Before we work together, you may want these answers first
We have compiled the 56 questions most frequently asked by brands and agencies during collaboration discussions — resource authenticity, pricing standards, execution timelines, platform rules, effect boundaries, and after-sales guarantees. Direct answers, consistent standards, no runaround.
ACompany & Qualifications
Understand who Hongbo Interactive is, our capability boundaries and partnership thresholds
What kind of company is Hongbo Interactive? What is the core business?General
Hongbo Interactive is an omni-channel new media integrated marketing service provider. The team was founded in 2013, positioned as the "efficient outsourced media department" for brands and agencies, specializing in influencer buying, media strategy, social media integrated marketing, content production and overseas influencer seeding.
Hongbo Interactive's team was founded in 2013 and has cultivated the new media marketing field for over a decade. Our core positioning is the "efficient outsourced media department" for brands and agencies. Business lines include: domestic omni-platform influencer resource buying, self-owned MCN influencer incubation, and overseas influencer resource buying, forming a three-tier supply structure of "purchased influencers + self-owned influencers + cross-border influencers". Services cover mainstream social platforms such as Douyin, Xiaohongshu, Video Account, Kuaishou, Bilibili, Weibo and WeChat, as well as text and video distribution through central and provincial mainstream media channels.
How many years has the company been established? How many brands and partners have you served?General
The team was founded in 2013, with 10000+ brands served and 3000+ stable agency partners, covering mainstream industries such as beauty, maternal & baby, apparel, home appliances, food, wellness, daily goods and 3C.
Key milestones: 2013, team founded, focusing on national print media channels; 2015, obtained official media agency qualification and built self-media matrix; 2017, entered e-commerce seeding, serving 1500+ e-commerce brands; 2019, focused on Xiaohongshu track, obtained MCN qualifications across six platforms including Douyin, Xiaohongshu, Weibo, Bilibili, WeChat and e-commerce; 2021, built a 100-person team and standardized the "strategy + content + delivery + review" service system; 2024, added self-owned Douyin influencer incubation and overseas influencer seeding; 2025, established the "efficient outsourced media department" service positioning. The above data is based on company statistics and can be substantiated with corresponding cases during business discussions.
What does "outsourced media department" mean? How does it differ from an ordinary influencer broker?General
An outsourced media department takes on the client's media function with a stable team, covering the full chain of strategy, selection, content, execution, data and review. Unlike a brokering model that only matches and places orders, deliverables and accountability boundaries are written into the contract.
An ordinary brokering intermediary typically only completes the three steps of "find influencer - quote - place order"; content quality, posting timing and data recovery are often outside the service scope. The outsourced media department model differs in three ways: first, a fixed project team is assigned (BD + project manager/AE + media + content), delivering by SOP; second, each stage has clear deliverables (requirement breakdown list, influencer proposal sheet, execution schedule, daily and weekly reports, wrap-up report); third, we take on content compliance review and posting schedule control. It is suitable for brands and agencies that lack an in-house media team or want to reduce labor and communication costs.
Which industries do you mainly serve? Is my category suitable?General
Industries with mature playbooks include beauty & skincare, maternal & baby, apparel & outdoor, home appliances & 3C, food & beverage, health & wellness, daily FMCG, tech & IT, automotive, etc. Categories requiring special qualifications must complete qualification verification first.
Tracks with concentrated delivery experience: beauty & skincare, maternal & baby, apparel & outdoor, home appliances & home, 3C digital, food & beverage & tea, health & supplements, daily FMCG, automotive, tech & IT. It should be noted that medical aesthetics, health foods, medical devices, financial products, education & training and similar categories are subject to strong platform regulation. Clients must provide corresponding qualifications (such as product filing, test reports, business licenses, etc.) before we can accept the project. Projects without qualifications will not be accepted, to avoid platform penalties and compliance risks.
What is the team size and structure? Is execution outsourced?General
The team has about 300 people, organized into three layers: front-office business development, mid-office strategy & project management, and back-office media execution & content production. Strategy, selection, content, delivery and review are all completed in-house, with no end-to-end outsourcing.
Team structure (based on company statistics): 10+ business directors responsible for overall strategy and communication themes; 80 dedicated media specialists for influencer coordination and scheduling; 50+ content team members for promotional material production; 40+ project managers and AEs for project follow-up and data synchronization; 60+ influencer incubation team members. The significance of full-chain in-house delivery is that delivery quality and progress are controllable, accountability is clear when issues arise, and there is no information decay caused by multi-layer subcontracting.
Do partnerships require a contract? Can you issue invoices?General
All partnerships are governed by formal contracts that specify service scope, delivery standards, timelines and liability for breach. VAT invoices can be issued; quotes default to tax-exclusive, with a 6% tax rate.
Standard cooperation process: requirement confirmation > proposal & quote > contract terms confirmation > sealed by both parties > execution per agreed payment schedule > delivery acceptance > invoicing & settlement. The contract will specify the cooperation amount, payment method, acceptance standards, delivery deadline and liability for breach; actual fees are based on the accepted confirmation amount generated during execution. Quotes default to tax-exclusive at a 6% rate; whether tax is included is separately marked on the quote to avoid settlement ambiguity.
BService Scope & Business Pillars
Six business pillars, available standalone or bundled, covering the full marketing funnel
What specific services do you offer?General
Six business pillars: national authoritative media distribution, omni-channel influencer content seeding, content shooting & production, nationwide influencer offline store visits, self-operated matrix accounts, and overseas resource seeding & distribution. Each can be used standalone or combined into a full campaign.
