Bilibili has evolved from a niche ACG platform into an irreplaceable strategic hub for brands aiming to reach China’s young, high-trust communities. With its unique culture, strong creator ecosystem, and highly engaged user base, Bilibili offers a rare opportunity to build long-term affinity rather than just chasing impressions. This guide breaks down how brands can authentically integrate into the platform, build trust, and drive measurable business outcomes.
Understanding Bilibili’s Ecosystem
Before investing in Bilibili, it is essential to understand what differentiates it from other social platforms in China.
A young, sticky, and high-potential user base
Bilibili hosts 376 million monthly active users and 117 million daily active users, with an average daily usage of 112 minutes. The audience is overwhelmingly young, with an average age of 26 and more than 60 percent aged between 16 and 35. This demographic is China’s rising consumer force, characterized by strong spending power, high curiosity, and long-term brand loyalty.
Trust-driven community culture
Bilibili’s community culture is one of the platform’s most valuable assets. The danmu (bullet comments), community rules, and strict creator review mechanisms foster a sense of authenticity and shared identity. Users see themselves not as passive viewers but as participants, and their relationships with creators are built on shared values rather than algorithmic exposure. A “like, coin, and favorite” is a signal of deep appreciation, turning Bilibili into a mindshare platform rather than a pure traffic engine.
A maturing content ecosystem
Bilibili’s content structure is now powered by PUGV (Professional User Generated Video), OGV (professionally produced content), and fast-growing AIGC. High-quality OGV content – such as documentaries and Guochuang (Chinese animation) – not only expands the platform’s influence but also provides rich opportunities for brand storytelling and co-creation.
How Brands Can Integrate Authentically
Success on Bilibili requires brands to shift their role from “promoter” to “community participant.”
Build a humanized official account
A cold corporate tone does not resonate on Bilibili. Brands need a relatable persona, speaking in a way that feels native to the community. Humor, self-awareness, and transparent storytelling help break the distance and encourage organic engagement.
Offer genuine value through content
Bilibili users care deeply about “value gained” from each video. Content must provide usefulness, knowledge, emotional resonance, or entertainment. Whether sharing expertise, demonstrating product use cases, or telling stories, the primary goal is to enrich the audience, not to push a sales message.
Co-create with creators, not just place ads
UP主 (creators) are trusted cultural connectors. Effective brand collaborations respect the creator’s style and allow them autonomy to integrate the brand naturally. Instead of scripted ads, co-created content aligns product benefits with the creator’s authentic narrative.
Content Strategies That Work on Bilibili
Different content types require different optimization strategies, and brands should tailor their approach accordingly.
Knowledge content: win with expertise and structure
Knowledge-based videos perform strongly on Bilibili. A clear structure – problem introduction, logical breakdown, and conclusion – helps increase completion rate and total watch time. Supplementary materials in the description, references to qualifications, and clear labeling of complex concepts enhance credibility and user trust.
Lifestyle and entertainment content: win with authenticity and relatability
Lifestyle content benefits from real-world scenarios, first-person perspectives, and conversational language. Entertainment content requires a strong hook in the opening seconds to grab attention. Regardless of category, interactive design matters: including prompts for comments, asking for audience opinions, and engaging actively in the comment section can significantly boost visibility.
Leverage platform tools and trends
Brands should monitor trending topics, seasonal events, and Bilibili official campaigns, finding natural ways to participate. Built-in analytics tools, such as Bilibili’s performance dashboards and the “Bida” insight tools, allow brands to track audience interests and content performance. Bullet comments and comment sections serve as a “second stage,” where creators and brands can amplify emotional resonance.
Working with Creators and the “Open Loop” Ecosystem
Building a multi-tier creator matrix
Mid-tier creators often offer the best balance between trust and efficiency. A pyramid-style collaboration model is effective: use top creators for broad visibility, mid-tier creators for in-depth storytelling, and long-tail creators for community-level amplification.
The “Open Loop” strategy to connect branding and conversion
Bilibili has expanded its commerce capabilities through data integration with Tmall, JD.com, and other e-commerce ecosystems. Programs such as Xinghuo and Jinghuo allow brands to measure GMV uplift and new-customer contribution from Bilibili content. During last year’s Double 11, Bilibili-driven GMV increased 154 percent year-over-year, and new customer rates exceeded 50 percent across categories, proving that Bilibili’s influence is no longer limited to upper-funnel awareness.
Advanced Tactics for Better Performance
Use AI to improve creative and planning efficiency
Bilibili’s AI-powered Insight Agent can generate industry reports, match creators intelligently, assist with creative scripts, and provide post-campaign analysis. Brands report a threefold improvement in insight-generation efficiency.
Learn from brand success stories
- Wuling Motors gained nearly one million followers by integrating into popular talk shows and collaborating with automotive creators to showcase product strengths.
- Dreame, Laifen, and other rising Chinese brands built strong brand perception among Gen Z through continuous content investment.
- Uni-President Group strengthened emotional bonds by sponsoring Bilibili’s Graduation Concert for three consecutive years, connecting its products to users’ shared youth memories.
Summary
Succeeding on Bilibili requires shifting from short-term traffic acquisition to long-term community cultivation. Brands that thrive on the platform share three characteristics:
- They respect the community culture, speaking authentically and avoiding intrusive advertising.
- They create value-rich content that enhances the viewer’s sense of knowledge, usefulness, or emotional connection.
- They invest in long-term ecosystem building, using creators, data tools, and cross-platform integrations to build trust that compounds over time.
For brands ready to understand, engage, and earn the trust of China’s young consumers, Bilibili is one of the most strategic platforms available today.