Buyer's Guide · Paid Social in China

How to Choose a Douyin & Rednote Advertising Agency

How advertising and creator marketing work on Douyin and Rednote, the questions to ask, the red, yellow and green flags to watch for — and a neutral directory of providers.

Published: 2026-09-28
Updated: 2026-09-28

This guide is written for companies choosing a provider for paid advertising and creator collaborations on Douyin and Rednote (Xiaohongshu). It applies to any provider, including those listed in the directory below. Disclosure: Jademond Digital publishes this guide and offers paid social advertising in China; it is listed in the directory alongside other providers.

The Short Answer

A living account comes first: ads perform better when they lead to a verified brand account with regular, useful posts — not to an empty profile.
Official channels only: ads through the platforms' own ad systems, and paid creator collaborations through their official creator platforms — never as hidden, undisclosed posts.
Real audiences, real results: no bought followers, views or comments, and reporting on searches, leads and sales — not only on likes.
Your accounts, your data: brand and ad accounts registered to your company, with full access.
Compliance built in: sponsored content labelled, claims checked against China's Advertising Law, and industry qualifications in place.

Douyin and Rednote at a Glance

How the Two Platforms Compare

Users: Douyin: about 936 million monthly active users. Rednote: about 300 million monthly active users (QuestMobile and platform figures)
Main intent: Douyin: entertainment-first discovery and edutainment in short video and livestreams. Rednote: information seeking and purchase research in notes and short video
Search: Both are major search destinations. Rednote reports that more than 70% of its users search on the platform
Ad platform: Douyin: Ocean Engine (巨量引擎), with Qianchuan (巨量千川) for e-commerce advertising. Rednote: Juguang (聚光) for feed and search ads
Creator platform: Douyin: Xingtu (巨量星图). Rednote: Pugongying (蒲公英)
Typical fit: Douyin: reach, product demonstration, livestream commerce. Rednote: consideration and trust, especially for lifestyle, beauty, travel, education and premium consumer products

Access for foreign companies. Ocean Engine states that it accepts non-Chinese business licenses for Douyin ad accounts. For Rednote, foreign brands can verify an overseas professional account, but direct access to the Juguang ad platform usually requires a Chinese entity or a local partner that handles setup, billing and compliance. Requirements change often; confirm the route for your company in writing.

Disclosure rules are enforced. Rednote requires paid creator collaborations to run through Pugongying. In mid-2023 it penalized 2,456 brands for undisclosed paid posts, and permanently banned 87 of them. Sponsored content must be identifiable as advertising under China's Advertising Law.

What a Good Douyin and Rednote Engagement Includes

Account foundations: Verified brand accounts on each platform, set up in your company's name, with regular informational posts so that people who see an ad find a credible, active account
Audience and search research: Research into how your audience searches and what content it engages with on each platform, in Chinese
Platform-native creative: Vertical video and notes made for each platform — not translated or re-cut Western material
Paid campaigns: Feed and search ads through Ocean Engine or Juguang, with targeting, budgets and testing
Creator collaborations: KOL and KOC partnerships selected with platform data and contracted through Xingtu or Pugongying
Compliance: Advertising labels, Advertising Law checks for claims and industry qualifications
Community management: Responding to comments and questions, and monitoring sentiment
Measurement: Tracking of searches, saves, leads and sales — plus reporting in your language

Types of Providers — and When Each Fits

Full-service social agencies: Strategy, account management, creative, ads and creators from one team. Suited to brands without their own China team.
Performance agencies: Focus on paid campaigns and conversion. Suited to brands with existing accounts and content.
Creator / KOL agencies and MCNs: Specialists in influencer selection and collaborations; MCNs also manage creators themselves. Check whether they recommend creators independently of their own roster.
Content studios: Produce video and notes; usually combined with another provider for ads and account management.
Western agencies with a China practice: Familiar contracts and time zones; check who manages the accounts day to day and where the creative is produced.
In-house team: Your own Chinese-speaking social team, sometimes supported by an agency for ads, creators or audits.

Questions to Ask Every Provider

Ask these in writing and compare the answers side by side.

