KOL
Influencer Marketing

China Influencer
Marketing That
Converts

KOL and KOC campaigns across Douyin, Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu), WeChat, and Weibo — planned, vetted, and executed by our team in Shanghai.

KOL Campaigns KOC Seeding Live Streaming Content Review
Est. 2013
On the Ground
in Shanghai
4
Major
Platforms
100%
Influencer
Vetting
End-to-End
Campaign
Management
Person filming product content on smartphone for social media

Influencer marketing is the primary driver of brand discovery in China

Chinese consumers trust influencer recommendations more than traditional advertising. Nearly 60% of users on Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu) search for product reviews before making a purchase.

The Western concept of "influencer" splits into two distinct categories in China: KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) with massive reach, and KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers) with smaller but deeply engaged followings. The most effective campaigns combine both.

Shanghai Jungle manages the full influencer marketing process — from identifying the right creators and verifying their data, to briefing, content review, live-stream coordination, and performance reporting. We work across all major Chinese platforms and handle every step from our Shanghai office.

KOL vs. KOC

Two types of influence, two different roles

In the West, everyone is called an "influencer." In China, the distinction between KOLs and KOCs is fundamental — and understanding it determines whether your campaign budget is spent effectively.

KOL

Key Opinion Leaders

High-reach influencers with large, established audiences

KOLs are closer to celebrities in the Western sense. They have professional production teams, large followings, and significant influence in their content field. A single KOL post can generate massive brand awareness overnight. They are essential for product launches, shopping festival campaigns, and live-stream selling events.

Typical followers 50K – 500K+
Content quality Professional production
Best for Awareness & sales
Engagement rate Lower (broader reach)
Cost per post High
KOC

Key Opinion Consumers

Authentic reviewers with small, highly engaged communities

KOCs are everyday consumers who share personal reviews and product recommendations. Their content feels less polished and more real — which is exactly why it works. When Chinese consumers search for a product on Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu), KOC reviews are often the deciding factor. They build grassroots credibility that KOLs alone cannot create.

Typical followers 500 – 20K
Content quality Authentic & personal
Best for Trust & search presence
Engagement rate Higher (niche reach)
Cost per post Low
Our recommendation: A well-balanced approach works best for most foreign brands entering China. Start with KOC seeding to build a search presence and authentic reviews on Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu). Then layer in mid-tier and top-tier KOL partnerships for awareness and conversion. Live streamers — who work on a base fee plus sales commission — provide ongoing brand exposure and direct sales at a manageable cost.
Platform Breakdown

Where influencer marketing happens in China

Each platform has its own content format, audience profile, and influencer ecosystem. Choosing the right platform mix depends on your product, target audience, and campaign goals.

Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu)
The first place Chinese consumers search for product reviews
A social commerce platform combining Instagram-style content with product reviews and direct shopping. Dominated by product discovery and purchasing decisions. If your brand does not show up when someone searches here, it effectively does not exist for most Chinese consumers.
Monthly Active Users
300M+
Core Demographics
Tier 1–2, 18–35
Content Format
Photos & short video
Best For
KOC seeding & reviews
Douyin
China's TikTok — short video, live streaming, and commerce
The dominant short video platform in China with a fully integrated e-commerce ecosystem. Douyin's algorithm-driven feed makes viral reach possible even for new accounts. Live streaming on Douyin is a major sales channel, with top influencers generating significant revenue in single sessions.
Monthly Active Users
750M+
Core Demographics
All demographics
Content Format
Short video & live
Best For
Awareness & live sales
WeChat
Long-form content, private traffic, and highest conversion rates
WeChat is an ecosystem — messaging, payments, mini-programs, and content all in one app. Influencer content here takes the form of in-depth articles and WeChat Channels (short video). Reach is more limited than other platforms, but conversion rates to Tmall and other stores are the highest of any channel.
Monthly Active Users
900M+
Core Demographics
All demographics
Content Format
Articles & video
Best For
Conversion & CRM
Weibo
China's Twitter — trending topics, celebrity, and mass awareness
Weibo remains the go-to platform for celebrity endorsements, trending topic campaigns, and mass-market brand awareness. It offers the most affordable paid advertising relative to reach among Chinese social media platforms. Engagement tends to be broad rather than deep — ideal for generating buzz around launches and events.
Monthly Active Users
580M+
Core Demographics
Young urban users
Content Format
Posts, images & video
Best For
Buzz & mass reach
Young woman browsing social media on phone in Shanghai
Campaign Process

How we run influencer campaigns

Every campaign follows a structured process. Here is what it looks like when you work with us — from briefing to final report.

