While TikTok has become a household name across the globe, its Chinese counterpart, Douyin, often raises curiosity. So, what is Douyin? Launched in 2016 by ByteDance, a year before TikTok, Douyin is a separate entity made exclusively for the Chinese market, with content not shared between the two platforms. The name "Douyin," meaning "shaking sound" in Chinese, emphasises its focus on music and sound-centric short form videos. Although Douyin is the Chinese version of TikTok, marketers looking to engage audiences in China need to understand that TikTok and Douyin function differently and require distinct strategies. If you have a TikTok official account, you’ll need a separate account for Douyin.
Table of Contents
- Why Douyin thrives in China?
- What does Douyin have in common with TikTok
- Douyin vs TikTok - Key differences marketers should be aware of
Why Douyin thrives in China?
The rise of Douyin in China can be partly attributed to the "Great Firewall," which restricts international platforms, allowing unique homegrown Chinese social media platforms like Douyin and WeChat to flourish. This separation ensures that Douyin complies with China's stringent internet regulations, isolating its content ecosystem from TikTok.
The app also offers a frictionless user experience, with no need for new users to connect with others before engaging with content. The platform's algorithm ensures an infinite and personalised content flow, making it incredibly engaging and addictive.
What does Douyin have in common with TikTok?
Parent company
ByteDance is the tech giant behind both Douyin and TikTok. Its first product, Toutiao, was a news aggregator that personalises news based on user behaviour. This resulted in users spending an average of 74 minutes daily on the platform hence this algorithm became the basis of Douyin and TikTok’s success.
User interface
Both apps have a similar user interface, so it might be difficult to tell the difference between the two. They both utilise a vertical short form video format were users swipe up to watch the next video and the same user engagement features most people would be familiar with such as likes, comments, shares.
Video editing
Both platforms offer built-in video editing tools including filters, effectives, text overlays, and an extensive music library to allow users to create polished and engaging videos with ease.
Douyin vs TikTok - Key differences marketers should be aware of
E-commerce and live streaming
While TikTok offers live streaming and TikTok Shop, live commerce is far more common and popular in China reflecting the importance of having these features on Douyin. In China, live commerce reached nearly 5 trillion yuan in 2023, dwarfing the US market's $50 billion USD projection.
Users commonly access the Douyin Shop via live streams, where products are showcased, and viewers can purchase items without leaving the app. Whereas, it is more common to access TikTok shop on videos via the For You Page (FYP), particularly in the West. This seamless integration, along with the real-time interaction between viewers and Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), drives higher engagement and trust resulting in the popularity of live commerce in China. Viewers can ask questions about products and get immediate responses, boosting their confidence in making purchases.
Source: Statista 2024
Mini programs
Douyin’s mini programs are lightweight applications accessible via the platform, similar to WeChat mini programs. These apps offer a range of functionalities, such as e-commerce, games and traditional services like ride-hailing and food delivery. These mini programs enhance the user experience by providing additional services without leaving the Douyin app, creating a more integrated and versatile platform.
New features
Douyin often tests new features in China before rolling them out globally. For instance, Douyin Shop was launched before TikTok Shop. Additionally, in 2019 Douyin beta-tested in-video search capabilities, where facial recognition technology was used to identify products and people in videos and show related content, however this feature was not as successful as it never officially launched across the platform.
.gif?width=254&height=429&name=tiktok%20in%20video%20search%20(1).gif)
Another advanced feature Douyin has is image search, which allows users to take a photo of an item and the platform’s search engine can identify relevant content based on Douyin. Marketers can ensure they optimise for this feature on Douyin by ensuring their videos showcase their products so if anyone searches for their product in this way, they can easily identify what the product is, information about the product and any reviews of the product on the platform..gif?width=194&height=382&name=fdsdfbf%20(1).gif)
Douyin's image search
Algorithm differences
Douyin’s algorithm tends to favour high-quality content from major brands and established KOLs, making it a more media-centric platform. This contrasts with TikTok’s algorithm, which promotes smaller, local creators, allowing for a more community-driven content landscape. Douyin’s keyword search algorithm also prioritises accounts with more followers and verified enterprise accounts, giving them more exposure. This makes Douyin particularly well-suited for KOL marketing in China, where large accounts dominate the For You Page (FYP). However, creating high quality videos and partnering with KOLs can be costly, so if you are serious about marketing in China but find the content creation cost too high, we recommend building your digital marketing foundations with a WeChat account first.
Content focus
Douyin’s content often leans more towards educational and skill improvement videos, with over 160 million users on Douyin were interested in education content in the first half of 2023. This contrasts with TikTok, where the content is generally more entertainment-focused, including dance challenges, comedy skits, and viral trends. The educational content on Douyin attracts users interested in self-improvement and learning new skills, contributing to a diverse content ecosystem.
While Douyin and TikTok share a common ancestry under ByteDance, they cater to different audiences and operate under distinct internet landscapes. Douyin’s adaptation to Chinese cultural and regulatory frameworks makes it a unique phenomenon in China’s digital space, while TikTok continues to captivate a global audience with its diverse and dynamic content offerings. Each platform exemplifies how localised content and features can significantly influence the success of social media platforms in different regions.
If you’re feeling ready to take on Douyin, but not sure where to start? Our team can help you set up your Douyin Official Account. Contact our team today to start your Douyin journey today.
See Sinorbis in action
Contact our team to learn how we can help bolster your digital experience in Asia.
