Content operation, how does Bilibili operate the UP host group?

This article mainly analyzes BiliBili’s product incentive strategy and operation strategy on the up-host side from the product side and some public information.

1. UP host operation strategy under the pyramid model

In the community, the number of fans is the most intuitive dimension to measure the value of UP hosts. Looking at the various operating strategies of Bilibili, all of them manage UP hosts in layers based on the number of UP hosts’ fans.

The following is an analysis of the content operation strategy of UP masters on Bilibili based on the pyramid model:

1. Targeting the bottom UP host

Regarding the stratification of the pyramid model, the purpose is to increase the number and influence of UP masters at each level while allowing UP masters at different levels of the pyramid to flow upward.

Create a UP master training system, offer online and offline creation and operation training courses, and enhance the creativity of newcomers

1) Create an online Bilibili Creative Academy

The core content of Bilibili is produced and provided by UP hosts. This type of content is between PGC and UGC. Bilibili calls it PUGC (Professional User Generated Content) in its financial report. It is difficult for ordinary users to produce this type of content. In order to lower the threshold for user production, Bilibili has opened an online creative academy to enhance the creativity of new UP hosts through online creation and operation training courses.

2) Carry out offline activities of "UP Master Academy Exchange Day"

As a supplement to online courses, "UP Master Academy Exchange Day" will travel to different cities to provide local UP masters with offline exchange and learning opportunities. Compared with online courses, this model is inevitably less efficient in promoting the growth of UP hosts, but it is more conducive to the brand building of the "UP Host Academy" and strengthening the emotional connection between the platform and the UP host group.

Launch the "Rising Star Plan" activity to encourage grassroots UP owners to produce high-quality content and improve the level of UP owners

The Rising Star Program has been held three times at Bilibili. Participation is limited to non-institutional certified UP hosts with less than 10,000 fans. The core conditions for winning awards for participating UP hosts are the number of submissions, number of likes for manuscripts, and growth in fans within the period. The incentives for the event include exclusive certification, avatar pendants, coupons, etc.

Judging from the core conditions for winning the award, the main purpose of the Rising Star Program is to encourage grassroots UP hosts to produce more and higher-quality content, thereby increasing the number of UP hosts' fans, and ultimately enabling UP hosts to grow and move upward.

It is worth mentioning that for supporting grassroots UP hosts, Bilibili’s main means is not to increase traffic, but to incentivize the production of high-quality content so that grassroots UP hosts can gain traffic and fans through relatively fair algorithm recommendations.

1. Targeting top UP hosts

Build the "High Energy Alliance" brand, deeply bind with top quality UP masters, and build a moat

On Bilibili, you can see that some UP hosts’ certified titles are members of the High Energy Alliance, as shown on the left in the picture above. Most of these UP hosts are top-quality UP hosts. Taking "Smart Party Girl" as an example, on Weibo, you can see that the video content she posted has a 3-second "High Energy Alliance" brand picture at the beginning of the content. In addition, you can also see that the video content posted by Director Yang and other members of the High Energy Alliance on Weibo all have a 3-second "High Energy Alliance" brand picture at the beginning, but no similar situation has been seen on other platforms.

It can be inferred from this that the "High Energy Alliance" brand is a means for Bilibili to deeply bind itself with the top core high-quality UP hosts. By binding through paid contracts, it prevents core UP hosts from being poached or lost by competitors, thus building a moat. At the same time, on non-competitive platforms, through the "High Energy Alliance" brand output, B Station UP master influence is built externally.

Open up the promotion path for top UP hosts and operate UP hosts as artists

As the top of Bilibili's content production chain, the development of top UP hosts within the community has reached a bottleneck to a certain extent. Bilibili has opened up the upward path for top UP hosts through artist-like operations, helping UP hosts at this level to better realize commercial value and gain greater influence.

Taking the UP host "Xiaoyao Sanren" as an example, you can see that his certified title on Bilibili is "Live Broadcast Signed Anchor, Top 100 UP Host", as shown below:

At the same time, on Weibo you can see artist announcements such as "Xiaoyao Sanren" participating in the variety show "The Brain", magazine shoots, etc.

Among the top UP hosts on Bilibili, there are a large number of UP hosts who "are unwilling to show their faces". The artist-like operation mode is a path for the top UP hosts to rise, but it may not be suitable for all top UP hosts.

