2025 YouTube Influencer Pricing from China for US Brands

China’s YouTube market is booming!

With over 1 billion users, YouTube is the second most popular social platform worldwide after Facebook.

According to the 2023 China Internet Report by the China Internet Network Information Center (CINIC), China had 1.04 billion Internet users, of which 97.6% accessed the Internet through mobile devices. And 89.3% of mobile Internet users spent over 5 hours online.

In addition, the report mentions that 92.6% of users make purchases via the Internet. Some 772 million purchases were made through live-streaming last year, up from 2021’s 586 million.

By 2025, the average cost for promoting a product on YouTube through a Chinese influencer could be as high as $3376.54, based on a BaoLiba forecast. This is a 68.90% increase from the 2024 average.

The following charts show the anticipated growth in promotional pricing from YouTube influencers in China for US brands through 2025:

💡 China vs. USA YouTube Influencer Marketing Pricing

Although the pricing forecast indicates that promotional pricing among YouTube influencers in China is expected to increase, it now lags behind the pricing of similar influencers based in the USA.

In 2023, the average promotional pricing of a USA-based YouTube influencer was $5141.38. This figure is projected to grow to $7566.55 in 2025.

The chart shows that by 2025, the average cost of hiring a YouTube influencer from China will have only reached over half of the cost typically charged for similar promotional work by a USA-based influencer.

For instance, the forecast shows that hiring a professional YouTube influencer based in the USA will fetch an average promotional price of $4,336.95 in 2024. This figure is almost $1,000 more than the forecast price for hiring a Chinese-based influencer in 2025.

❗ Popular Platforms for Influencer Marketing in China

Chinese consumers spend lots of time online, especially on social media. Data shows that the average Chinese Internet user spends 31% of their time on social media, compared to an average of 22% for users in other countries.

Because of the vast difference, brands looking to market their products in China should prioritize Chinese social media platforms over Western platforms.

📷 WeChat

WeChat has over 1.4 billion users and is one of China’s most popular mobile apps. Users can use it for almost anything, from messaging to paying bills.

As a result, launching an influencer marketing campaign on WeChat can give brands a much-needed exposure boost.

A recent survey found that 27% of marketing experts in China believe that launching a campaign on WeChat will give brands the best return on investment.

The survey also found that 89% of marketing professionals in China believe that WeChat is one of the two most effective social channels for influencer marketing.

📹 Douyin

Douyin had an active user base of over 600 million daily users by 2021.

The platform is primarily focused on short and live videos, much like TikTok, which is known as Douyin overseas. Douyin is TikTok’s Chinese counterpart.

China’s users had created over 1 trillion videos on Douyin by 2021.

Every day, over 100 million users interact with Douyin’s e-commerce features. As a result, Douyin has become a popular advertising platform for brands looking to establish a prominent presence in China.

🔴 Xiaohongshu

Xiaohongshu is another China-based social media platform popular with brands looking to market their products through influencers.

The platform is primarily focused on e-commerce and user-created content. Xiaohongshu had over 200 million users by 2021.

Xiaohongshu is frequently referred to as Little Red Book in English.

🤳 Kuaishou

Kuaishou has over 300 million daily active users, making it second only to Douyin in terms of daily active users among short video platforms in China.

Kuaishou has over 100 million daily transactions worth an average of $60 million.

Thus, influencer marketing campaigns launched on Kuaishou can help brands maximize their exposure across China.

🛍️ Bilibili

As of 2021, Bilibili had over 272 million monthly active users, many of whom are 35 years old or younger.

Bilibili is known for its high engagement rates. Users of the platform are known to spend hours a day watching videos on various topics.

Bilibili is sometimes referred to as the Youtube of China. Influencer marketing campaigns launched on Bilibili are popular among brands trying to reach young audiences.

📊 QQ

QQ has been around for a long time, having launched back in 1998.

However, the platform has remained relevant, boasting over 800 million active users as of January 2022.

QQ is a multi-purpose platform that allows users to chat, play games, send files, and more.