01
Strategy & Briefing
We define campaign objectives, identify your target audience, select the right platform mix, and create a detailed brief. This includes budget allocation across KOL tiers, content formats, key messages, and timing around shopping festivals or product launches.
02
Influencer Selection & Vetting
We shortlist influencers based on audience demographics, engagement quality, and content fit — not just follower counts. Every influencer goes through our verification process to check for fake followers and inflated engagement metrics before any contract is signed.
03
Negotiation & Contracting
We negotiate rates, deliverables, usage rights, and timelines directly with influencers or their agencies. All contracts are handled locally in Chinese, ensuring legal compliance and clear terms on both sides.
04
Content Production & Review
We co-create content with influencers, balancing brand guidelines with each creator's authentic style. All content is reviewed by our team before publication to ensure accuracy, brand alignment, and regulatory compliance. You approve final content before it goes live.
05
Publication & Amplification
Content is published according to the campaign calendar. We coordinate timing across platforms for maximum impact, and use paid amplification (Dou+ on Douyin, promoted posts on Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu)) to boost top-performing content.
06
Reporting & Optimization
We track impressions, engagement, click-throughs, and conversions for every piece of content. You receive detailed performance reports with actionable insights and recommendations for future campaigns. We refine the influencer mix continuously based on real data.
Pricing Models

What influencer campaigns cost in China

Influencer fees vary by platform, follower count, engagement rate, and content format. Here is a realistic overview of what to expect across different tiers.

Tier 1

KOC Seeding

500 – 20,000 followers

Cost-effective way to build a search presence on Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu). KOCs create authentic product reviews in exchange for free samples and a small fee. Ideal for building the foundation of product discovery and social proof.

Photo post Free – ¥500
Video post ¥500 – ¥3,000
Typical model Product + flat fee
Campaign scale 10 – 50 creators
Tier 2

Mid-Tier KOLs

20,000 – 200,000 followers

The sweet spot for most foreign brands. Mid-tier KOLs combine meaningful reach with strong engagement and authentic content. They drive both traffic and conversions without the premium pricing of top-tier creators.

Photo post ¥3,000 – ¥15,000
Video post (15–60s) ¥10,000 – ¥50,000
Typical model Flat fee or fee + commission
Campaign scale 3 – 10 creators
Tier 3

Top-Tier KOLs

200,000+ followers

High-impact creators for major product launches, shopping festival campaigns, and large-scale brand awareness. Top-tier KOLs deliver massive reach and often work with professional production teams. Live streamers in this tier can generate substantial sales in a single session.

Video post ¥30,000 – ¥200,000+
Live stream session Fee + 20–30% commission
Typical model Flat fee or commission-based
Campaign scale 1 – 3 creators
Video content delivers the best conversion rates and commands the highest fees across all platforms. Live streamers often accept lower base fees plus a sales commission (typically 20–30%), making them a cost-effective option for ongoing brand exposure and direct sales. Pricing also increases significantly around major shopping festivals — plan ahead and book early for Double 11 (November) and 618 (June).

The majority of influencers in China inflate their numbers

This is not an exaggeration. Follower counts, likes, comments, and engagement metrics can all be purchased cheaply in China. Since influencer fees are directly based on these numbers, the incentive to inflate them is strong — especially among small and mid-tier creators.

Paying full price for an influencer with fake engagement is one of the most common and expensive mistakes foreign brands make in China. It wastes budget and delivers no results.

