Not Just a YouTube Clone: Bilibili and Why it Matters
Often described as China’s answer to YouTube, Bilibili might be the most popular internet platform you’ve never heard of. Founded in 2009 as a place for teenagers to watch (mostly pirated) Japanese cartoons, it has since grown into one of China’s largest mobile video platforms; as of Q4 2021, it boasted over 270 million monthly active users, over 72 million daily active users, and over 24 million paid users. It has arguably the youngest user base of any major internet platform in China, as 80% of its users are part of Gen Z. It trades on the NASDAQ and Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and its backers have included Chinese tech giants Tencent and Alibaba, as well as Sony Corporate of America.
So what is it?
The BiliBili logo
Unlike Douyin (Chinese TikTok) or WeChat Video Channel, which have capitalized on the growing popularity of short-form video, Bilibili - or B站 (zhàn - ‘site’), as it’s popularly known - has found success focusing on more long-form video content. Unique among its internet peers, Bilibili actively cultivates uploaders and professional user-generated content, an approach that has given the platform a notably loyal and active fanbase. Moreover, its unique comment system allows users to post comments into a “bullet curtain” (弹幕) that displays over any given video. While users have the option to toggle the bullet curtain on or off, this feature lends itself to fostering a sense of community among users, further strengthening the intensity of engagement on the platform relative to platforms that feed content to users more quickly.
That said, in recent years, Bilibili has also broken more into the mainstream; they have teamed up with CCTV in the past to stream national news broadcasts, and are now known for producing their own New Year’s Gala featuring A-list and social media celebrities (and catering more to a Gen Z audience than more conventional New Year’s programming). Last summer, they even surpassed Youku to become China’s third largest long-form video platform. Originally a platform for anime, comics, and games (ACG), it has carved a niche in the Chinese internet market by focusing on subjects that lend themselves more readily to long-form content: lifestyle, gaming, and - more to the point - education.
An example of ‘bullet’ comments toggled over a video
Similar to how the COVID-19 pandemic upended in-person education in the United States, it also forced Chinese students to turn to online platforms to engage with education-related content. Bilibili, as a long-form video platform, became a more natural home for education-focused content creators. While novel regulations regarding for-profit education have impacted the development of edtech in China, as recently as last November, knowledge-based content comprised 45% of all content on Bilibili. It has hosted nearly 1,000 teachers as content creators, and academics on the platform collectively boast over 55 million followers. Also, users can now indicate in their Bilibili profile which educational institution they attend, expanding their ability to connect with classmates.
As we have noted in previous articles, although Chinese netizens’ online preferences have changed, their desire to study abroad and/or emigrate has not waned. It is therefore essential to stay abreast of changes within the Chinese market and adapt your outreach strategy to take advantage of new trends and platforms. Bilibili is one such option; owing to its popularity among Gen Z in China, as well as the prevalence of education-focused content on the platform, it presents a good opportunity for schools to build and grow their brand among an audience of prospective students. Because of the persistence of pandemic-related travel restrictions, recruitment travel to China will likely not be an option for the remainder of 2022. Instead, we recommend exploring alternative avenues of engagement, such as hiring an in-country representative or, of course, establishing (or bolstering) your localized digital presence in China.