Douyin 抖音 is China's dominant short-video platform, with over one billion monthly active users as of June 2026. Its advertising business generated approximately RMB 280 billion in 2025, making it the largest single advertising platform in China.

For international companies assessing their China digital strategy, Douyin is increasingly difficult to ignore. But getting started requires more than creating an account. The platform has its own advertising infrastructure, compliance requirements, and content logic that differ significantly from anything in Western markets.

This guide walks through the practical steps to advertise on Douyin as an international company, from understanding the platform to setting up your account, choosing your ad format, and managing your first campaign.

Key takeaway: Douyin advertising runs through Ocean Engine, ByteDance's ad platform. International brands need either a Chinese business entity or an authorised agency partner to access paid campaigns. The process involves account registration, localized content production in Mandarin, and campaign setup through Ocean Engine. 

Step 1: Understand What Douyin Is (and Is Not)

Before committing budget, it is worth being clear about what Douyin actually is and how it differs from platforms you may already use.

Douyin and TikTok are built on the same ByteDance technology, but they are separate platforms. They have different content libraries, creator ecosystems, advertising systems, and commerce infrastructure. A TikTok ad account gives you no access to Douyin, and content that performs on TikTok does not transfer automatically.

Douyin operates exclusively within mainland China and is subject to Chinese internet regulations. All advertising content must be in Mandarin and adapted for Chinese cultural context. Ad accounts, payment, and compliance all require a Chinese business entity or an authorised local partner.

Is Douyin right for your business?

Douyin is primarily a B2C platform. Its content model, in-app commerce, and influencer ecosystem are built around consumer purchase behaviour. For B2B companies, the platform is most relevant as a brand awareness channel, not a direct lead generation tool.

B2B sectors where Douyin tends to perform well include:

• Agricultural technology and food production equipment

• Industrial automation and smart manufacturing

• Life sciences and medical devices

• High-tech components with strong visual applications

• Companies building employer brand or partner credibility in China

For companies with highly technical products, very long sales cycles, or limited content production capacity, Douyin advertising is unlikely to be the right first investment. In that case, WeChat and Baidu are more appropriate starting points.

Step 2: Sort Your Access Requirements

International companies cannot simply sign up for a Douyin ad account the way they would with Meta or Google. There are specific registration and compliance requirements that must be resolved before any paid activity can begin.

Option A: Set up through a Chinese business entity

If your company has a registered entity in mainland China, you can apply for a Douyin enterprise account and Ocean Engine advertiser account directly. You will need:

• A valid mainland Chinese business licence

• A corporate bank account with a Chinese bank

• A registered trademark or brand authorisation letter

Option B: Register with an Overseas Business Licence

International companies without a registered Chinese entity can apply for a Douyin advertising account directly through Ocean Engine (巨量引擎), Douyin's official advertising platform. Ocean Engine accepts overseas business licences, so working with a Chinese agency is not a requirement for submitting an application.

The registration process involves:

1. Submit an application: Visit Ocean Engine International and complete the advertising account application form.

2. Provide company documentation: Submit your overseas business licence and company details. Additional documents may be required depending on your industry.

3. Wait for approval: Ocean Engine reviews your application to confirm your company's eligibility to advertise.

4. Set up payment and campaigns: Once approved, you can arrange payment and begin setting up your Douyin advertising campaigns.

Companies can work with an experienced China marketing agency to help with account registration, Mandarin advertising content, audience targeting and campaign management.

Step 3: Register Your Account and Complete Blue V Verification

Once your access route is confirmed, the next step is setting up your Douyin enterprise account and completing Blue V verification.

Blue V is Douyin's official brand certification for enterprise accounts. It is the equivalent of a verified business badge and is required before you can run paid advertising through Ocean Engine.

Blue V status gives you:

• Access to Ocean Engine for paid campaign management

• Longer video upload formats (beyond the standard limit for personal accounts)

• Customised brand profile features including a dedicated landing page tab

• Stronger algorithmic reach for organic content

To complete Blue V verification, you or your agency partner will need to submit your Chinese business licence, brand assets, and contact details through Douyin's enterprise portal. Processing typically takes five to ten business days.

Once verified, your account is ready to connect to Ocean Engine and begin campaign setup.

Step 4: Choose Your Ad Format on Ocean Engine

Douyin's advertising platform is called Ocean Engine. It is the central system for planning, buying, and managing all paid campaigns on Douyin. Think of it as the equivalent of Meta Ads Manager, but built specifically for ByteDance's ecosystem.

