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Introduction
Influencer marketing is no longer just a trend in China—it’s a proven revenue engine for e-commerce growth. From Xiaohongshu recommendations to Douyin livestreams, Chinese Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and Key Opinion Consumers (KOCs) now play an essential role in shaping brand perception and driving direct sales. For overseas brands entering China, leveraging influencer marketing can provide an instant bridge to local consumers—if executed strategically. This article outlines how to do just that.
1. Select the Right Platform for Your Category
1.1 Xiaohongshu for Lifestyle and Beauty:
Xiaohongshu is ideal for fashion, wellness, and beauty brands. Its community values product authenticity and peer-reviewed recommendations, making it a perfect launchpad for building trust and awareness through KOCs and micro-KOLs.
1.2 Douyin for Viral Reach and Conversion:
Douyin’s algorithm favors short, high-engagement content. Influencers on this platform can move massive volumes of products through livestreams or short video callouts, especially when paired with in-video purchase options.
2. Match KOL Type to Campaign Goals
2.1 Celebrity KOLs for Brand Awareness:
Top-tier KOLs have millions of followers and strong media exposure. For product launches or market entries, they offer brand legitimacy and media buzz—but come with high costs and low conversion certainty.
2.2 Micro-KOLs and KOCs for Targeted Sales:
Smaller influencers often deliver higher ROI through stronger audience trust and niche relevance. They are ideal for product seeding, discount code distribution, and authentic reviews that influence purchase behavior.
3. Collaborate on Native, High-Trust Content
3.1 Co-Created Scripts:
Collaborate with influencers on scripting to ensure key brand messages are delivered naturally. Avoid overly promotional content; instead, encourage real-life usage scenes or personal product narratives.
3.2 Local Cultural Cues:
Ensure influencer content reflects local habits, slang, and aesthetic preferences. For SaaS tools or e-commerce platforms, this might include demos showing compatibility with Chinese software ecosystems.
4. Embed Commerce Functions in Content
4.1 In-Post Product Tags and Mini-Program Links:
On Douyin and Xiaohongshu, influencers can embed product cards or mini-program links directly into their posts. These reduce friction and allow viewers to purchase immediately after engaging.
4.2 Livestream Shopping Integration:
For physical goods, partner with influencers during livestream sales. Let them demo the product live, answer questions, and guide users to purchase links—all within the same interface.
5. Track and Scale with Performance Metrics
5.1 Influencer-Specific Promo Codes:
Use unique promo codes to track conversions per influencer. This data helps refine which influencer personas or styles generate the best ROI.
5.2 Audience Behavior Analytics:
Monitor engagement rates, watch time, and bounce rates across platforms. Adjust your influencer strategy based on which audience groups respond best to which content formats.
Case Study: A UK Skincare Brand Converts on Xiaohongshu with 12 KOCs
A UK-based skincare SME launched in China by partnering with 12 KOCs on Xiaohongshu. Instead of pushing discounts, the campaign focused on “before-and-after” skincare journeys with personal commentary. Each post included a product tag linking to the brand’s WeChat Mini Program store. Within six weeks, the campaign generated over 5,000 orders, and nearly 40% of first-time buyers returned within the month. By combining low-cost influencers with seamless e-commerce integration, the brand achieved a CAC 30% lower than their other channels.
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!
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