Chinese e-commerce juggernaut JD.com has announced an investment of 1 billion yuan ($138 million USD) to incentivize video content creation on its platform.  

The incentive program allows top creators across 20 categories to receive up to 30,000 yuan ($4,150 USD) in weekly bonuses. In addition to cash payouts, JD.com promises “to amplify the reach of such content through algorithms, traffic coupons, and other means.”

JD.com has also earmarked 5 million yuan ($692,000 USD) in monthly bonuses for multi-channel networks – agencies that help influencers grow and monetize their social media presence. These payouts are contingent on the networks delivering a certain number of creators to the company’s platform.

The investment reflects the explosive growth of video-driven e-commerce in China. JD.com cites data from the China Netcasting Services Association, which reveals that in 2023, 71.2% of Chinese internet users made purchases directly from watching short videos or livestreams, up from just 42.7% in 2022.

JD.com was an early adopter of live shopping, launching it in 2016, months after e-commerce rival Alibaba’s Taobao marketplace.

The e-commerce giant states it is “actively preparing to incubate the top creators” and plans to anoint its first 100 top performers by year-end. “This initiative builds on the substantial growth witnessed in JD’s content ecosystem over the past year, marked by a 300% increase for “trial + review” videos in key metrics such as orders, user base, and viewing duration,” the announcement reads.