1) National authoritative media distribution: 1000+ official media channels, covering central mainstream media, local mainstream media, industry vertical media and portals, suitable for new product launches, corporate news, brand upgrades and reputation management.
2) Omni-channel influencer content seeding: KOL/KOC/layperson pyramid matrix delivery across six social platforms.
3) Content shooting & production: short video, image-text, product retouching, on-site shooting, secondary editing of influencer raw footage.
4) Nationwide influencer offline store visits: local influencer on-site shooting and distribution across 300+ cities nationwide.
5) Self-operated matrix accounts: 200+ self-operated matrix accounts, available as stable content outlets.
6) Overseas resource seeding & distribution: resources across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and other platforms in 20+ countries.
Can we run delivery on a single platform only? Is bundling into a full campaign required?General
Yes. The six business pillars can be used standalone or combined into an omni-channel solution, configured to the client's actual marketing goals and budget, with no mandatory bundling.
Three common engagement forms: first, single-platform specialty (e.g., Xiaohongshu seeding only or Douyin store visits only); second, multi-platform combination (e.g., Xiaohongshu for search coverage + Douyin for exposure + Video Account for endorsement); third, annual framework partnership, scheduled in batches across the brand's annual marketing calendar. Recommendation: when budget is concentrated on a single conversion goal, prioritize single-platform depth; when there is a dual goal of brand awareness and search presence, combine at least two platforms.
Beyond influencer delivery, can you handle content shooting and production?General
Yes. Our in-house content team supports image-text edited short videos, product voice-over, on-site demonstration, event videos, secondary editing of official news footage, refined editing of influencer raw footage, as well as cover image and product retouching design.
Supported types: short video (image-text edited short video, product voice-over seeding, product demonstration short, offline event video, secondary editing of news footage, refined multi-version editing of influencer raw footage); image & design (Xiaohongshu cover image, product detail image, retouched image, on-site shooting retouching). Shooting scene resources include residences, villas, apartments, hotels, furniture malls, etc., and can accommodate large home appliance shooting needs. Delivery standard: default 2 rounds of draft revisions, with 30% production fee per additional round; 30% surcharge for rush delivery; deliverables are watermarked-free final cuts + raw materials + source files, with commercial license provided.
Can you do offline store visits? Which cities are covered?General
Yes, the local store-visit influencer network covers 300+ cities nationwide, mainly on Douyin, Xiaohongshu and Weibo, supporting both flat-fee exposure and pure-commission CPS models.
Applicable scenarios: store openings, new product launches, large offline events, daily local traffic. Flat-fee model: the client pays a fixed promotion fee, the influencer visits the store for on-site shooting and publishing, suitable for buzz-building projects with a clear promotion budget; pure-commission CPS model: no upfront promotion fee, the influencer shares revenue based on verified in-store orders, suitable for new store soft openings and small stores for daily traffic. Execution essentials: store-visit videos must tag the precise store location (not the city-level location), otherwise it is difficult to gain precise local traffic; content must be shot on-site, no web images or composite materials allowed.
Can you do overseas promotion? Which countries and platforms are covered?General
Yes. Overseas resources cover 20+ countries, with 10000+ overseas influencer resources accumulated, mainly on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook, providing influencer collaboration, localized content distribution and cross-border social media operations.
The challenge of overseas delivery is not just language, but also platform ecosystem differences, audience habits, influencer collaboration methods and settlement methods. Service approach: match local influencer combinations based on target markets, produce localized content, and complete distribution and data recovery per platform rules. Suitable stages: new brands entering new markets can use small-batch buying of mid-tier and layperson influencers to test market acceptance at low cost; mature brands can do regional matrix coverage at scale.
Do you have self-operated account resources?General
Yes. We have 200+ self-operated matrix accounts covering Douyin, Xiaohongshu, WeChat and other platforms, with a total follower base of 50 million+; plus self-owned MCN-incubated entertainment marketing and automotive/tech vertical accounts.
The value of self-operated accounts is that they do not depend on external influencer availability: urgent requests can be fulfilled quickly, daily communication can continuously build awareness, and during the cooperation period they can serve as stable content outlets for the brand. The self-owned MCN (Honghe MCN) focuses on two verticals—entertainment marketing and automotive/tech—covering Douyin, Xiaohongshu and Video Account. Entertainment content can be aligned with film/TV/variety promotion cycles, music festivals, e-commerce mega-sales and other milestones for soft brand integration.
Can you distribute articles through central and official media? What formats are available?General
Yes. Media resources are tiered by credibility into central mainstream media, provincial official media and industry vertical media. Collaboration formats include basic text press releases, in-depth reporter interviews, converged media matrix pushes and homepage top-placement features.
Tiered application: central mainstream media is suitable for top-level brand endorsement, major honors, brand upgrades and reputation management; provincial official media is suitable for regional brand rollouts, city events and routine reputation building, with relatively higher cost-effectiveness; industry vertical media is suitable for precise communication in segmented categories.
Four collaboration formats: basic text press release (link remains long-term, can be used for wrap-up archiving); in-depth reporter interview (exclusive article + accompanying short video); converged media matrix push (official website + official Douyin/Video Account/Headlines account synchronized distribution); homepage top-placement feature (homepage focus position exposure).
Important note: official media articles must be news-oriented and objectively worded; articles with absolute terms, exaggerated efficacy or unsupported data will be rejected.
CInfluencer Resources & Selection Criteria
Resource scale, authenticity verification and proposal mechanism
How large is your influencer resource pool? Which platforms are covered?General
The active influencer resource pool exceeds 1 million, with 28000+ long-term deep-collaboration accounts and a total follower base of over 300 million, covering six mainstream platforms: Douyin, Xiaohongshu, Video Account, Kuaishou, Bilibili, Weibo and WeChat.
