With the rise of social media platforms, Chinese internet giant ByteDance has established its own social media platform, Toutiao. Toutiao, also known as Jinri Toutiao, is a content platform, first launched in 2012, which provides users with personalized news feeds, short video clips, and a social network function.
Toutiao’s content is powered by artificial intelligence algorithms that analyze the user’s behavior, interests, and location to provide them with tailor-made news and entertainment, making the platform a popular destination for millennials and Gen Z users in China. Toutiao has over 120 million daily active users, and more than 10,000 media partners, which makes it one of China’s most popular media platforms.
The app’s algorithm is also responsible for the app’s success. The platform uses an algorithmic recommendation system which curates user-specific content based on what a user reads, interacts with, and shares within the platform, which increases user satisfaction rates. Toutiao’s user interface is straightforward, with a clean design and intuitive navigation, which makes it easy for users to access desired content.
Apart from news and video content, Toutiao also houses a range of functions such as its social networking service, TiaoHe, which allows users to find friends based on common interests and chat with one another. There’s also a live-streaming feature called Douyin, which is similar to TikTok, as it allows users to create and share videos that are 15 to 60 seconds long.
Impressively, ByteDance has achieved tremendous success by monetizing the platform using native, non-invasive advertising, which is embedded into the platform content to increase user engagement. The strategy has driven Toutiao’s ad revenue to over $10 billion in 2020, with most of it coming from China.
Toutiao’s revenue generation strategy has attracted advertisers to the platform, ranging from multinational brands such as Pepsi, Colgate-Palmolive, and L’Oral to local startups. The platform offers a plethora of advertising options, including in-app advertising, promoted content, and e-commerce ads that use artificial intelligence to match users with specific products.
In conclusion, Toutiao is a social media platform that businesses looking to tap into the Chinese market should pay attention to. The platform presents an opportunity to reach millions of Chinese consumers through targeted, engaging advertising. With increased user engagement, an intuitive interface, and a capable algorithm, Toutiao is poised to remain at the forefront of China’s digital media revolution.