The Resurgence of Bilibili
Often compared to YouTube, Bilibili is experiencing a resurgence with 170 million users. The platform boasts 101.3 monthly active and 50.8 million daily active users. The average user spends 87 minutes perusing the site each day. Like YouTube, Bilibili features a lot of user-generated content, with 1.7 million videos uploaded monthly. These videos are mostly 5-15 minutes in length and are primarily viewed on desktop computers. Because it started as an Anime Comics Games site, over 70% of Bilibili’s users are under 30 years old. Similar to Netflix, Bilibili offers documentaries and web series, although it is most known for its gaming and anime videos. Bilibili also offers live streaming and forum capabilities.
In comparison to other video channels, Bilibili is a more mature platform for education-related content. More than 18 million people viewed education-related videos on the site in 2018, double the number of students who took the Gaokao (China’s college admissions exam) that year. #Study with me was the most popular category on Bilibili, accumulating over 1 million hours of students streaming their study routines. 2019 saw the rise of educational influencers: over 20 million Bilibili users posted tutorials, classes led by famous professors, video advertisements, and other educational content. On the other hand, over 50 million users viewed this educational content. The trend continued through 2020, when Chinese Education Television partnered with several schools and universities to release the “Studying from home campaign.” Many elite universities, such as China’s top-ranked Peking University, offer online courses to Bilibili’s large user base.
Bilibili is a prime opportunity to attract Chinese international students, but few universities outside of China have capitalized on it. A student organization at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) posted a series of videos introducing aspects of the school. Meanwhile, another student organization at Case Western Reserve University operates an account that introduces viewers to student life there. A recent video featured a tour of its New Year gala.
Unlike short-video platforms, schools can post longer informational videos on Bilibili. It is important to localize these videos so that they specifically address Chinese international students and parents. Videos should have Chinese titles and subtitles. They should feature Chinese international students; for instance, a video series in which Chinese students, alumni, and parents share their experiences would be appealing to Bilibili’s users. Another option is to partner with key opinion leaders or key opinion consumers who can successfully engage with Gen Z consumers.
Many companies have already launched successful promotional campaigns on Bilibili. In 2020, Fendi released an interactive game allowing users to customize its Peekaboo handbag. The content also featured comic-style illustrations created by Bilibili’s in-house design team. The advertisements were released across personal and discovery feeds and the video pages, with links that redirect to the official Fendi site, and were met with positive feedback on the campaign’s creativity.
In another example, Lei Jun, the founder and CEO of Xiaomi, a smartphone company, amassed 1.2 million followers and over 6 million views on his first video, in which he introduces Xiaomi’s products. He first gained a presence on the site when a Bilibili user posted a video of Lei at a product launch repeatedly shouting “are you OK” to engage the audience. Another user converted the video into a song, and overnight it became a viral meme.
Lei embraced the humor in the situation, even offering the song as a ringtone for Xiaomi smartphones. He was also one of the first top executives to create social media accounts in order to publicize his products. The response to his content has been positive, with many praising Lei for being down-to-earth and hardworking.
To register an account on Bilibili, you must complete their real name verification, which involves submitting a picture of yourself holding your ID and passing a test with 40 questions, all in Chinese. You must also submit a phone number or email address (foreign numbers are accepted), or skip the process by linking your Bilibili account to a QQ or Weibo account. Registering creates an account with live-streaming capabilities and a shell (贝壳) account.
There are several tiered accounts beyond the basic one. Users who fulfill at least two of the following requirements quality for a recognized content creator “专栏大V” designation:
Publish at least 20 pieces, each with more than 100,000 views, within one zone in six months
Otherwise demonstrate great influence or popularity in one zone
Publish an article that wins a Bilibili content event
Consistently produce high-quality content, as assessed through popularity, user interaction, and other factors
There are several more tiers that we will discuss in more detail later. To stay updated on this series, sign up for our newsletter. To learn more about how you grow your brand on Bilibili, email contact@sieconnection.com.