The resource structure is pyramid-shaped: top KOLs handle brand endorsement and topic ignition, mid-tier influencers carry the main deep seeding load, and KOCs and laypersons handle volume coverage and keyword positioning. The company's ERP system contains 50000+ resources with stable order records, maintaining regular collaboration frequency with influencers. In addition, it includes 330+ Douyin and Video Account resources from central and local media editors, as well as store-visit and local-life group-buying influencers covering the entire country.
Are all these influencers signed under your own roster?General
Not all are self-signed. Resources consist of two parts: self-signed accounts and long-term stable channel partnership accounts. Both sign formal collaboration agreements, and account qualifications and historical data are provided for verification at the proposal stage.
Self-signed accounts: greater flexibility in scheduling and pricing, prioritized for project matching; channel partnership accounts: long-term stable collaboration resources with long-term partnership pricing, with content delivery uniformly controlled by us. For both types of accounts, collaboration agreements are signed, and at the proposal stage we provide the homepage link, follower count, last-30-day data, quote link and representative cases for client verification before confirmation.
How do you ensure that fake-follower or zombie accounts are not selected?General
A dual mechanism of AI preliminary screening plus manual review by media specialists with ten years of experience is used, with quantitative checks on recent content data stability, comment authenticity, content vertical focus and account violation records to eliminate accounts with abnormal data.
Screening dimensions include:
- Data stability: no cliff-like drops in views/reads of the last 10 posts, with reasonable fluctuation range;
- Comment authenticity: comments are mainly specific experience descriptions rather than uniform template phrases;
- Content vertical focus: the account's track is stable, without frequent cross-category switching causing tag confusion;
- Account health: no large-scale hidden or batch-deleted posts on the homepage, no signs of platform throttling penalties;
- Commercial performance: review of content naturalness and data performance of historical commercial posts.
The principle is "look at real data, not follower counts" — accounts with large follower counts but persistently low per-post data will be directly excluded.
How soon after submitting a request can we get an influencer shortlist? How many will be proposed?General
Per the 514 mechanism: respond within 5 minutes, provide preliminary screened resources within 10 minutes, and deliver executable resources within 4 hours. The reserve influencer count is proposed at 150% of the requested volume, providing ample alternatives.
Proposal cadence: for routine requests, the first batch of intended influencer shortlist is delivered within 4 hours; after project kickoff, the current month's account reserve is completed within 5 days, and same-day completion for urgent projects.
The proposal sheet includes: platform, content type, influencer nickname and ID, follower count, homepage link, platform quote link, last-30-day median views/reads, median interactions, CPV/CPE, follower profile, tax-inclusive quote, executable schedule and representative case links, enabling clients to compare and decide directly.
Internal selection rate standards: 20% for the first batch, 50% for the second batch, and no less than 50% from the third batch onward.
Can I specify influencers? Can I exclude influencers who have worked with competitors?General
Yes. Clients can directly specify accounts or provide reference accounts for resource exploration; exclusivity clauses can also be set, such as excluding influencers who have worked with specified competitors within the last 90 days.
Common account requirement dimensions: follower tier, account type, content style, follower profile (age/gender/region), regional requirements, data thresholds, competitor-exclusion requirements. We recommend clients provide 2-3 reference accounts at the requirement confirmation stage as style anchors for selection, which can significantly improve the selection rate of the first batch. Exclusivity clauses will be written into the proposal sheet and execution confirmation form, and the media team verifies each influencer's recent commercial post records one by one during outreach.
How should top KOLs, mid-tier influencers and KOCs be combined?General
A common pyramid model: top KOLs take 15-20% of budget for endorsement and ignition, mid-tier influencers serve as the main deep seeding force, and KOCs and laypersons handle volume coverage and keyword positioning. Specific ratios adjust by marketing goal.
Tiering logic using Xiaohongshu as an example: top KOLs with 100000+ followers are suitable for brand announcements, new product launches and high-end wrap-ups; mid-tier influencers with 10000-100000 followers are suitable for in-depth reviews and scenario seeding, serving as the project mainstay; KOCs with 1000-5000 followers and laypersons are suitable for massive keyword coverage, dominating search results and long-term reputation building.
Typical combination references: new product seeding = mid-tier vertical influencer endorsement + KOC volume + secondary editing reuse of raw footage; brand PR = top vertical account announcement + official disclosure + traffic boost; offline events = local big-V ignition + mid-tier matrix saturation + layperson volume coverage.
DPricing, Budget & Settlement
Pricing logic, taxes, minimum thresholds and discount rules
How is influencer delivery priced? What services are included in the quote?General
Priced as influencer resource fee + service fee, with transparent pricing and no hidden charges. The quote typically includes script co-creation, agreed rounds of draft revisions, post-publish data maintenance and a complete delivery review.
The quote sheet is typically tiered by follower count: influencer quantity, estimated average price, total price, image-text vs. video ratio, disclosed vs. non-disclosed ratio, with total estimated performance (exposure, reads, interactions). Service scope includes: requirement breakdown, influencer screening and outreach, script co-creation and review, posting schedule control, data recovery and wrap-up report. Items requiring additional fees: revisions beyond agreed rounds, rush delivery, additional content production requests, and performance ad placement fees (such as in-feed/search boosting).
Does the quote include tax? What is the tax rate?General
Quotes default to tax-exclusive, with VAT at 6%; whether tax is included is clearly marked on the quote, with the contract terms as final.
