How Douyin Helps Influencers and Digital Marketing
Douyin and Tiktok are the newest social media apps which businesses should make their marketing tool. Both are owned by Byetdance. They are the platforms which turn young twenty-somethings into overnight celebrities. They create a bridge between your business and the younger generation.
It’s yet another social media app your business has to understand. And you’ve only started Instagram the other day.
Before I talk about my experience using Douyin, I want to establish that I think social media works well for creating a brand and building a loyal consumer fanbase. In my spare time, I use TikTok. It’s a fun app and the statistic is true – users do usually spend an hour addicted to the app.
If you’ve never heard of Douyin, the Chinese app has some strong marketing power. It has helped China’s economy recover post-lockdown through e-commerce, tourism and a focus on luxury brands (i.e. Michael Kors). Douyin has a great focus on influencers as well.
There Are 600 Million Daily Users
With 600 million daily users, Douyin is not a social media app to ignore. When I first started my channel, I soon had 3000 followers after a month of posting videos. My channel posts about books, British language and tourism. The first videos were reviews of books for 7-8 year olds. While it might seem difficult to build followers, Douyin is a great app for this. There is also something scary about filming yourself talking – or filming your business – for the first time. But it’s worth it. Now, my channel has 26K visitors, who comment and like the videos. In less than a year, that’s an amazing achievement.
There Was Still Human Connection in a World in Lockdown
One of the most amazing things about social media: it connected us in a time when the world stood still. Humans stayed inside. Nature returned. We waited – and still wait – for the pandemic to pass over. Like many social media, Douyin gave its consumers an opportunity to feel connected to other people. The high engagement on my videos has included one posts achieving 265K views and 482 comments.
With social distancing being a huge aspect of our lives, the world of social media has almost stood in as a place outside of the pandemic where we can connect to others. You might be scrolling on Instagram, liking your friend’s Facebook post, or searching through the ‘For You’ page on TikTok. The social media apps we use have helped us stay updated on information and connected in a time where we all sheltered from each other. I’m aware social media has its flaws – the comparisons to idealised lives being one of them. However, social media has connected us to people we miss, the local businesses we want to support and maybe even the influencers who live thousands of miles away from us, standing in front of their bookshelves, talking about English Literature.
The Format Allows for Popular Posts
The content users can post on Douyin mainly include short, often thirty-second videos. This content is brilliantly matched for a world where people are busy in their daily lives, and may only have a few minutes to relax on social media. My short videos often explain one aspect of British language, or recommend one book. Followers might only have a few minutes but may learn some English or decide on their next read. Being able to quickly catch-up on information, see influencers, local businesses and friends online can make your day a lot easier.
The format of these videos allows for videos to become a lot more popular. It is quick to watch in comparison to apps such as YouTube. This often means people see more content, like more posts and share them with friends.
A Note on Douyin
Douyin is one of the newest and most popular social media apps in China. Whilst I am new to being an influencer, it has been a great process to learn about the app, find a niche (books), and help my followers. After eight months, it’s lovely to still talk about books and literature. What is better than connecting to people about something you love, like books?
If you love your business, I’d recommend giving an app like Douyin a try. Alternatively, if you’re looking for an influencer in the education, book, tourism or culture sector then I can help you to reach a Chinese audience. See our influencer page for details.
