing?

1. Create Entertainment-First Content

Success on Douyin requires content that prioritises entertainment value while naturally integrating commercial messaging. Simply repurposing content from other platforms will not succeed; content must be created specifically for Douyin’s format and audience expectations.

Brands aligning with trending content see significantly higher engagement rates. Focus on creating content that entertains first and sells second, using authentic presentation over polished advertising, sharing engaging stories with emotional hooks, and maintaining fast-paced editing that holds attention.

2. Optimise Content Formats

For short videos (15-60 seconds), focus on product demonstrations with entertainment value, before-and-after transformations, trending challenges adapted to brand messaging, and behind-the-scenes content.

For mid-form content (1-3 minutes), create detailed product reviews, story-driven narratives, expert demonstrations, and comparison content.

For extended content (3-15 minutes), develop in-depth tutorials, educational series, and comprehensive product guides.

Use 9:16 vertical format exclusively for full-screen mobile viewing. Employ dynamic editing with frequent scene changes. Add text overlays highlighting key points. Leverage trending music and audio from Douyin’s library.

3. Localise Content Beyond Translation

Simply translating Western content into Mandarin is insufficient for Douyin success. Content should align with local consumption expectations. Douyin’s culture revolves around viral trends and challenges. Brands that successfully participate see exponentially higher engagement. Branded hashtag challenges, encouraging user participation, trending music and sound effects are often seen in brand promotion.

4. Leverage Live Streaming Commerce

Live streaming is a significant sales driver on Douyin. In 2024, over 40% of Douyin’s e-commerce GMV came through live streaming channels. Maintain consistent streaming schedules (daily or multiple weekly sessions). Invest in professional production quality (lighting, sound, multiple camera angles). Drive interactive engagement through Q&A sessions. Create limited-time offers, generating urgency. Provide clear product demonstrations with transparent pricing and purchase instructions.

5. Maintain Platform Compliance

Douyin enforces strict content guidelines to maintain platform quality and comply with Chinese regulations. All paid partnerships must include “广告” (advertisement) or “合作” (collaboration) labels. Avoid misleading product claims, medical misinformation, content violating social values, inappropriate imagery, gambling, tobacco, restricted substances, and political content.

How Can AppInChina Help?

Douyin offers real potential for foreign brands to reach Chinese consumers, but navigating its Chinese-only platforms and unique platform practices requires specialised local expertise.

We can help by:

• Opening a Douyin Business Account (企业号). This can be done under your own overseas entity. We handle all registration requirements, including coordinating with qualified joint-liability entities. This is the first step to gaining access to Douyin’s marketing and e-commerce tools.
• Designing and running a marketing campaign for your brand in China. Maximise return on ad spend through data-driven targeting, high-quality creatives, and ongoing optimisation across Ocean Engine advertising, KOL and KOC partnerships, and live streaming operations.
• Managing e-commerce operations. Set up and management of Douyin stores, including product listings, cross-border logistics coordination, and customer support.

Contact us to set up your China presence and begin promoting your brand through Douyin.