To avoid settlement ambiguity, we recommend clarifying the "tax-inclusive/tax-exclusive" basis at the requirement communication stage. When placing orders through official platform channels (such as Douyin Xingtu, Xiaohongshu Pugongying, Video Account Mutual Selection), the platform will separately charge a service fee, which is listed separately on the quote and not commingled with the service fee.
What is the minimum budget? What is the minimum number of posts?General
KOC volume projects typically require a 30-post minimum; specific thresholds depend on platform, influencer tier and content format. Smaller budgets can reduce per-post costs through collection slots, recruitment tasks and other models.
Three common ways to reduce per-post cost:
- Collection slot seeding: a single video integrates multiple brands/products, splitting production costs, with earlier slots priced higher;
- Recruitment task volume: posting a task for influencers to actively apply, then screening high-quality low-cost accounts from the applicant pool for batch execution;
- Pure-commission CPS (limited to local-life store visits): no upfront promotion fee, revenue share based on verified in-store orders.
Volume delivery can apply for tiered discounts, with the specific discount evaluated by project size and cooperation cycle.
With a limited budget, what is the most cost-effective approach?General
We recommend comparing two plans split by goal: one focused on mid-tier influencers for quality and exposure, and one focused on KOC/laypersons for volume and search presence, choosing the combination that best fits the goal at the same budget.
Basic budget allocation judgment:
- Goal is brand endorsement and wrap-up quality > budget tilts toward top KOLs and disclosed content;
- Goal is search presence and reputation building > budget tilts toward KOC volume and keyword tiering;
- Goal is local store traffic > budget tilts toward precisely targeted local influencers.
Practical reference: at the same budget, a matrix combination of "1 big-V + 10 mid-tier + 20 laypersons" typically covers more keywords and audience touchpoints than concentrating on 2 top-tier content pieces.
Is there a big price difference between disclosed and non-disclosed? How should I choose?General
Disclosed (via official platform channels) is priced higher than non-disclosed, but content compliance is logged, traffic boosting is supported, and after-sales is guaranteed. Non-disclosed is closer to authentic user sharing, suitable for reputation building and keyword positioning.
Selection recommendations:
- Brand announcements, new product launches, projects requiring formal wrap-up archiving or traffic boosting > prioritize disclosed;
- Reputation building, search keyword positioning, daily volume coverage > non-disclosed can be used for a more natural feel.
Common ratio reference: disclosed to non-disclosed at 7:3, or adjusted by project nature (based on actual selection).
Platform service fee basis: Douyin Xingtu approximately 5%, WeChat Video Account Mutual Selection approximately 6%, subject to platform's current published rules.
EExecution Process & Delivery Timeline
Timeline from contract to publish, from daily reports to wrap-up
How long does it take from confirming the partnership to publishing the first piece of content?General
After contract and payment are in place, influencer outreach and script communication begin the same day. Initial draft review is typically completed within 3 days, and publishing occurs within 24 hours of final approval. The first piece of content is typically produced within 4 days.
Key variables affecting timeline: product sample shipping time, client feedback speed on drafts, influencer availability, and platform review duration. To compress the cycle, we recommend clients submit the "Product Core Communication Points Checklist" (core selling points, content taboos, TA profile, platform differentiation requirements) within 2 business days after the project kickoff meeting, and complete script and draft feedback within agreed deadlines — overdue feedback is deemed approved by default to avoid impacting the overall schedule.
What is the execution process of a complete project?General
Five stages: requirement diagnosis > precise influencer matching > collaboration confirmation and scheduling > content launch control > wrap-up review. Each stage has clear deliverables, with full-process visual tracking.
1) Requirement diagnosis: break down industry, product selling points, marketing goals, budget cycle, output a requirement breakdown list;
2) Precise influencer matching: AI preliminary screening + manual review, output the first batch of intended influencers within 4 hours, with reserves at 150% of requirement;
3) Collaboration confirmation and scheduling: lock schedule and content requirements, form a dedicated project team, produce an execution plan and project battle map (including KPI breakdown, risk plans, Gantt chart);
4) Content launch control: unified content review, scheduled publishing, public opinion monitoring, daily reports by 12:00 the next day, weekly reports by 18:00 on Monday, synchronizing exposure, interaction, store-visit and other data;
5) Wrap-up review: output a conclusion-first wrap-up report, breaking down data, summarizing strengths and weaknesses, and providing optimization recommendations for the next stage.
How many times can content be revised? Are extra charges applied for overage?General
The standard agreement allows 2 revisions for text scripts and 2 minor adjustments for video. Costs arising from re-shoots or re-edits caused by the brand are borne by the brand. For material production, each version beyond 2 incurs a 30% production fee.
Revision rounds are specified in the collaboration guidelines and contract to protect both parties' expectations: influencer availability and shooting costs must be locked in advance, and unlimited revisions would directly impact publishing milestones. Practical recommendation: provide comprehensive feedback at the script stage (selling point priority, taboos, shot requirements, cover requirements), and avoid overturning revisions after final approval — this can significantly reduce rework probability. Special platform rule reminder: disclosed horizontal review notes must objectively describe each product without disparaging competitors, otherwise the platform will not approve.
Do product samples need to be sent? Can samples be returned?General
For projects requiring samples, we centrally collect accurate influencer addresses and track logistics, with media specialists confirming receipt and product experience. After the project, samples are returned per agreement, with losses accounted for.
