Many celebrities have jumped on the bandwagon to create an account on Douyin (aka TikTok) – the most popular short video app in China. Some of them have the power to influence millions of people with a single post. As of August 22, 2023, Andy Lau, an actor and singer from Hong Kong, is the most followed celebrity on Douyin. His account had amassed about 75 million fans in China. The second place belonged to the Taiwanese singer and composer Will Liu with about 68.4 million followers.
What is Douyin?
Launched by ByteDance in 2016 as a 15-second music video UGC app, Douyin is one of the pioneers in the “fast entertainment” industry. Within merely four years, the app managed to reach 600 million daily active users. Behind Douyin’s success is its sophisticated AI-based algorithm, which is designed to learn user preferences so well as to constantly fine-tune which videos should appear on the feed to get users to stay in the app. Viral videos on Douyin can gain up to 200 million views within 24 hours.
Douyin and influencer marketing
Owing to its massive user base and traffic, the Chinese TikTok has become a new marketing battlefield sought after by many brands. The app offers display ads, buzz marketing, and live-streaming functions for companies to promote their products. Foreign cosmetics brands Olay, Guerlain, and Unny have also reached out to top-tier influencers on Douyin to boost their brand awareness.
