The Complete Guide to Social Listening in China

Social listening allows companies to understand how consumers discuss their brands, products and competitors online. It can reveal changes in brand awareness, emerging trends, customer sentiment, popular content and potential reputational risks.

In China, this information is fragmented across largely separate digital ecosystems operated by Tencent, ByteDance and Xiaohongshu. Each platform provides some data through its own interface or business backend, while specialist third-party tools such as Feigua, Chanmama and DouchaCha organise that data into rankings, historical trends and competitive analysis. 

This guide will explain what options foreign companies have to conduct social listening in China.

What Is Social Listening?

Social listening is the process of collecting and analysing online discussions about a company, brand, product or industry.

It can be used to answer questions such as:

• How well known is our brand in China?
• Which Chinese name or keyword do consumers use?
• Which platforms contain the most discussion?
• What do users like or dislike about our product?
• How does our visibility compare with competitors?
• Which topics, influencers and content formats generate engagement?
• Is brand awareness increasing or decreasing?
• Are there emerging complaints or reputational risks?

For app developers, social listening can also identify problems with localisation, payment methods, account registration, connectivity, app performance and access from Mainland China.

How Does Social Listening Work in China?

There is no single source covering all Chinese social media.

China’s major platforms operate as separate ecosystems and provide different types of data. WeChat measures keyword interest through WeChat Index. Douyin provides video, search, creator, livestream and e-commerce data. Xiaohongshu focuses on notes, searches, discussions, interactions and product recommendations.

Social listening must therefore combine information from multiple sources.

Platform	Native source	Typical data
WeChat	WeChat Index and account backends	Keyword interest, article performance, followers and engagement
Douyin	Douyin, Douyin Index and business backends	Videos, hashtags, search interest, creators, livestreams and commerce
RedNote/Xiaohongshu	Platform search and professional account tools	Notes, topics, interactions, searches, creators and product discussions

Platforms commonly allow users to view basic data for free. More advanced first-party functions may require a registered business account, advertising account or merchant account.

Can You Conduct Social Listening in China for Free?

A significant amount of Chinese social media data is publicly visible or available through free platform tools. In theory, an overseas company can manually search its brand name, product name and competitors across China’s major platforms.

In practice, access is inconsistent. Some platforms require a logged-in Chinese account, WeChat verification, a Mainland Chinese mobile number or use of the platform’s mobile app. An overseas company without a Chinese phone number can still conduct a basic assessment, but it will not provide a complete or easily comparable view of the market.

What Can You Check from Overseas for Free?

Platform	What can be checked for free	Chinese phone number required?
WeChat Index	Keyword-interest trends and comparisons	Not necessarily, but a working WeChat account is required
Douyin	Public accounts, videos, hashtags and visible engagement	Some content is accessible without one, but login restrictions vary
Xiaohongshu	Public notes, accounts, comments and visible engagement	Some individual pages may be visible, but reliable searching usually requires an account
Weibo	Public posts, hashtags, views, comments and reposts	Basic browsing may be possible without one
Bilibili	Public videos, views, comments and creator accounts	Usually not required for basic browsing
Baidu	Public search results and indexed brand mentions	No for normal search
Baidu Index	Keyword trends, related searches and audience indicators	A Baidu account is required
Chinese app stores	Public listings, ratings, rankings and some reviews	Usually not required for individual listings
Feigua, Chanmama and DouchaCha	Product descriptions, some rankings, trials or limited searches	Registration is normally required for useful data
Qiangua	Product information and limited platform access	Generally yes

Access conditions change regularly and can differ according to location, browser, device and account status. “Free access” therefore does not always mean that the data can be collected consistently from outside China.

What Can You Learn Without Paying for a Third-Party Tool?

A foreign company can conduct a basic manual audit using publicly available information.

This may include:

• Searching the English brand name
• Searching known Chinese translations
• Identifying relevant hashtags
• Recording visible views and engagement
• Reviewing high-ranking posts and videos
• Reading public user comments
• Checking ratings and reviews in Chinese app stores
• Comparing public follower counts
• Looking for recurring complaints or questions
• Identifying users and creators already discussing the product

This can answer a few initial questions:

• Is the brand already being discussed in China?
• Which Chinese name do users employ?
• Which platform contains the most discussion?
• Are the visible conversations mainly positive or negative?
• Which competitors have a stronger presence?

