Launched in 2012, Toutiao is a news aggregation app by Bytedance. It has an average of 120 million daily users who spend an average of 73 minutes a day on the app, even surpassing WeChat.

It’s sophisticated targeting AI offers personalized content, making it a great platform for advertising where the ads can appear in the users’ feed. Content creators get a certain percentage of Toutiao’s ad revenue along with rewards for hitting certain targets. Over 200,000 articles and videos are published on a daily basis on the app.

It’s a very lucrative market for brands to tap into. But first, you have to setup your official Toutiao Business Account to do so.

A STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS TO CREATE A TOUTIAO OFFICIAL ACCOUNT

Unlike WeChat, this app is focused on content creators and there are no functions in the app that can get your readers’ attention apart from the content. The content is ultra-targeted, allowing you to reach an audience that actually cares for your content. There are a massive amount of publishers and clickbait on the platform, but you can still work on publishing great content to set yourself apart.

Let’s check step-by-step on how to create a publisher account by yourself:

1. On the top-left, click on 头条产品 (Toutiao Product). Select 头条号 from the drop-down menu and click on it.
2. Then click on 注册 (Register).
3. Enter and confirm your Chinese phone number. To register with an email address click on 邮件注册.
4. Next, you’ll have to fill in your personal information – account type, account name, etc.
5. Write a short intro. It needs to be 10 to 30 characters. Emoji and special punctuation are not allowed. 
6. Add contact information or your website link.
7. Upload a profile picture and keep in mind that QR codes are not allowed
8. After completing your profile, you will get the option to upload more documents about your business. Mandatory documents are a Business license in .jpg or .png format.
9. The app requires you to download, fill in, and reupload a business information form. Click on ”download the file” and fill in: company name, website, account name, ID for person-in-charge of managing account, date, signature, and seal. You then need to upload the document.
10. On the same page, fill in the URL (optional), location, and email ID to receive notifications. Click on agree 请同意. You will receive another verification ID in order to complete the registration.
11. Once you are done on the desktop, finish your ID verification via the mobile app. In order to download the app, look for 今日头条.
12. Enter the same phone number that was previously used for the desktop. Wait for the verification code or log in with your phone and password.
13. Once in the app, click on 我的 (mine). Upload a picture of your ID card and confirm through face recognition. You’ll be shown 4 digits that you’ll have to read in Chinese mandarin in a 3 to 6-second video.
14. In the next 5 minutes, you will get a notification if your application is successful or not. Once your account is validated you can start publishing.

After getting set up, you can start publishing amazing content immediately. Also, you will need someone to manage your Toutiao account the same way someone manages your Wechat account.

Digital marketing is very dynamic. It’s not always easy to keep up with the changes, but if you are looking into new opportunities for your digital marketing strategy in China, then Toutiao will definitely set you for success.