Starting influencer marketing in China can feel like entering a completely new digital ecosystem — and in many ways, it is.
With over 1.2 billion active social media users, China has the world’s largest and most dynamic influencer market. Platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu redefine how consumers discover products, engage with brands, and make purchases.
For global brands, this represents a massive opportunity — but success requires more than translation or copying Western strategies. Chinese social platforms run on unique algorithms, local culture, and trust-based influencer ecosystems.
This complete guide explains how influencer marketing works in China, the platforms that matter most, the role of KOLs and KOCs, campaign setup steps, legal considerations, and how to build a data-driven strategy that achieves real results in the Chinese market.
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What Is Influencer Marketing in China?
Influencer marketing in China have become an essential tool in digital marketing and advertising. Better known in China as KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders), people with a large number of followers on social networks such as Little Red Book (chinese version of Instagram), Douyin (Chinese TikTok), WeChat, Kuaishou, Toutiao and Weibo.
KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) in China are people with large numbers of followers on social networks such as Little Red Book (Chinese Instagram), Douyin (Chinese TikTok) or WeChat
In addition, Chinese social influencers have great sway in the opinion of their audience, which makes them a key element for brands looking to promote their products and services.
Chinese influencers are considered professionals on social media in China, as they know how to stand out, in addition to having a great ability to promote and sell products effectively.
Their success is the result of the sum of their interesting personalities and their extensive knowledge of Chinese social media. Moreover, Chinese consumers rely heavily on recommendations from people they follow on social media, underscoring the importance of understanding this market.
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