(Source: https://pltfrm.com.cn)
Introduction
In 2025, China’s digital marketing budget is projected to hit $180 billion — larger than the rest of Asia combined. Overseas brands that understand the unique platform rules, cost structures, and consumer behavior are seeing 5-20× higher ROI than those using Western playbooks. Here’s exactly how to plan, launch, and scale successful campaigns in China this year.
1. Top 5 Must-Use Platforms for Overseas Brands in 2025
1.1 Douyin – The Growth Engine Average CPC: RMB 0.8–2.5 | Best for 18–35 audience | Livestream GMV grew 87% YoY.
1.2 Xiaohongshu – Trust & Conversion 90% female users | Lifestyle & beauty brands achieve 8-15% conversion rate via notes + live.
2. Realistic Advertising Costs & ROI Benchmarks
2.1 Platform-by-Platform Cost Breakdown 2025 WeChat Moments CPM: RMB 60–180 | Douyin Information Flow CPC: RMB 1.2–4 | Baidu Search CPC: RMB 5–50 (high-intent).
2.2 Typical First-Year Budget for Mid-Size Overseas Brand Awareness stage: $300k–$800k USD | Conversion stage: $500k–$1.5M USD | Average ROI 250–600% when executed correctly.
3. Building a Full-Funnel Strategy in China
3.1 Top-of-Funnel (Awareness) Douyin + Bilibili + Xiaohongshu KOL seeding → 50–100 million impressions target. 3.2 Mid-Funnel (Consideration) WeChat Official Account + Mini-Program + retargeting ads → 3–8% click-to-Mini-Program rate.
4. Working with KOLs & KOCs the Right Way
4.1 Tier Strategy 10 Tier-1 KOLs + 200 KOCs delivers better ROI than 50 mid-tier KOLs in 2025. 4.2 Contract & Compliance All KOL contracts must include “advertising” label and product authorization letter to pass platform audit.
Case Study: New Zealand Manuka Honey Brand
A premium Manuka honey brand entered China in Q4 2024 with $600k budget. We executed:
- 150 Xiaohongshu KOLs + Douyin live marathon (28 consecutive days)
- Tmall Global flagship store launch synchronized with campaign Result: Sold out 6-month inventory in 38 days, achieved RMB 43 million GMV, ranked No.1 in Tmall honey category within 3 months.
PLTFRM is an international brand consulting agency that works with companies such as Red, TikTok, Tmall, Baidu, and other well-known Chinese internet e-commerce platforms. We have been working with Chile Cherries for many years, reaching Chinese consumers in depth through different platforms and realizing that Chile Cherries’ exports in China account for 97% of the total exports in Asia. Contact us, and we will help you find the best China e-commerce platform for you. Search PLTFRM for a free consultation!