Sample management essentials: shipping and return information must be clearly recorded (recipient, address, tracking number, quantity); the execution media specialist tracks logistics in real time and confirms the influencer received intact product; at project end, samples are centrally returned, and damaged or missing items are aligned with the client in advance for handling. We recommend clients complete sample shipping within 48 hours of receiving the requirement sheet to avoid logistics occupying execution cycle time.
How are progress and data synchronized during execution?General
A 1-on-1 dedicated project group is set up; daily reports are pushed by 12:00 the next day, weekly reports by 18:00 on Monday. Reports follow a "conclusion - data - insight - recommendation" format, with weekly reports containing at least 1 optimization recommendation.
Synchronized content includes: influencer outreach progress, sample shipping and receipt status, script and draft review progress, publishing schedule, and post-publish exposure/interaction/store-visit/conversion data. Communication protocol: reply "received + expected completion time" for all items, and "completed + result and progress" upon completion, to avoid information gaps caused by only replying "received". Data recovery checkpoints are typically set at day 1/3/7/15/30 after publishing, to observe long-tail traffic performance.
How fast is your response time?General
The 514 response mechanism is in effect: client questions and requests are confirmed within 5 minutes, preliminary screened resources provided within 10 minutes, and an executable resource plan delivered within 4 hours. The team is on shift 7×24.
Mechanism breakdown:
- 5 minutes: the front office confirms the request upon receipt and synchronizes the mid-office to launch resource screening;
- 10 minutes: preliminary influencer/resource plan provided via the tagged resource library; for complex requests, preliminary ideas and next steps are given;
- 4 hours: requirement breakdown, resource preliminary screening and execution path confirmation completed.
Exception handling mechanism: in the event of traffic anomalies or execution incidents, "received + investigating" is posted in the project group within 10 minutes, and preliminary cause and remediation plan provided within 2 hours.
What if an influencer drops out or delays content delivery?General
Each project reserves backup influencers at 150% of requirement volume; in case of dropouts, immediate replacement is made from the backup pool. Schedule control is followed up daily by the execution media specialist, with final approval completed 1 day before the publishing milestone.
Three lines of defense for risk control: first, over-reserve at the proposal stage (150%) for ready replacement; second, follow up influencer progress daily during execution, with time checkpoints for script, draft and final; third, an exception response mechanism — sync within 10 minutes, provide remediation within 2 hours (volume top-up / resource swap / refund, etc., per contract terms). Objective reminder: uncontrollable factors such as temporary platform policy adjustments or sudden influencer account violations cannot be fully eliminated; we will promptly launch alternative plans.
FPlatform Rules & Content Compliance
Hard rules for Douyin / Xiaohongshu / Video Account / official media
What is the difference between Xiaohongshu disclosed and non-disclosed posts?General
Disclosed (Pugongying) goes through the official collaboration channel, carries a collaboration tag, has compliance logs, and is less likely to be taken down — suitable for brand announcements and formal wrap-ups. Non-disclosed is in ordinary sharing format, with a more natural feel, suitable for reputation building and keyword positioning.
Disclosed notes: officially recognized commercial content with platform-level protection, suitable for new product launches, brand announcements and projects requiring formal wrap-up archiving.
Non-disclosed notes: no commercial tag, with user perception closer to authentic sharing, suitable for volume coverage and search positioning.
Hard rules for non-disclosed: must be published evenly across 5-7 days; publishing dozens of posts in a single day is prohibited. Concentrated publishing is likely to be flagged as marketing spam, resulting in batch throttling or shadow-banning.
Why does Xiaohongshu emphasize keyword layout? How is search positioning done?General
Xiaohongshu's traffic structure is search-led (about 80%) with recommendation as supplementary (about 20%). Therefore the core playbook is not driving single viral posts, but sustained brand presence in search results through tiered keyword layout.
Standard execution steps:
1) Keyword mining: organize brand terms, product terms, industry generic terms and user pain-point long-tail keywords (e.g., "Is XX face cream any good");
2) Allocation: each note targets a single keyword, without duplication, full coverage;
3) Batch publishing: all notes published evenly across 5-7 days to evade platform risk control;
4) Precise boosting: screen notes with better CTR and interaction data, apply small-budget paid traffic to leverage organic search traffic;
5) Sedimentation and positioning: long-term accumulation to form stable coverage of brand core keywords in search results.
Supporting essentials: titles must contain keywords; covers determine CTR; body copy uses first-person authentic experience rather than spec listing.
How does Douyin's traffic algorithm work? Why do some videos get no views?General
Newly published Douyin videos first receive about 200-500 baseline views for data evaluation; those meeting thresholds enter larger traffic pools, while those failing are no longer pushed. Weight order: completion rate > like rate > comment rate > share rate > follow rate.
Common reasons for low views: first, hard-sell content too prominent, with direct selling at the opening causing low completion rate; second, the account's own data is inflated (many followers but persistently low per-post views); third, content touches platform rules and is throttled.
Hard rule: in-video direct selling, price-quoting, and selling-point hard-sell content should not exceed 15% of total video duration — i.e., in a 60-second video, hard-sell content should be kept within 9 seconds, with the rest dedicated to useful content, scenarios and experience. "80% useful content + 20% soft integration" is a relatively stable structure.
What collaboration models does Douyin offer? Which projects suit each?General
Four models: Xingtu disclosed order (compliance logged, traffic-boostable, suitable for formal wrap-ups); Xingtu/open recruitment task (batch volume, high cost-effectiveness); collection slot seeding (multi-product cost sharing); store-visit flat-fee or pure-commission CPS.
- Xingtu disclosed order: goes through the official transaction channel with full traceability, stable content retention, traffic-boostable, with official transaction vouchers, suitable for new product launches, brand announcements, corporate PR and other projects requiring formal wrap-ups; platform deducts approximately 5% service fee.
