Design and User Growth Strategies for Mobile Content Platforms: A Case Study of Fanqie Applications
DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jbm.202509202
Author(s)
Xiaobin Fang1,*, Qi Deng2, Yifei Liu2
Affiliation(s)
1Jinritoutiao Technology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
2Lemon Technology Co., Ltd. Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
*Corresponding Author
Abstract
This paper examines the systematic strategies for user growth and commercial monetization employed by the Fanqie application ecosystem in the Chinese mobile content market. Through a mixed-method approach combining competitive benchmarking, quantitative platform analysis, focus group research, and the Delphi method, we analyze how Fanqie has achieved remarkable scale with 100 million daily active users across its integrated content platforms. The study findings reveal that Fanqie's success stems from four interconnected strategic dimensions: demographic ceiling breakthrough, multi-terminal deployment, integrated incentive systems, and diversified monetization channels. The study shows that good growth methods in mobile content apps serve many business goals at the same time, making helpful loops between getting users, keeping them, and making money. Really worth noting is Fanqie's coin system, which both keeps users coming back and helps make money, adding 6.3% more profit from regular users. The platform's SDK plan has also worked very well, bringing in 43 million daily users through working with host apps. This case gives useful lessons for digital content businesses looking for lasting growth in tough markets and adds to what we know about how platform economics works in the mobile content field.
Keywords
User Growth; Content Platforms; Incentive Mechanisms; Monetization Strategy; Mobile Applications; User Experience
References
[1] Palanisamy, B. (2025). The listening renaissance: a theoretical exploration of audio-based digital narratives in literature. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12(1), 1-9.
[2] Wang, B., Mao, W., & Li, G. (2019). China's Digital Publishing Moving Towards In-Depth Integrated Development: The 2018–2019 Annual Report on China's Digital Publishing Industry. Publishing Research Quarterly, 35(4), 648-669.
[3] Balasubramanian, N., Balasubramanian, A., & Venkataramani, A. (2009). Energy consumption in mobile phones: a measurement study and implications for network applications. Proceedings of the 9th ACM SIGCOMM Conference on Internet Measurement, 280-293.
[4] Myllylahti, M. (2020). Paying attention to attention: A conceptual framework for studying news reader revenue models related to platforms. Digital Journalism, 8(5), 567-575.
[5] Schlegelmilch, B.B. (2022). Segmenting targeting and positioning in global markets. Global Marketing Strategy: An Executive Digest, Cham: Springer International Publishing, 129-159.
[6] Saura, J.R., Palacios-Marqués, D., & Iturricha-Fernández, A. (2021). Ethical design in social media: Assessing the main performance measurements of user online behavior modification. Journal of Business Research, 129, 271-281.
[7] Ploog, J.N. (2024). Three essays on heterogeneous network effects: Implications for firms and users. UCL (University College London), 1-25.
[8] Zhang, L., Shao, Z., Benitez, J., et al. (2023). How to improve user engagement and retention in mobile payment: a gamification affordance perspective. Decision Support Systems, 168, 113941.
[9] Lee, S., Zhang, J., & Wedel, M., et al. (2021). Managing the versioning decision over an app’s lifetime. Journal of Marketing, 85, 44-62.
[10] Siriaporn, N., de Nazelle, A., & Vuillemin, A. (2025). Promoting active transportation through technology: a scoping review of mobile apps for walking and cycling. BMC Public Health, 25(1), 952.
[11] Bals, L., Taylor, K.M., Rosca, E., et al. (2024). Toward a circular supply chain: The enabling role of information and financial flows in open and closed loop designs. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 209, 107781.
[12] Bruce, M.R., Adekoya, A.F., Boateng, S., et al. (2023). Prevalent user-centered monetization techniques in social media. International Review of Management and Marketing, 13(1), 19-28.
[13] Li, J., Wu, J., Zhang, J., et al. (2024). Freemium design: Optimal tier differentiation models for content platforms. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 188, 103612.
[14] Okeyo, M. (2024). Customer-centric data strategies to drive revenue growth. Digital Journalism, 12(6), 837-855.
[15] Wang, S., Wu, M., Hu, M., et al. (2021). Promoting landscape connectivity of highly urbanized area: An ecological network approach. Ecological Indicators, 125, 107487.
[16] Tabakova, O. (2022). Social Media Marketing Strategy for an Online Italian Language School. Universidade Catolica Portuguesa (Portugal), 1-27.
[17] Lavi, E., & Reich, Y. (2024). Cross-disciplinary system value overview towards value-oriented design. Research in Engineering Design, 35(1), 1-20.
[18] Bitrián, P., Buil, I., & Catalán, S. (2021). Enhancing user engagement: The role of gamification in mobile apps. Journal of Business Research, 132, 170-185.