Create your Douyin Account: A Complete Guide to open an account on Chinese Tik Tok

For brands targeting Chinese consumers, presence on Douyin means exposure to millions every single day.

If you don’t know how exactly Douyin works, think about TikTok. Douyin, one of the biggest marketing channels in China, is simply the equivalent of the Western famous TikTok, in fact, it’s the mother app and Chinese version of Tik Tok used in Mainland China. Massively popular among younger generations, creating a Douyin account is a great opportunity for advertising for foreign brands.

If you do not know how to start, don’t worry. Within this article, you will find insights into Chinese Tiktok from signing up to the verification process. Let’s get started so that you reach your Chinese audience on the platform.

You can register for the Douyin app through either Google Play Store or the Apple store depending on your device.

Signing up an account on Douyin for IOS users

1. To download Douyin app, first of all, go ahead to your Apple ID. Select media & purchases and click. Now tap on view account.

From there, select the region/country setting.

Now select China Mainland and go ahead and agree with the terms and conditions.

Almost there. As you agree with the terms and conditions, you will be asked to choose your payment method. If you do not have an access to a China-based payment method (which requires a Chinese phone number) just choose ‘none’ as shown in the photo. Complete the form by filling in your details.

Now that you have changed your region settings, it is time to download Douyin app from the Apple app store.

When the app download is completed, click to open it, and to sign up follow the same steps explained above for the Android phone version. It is the same process.

Signing up an account on Douyin for Android users

Users who are not located in China will not be possible to start the process through Google play. But there is a solution.

1. Go type douyin.com on your browser and open the official Douyin app website. From there you will find the download section.

2. Tap on the android option. On the pop-up window click on the download Douyin selection. Continue with clicking the OK selection on the new pop-up window when you get a warning if you want to keep the file or not.

3. Now tap ‘open’ to start installing the app. 

4. You cannot download files from Google unless you approve. Therefore, click ‘Settings’ at the security and turn on the switch for ‘Allow from this source.’

5. Now that you approved the installation, go to the file manager and finish the installation process.

6. Your app is ready, go ahead and find it on your home screen and open it up

7. Time to sign up for your account:

• First tap ok on the terms and conditions
• Now look on the right bottom of the page, you will have to click on ‘me’ which looks like this in the Chinese characters 我
• You will be asked for your mobile phone. Type it in correctly adding your country code.
• With the pink colored select button, you will click on ‘send code’ looking like this: 获取短信验证码–Now you will need to do the security puzzle
• After that check on your mobile for the code and enter it correctly.
• The next step is to sign in! You are all set.

How to have a verified account on the Douyin app?

Now that you have an account with Douyin, it would be beneficial as a brand to go through the verification process. Doing so will change your common account into an official one giving you advantages such as a verification tick to your brand’s label for increased credibility, receiving analytics, and the possibility to market products while live streaming (available only to native Douyin stores, so it’s crucial to open a Douyin Store as well).

To start the verification process, personal accounts must have at least one video shared, a linked mobile phone number, and a minimum of ten thousand followers.

For business account verification, businesses need to provide a Chinese business ICP license. This type of account also requires a yearly fee payment and access to Chinese phone numbers.

Douyin account verification:

1. On your browser type and search the official Douyin home page

2. As shown in the image below, click on the button to apply for verification

3. On the pop-up page comes a QR code, simply scan the code. Now you will be asked to fill in the verification form.

You will get a verification code. Later, a Douyin representative will reach out to you within a week of submitting the verification form. This contact is either to ask for more information or to outright approve your verification.

Why is it worth having a verified account on Douyin?

Douyin marketing is essential for foreign brands to reach out to potential customers. The Chinese version of Tik Tok offers a variety of marketing solutions to help brands create visibility, engage with customers, and optimize results on the platform.

Businesses can use Douyin’s algorithms for data-driven discovery to reach potential audiences through audience targeting, retargeting campaigns, and influencer collaborations.

Brands can also use content optimization tools to create a consistent voice and content strategy. Furthermore, they can leverage Douyin’s AI-driven optimization technology to adjust their campaigns in real-time, ensuring maximum impact over time.

Through these features, brands can run sophisticated marketing campaigns on Douyin that effectively reach users.

Need help with the Douyin App? Reach out to us!

Starting the process can be daunting for foreign brands. If you are looking for how to start a marketing campaign on Douyin, reach out. Our agent will help you establish a strong presence on the platform. We will provide you with tailored solutions to ensure your success and maximize ROI.

Get in touch today to find out how we can help your business. We offer a free consultation with one of our experts, that will present you with opportunities in Mainland China.