- Recruitment task: tasks are posted for influencers to actively apply; high-quality accounts are screened from the applicant pool for batch execution, suitable for reputation building and small-budget multi-content volume coverage.
- Collection slot: a single video integrates multiple products, with earlier slots priced higher, suitable for multi-product, small-budget scenarios.
- Store-visit flat-fee / pure-commission CPS: respectively suitable for buzz-building projects with a fixed promotion budget and store traffic projects with zero promotion budget.
Must Video Account commercial collaborations go through official disclosure?General
Yes. Video Account commercial content must be officially disclosed through the WeChat Mutual Selection platform, with the platform deducting approximately 6% service fee. Private collaborations lack compliance evidence and carry risks of throttling, takedown and no after-sales recourse.
Video Account's traffic structure is "WeChat social recommendation + private-domain fission + platform public-domain recommendation", making it more suitable for brand endorsement, corporate communications, PR statements and authoritative distribution, and less suitable for hard-sell promotional content.
Review standards are relatively stricter, prohibiting exaggerated promotion and absolute statements.
Three common collaboration models: flat-fee direct post, recruitment task volume, and play-count revenue share.
Advanced playbook: Official Account in-depth image-text + Video Account short video linked distribution, forming a complete PR communication loop, convenient for high-end project wrap-up archiving.
Which words absolutely cannot appear in content?General
Absolute and medical-efficacy terms are prohibited, such as "most", "first", "top-tier", "ultimate", "exclusive", "permanent", "cure", "special effect", "100% effective", "purely natural", "zero additives", etc. These must be replaced with objective, verifiable statements.
Common high-risk words and alternatives:
- "Whitening" > "brighten skin tone / even skin tone";
- "Acne removal" > "soothe acne / improve acne-prone skin";
- "Special effect / miracle worker" > "experience / helps to";
- "First / best" > "dedicated research / renewal";
- "Dupe" > "high cost-performance choice" (implying competitor comparison carries infringement risk).
Execution mechanism: content undergoes unified prohibited-word detection before submission. Clients can confirm a dedicated vocabulary library within 1 day after the project kickoff meeting; BDs sync creator guidelines at proposal time, scripts are checked line-by-line with red flags during review, and posts are archived by project after publishing.
What qualifications does my category need to provide?General
Strongly regulated categories must provide corresponding qualifications before delivery: beauty & skincare requires product inspection reports and filing information; food requires SC production qualification and test reports; health supplements and medical devices require official disclosure and full qualifications; finance and education require corresponding business or school-operation qualifications.
Qualification verification is a prerequisite; requests without corresponding qualifications will not be accepted, because unqualified delivery leads to content takedown, influencer account penalty points and project scrapping — losses far outweigh gains.
Common categories:
- Medical aesthetics, skincare, beauty: product inspection report, brand filing information;
- Food, snacks, beverages: SC production qualification, product test report;
- Health supplements, medical devices (three products and one device): must go through platform official disclosure with full qualifications provided;
- Finance, loans, wealth management, insurance: financial business qualification;
- Education & training, online courses: school-operation qualification, education filing.
Can Xiaohongshu content include WeChat handles or prompt private messages?General
No. Xiaohongshu strictly prohibits off-platform diversion, including WeChat IDs, phone numbers, QR codes, Official Account handles, as well as coded or homophone hints for contact information, and prompts for offline contact via private message. Violations result in note takedown and account throttling.
Compliant alternatives: when a contact entry is needed, use in-platform guidance such as "visit homepage for details", or note "please email for partnership inquiries". For promotional guidance, Xiaohongshu prohibits strong-diversion statements such as "limited-time discount" and "jump to purchase"; Douyin requires a shopping cart component for in-platform traffic diversion, and commercial videos must clearly indicate the ad partnership at the opening.
How do you handle content that is throttled or taken down after publishing?General
The execution team first investigates the cause (platform risk control, violation words, account status, etc.). For non-platform-rule takedowns, free re-publishing is provided within the 90-day after-sales guarantee period after delivery. Investigation plans are simultaneously reviewed and progress is reported in the project group.
Handling process: post "received + investigating" in the project group within 10 minutes > provide preliminary cause and remediation plan within 2 hours > execute volume top-up, resource swap or revision and re-publish per the plan. Prevention mechanism: all content completes prohibited-word and qualification-risk review before publishing; non-disclosed notes are strictly published evenly across 5-7 days to evade spam risk control; disclosed content goes through official channels with logging, with relatively higher stability.
Objective statement: platform algorithms and review policies are dynamically adjusted; we do not commit to "absolutely no throttling", but we take responsibility for troubleshooting and remediation on controllable aspects.
GPerformance, Data & Review
Boundaries of guaranteed and non-guaranteed outcomes
Can you guarantee delivery performance? Can you guarantee sales or conversions?General
We do not commit to sales or conversion outcomes. The core function of seeding delivery is exposure buildup and search-mindshare positioning; actual conversions are influenced by multiple factors including product strength, detail page, pricing and promotional intensity. We commit to process standards and controllable data.
Items explicitly not committed (industry objective patterns, to avoid misleading):
- No commitment to guaranteed trending or a specific view-count tier;
- No commitment to guaranteed sales, conversions or traffic-driving outcomes;
- No commitment to unlimited free revisions;
- No commitment to absolutely no platform throttling;
- No commitment that authoritative media articles will be published verbatim in full (official media may edit or retitle).