However, this method does not easily provide historical trends, systematic competitor comparisons, estimated sales, complete creator rankings or reliable cross-platform reporting.

Why Is Free Research from Overseas Difficult?

1. Account and Phone-Number Requirements

Many Chinese platforms require registration before showing complete search results or account data. Registration may require SMS verification, a WeChat account or a Mainland Chinese mobile number.

For example, Qiangua states that overseas users without a Mainland Chinese phone number cannot register through its normal process, although its customer service may be able to assist with account access. 

Feigua supports WeChat QR-code and phone-based login, but access still depends on having a suitable Chinese digital account and completing the required verification. 

2. Chinese-Language Keyword Selection

The English name of a product may not be the term Chinese users actually search for.

A complete keyword list can include:

• The official English name
• The official Chinese name
• A transliteration of the English name
• A direct Chinese translation
• Abbreviations
• Product-category keywords
• User-created nicknames
• Common misspellings
• Previous Chinese names
• Names used by competitors or app stores

Searching the wrong keyword can produce the false conclusion that a product has no awareness in China.

3. Data Is Fragmented

A company may need to check WeChat Index in the WeChat app, search Douyin separately, review Xiaohongshu notes, examine Bilibili videos and visit multiple Android app stores.

The results cannot be directly exported into one report. Each platform also uses different definitions for views, discussions, interactions and index values.

4. Public Data Lacks Context

A hashtag with ten million views may appear impressive, but the figure does not explain:

• When those views occurred
• Whether the conversation is still active
• Whether the posts refer to the correct product
• Whether engagement is positive or negative
• Whether the activity was organic or paid
• How the result compares with competitors
• Whether the attention resulted in downloads or sales

Collecting the number is therefore less valuable than interpreting it.

How Can You Check Chinese Social Media in More Detail?

There are three levels of social listening available.

Level	Data source	What it provides
Basic	Public platform searches	Posts, videos, hashtags, comments and visible engagement
Account-level	Official platform backends	Detailed data for content and accounts owned by the company
Market-level	Third-party analytics providers	Competitor histories, rankings, trends, creators and estimated commercial data

Official Platform Backends

Companies that operate their own Chinese accounts can access detailed first-party data through the platform’s backend.

This can include:

• Follower growth
• Content views
• Completion rates
• Likes, comments and shares
• Audience characteristics
• Traffic sources
• Search traffic
• Advertising performance
• Livestream performance
• Store visits
• Orders and sales

This data is generally more accurate than third-party estimates, but it only covers the company’s own account and activities. It does not provide complete access to competitor backends.

What Is the Difference Between Native and Third-Party Data?

Native data comes directly from the platform. It is generally the most authoritative source for the performance of an account’s own content.

Third-party tools collect, organise and model data visible across a wider part of the platform. They can provide more convenient competitive information than the platform’s standard interface.

Native platform data	Third-party data tools
First-party account performance	Competitor and market analysis
Followers and account growth	Cross-account rankings
Content views and engagement	Historical performance trends
Advertising results	Influencer comparisons
Livestream and shop performance	Estimated sales and GMV
Data belonging to the account	Industry and category benchmarks

Third-party providers do not necessarily have privileged access to all of a platform’s internal data. Figures such as estimated sales, advertising expenditure, audience composition and commercial performance may be calculated using proprietary models and observed data.

These estimates are useful for comparison, but should not be presented as audited financial figures.

The Three Major Social Listening Ecosystems in China

1. Tencent and WeChat

WeChat is more difficult to monitor than open social networks because much of its activity occurs in private conversations, groups and Mini Programs.

The main public tool for measuring interest is WeChat Index (微信指数). It can be accessed by searching for “微信指数” within WeChat.

Companies can enter a Chinese keyword and examine its relative popularity over time. This can help measure interest in:

• Brand names
• Product names
• App names
• Competitors
• Public figures
• Campaign slogans
• Industry topics
• Current events

WeChat Index is not an exact count of searches or users. It is a weighted indicator calculated from activity within the WeChat ecosystem. It should therefore be used to evaluate changes over time or compare related keywords.

Companies operating a WeChat Official Account can obtain additional first-party information from the account backend, including:

• Follower growth
• Article reads
• Shares
• Likes
• Recommendations
• User sources
• Menu interactions
• Video performance

Limitations of WeChat Social Listening

Private messages and closed group discussions cannot be comprehensively monitored. WeChat Index also does not explain why interest increased or whether discussion was positive or negative.

