Since the official launch of the Toutiao app in 2012, Chinese netizens were introduced to native ads. By leveraging the personalized algorithms on Toutiao, native ads are designed to display to high potential users only.

As Chinese netizens encounter native ads in their personal lives but also at work, the Chinese search industry has thus entered a new era of searching. Leading this new era is Toutiao, used by over 700 million Chinese users. 

Advantages of Toutiao’s search engine advertising

1. Combining the advantages of traditional search engine ads and native ads makes the final ad more attractive

Under the new era of searching, Toutiao’s searching promotion includes both the original function of keyword searching and the algorithm of native ad promotion, providing attractive advertising content to target customers. 

When users actively search for topics or keywords of their interest, the system will automatically match the user with the appropriate advertisements, based on their search terms, reading history, and interest. Consider displaying your ad with only suitable and attractive content to increase the impression rate. Users’ interest can also be awakened when they read similar information.    

2. Bringing new traffic volume to your brand, as Toutiao has many users

Toutiao has accumulated many user labels by analyzing each user’s app behavior. For example, the Toutiao labels include the demographic of users (age, gender, region, etc.) or preference of information type. By combining users’ search intention and user data, Toutiao can appeal to potential customers through personalized recommended content, and repeatedly display brand advertisements.  

3. Toutiao’s leading and precise marketing skills in China

Toutiao has accumulated many user labels by analyzing each user’s app behavior. For example, the demographic of the users (age, gender, region, etc.) or preference of information type. Combining the users’ search intention and the user data, potential customers can be captured through personalized recommended content, and brand advertisements can be displayed repeatedly.    

4. Flexible for advertisers: Toutiao has three kinds of deduction modes  

Toutiao search ads support three deduction modes: CPC, OCPM, and OCPC. Each mode has its advantages; OCPM and OCPC can automatically adjust keyword bids based on target conversion cost, avoiding the trouble of frequent price adjustments. The CPC can bid on each keyword with a higher degree of freedom in operation. Advertisers can choose according to the actual situation which deduction mode to use.

How to carry out Toutiao search promotion?

Toutiao’s search is based on information flow, which is different from Baidu’s search operation and optimization strategy. The present setting on the Toutiao search platform is Account Ad group Campaign Keywords Creatives. Below are the differences between the operation of Toutiao and Baidu: 

1. The setting of an ad group

• Two advertising purposes for Toutiao search ads: Sales lead collection/ 1st result in SERP, and app download. Note that different delivery purposes will correspond with different delivery detail settings.

• The ad group setting must be clear. For example, you can create a new ad group according to different strategies and orientations. 
  

2.Crowd orientation

• When creating an advertising plan and setting the region and time, you can also target a potential group based on users' demographics and app behavior. Target delivery based on user labels.

• Note: not to set too much targeting, as the search advertisement already has the function of personalizing keywords search result, according to the users’ needs.

3. Adding keywords

• Each advertising plan can add 100 keywords, allowing advertisers to classify them according to their business characteristics.

• Support exact match, phrase match, and broad match. We suggest using broad match in the initial stage to quickly obtain a large amount of advertising traffic and provide enough data for analysis and comparison.

4. Add ad creatives

The creativity in Toutiao searching ad mirrors the style of native ad. In addition to supporting image-text format, advertisers increasingly favor video formats, which is the selling point of Toutiao search ads and traditional ads. Search ads in video format conform to Toutiao users’ habits. This allows more flexibility in information communication, better matching users' needs. We recommend using a horizontal format for advertising material.

5. Data analysis

Toutiao’s backend provides a detailed keywords report. You can check the keywords’ delivery data purchased with the advertising account for further analysis and optimization. 

For more tips on using Toutiao for your next China marketing campaign, contact our marketing consultant at: enquiry@so360.hk.