2. UP Master Incentive Operation Strategy

Set up physical medal rewards to encourage UP masters to grow

After gaining 10,000 fans on Bilibili, you can get a congratulatory letter. After gaining 100,000 fans, you can get a silver medal small TV. After gaining 1 million fans, you can get a gold medal small TV. All of these are physical rewards. If you search for relevant keywords on Bilibili, you can see that many UP hosts create content about the medals they have won, which has a good effect in motivating UP hosts and enhancing their sense of honor. However, this model is not the first of its kind by Bilibili. It has been implemented before by overseas YouTube and domestic Xigua Video and Weibo.

Held the "bilibili power up" top 100 UP master awards ceremony to enhance the UP master group's sense of honor and build industry influence

In 2019, Bilibili held the "BILIBILI POWER UP" Top 100 UP Masters Awards Ceremony for the first time, with different types of awards aimed at recognizing UP masters, similar to Weibo's "Weibo Night" and Xigua Video's "Golden Second Award". Enhance the sense of honor and industry influence of the UP host group through honorary awards.

"Full Attendance Challenge" activity to encourage UP hosts to be active

The core task of the "Perfect Attendance Challenge" is to submit video manuscripts every week. The longer the number of weeks, the greater the reward. Only fans below 100,000 can participate. Judging from the setting of conditions, the main purpose of this activity is to encourage UP hosts below the waist level to remain active and to cultivate the habit of submitting content among UP hosts.

3. Product-side UP host incentive system

Open up multiple commercial monetization channels for UP hosts

Resource support and commercial realization are the core demands of the UP master group. Through Bilibili's "Creation Center-Revenue Management", we can see that the main sources of monetization on the product side are creation incentives, charging plans, and bounty plans.

Reward Program:

After reaching 10,000 followers, UP hosts can apply to join the bounty program. The core model is to open up advertising permissions under the UP host’s video. The UP host can choose what kind of advertising content to display, and the platform and the UP host share the advertising revenue according to a certain ratio. YouTube and Toutiao have already implemented this strategy.

Creative Incentive Program:

When the UP host’s fans reach 1K or the number of views and readings exceeds 100,000, they can apply to join the creation incentive program. The program calculates subsidies based on the UP host’s video views, and the CPM base for different categories of content is different.

Charging plan:

The Charging Plan is one of the earliest ways for UP hosts to monetize implemented by Bilibili. The main model is user rewards. Ordinary users can participate in the plan by becoming UP hosts after submitting a video manuscript.

The three monetization channels for UP hosts are more common on domestic content platforms. In addition, UP hosts can also earn income on Bilibili through signing fees, production fees from cooperation, etc., but the core monetization channel is still commercial implantation in the video. When uploading video content on Bilibili, you can see that you need to check whether the content contains commercial promotion and indicate the promotion category.

According to the public rules of Bilibili, we can see that the commercial promotion of mobile games is currently subject to official restrictions. This is understandable. As mobile game joint operations and exclusive distribution are Bilibili’s core sources of income, related commercial promotions need to be strictly controlled.

3. Set up a badge and certification system for UP hosts to encourage UP hosts to be active

Medal of Achievement:

When the UP host completes tasks such as submission and playback volume, he/she can obtain corresponding medals, which can be displayed on the UP host’s personal homepage. By setting up achievement medals, UP can be encouraged to be active and produce high-quality content.

Fan Medal:

UP hosts with fans ≥ 1,000 and who have submitted videos can activate the fan badge. After activating the fan badge, UP hosts can establish their own exclusive fan group within the App. The main purpose of setting up the fan medal is to promote the activity of ordinary users and at the same time enhance the intimacy between UP hosts and their fans.

Well-known UP master certification:

After the number of fans reaches 100,000, the UP host can apply for the "bilibili well-known UP host" certification. The certification title is displayed on the user's personal homepage, and there is a yellow lightning logo in the lower right corner of the avatar. The setting of well-known UP host certification gives the UP host a symbol of identity in the community, and motivates the UP host to work hard to achieve fan achievements and obtain certification.

IV. Conclusion

Bilibili manages and operates UP hosts in layers based on the size of their fans. It formulates targeted operation strategies based on the different problems faced by UP hosts at different levels, and motivates the UP host group by creating multiple monetization channels and virtualized identity symbols in the community, thereby increasing the size, activity and influence of the UP host group. Content operation, how does BiliBili operate the UP host group?

Author:Mark

Author:Mark