The Evolution of Douyin (Chinese TikTok) for Content Creators
My observations from 2019 till now (2023)
TikTok and Douyin (抖音, the Chinese counterpart of TikTok) are both under the ownership of ByteDance. Although they share a similar appearance and logo, they currently operate independently. Douyin was introduced in China back in 2016 and has since grown to become the country’s largest entertainment platform, boasting hundreds of millions of daily active users.
My journey with Douyin began when I registered as a regular user in 2018, but it was in 2019 that I started creating short videos and generating content on the platform. As a user and content creator, I have had the privilege of witnessing the platform’s transformation and how it has influenced audience preferences. These changes could potentially offer insights into the future of TikTok, which, in my view, appears to resemble Douyin from five years ago. By understanding this trajectory, we may be able to harness emerging trends.
1 Initial release (2016–2017)
Douyin was launched by ByteDance as A.me in September 2016 and was rebranded as Douyin (抖音) in December 2016. In just one year, it gained 100 million users, with over one billion daily video views.
At its inception, A.me primarily focused on music videos, while its major competitor, Kuaishou, had already ventured into short video content. Initially, content creators were predominantly invited to join the platform, and the content was predominantly music-related or featured fresh background music.
In 2017, Douyin began inviting celebrities to the platform and started expanding internationally, especially in Japan. This international expansion marked the beginnings of TikTok’s global success. Additionally, Douyin sponsored the first Rap show in China, gaining significant exposure among young audiences. Later in 2017, ByteDance acquired musical.ly in the United States.
As the platform transitioned from its initial stage, the primary content categories were music videos (or videos with music), videos featuring impressive visual effects, and creative video transitions. Users were captivated by the coolness factor of these videos, something typically seen only in international big-brand commercials.
The primary content creators included celebrities, individuals with music or video editing skills, and a minority of internet celebrities or KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders), who were known to specific audiences but not as widely recognized as other influencers. Only a few ordinary users began sharing regular content.
2. 2018–2019: Rapid Growth Stage (Pre-Pandemic)
Starting in 2018, new opportunities emerged. One significant milestone was the integration of Taobao stores with Douyin videos, marking the first time users could monetize their content on the platform. This integration allowed Taobao merchants to use Douyin as a marketing channel, although only a few leveraged this feature at the time.
Amateur users began creating videos and gaining followers, with content creators finding it exceptionally easy to attract followers during this phase. Douyin’s strategy was to onboard more content creators to prevent content homogenization. Users could “purchase” followers (without engaging in cheating) by promoting their videos to a wider audience, at a remarkably low cost of 1–10 cents per new follower, making it an incredibly economical marketing channel.
During this period, another noteworthy trend emerged — Personal IP (Intellectual Property). This IP refers to more personal branding or influences rather than some patents. Many content creators started building their own IP in various domains, such as education, food, and business.
This gave rise to the trend of coaching or consulting to develop personal IP. There was a belief that anyone could teach something on Douyin, provided they identified their target audience. While not entirely untrue, practical implementation was challenging.
3. 2019–2022: The Pandemic Era
Simultaneously with the rise of personal IP, Multi-Channel Networks (MCNs) made their appearance in the Douyin landscape. These agencies represented internet celebrities and initially catered to specific niche groups, not widely recognized by the general public. However, as Douyin’s appeal grew, more smaller MCNs entered the Douyin business.
MCNs sought to recruit new stars, ranging from talented dancers to online fortune-tellers, and even individuals without any specific talents but who could be transformed into internet celebrities. Between 2020 and 2021, personal IP became one of the most discussed topics on Douyin.
In tandem with these developments, Douyin continued to expand its e-commerce offerings, introducing live streaming to enable simultaneous streaming and selling.
The B2B platform, OceanEngine, was introduced in early 2019, connecting business clients with content creators. Using data and insights, Douyin helped clients identify suitable creators for in-video commercials or facilitated media buying on the platform.
According to industry peers (though unverified), Douyin offered the best return on investment (ROI) for media buying among all advertising channels. A primary factor was the platform’s large daily active user base and its highly effective algorithm. Douyin also ventured into B2C e-commerce.
During the pandemic lockdown in China, overseas vloggers received increased support from Douyin, resulting in their videos receiving better exposure compared to others. Consequently, some overseas Chinese vloggers quickly gained millions of followers.
4. 2022–2023: Post-Pandemic Landscape
B2B media buying has become more versatile, with an increasing number of brands joining the platform. Unlike traditional TV commercials, Douyin offers more precise targeting, not only based on user segments but also on video content and timing. The algorithm enables commercial videos to adapt and evolve themselves.
As the Chinese economy enters a more stable phase, Douyin is actively seeking to attract more overseas brands to OceanEngine, allowing them to directly reach their potential customers.
Live streaming continues to be the central and predominant feature on the platform.
5 Future Outlooks
For Western content creators on TikTok, entertainment videos remain the dominant genre, making it a highly competitive space. To succeed on TikTok, focus on a specific niche and strive to become a top creator in that category. You don’t necessarily need millions of followers; even a few thousand or hundreds of loyal followers can significantly improve your prospects and earnings.
For businesses, this is an opportune time to explore Douyin for media buying. You don’t need to plan extensively or create your own account; results are what matter. Make modest investments to test your ideas; sometimes, a viral video can lead to a substantial increase in sales.
For both content creators and businesses, it’s a good time to explore live streaming. This trend began in Chinese Douyin three years ago. However, due to cultural differences and compliance regulations, replicating the Chinese experience may pose challenges. The future of live streaming on Douyin outside of China remains to be seen.