Ocean Engine uses behavioural data drawn from Douyin's content consumption patterns to power its targeting. Advertisers can reach audiences based on interest categories, purchase history, geographic location, demographic attributes, and lookalike audiences modelled on existing customer data.

Ad formats available on Ocean Engine

For most international B2B brands running their first Douyin campaign, in-feed ads and Spark Ads are the most practical starting points. In-feed ads offer flexible targeting and measurable reach. Spark Ads allow you to amplify content that has already shown organic traction, which reduces creative risk.

Step 5: Produce Platform-Native Content

Content production is where many international brands underestimate the investment required. Douyin's algorithm prioritises content that feels native to the platform. Translated or repurposed material from other markets consistently underperforms.

Effective Douyin advertising content requires:

• Mandarin-language video, produced for the platform rather than adapted from global assets

• Awareness of current platform trends, including popular formats, audio, and visual styles

• A consistent publishing cadence to build algorithmic momentum over time

• Cultural relevance, which goes beyond translation and includes tone, references, and visual framing

For B2B companies, the most effective content formats on Douyin tend to be short product demonstrations, application case studies, factory or production footage, and industry commentary from credible voices. Abstract brand messaging rarely performs well.

A practical note on creative quality: Douyin's algorithm rewards creative performance directly. A well-produced, platform-native video will consistently outperform a higher-budget campaign running generic creative. Allocating sufficient budget to content production is important, as content quality directly affects ad delivery and cost efficiency.

If your company does not have in-house capacity to produce Mandarin short-form video content consistently, this should be factored into your decision about whether to invest in Douyin at this stage.

Step 6: Set Your Budget and Campaign Objectives

Your Douyin advertising budget will depend on your objectives, audience and campaign scale. For planning purposes, distinguish between a baseline testing budget and the monthly spend needed for a more structured campaign:

• Baseline testing budget: €1,000–€2,000 per month. A practical starting point for a small, focused campaign with one clear objective and a limited number of ads. This can help you gather initial performance data and assess audience response, although it leaves less room to compare different audiences and creative approaches.

• Realistic monthly advertising budget: €3,000–€5,000. A stronger starting point for international brands running a structured campaign. This provides more room to test multiple ads, optimise targeting and build on promising results over several weeks. Larger campaigns and premium placements may require substantially higher investment.

These amounts cover paid advertising spend only. Content creation and campaign management require a separate planning budget of approximately €2,000–€4,000 per month, depending on the volume of content, production requirements and management scope. Original filming or frequent new content production can increase this amount.

Treat these figures as planning guidelines and use the initial campaign results to refine your ongoing budget.

Disclaimer: The prices and budget ranges in this article are indicative reference points for Douyin advertising and related services. They are intended to support initial planning and should not be read as fixed package prices or a final quote.

Final budgets and service fees are determined after reviewing your specific requirements and the agreed scope of work.

Setting campaign objectives

Ocean Engine allows you to optimise campaigns towards several objectives, including:

1. Brand awareness (reach and impressions)

2. Traffic (clicks to a landing page or WeChat account)

3. Lead generation (form fills within the platform)

4. App installs (less relevant for most B2B brands)

5. Video views (engagement with content)

For B2B companies, brand awareness and traffic objectives are typically the most relevant. Lead generation campaigns can work in sectors where buyers are willing to submit enquiries through the platform, though this is more common in B2C categories.

The Bottom Line

Advertising on Douyin as an international company is achievable, but it involves more preparation than most Western platforms require. The key steps are: confirm your access route (Chinese entity or agency partner), complete Blue V verification, produce platform-native Mandarin content, choose the right ad format for your objective, and set a realistic budget that reflects both media spend and content production costs.

For B2B companies, Douyin works best as a brand awareness channel rather than a direct lead generation tool. It is most relevant for sectors with visual products, industry KOL communities, or a need to build credibility with Chinese procurement audiences. In our experience, brands that see the strongest results treat Douyin as part of a broader China digital strategy that also includes WeChat for engagement and lead nurturing.

NextportChina ran a Douyin KOL campaign for Lely's automated milking system, using industry influencers to drive awareness among Chinese agricultural professionals. The campaign worked because the product had strong visual appeal, a relevant KOL community existed on the platform, and the content was produced specifically for Douyin rather than repurposed from other markets.

Considering Douyin as part of your China marketing strategy?

Get in touch with our team to discuss whether the platform is the right fit for your business and what a realistic programme would look like.