A complete analysis must therefore compare changes in the index with public articles, search results, campaign activity and relevant events.

2. ByteDance and Douyin

Douyin is one of China’s most important platforms for product discovery, short-video marketing, livestreaming and e-commerce.

The platform provides access to public indicators such as:

• Hashtag views
• Number of related videos
• Likes, comments and shares
• Creator followers
• Livestream popularity
• Product and shop activity
• Search suggestions
• Trending content

Business and creator accounts can access more detailed first-party analytics through Douyin’s professional and commercial tools.

However, the native platform does not always make it easy to compare large numbers of creators, products, brands or competitors over time. This has created a substantial market for third-party Douyin analytics providers.

Feigua Douyin

Feigua Douyin (飞瓜抖音) is a short-video, livestream and e-commerce analytics platform.

Its principal functions include:

• Creator search and ranking
• Creator performance histories
• Audience profiles
• Short-video analysis
• Livestream monitoring
• Product and shop rankings
• Brand and category analysis
• Competitor monitoring
• Influencer campaign analysis
• Estimated sales and GMV
• Content and commerce trends

Feigua states that its creator analysis can include up to three years of historical data. It also provides brand analysis covering category share, self-operated livestreaming, marketing activity and audience interests. 

Feigua Brand Intelligence

The broader Feigua product family includes Feigua Brand Intelligence (飞瓜品策), which focuses more directly on Douyin brand marketing and public-opinion analysis.

It can be used to examine:

• Brand visibility
• Share of voice
• Content sentiment
• Reputation trends
• Competitor marketing activity
• Category conversations
• Consumer feedback
• Influencer and content performance

This is closer to conventional social listening than Feigua’s standard e-commerce product, which is primarily designed around creators, livestreams, products and sales.

Feigua E-commerce

Feigua’s e-commerce analytics help companies understand commercial activity that is not immediately visible through ordinary Douyin searches.

Typical uses include:

• Identifying top-selling products
• Estimating product and livestream sales
• Tracking category growth
• Comparing brand market share
• Finding high-converting creators
• Analysing competitor livestream strategies
• Monitoring product launches
• Reviewing post-purchase feedback
• Identifying frequently mentioned product advantages and complaints

This allows a company to connect social attention with estimated commercial outcomes.

3. Xiaohongshu

Xiaohongshu, also known internationally as RedNote, is particularly important for product discovery, recommendations, reviews and lifestyle-related searches.

Relevant public indicators include:

• Number of related notes
• Topic or hashtag views
• Likes
• Comments
• Saves
• Shares
• Search suggestions
• Creator activity
• Commercial collaborations
• User questions and complaints

For many companies, the most valuable Xiaohongshu metric is not simply the number of mentions. Saves, comments and repeated search themes can indicate whether users are seriously considering a product.

Qiangua Data

Qiangua Data (千瓜数据) is Feigua’s sister product specialising in Xiaohongshu data. It should not be confused with Feigua’s main Douyin product.

Qiangua provides functions covering:

• Brand and category analysis
• Keyword trends
• Note searches and rankings
• Influencer discovery
• Creator comparisons
• Audience analysis
• Commercial content
• Competitor monitoring
• Sentiment monitoring
• Livestream commerce
• Product and sales estimates
• Campaign management

Its sentiment-monitoring function can classify comments associated with selected notes as positive or negative. Its keyword tools can also identify increases in note volumes and interaction levels.

Qiangua states that some metrics, including estimated exposure, reading volumes, advertising prices, sales and transaction values, are modelled estimates rather than official Xiaohongshu totals.

Major Third-Party Social Listening Providers

Feigua Data (飞瓜数据)

Feigua is one of the best-known Chinese short-video and livestream analytics providers.

Its product portfolio covers:

• Douyin
• Kuaishou
• Bilibili
• Douyin advertising
• Brand intelligence
• Livestream operations
• Influencer distribution
• E-commerce analytics

Feigua is particularly useful for brands that need to connect content exposure with creator activity, livestreaming and estimated product sales. 

Chanmama (蝉妈妈)

Chanmama is another major short-video content and livestream e-commerce analytics provider.

Its tools focus on areas including:

• Douyin creator analysis
• Video performance
• Livestream monitoring
• Product rankings
• Shop analysis
• Brand performance
• E-commerce trends
• Competitor research
• Influencer selection

Chanmama is often used to identify creators and products gaining momentum before they appear near the top of broader rankings. It also helps brands compare influencer commercial performance rather than relying only on follower counts.