Items committed and written into execution standards: authentic account screening, content compliance review, delivery per agreed schedule, 90-day after-sales guarantee after delivery, and full-process dedicated support.
At the same time, we can enhance users' intent for further action after viewing content by optimizing seeding copy, selling point integration and search-term layout.
How are exposure and interaction data calculated? What is the standard for a viral post?General
Data is recovered from platform back-ends and influencer back-ends. Core metrics include exposure, reads, interactions, CPM, CPE and CPV. Viral post reference standard: accounts with 10000+ followers should achieve 1000+ total interactions (likes + comments + saves) per post; accounts with 10000 or fewer followers should achieve 500+.
Common metric definitions:
- CPM (cost per mille): measures exposure efficiency, benchmarked against category averages;
- CPE (cost per engagement): measures interaction efficiency, including likes, comments, saves and shares;
- Completion rate: the core quality metric for short video content;
- Search index change: comparison of brand-term and category-term search volume before and after delivery;
- Comment sentiment: ratio of positive to negative comments, used for public opinion monitoring.
Data recovery checkpoints are typically set at day 1/3/7/15/30 after publishing. Goal achievement can be defined in the contract with a floating range (e.g., ±10% deemed as meeting target).
How can we confirm that influencer data is not faked?General
At the proposal stage, we provide the median of last-30-day authentic data and homepage links for client verification, and can request influencers to grant back-end data access. During execution, third-party monitoring tools can be used to detect anomalies; e.g., interaction volume surging over 300% of normal values within 1 hour is flagged as anomalous.
Three-layer verification mechanism:
1) Before proposal: verify recent content data stability, comment authenticity, account vertical focus and violation records;
2) At proposal: provide homepage link, platform quote link, last-30-day median views/reads, median interactions, CPV/CPE, follower profile;
3) During execution: third-party monitoring tools (such as platform official data tools, industry data platforms) can be agreed upon for cross-validation.
The company's stance is to deliver authentic and effective traffic, with zero tolerance for fake-engagement practices; if a client questions a particular account's data, we can arrange a replacement or provide supplementary data.
What does the wrap-up report include?General
Output in a "conclusion-first" format, including delivery data summary and analysis, performance breakdown, highlights and issues review, solutions, and optimization recommendations for the next stage. Typically delivered within one week after project completion.
Standard structure of the wrap-up report: conclusion > data > insight > recommendation. Content includes: list and links of published notes/videos, summary of data across dimensions (exposure, reads, interactions, CPM/CPE, viral post rate), tiered analysis of influencer performance, comparison of content format effectiveness, highlights and shortcomings of this delivery, and optimization directions for the next stage. Delivery format is typically PPT, adjustable to a version suitable for upward reporting per client needs; agency clients can directly use it for wrap-up reporting to their brand clients.
HAfter-Sales & Copyright
Re-publish mechanism, asset licensing and exception handling
Is there after-sales guarantee after content publishing? How long is the coverage?General
A 90-day after-sales guarantee is provided after delivery: content taken down for non-platform-rule reasons is re-published free of charge; disclosed content is more stably retained on official channels, and non-human-violation cases can be handled per platform rules.
Coverage scope: takedowns caused by temporary platform risk control are re-published free of charge within the 90-day guarantee period, with no additional fees; takedowns caused by client content requirements that violate platform rules (such as insisting on prohibited words or unqualified promotion) are not covered by free re-publishing. Such risks are flagged in writing during the content review stage.
Can we reuse the materials produced from delivery? Who owns the copyright?General
Material production deliverables come with commercial license, including watermarked-free final cuts, raw materials and source files, with unlimited reuse. Secondary use of influencer content requires the license scope and duration to be agreed at the proposal stage (e.g., a one-year attributed-reprint license).
Two types of materials need to be distinguished:
- Materials produced by our content team: commercial license provided, with no portrait-rights or copyright-infringement risk, delivering watermarked-free final cuts + raw materials + source files;
- Content created by influencers: copyright ownership and secondary use scope must be separately agreed at the collaboration confirmation stage. A common arrangement is a one-year license (including official-account attributed reprint, use within brand mini-programs and e-commerce stores), with the license scope noted on the proposal sheet.
We recommend clarifying whether secondary distribution rights are needed at the requirement stage, so they can be negotiated during outreach and avoid post-hoc additional communication costs.
IFor Brand Advertisers
Top concerns of brand marketing teams
Our brand has its own marketing team — why do we need you?Brand
The typical value is supplementing the media function: no need to maintain long-term strategy, media, shooting and editing teams; resources are tapped on demand. It also addresses issues such as scattered influencer resources, selection pitfalls, insufficient content capacity and cumbersome data review.
Four common bottlenecks for brand marketing teams:
- Insufficient headcount: media coordination volume surges during mega-sales and key milestones, exceeding internal team capacity;
- Scattered resources: individually coordinating dozens or hundreds of influencers, with high negotiation, contracting, fulfillment and after-sales costs;
- Limited selection experience: difficulty quickly identifying accounts with abnormal data;
- Cumbersome review: data recovery and report assembly consume significant manpower.
The outsourced media department model enables on-demand collaboration, fully externalizing the above workflows so internal teams can focus on strategy and brand asset building.
For a first collaboration, can we run a small-batch test delivery?Brand
Yes. We recommend a small-batch test plan to validate content direction and traffic performance first, then scale up after confirming the data meets expectations. The test period also includes complete data recovery and review.
