China’s social commerce space revolves not around ambient influencer posts, but an intricate ecosystem where content, commerce and credibility converge. British brands stepping into this arena must unlearn much of what they assume about sponsorship in the UK and embrace the layered roles of KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders), KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers) and KOSs (Key Opinion Sellers).

“China is a global leader in influencer marketing, with the market for key opinion leaders (KOLs) reaching billions of pounds worth of sales, a scale unmatched in the West,” says CBBC’s Director, Consumer Economy Antoaneta Becker. KOLs like Li Jiaqi the ‘lipstick king‘, regularly drive hyper‑growth via marathon livestreams. Becker reminds us that “big isn’t always better” — sometimes niche, mid-sized creators outperform giants on return on investment. KOCs —micro‑influencers with smaller but highly engaged followings — often play the most effective role in initial trust building. They provide authenticity, especially among Chinese consumers who tend to trust peer reviews more than polished celebrity endorsements.

Platform dynamics differ sharply, too. In the UK, an influencer post may raise awareness; purchases generally happen later, off‑platform. In China, platforms like Douyin (short video plus Mini Shops), Xiaohongshu (content-led discovery), Taobao Live (livestream‑driven sales) and WeChat mini‑programs link community, content and commerce in real time. A single livestream can sell out stock in minutes if logistical readiness, message alignment and platform strategy are in place.

The contrast is striking: whereas UK shoppers are comfortable with keyword search and independent product research, Chinese consumers rely on multiple touchpoints — sometimes eight or more — before buying, placing influencer-driven livestreams or lifestyle content at the centre of the journey.

This difference produces very real errors. UK brands can fall into the traps of misallocating budgets, chasing marquee KOLs without matching audiences or not ensuring inventory readiness. Some refused to adapt messaging or packaging after KOC-led feedback, and ultimately saw partnerships cancelled or campaign efficacy drop dramatically.

By contrast, successful brands use KOCs early to validate messaging and packaging through Influencer Focus Group or similar sessions. Once the story resonates, they scale via KOL livestream collaborations — yet always with careful alignment of inventory, platform mechanics and sales fulfilment. In a recent CBBC panel, Ntola Obazee of Emma Bridgewater explained that “live streaming in China now accounts for 10% of Emma Bridgewater’s sales, with live streamers often creating videos of the unboxing experience and doing live reviews of products” — demonstrating the power of co-created content paired with real-time conversion via influencer formats.

The benefits are compelling: livestream-led campaigns can produce dramatic sales spikes, micro‑influencers seed grassroots trust, and private‑domain marketing via WeChat mini‑programs or group chats fosters loyalty and repeat purchase. WeChat groups in China can be very effective if key opinion communities are pushing products through and mobilising with great content and brand support.

However, the influencer economy brings real risk. Fake followers and inflated engagement are widespread; studies suggest up to 45% of influencer metrics may be fabricated, often through Multi-Channel Network (MNC)-driven embellishment. High-profile scandals — such as livestreamer Viya’s abrupt ban for regulatory infractions — can trigger blackout-like disruptions and literary vanish entire campaign plans overnight.

Cost structures also diverge. In the UK, flat‑fee sponsorship is common; in China, KOL deals often involve commission-based remuneration (typically 10–30 %) or MCN-managed bundles. Brands must account not only for talent cost but stock readiness, logistics and contingency planning — missing stock at the moment of conversion can immediately undermine credibility.

To compete effectively, UK brands must recalibrate their strategy. They should engage micro‑influencers early, adapt assets and packaging via focus testing, co-design livestream programmes, plan inventory and logistics robustly, and use KOLs and KOCs in tandem to seed trust and scale. They must prepare to build community in WeChat private domains rather than assume platform checkout alone will convert UK-style posts into sales.

China’s influencer ecosystem demands theatre and trust anchored in real-time commerce. Brands that replicate a UK influencer playbook — isolated macro-influencer mentions or studio shoots — are unlikely to make an impact. Those that design a multi-tiered influencer strategy — seed with KOCs, amplify with KOL livestreams, convert on Douyin or Taobao, and retain via WeChat — stand to perform at a level far beyond UK norms.

