Douyin is the biggest video sharing platform in China with over 600 million active monthly users. But, to gain access to this vast ocean of content, you’re going to need to set-up your account.
If you’re outside of China, then this process might get overwhelming, especially for a simple task such as creating an account. Furthermore, for those who aren’t that tech savvy, some of the steps involved might become confusing.
But, having your own Douyin account is definitely worth the trouble, especially for marketers, influencers, brands, musicians and more!
So, with that said, here are the steps on how to make a Douyin Account:
Create and Verify Douyin Accounts Outside China By Following These Steps
Step 1: Download Douyin App
First, what you want to do is to download the Douyin App if you haven’t already. In our previous article, we discussed the easiest ways to download and install the app for both Android and iOS users.
Alternatively, if you have an Android Phone, you can try and download it through Chinese App stores like Huawei app store, Xiaomi App Store, OnePlus App Store etc. if you can't find the app through this method, then check out the article linked above.
Step 2: Open The Douyin App
After installing Douyin on your phone, launch the app. When opening the app for the first time, a pop-up will appear with a prompt written in Chinese characters. This is just for privacy policies. Once accepted, Douyin will ask you to allow access to phone info such as location, photos, videos, contacts, etc.
Step 3: Enter Your Phone Number
This is the tricky part as Douyin usually only allows phone numbers from mainland China. To do this part, simply enter your phone number with the proper country code.
Next, wait for a text message with the verification code and input it back into the app. There will also be instances that the app would detect your phone number automatically. But again, this is mainly a feature found in Chinese phone numbers.
Step 4: Accept User Agreement
Finally click on the pink button to login to Douyin. Still, the automatic detection won’t work most of the time. However, there are going to be alternatives to this that are going to be discussed in the later parts of the article.
How to Select Region Code For Phone Number In Douyin
Instead of clicking on the pink button to automatically register your number - click the button underneath (but don’t forget to tick the user agreement check first). This will take you to another page that allows you to enter your region code.
Select your proper region code and enter your number and wait for a code to be sent to your phone.
Creating A Douyin Account Without Chinese Phone Number
There are those that claim to have created an account on Douyin even when using numbers outside of China. Meanwhile, many are still having issues because of this.
So, if you’re still having trouble signing up on Douyin, here are some alternatives that you can try:
Instead of clicking on the pink button, click the one on the bottom right. This would prompt you to login to Douyin using alternative methods such as Toutiao, qq, WeChat or Weibo.
Verifying Your Douyin Account
Now that you’ve created your own account, let’s learn how to get it verified. Getting verified means that your account will turn “official”. Plus, you’ll get that blue checkmark as an indication that your brand is legit.
More importantly, verifying your account has several benefits such as:
A verified checkbox will appear next to your user account name.
Access to in-depth analytical information.
The capacity to launch one's own Douyin retail outlet.
The capacity to transact business during live broadcasts (via your Douyin store).
For brands, this could become something that is potentially going to skyrocket their audience reach and become more favorable to Douyin’s algorithm.
Here are the steps to verify your account:
Step 1: Visit Douyin’s Official Website
Click on this link or type in: “https://renzheng.douyin.com/” on your browser’s URL box. The website should show something like this:
Step 2: Begin the Verification Process
Click on the “Authenticate Now” button or “立即认证” to begin verification of your account. Then, a pop-up of a QR Code will be shown on the screen like so:
Next, scan the code with a QR scanner and complete the verification form.
Step 3: Filling Up The Verification Form
After that, you'll be directed to a form that requires you to enter the following information:
Which kind of account do you want? (company or individual)
Category
Area of registration and primary business activity
Specifics regarding any traditional retail outlets (brick and mortar, etc)
Business license (scanned copy)
Contact Information (name, phone number, email address)
When you are finished, click the "Submit" button
Step 4: Wait Until Your Form Gets Approved
After you’ve finalized and submitted the form, a representative from Douyin will reach out to you within five business days, at the very latest. Either they will need additional information from you or they will quickly approve your verification.
However, there are still certain criteria that need to be met that could dictate how fast your application can be approved. On the contrary, the representative might reach out to tell you that you’re not eligible to get verified.
On that note, here are some guidelines as to who can get verified on Douyin.
The Following Are Eligible To Get Verified On Douyin
Since Douyin is a highly competitive platform, certain criteria needs to be met before your application can even be considered. Here’s what you need to know:
There are two types of accounts that can be verified on Douyin:
Personal Accounts
Business Accounts
Each of these accounts have different qualifications that you need to meet to become eligible for verification.
How To Verify Personal Account On Douyin
If you want to verify a personal account to become more legitimate as an influencer or to get more authority you need the following:
At least one video must have been published.
A minimum of 10,000 followers on your account
A telephone number that is associated with your account.
How To Verify Business Account On Douyin
Businesses that are verified on Douyin could see an immense growth in audience outreach, marketing, and overall revenue. That’s why a lot of brands want to market on the platform.
If you want to your business to get verified, you need:
A valid business license for the mainland of China
If you want people to link to your website, you are going to need an ICP license.
Send in a cover letter with your application.
A yearly charge of 600 CNY is required
Brands from all across the globe know the potential in Douyin. That’s why you’d see a lot of big names in Western media reach out to the platform. Here are some examples:
Taylor Swift
Justin Bieber
Shawn Mendes
Akon
Will Smith
Madilyn Bailey
Gal Gadot
Derrick Rose
Trae Young
Benefits of a Verified Douyin Account
If you want to utilize Douyin to its fullest potential, you must need to have a verified account. Here are some of the advantages of getting verified on the platform:
Users will know your account is the official page for the brand if they see the "Verified" sign.
Stores that have been verified have access to additional analytics tools.
Ability to build a Douyin store and sell things on the platform Douyin recently restricted live-streaming sales to native Douyin stores. [Citation needed] Therefore, if you want to take advantage of the amazing live-stream functionalities that the platform has to offer, you will need to build your own Douyin store.
Live-streaming on Douyin has the potential to result in substantial sales. But, to reach this level, you’d need a great marketing team from China such as SODA Global Marketing to help you through the rigorous and competitive landscape.
Simplest Way To Get Verified On Douyin Outside of China
Because you need a business license from Mainland China to get verified for your business and a Chinese phone number linked to your account - getting verified can become a serious challenge.
Luckily, SODA Global Marketing can help you out with every step of the process. From creating your account to helping out with registering your business in China - SODA has got you covered!
Contact us today and book a free meeting to learn more about how SODA can help you thrive in the competitive Chinese market through Brand Strategy, Content Marketing, Ecommerce, Advertising and more!