In whose name will the brand and ad accounts be registered, and will we get full access?
Which route will you use to advertise on Rednote and Douyin for a company like ours?
How will our accounts look before ads start? Ask what will be posted, how often and by whom.
How do you select creators? Ask which data you use to check audience quality, and whether all paid collaborations run through Xingtu or Pugongying.
How do you detect fake followers and engagement?
Which fees do we pay? Ask for management fees, creator fees, platform fees and media spend separately.
Who produces the creative, and how is it made for each platform?
How are claims and qualifications checked? Especially for cosmetics, food, health and other regulated categories.
What will you report, and in which language? Ask for a redacted sample report that goes beyond views and likes.

Red, Yellow and Green Flags

Red flags point to practices that platforms penalize or that waste budget. Yellow flags deserve a follow-up question. Green flags are signs of a provider that works transparently and knows both platforms.

Red Flags

Undisclosed paid posts: Paying creators outside Xingtu or Pugongying for posts that look organic (私单, 水下笔记). Rednote has penalized thousands of brands for this and banned some permanently.
Bought engagement: Offers of followers, views, likes, saves or comments (刷量), or fake comment campaigns (水军). Platforms detect and remove such activity, and it distorts your data.
Guaranteed virality or views: "Guaranteed 1 million views" or "guaranteed viral". Reach can be bought through ads, but organic virality cannot be promised.
Orchestrated reviews and seeded notes: Networks of accounts posting coordinated "personal experiences". Reviews and recommendations must be genuine.
Accounts in the agency's name: Brand or ad accounts registered to the provider, or access withheld. Leaving can mean losing the account, its followers and its data.
Borrowed qualifications: Running ads in a regulated category with another company's licences or documents.
Non-compliant claims: Absolute claims such as "best" (最佳), or unapproved health, efficacy or cosmetic claims, which breach China's Advertising Law. Check ad copy for free
Diverting users off-platform: Using side accounts or hidden contact details to move users away from the platform, which Rednote's rules prohibit.

Yellow Flags

Ads to an empty account: Campaigns planned before the brand account has any credible content.
Follower counts as the only creator criterion: No data on audience quality, location, age or engagement authenticity.
Vanity reporting: Reports built on views and likes without searches, saves, leads or sales.
Translated creative: Western ads subtitled or re-cut instead of content made for vertical video and notes.
Same content everywhere: Identical posts on Douyin and Rednote, although users come with different intentions.
One platform for everyone: The same platform recommended for every client, regardless of audience and industry.
No community management: No plan for responding to comments and questions.
Creator fees bundled with management: Costs you cannot break down into creator fees, platform fees and agency fees.

Green Flags

Account foundations first: Verified brand accounts with regular, useful posts before paid campaigns scale.
Official channels: Ads through Ocean Engine or Juguang, and paid creators through Xingtu or Pugongying — with clear labels.
Data-based creator selection: Creators chosen for audience fit and verified engagement, not follower counts.
Native creative: Content made for each platform by people who use it.
Search as well as feed: Keyword and search planning on both platforms, where much purchase research happens.
You own everything: Brand and ad accounts registered to your company, with full access and data.
Transparent costs: Management, creator, platform and media costs shown separately.
Compliance built in: Claims checked, labels applied and qualifications prepared before launch.
Outcome reporting: Reports in your language on searches, saves, leads and sales.
Test and learn: A defined test budget, clear success criteria and regular optimization.

Engagement and Pricing Models

Account setup: A one-off fee for account verification, profile setup and initial content
Account foundations retainer: Regular informational posting and community management to keep accounts active
Campaign management: A monthly fee or a percentage of media spend for running ads
Creator campaigns: Creator fees paid through Xingtu or Pugongying (including platform service fees), plus an agency fee for selection and management
Media spend: Prepaid into the ad accounts, separately from agency fees

Provider Directory

The directory is an editorial selection of providers that state on their own website that they offer social media advertising or creator marketing on Chinese platforms. It is not a complete list and not a ranking. Providers are listed alphabetically within categories based on the location of their headquarters. Each entry states only facts published on the provider's own website at the time of review. Use the questions and flags above to evaluate any provider, including those listed here.