Moreover, QQ has many social media-like features. Users can publish posts, add friends, and share their status updates and experiences with others.

🌏 Sohu

Sohu is among China’s oldest Internet companies, having been founded back in 1996.

Sohu operates a search engine, news portal, and online game center. In addition, it also operates Sohu Video, which has over 500 million users.

Sohu Video is a video platform with online TV series, films, and other content.

Over 100 million people in China visit Sohu Video every month.

📱 51.com

51.com, sometimes referred to as W51, is a Chinese social networking service headquartered in Beijing. The company was founded in 2005.

51.com combines social networking features with blog postings and other types of social media.

Users can share thoughts, opinions, and ideas with other members. The platform has nearly 40 million registered users.

📖 Youku

Youku, founded in 2006, is a video hosting service and is considered to have been China’s first video-sharing site.

Youku hosts hundreds of thousands of licensed videos, including movies, TV shows, and other content.

The platform has over 580 million users, 60% of whom are 35 years or younger.

Brands looking to promote products through an influencer marketing campaign can leverage popular influencers from Youku to maximize their reach and exposure across China.

💰 Top-Tier vs. Bottom-Tier Chinese YouTube Influencer Pricing

The forecast pricing reveals that top-tier Chinese YouTube influencers will charge more than five times the average promotional pricing, while bottom-tier influencers will charge an average of $871.74.

The average price among top-tier influencers will reach $7,046.19 by 2025.

This figure highlights that brands should be strategic about which tier influencer they hire to promote their products.

For example, cost-conscious brands can get effective promotional campaigns by hiring multiple bottom-tier influencers to promote their products on YouTube.

In addition, hiring a lower-tier influencer can help brands test the waters before fully committing to a price tier.

💼 Bottom-Tier Influencer Pricing

• 2023: $606.99
• 2024: $749.74
• 2025: $871.74

🔝 Top-Tier Influencer Pricing

• 2023: $6,218.89
• 2024: $6,734.84
• 2025: $7,046.19

💸 USA Brands’ Budget for China YouTube Influencer Marketing

The chart below shows that the typical advertising budget for promoting products on YouTube through Chinese-based influencers is expected to climb from $44,400 in 2023 to $104,800 in 2025.

📊 Average Google Search Volume of China YouTube Influencer Marketing Topics

The table shows the average monthly Google search volume for various topics related to influencer marketing on YouTube through Chinese influencers.

The forecast for 2025 shows that brands looking to promote products through influencers on China’s YouTube platforms should be prepared for a substantial increase in pricing.

In addition, they should also consider hiring multiple bottom-tier influencers to stretch their budgets further.

Brands can then compare the effectiveness of the bottom-tier influencer videos against those produced by top-tier influencers.

❗ How to Find Chinese YouTube Influencers on BaoLiba

Brands can easily find Chinese YouTube influencers to promote their products on China’s YouTube platforms through the influencer marketing platform BaoLiba.

To find Chinese influencers on BaoLiba, US brands can follow these steps:

• Visit https://baoliba.com
• Click on the “Find Influencer” button at the top of the page.
• Select “YouTube” in the “Platform” dropdown menu.
• Select “China” in the “Country” dropdown menu.
• Click “Search” to view the list of influencers on YouTube in China.

The list of influencers can then be filtered and sorted based on various criteria, including geography, popularity, engagement rate, and fees.

Brands can then click on any influencer to view their profile for more details and reach out to them for a quote.

The influencer’s profile will show details such as the category of content they create, their follower count, average views, and engagement rate.

Most importantly, brands can view the influencer’s pricing and social media accounts.

Each influencer’s profile also contains their contact information so brands can easily request quotes and details about their services.

With the influencer marketing platform, US brands can shorten their search time for quality influencers to promote their products in China.

The influencer marketing pricing forecast reinforces that influencer authenticity and engagement are major factors influencing pricing, as they are in demand. As a result, brands will need to expand their budgets accordingly.