(Source: https://pltfrm.com.cn)
Every year, the ranking of where overseas brands actually put their money shifts dramatically. In 2025, five platforms have clearly emerged as the primary recipients of digital advertising budgets—and understanding why will help you avoid wasting resources on yesterday’s winners.
1. Douyin (TikTok China) – Undisputed Leader at 40-50% Share
1.1 Full-Funnel Capability From brand awareness videos to instant checkout, Douyin now handles the entire consumer journey within one app. Overseas brands that build their own Douyin shop + KOL matrix see customer acquisition costs drop by 35% year-on-year.
1.2 Advanced Targeting and Giant Data Interest tags, behavior sequences, and lookalike audiences refined over years give Douyin unmatched precision, making it the safest large-scale spend for most categories.
2. Xiaohongshu – The Fastest Rising Star at 20-30%
2.1 Perfect for New Brand Launches Overseas brands unknown in China achieve 60-90% organic reach on Xiaohongshu when combining quality species notes with moderate paid amplification. The platform has become the de-facto “first stop” for beauty, fashion, and maternal products.
2.2 Highest Trust-to-Purchase Conversion User-generated lifestyle content creates trust that traditional ads cannot match, resulting in 3-5× higher conversion rates once users enter the shop.
3. Taobao/Tmall Alliance & Baidu – Stable 15-25% Backbone
3.1 Taobao Alliance for Performance Scale The renewed Taobao Alliance (super affiliate program) delivers some of the lowest CPA in the market for established overseas flagship stores.
3.2 Baidu for High-Intent Categories Healthcare, education, and premium durables still rely heavily on Baidu SEM + information flow for stable, high-quality traffic.
4. Kuaishou & WeChat Video Accounts – Essential 15-20%
4.1 Kuaishou for Lower-Tier Penetration CPM 40-50% lower than Douyin with strong conversion in Tier 3+ cities makes Kuaishou indispensable for daily necessities and fast-moving consumer goods.
4.2 WeChat as Private Traffic Foundation Video accounts + mini-programs create a closed ecosystem where brands own the customer relationship instead of renting platform traffic.
Case Study: New Zealand Dairy Giant a2 Milk In 2025, a2 Milk allocated 48% to Douyin, 28% to Xiaohongshu, 15% to Baidu, and 9% to WeChat/Kuaishou combined. The platform mix, combined with strict ROAS thresholds per channel, delivered RMB 1.2 billion in annual sales—making it the #1 overseas milk powder brand on Tmall for three consecutive years.
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. With over a decade of experience guiding overseas brands through platform selection and budget optimization, we deliver results that speak louder than promises. Contact us, and we will help you find the best China e-commerce platform for you. Search PLTFRM for a free consultation!