UK brands engaging in China’s social commerce must treat influencer marketing less as sponsorship and more as an integrated sales channel, rooted in live content, platform-native formats, tight logistics and trust-led storytelling. Those that get the ecosystem right unlock not just sales spikes, but scalable, sustainable consumer journeys.

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Most brands nowadays will be familiar with China’s unique social media platforms – WeChat, Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Douyin – and how they compare to their Western counterparts like Instagram and Facebook. While there are many similarities between Chinese and Western platforms, particularly in terms of their young, entertainment-hungry audience, their differences mean that marketers need to subtly shift their strategies when creating content for the Chinese market, particularly when it comes to influencer marketing – or KOL (key opinion leader) marketing, as it is usually known in China.

Chinese consumers have traditionally been seen as being very receptive to seeking recommendations for new products and ideas online. This has been reflected in the format of user-generated content-driven platforms like Xiaohongshu and also in the degree of acceptance and importance given to influencers. “Chinese consumers are more receptive to promotional content because it is more of a guide,” says Robin Liu, co-founder of social media marketing agency Influencer Hub International.

“They are used to searching for information about the products on social media, which is the start of the customer purchasing journey.” Liu notes that OgilvyOne reported that over 55% of Chinese users had participated in online discussions about brands and that these discussions are able to directly affect businesses. It can be difficult for audiences to discern the extent of promotional content because people naturally trust and accept the influencers.

In either market, influencers from famous media or professional backgrounds or with a large number of loyal followers will automatically win more trust. Liu notes that the biggest difference between Chinese and UK influencers is professionalism, and the emergence of multi-channel networks (third-party services that work with multiple channels and creators to develop content), also known as MCN, is the key reason for this difference. Thousands of MCNs in China, such as Dayu Media, Mei One, and Hive Media, offer professional training and a variety of resources to influencers. More importantly, this number is still growing. According to iiMediaResearch, there were 30,000 MCNs in China in 2021, responsible for some of the country’s biggest internet celebrities, such as ‘Lipstick King’ Li Jiaqi (prior to a recent controversy that saw him disappear from the internet) and Papi Jiang.

As a result of this “content factory” structure, there is less pressure on influencers to be “authentic” or anti-commercial, especially since their careers were often started on social commerce platforms, as WWD China Markets Editor Tianwei Zhang noted in an interview with High Snobiety. That being said, the most popular influencers are still those that have successfully blended their own unique style and topics that genuinely move them with relevant brand partnerships.

Clearly, the ecosystem for influencers and brands is much more mature and well-regulated in China, as Jake Xu, co-founder of Shakeup Cosmetics, points out. Based on Shakeup’s experiences, this means that “Chinese social investment is much more costly than in the West, but this is in proportion to the size of the market. Commercially, influencer campaigns in China generate more tangible and visible monetary return… and brands get better control of their ROI.”

“Consumer awareness and mature warehousing and logistics infrastructure have played a big role in the rapid growth of [the influencer ecosystem] in China,” adds Liu. This infrastructure has been particularly beneficial to social commerce, with more than 70% of Chinese consumers saying that they are likely to shop on social media platforms, far ahead of the 42% worldwide average. But the UK is catching up, with social commerce expected to grow by 37.5% to reach over $21 billion (£17.3 billion) by the end of 2022.

But with so much content being churned out every day, consumers in China and the West are starting to complain of “influencer fatigue”. So how can companies keep working with influencers while making sure that the content is true to their brands and also appeals to consumers?

“Simply put, it is about improving creativity,” Liu says. “Rather than direct sponsored content, brands should consider product placement with well-selected influencers based on the target audience. Brands should also consider giving the influencer more artistic control over the content to make it more authentic and engaging for their audience. For long-term projects, such as launching a new brand in the China market, companies can consider identifying and developing a key opinion consumer (KOC) (the equivalent of a “micro influencer” in the Western market) that can grow alongside the brand and build following and reputation organically.

Many of the lessons learned from influencer marketing in the West can be applied to KOL marketing in China, and vice versa. Whatever market you are working in “make sure the size of the prize can justify the risk before you commit,” cautions Xu.

Call +44 (0)20 7802 2000 or email enquiries@cbbc.org now to find out how CBBC can further help you identify the best social commerce platforms for your brand and target market in China.

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