  • We verify follower authenticity using data analysis tools and manual review
  • We check engagement patterns for signs of purchased interactions
  • We cross-reference audience demographics against your target consumer
  • We review past campaign performance and actual conversion data
  • We reject influencers who do not pass our verification — regardless of their quoted reach
100%
Influencers
Vetted
Est. 2013
On the Ground
in Shanghai
4
Platforms
Covered
Local
Team Running
Every Campaign
Why Shanghai Jungle

What makes our influencer marketing different

Rigorous Vetting
Every influencer is verified for follower authenticity, engagement quality, and audience demographics before any contract is signed. We reject creators who do not pass.
End-to-End Management
From strategy and selection through content review, publication, and reporting — we manage the entire campaign process. You approve content, we handle everything else.
On the Ground Since 2013
We have worked through every major platform shift in China's influencer landscape. Our relationships with creators and agencies are built on years of local presence.
Bilingual Coordination
European point of contact for your brand, Chinese team managing influencer relationships. Communication in your language, execution in theirs. No lost-in-translation moments.
Integrated with E-Commerce
Influencer campaigns are most effective when linked to product pages, stores, and live streams. As a Tmall Partner agency, we connect influencer content directly to sales channels.
Data-Driven Reporting
Transparent performance tracking with detailed reports on impressions, engagement, conversions, and ROI. We optimize the influencer mix continuously based on what the data shows.
Key Terms

China influencer marketing glossary

KOL (Key Opinion Leader)
A high-profile influencer in China with a large, established following — typically 50,000+ followers on Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu) or WeChat, and 100,000+ on Douyin or Weibo. KOLs are used for brand awareness, product launches, and live-stream selling. They are closer to celebrities than to the Western concept of a social media influencer.
KOC (Key Opinion Consumer)
An everyday consumer who shares product reviews and recommendations with a small but engaged following — typically under 20,000 followers. KOCs are valued for authenticity and trust. Their content feels personal rather than sponsored, which makes it particularly effective for driving purchase decisions on Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu).
Pugongying (蒲公英)
Little Red Book's (Xiaohongshu) official brand-creator collaboration platform. Pugongying allows brands to find, vet, and manage influencer partnerships directly within the platform. It provides audience analytics, content performance data, and a secure contracting system for brand-influencer collaborations.
Dou+ (抖+)
Douyin's content boosting tool that allows brands and creators to amplify the reach of organic posts through paid promotion. Dou+ extends content distribution beyond a creator's existing audience, making it a key amplification tool for influencer campaigns on Douyin.
Live Streaming E-Commerce
A sales format where influencers or brand representatives sell products in real time through video broadcast on platforms like Douyin, Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu), and Taobao Live. Live streaming combines entertainment, product demonstration, and time-limited offers to drive immediate purchases. Top live streamers in China can generate millions in sales during a single session.
UGC Seeding
A campaign strategy where brands distribute free product samples to a large number of KOCs and regular consumers in exchange for authentic social media posts and reviews. The goal is to generate a critical mass of user-generated content that populates search results on Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu) and builds organic brand presence before paid campaigns begin.
Tmall Partner (TP)
An agency officially authorized by Alibaba to set up, manage, and grow stores on Tmall and Tmall Global. Tmall Partners handle store registration, design, daily operations, marketing, customer service, and fulfillment logistics on behalf of the brand. Shanghai Jungle is an official Tmall Partner.
Shanghai Jungle is an official Tmall Partner. Influencer campaigns are most effective when directly linked to your e-commerce store.
Learn More
Shanghai Jungle office
Book a Discovery Call
Ready to launch influencer campaigns in China?
2013
Founded in Shanghai
100+
Brands Served
4
Major Platforms

Tell us about your brand and your goals in China. We will assess which platforms and influencer tiers make sense for your product, and put together a campaign plan with realistic budgets — no obligation, no generic pitch decks.

Whether you need a one-off product launch campaign or ongoing influencer management, every engagement starts with a 30-minute conversation where we listen first.

Official Tmall Partner Agency