Recommended test-period configuration: select 1-2 content directions, 2-3 influencer tiers for comparison, focusing on completion rate/CTR, interaction rate and search-term lift. After the test, a brief review is output, clearly identifying "which type of influencer, which content format, which keyword direction" is worth scaling, before entering the formal schedule. This approach effectively reduces the trial-and-error cost of a first collaboration and provides data-backed support for the brand's internal upward reporting.
We have annual marketing milestones — can you do long-term planning?Brand
Yes. We support annual framework partnerships, scheduled in batches by the brand's annual milestones (new product launches, mega-sales, holidays, offline events), with strategy adjustments for the next stage based on review conclusions after each cycle.
Three practical benefits of long-term collaboration: first, advance resource locking to avoid schedule tightness and price hikes during mega-sales; second, continuous sedimentation and expansion of a brand-dedicated media resource library, with selection efficiency and match quality improving round over round; third, sustainable accumulation of keyword and reputation assets, with search-positioning effects exhibiting long-tail characteristics.
In terms of service mechanism, before a new project launches, we provide the improvement plan and promotion recommendations from the previous round in advance.
What materials do we need to provide before the project starts?Brand
The core items are the "Product Core Communication Points Checklist" and "Brand Project Requirement Form", including core selling points, content taboos, TA profile, platform differentiation requirements, KPI targets, influencer requirements, budget structure and material support.
We recommend submission within 2 business days after the project kickoff meeting; overdue submission will delay the schedule. Key fields:
- Core selling points (no more than 3, each as concise as possible) and supporting selling points;
- Content taboos (required): prohibited words, competitors that cannot be compared, scenarios that cannot appear;
- TA profile: age, gender, consumption habits, commonly used platforms;
- Content memory points: keywords and visual images you want users to remember and share;
- Platform differentiation requirements, influencer tiers and quantities, budget structure, review process and timelines, product samples and brand asset kit.
JFor Agency Partners
Top concerns of 4A / PR / media / MCN partners
We are an advertising/PR agency — will you contact our clients directly?Agency
No. Collaboration with agencies follows a back-to-back principle; we only communicate with the agency's designated point of contact and do not bypass to their brand clients. Relevant terms can be written into the contract's confidentiality clause.
Collaboration approach: a 1-on-1 dedicated project group is set up, communicating only with the agency's designated contact; all external deliverables (proposal sheets, daily and weekly reports, wrap-up reports) are output in the format required by the agency and can be directly used for reporting to brand clients. If delivery under the agency's name is required, de-identified report templates can be provided.
Can you support us in proposal development and pitch support?Agency
Yes. The strategy team can co-produce proposals with the agency, providing influencer mix, platform combination, milestone scheduling and budget allocation recommendations, as well as same-track case references, to enhance pitch competitiveness.
Common support forms: at the bidding stage, provide resource lists and preliminary quotes (including executable schedules); at the proposal stage, provide platform combination and influencer matrix recommendations; at the execution stage, provide standardized data reports and wrap-up materials. For high-urgency pitch scenarios, executable resources can be provided within 4 hours per the 514 mechanism, enabling the agency to quickly complete the proposal.
Can the deliverables be directly provided to our brand clients?Agency
Yes. Execution schedules, influencer proposal sheets, daily and weekly reports and wrap-up reports are all output in standardized formats, with content that can be directly used for reporting to brand clients, reducing the agency's rework effort.
Standard deliverable list: requirement breakdown list, influencer proposal sheet (including homepage link, follower count, last-30-day data, quote, schedule, representative cases), project execution schedule, daily progress reports, weekly data reports, published-link summary sheet, wrap-up report (conclusion-first PPT). If the brand client has a specific report template, output can be adapted to that template.
Are there discounts for long-term collaboration? Do you support annual framework agreements?Agency
Yes. Volume and long-term collaborations can apply for dedicated discounts, allowing agencies to reserve reasonable profit margins; annual framework contracts are also supported, with cooperation cycle and settlement cycle agreed upon.
Discount evaluation dimensions: single delivery volume, annual cooperation total, settlement cycle and payment cadence, category and platform combination. Annual framework contracts typically specify the cooperation cycle (quarterly/annual) and fee settlement cycle (monthly/quarterly), with specific terms subject to mutual negotiation. All quotes are transparent with no hidden charges, facilitating the agency's calculation of project costs and pricing margin.
We lack content production and execution capacity — can you take on the whole project?Agency
Yes. Material production, influencer delivery, official media distribution and traffic promotion can be integrated into a one-stop workflow, managed by a single point of contact, so the agency does not need to separately coordinate with multiple shooting, editing, design and media vendors.
Applicable scenarios: the agency has insufficient in-house shooting, editing and design capacity, or temporary project concentration causing capacity overflow. Scope undertaken: script and content creation, shooting and editing, image-text design, influencer outreach and scheduling, publishing control, data recovery and wrap-up. Collaboration mechanism: one point of contact, one set of SOPs, reducing multi-party communication friction; material production deliverables include 2 rounds of free revisions, with overage charged per standard rates.
How do you coordinate ordering and settlement through official platform channels?Agency
We support ordering through official channels such as Douyin Xingtu, Xiaohongshu Pugongying and Video Account Mutual Selection, with full traceable compliance. The signing entity must match the platform-bound organization name, and payment and order acceptance must be completed within the platform's specified timeframe.
Official channel operation essentials:
- After payment, platform order acceptance must be completed within 24 hours; overdue orders will be automatically refunded;
- The publish link must be submitted before the task end date to complete delivery; otherwise the payment may be automatically refunded;
- The signing entity must match the bound MCN organization entity name, otherwise invoicing will be affected.
All of the above are tracked and reminded by our project team to avoid settlement anomalies caused by platform rule details.
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