The platform has also offered Xiaohongshu creator and content analysis, although its strongest market position has traditionally been in Douyin and livestream e-commerce.Chanmama

DouchaCha (抖查查)

DouchaCha is a Douyin-focused short-video and livestream e-commerce analytics service.

It can be used to research:

• Douyin accounts
• Videos
• Livestreams
• Products
• Shops
• Creators
• Sales rankings
• Trending content
• Competitor activity

Its focus is narrower than a multi-platform social listening suite, but this can make it useful for companies whose main objective is Douyin content or e-commerce research. 

Qiangua Data (千瓜数据)

Qiangua focuses specifically on Xiaohongshu marketing and “seeding” analysis.

It is particularly relevant for:

• Brand-share analysis
• Influencer selection
• Trending keywords
• Note performance
• Competitor campaigns
• User sentiment
• Commercial content
• Product discovery
• Xiaohongshu e-commerce

Unlike Feigua, Chanmama and DouchaCha, which are strongly associated with Douyin analytics, Qiangua is designed primarily around the Xiaohongshu ecosystem.

Comparison of Chinese Social Listening Tools

Provider	Main coverage	Strongest use case
WeChat Index	WeChat	Measuring changes in keyword interest
Feigua	Douyin, Kuaishou and Bilibili	Content, creators, livestreaming and e-commerce
Feigua Brand Intelligence	Douyin	Brand reputation and marketing analysis
Chanmama	Primarily Douyin	Creator, livestream and product analysis
DouchaCha	Douyin	Short-video and livestream e-commerce research
Qiangua	Xiaohongshu	Brand, influencer, content and “seeding” analysis
Baidu Index	Baidu Search	Search demand and audience interest

Are Chinese Social Listening Platforms Free?

Basic platform data is often free.

For example, companies can search WeChat Index, inspect public hashtags, count relevant posts and review visible engagement without purchasing enterprise software. Third-party providers may also allow registration, limited searches or free trials.

However, advanced functions are generally paid. These can include:

• Longer historical periods
• Bulk data exports
• Competitor monitoring
• Real-time alerts
• Influencer contact information
• Audience profiles
• Estimated sales and GMV
• Sentiment analysis
• Custom categories
• Multi-user access
• API access
• Downloadable reports

Purchasing several subscriptions may be difficult to justify for an overseas company that only needs occasional China market analysis. Some services also require a Mainland Chinese mobile number or Chinese-language onboarding. Costs can vary from CNY 1000 to 15,000 every month depending on the platform and account tier. 

What Additional Value Does Third-Party Data Provide?

The platforms themselves show what is happening. Third-party providers make it easier to understand how those results compare with the wider market.

For example, Douyin may display the public engagement generated by a video. A third-party provider may additionally show:

• How the account’s engagement has changed over time
• How it compares with similar creators
• Which products appeared in the content
• Estimated sales associated with the creator
• Related livestream performance
• Audience characteristics
• Whether the content outperformed the category average

The same distinction applies to Xiaohongshu. A public note shows its visible likes, comments and saves. A specialist tool can organise thousands of notes into keyword trends, brand comparisons, influencer rankings and estimated campaign performance.

The additional value therefore comes from aggregation, historical tracking, classification and analysis, not necessarily from access to more authoritative first-party data.

How Can AppInChina Help?

China’s native analytics platforms are often free to use, but collecting information from them is only the first step. Companies must still identify the correct Chinese keywords, distinguish relevant posts from unrelated results and interpret incomparable metrics across multiple platforms.

AppInChina can provide a consolidated China social listening report covering:

• WeChat Index
• Douyin
• Xiaohongshu
• Weibo
• Bilibili
• Baidu
• Chinese app stores
• Relevant third-party analytics platforms

The report can include:

• Identification of English and Chinese brand keywords
• Brand and product mention volumes
• Hashtag views and content volumes
• Search and platform-interest indicators
• Creator and influencer activity
• Competitor comparisons
• User sentiment and recurring discussion themes
• Estimated e-commerce activity where relevant
• App store ratings and user feedback
• Recommendations for content, localisation and market entry

This gives overseas companies the useful conclusions from several Chinese data platforms without requiring separate subscriptions, Chinese-language accounts or internal expertise. Contact us to get started.