Disclosure: Jademond Digital publishes this guide and is listed under "China-based agencies". No provider paid to appear. Providers can request additions or corrections at hello@jademond.com. Last reviewed: 28 September 2026.

China-Based Agencies

Jademond Digital: Headquarters: Guangzhou · Other office: Tianjin · Founded: 2012 · Paid social advertising on Douyin, Rednote and WeChat, including account setup and informational posting to keep brand accounts active; no viral content production · jademond.com
Nanjing Marketing Group: Headquarters: Nanjing · Rednote, WeChat and Bilibili marketing, content creation and video production, advertising · Languages: Chinese, English · nanjingmarketinggroup.com
Sekkei Digital Group: Headquarters: Shanghai · Other offices: Paris, Manila · Social media marketing on WeChat, Weibo, Douyin, RedNote, Bilibili and Zhihu, influencer marketing, advertising · sekkeidigitalgroup.com
SEO Mandarin: Headquarters: Sanya, Hainan · Other office: Hong Kong · Founded: 2012 · Social media marketing, WeChat marketing and KOL marketing alongside search services · seomandarin.com

Hong Kong-Based Agencies

The Egg: Company: The Egg Company Limited · Headquarters: Hong Kong · Other offices: Shanghai, Guangzhou, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul · Social media, programmatic and media buying, SEM and SEO in China · theegg.com

Western Agencies with a China Practice

China Marketing Corp (CMC): Company: China Marketing Corp Ltd · Headquarters: Leeds, UK · Chinese social media marketing, KOL marketing, PPC, e-commerce · chinamarketingcorp.com
Digital Crew: Company: Digital Crew Inc. · Headquarters: New York, USA · Other offices: Shanghai, Guangzhou, Sydney, Malta, Mumbai · WeChat, Weibo, Little Red Book, Douyin, KOL marketing, Tmall, Baidu · digitalcrew.agency
HAMKAI: Company: HAMKAI GmbH · Headquarters: Hamburg, Germany · Influencer and livestream marketing, WeChat, content marketing, e-commerce (Tmall, JD) · hamkai.de

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a foreign company advertise on Douyin and Rednote?: Yes, but the routes differ. Ocean Engine, Douyin's advertising platform, states that it accepts non-Chinese business licenses. On Rednote, foreign brands can verify an overseas professional account, but direct access to the Juguang ad platform usually requires a Chinese entity or a local partner. Confirm the current route for your company in writing.
Should I advertise on Douyin or on Rednote?: It depends on your audience and goal. Douyin is strongest for reach, product demonstration and livestream commerce; Rednote is strongest for consideration and purchase research, and more than 70% of its users search on the platform. Many brands use both, with content made separately for each.
Why does an active brand account matter for ads?: People who see an ad usually check the brand's account. An empty or inactive profile undermines trust and conversion. Regular, useful posts make the account credible before paid campaigns scale.
What are the biggest red flags when hiring a Douyin or Rednote agency?: Undisclosed paid creator posts outside Xingtu or Pugongying, bought followers or engagement, guaranteed virality or views, orchestrated reviews, accounts registered to the agency, borrowed qualifications, non-compliant claims and diverting users off-platform.
What happens to brands that run undisclosed paid posts on Rednote?: Rednote requires paid creator collaborations to run through Pugongying. In mid-2023 it penalized 2,456 brands for undisclosed paid posts and permanently banned 87 of them, using a points system that escalates from reduced reach to account suspension.
How should I choose KOLs and KOCs?: Choose creators by audience fit and verified engagement rather than follower count, check audience data through the official creator platforms, and contract paid collaborations through Xingtu or Pugongying so they are properly labelled.
What should reporting include?: Beyond views and likes: searches, saves, profile visits, leads and sales, plus costs broken down into media, creator and agency fees — in a language you can read.
Is the provider directory a ranking?: No. Providers are listed alphabetically within categories based on the location of their headquarters. The directory is an editorial selection, not a complete list. Jademond Digital publishes the guide and is one of the listed providers.