A Study on the Role of User-Generated Content (UGC) in Book-Buying Decisions on Douyin: A Case Study of Book Reviews and Reading Lists

Abstract

With the widespread adoption and development of the internet, the influence of user-generated content (UGC) in the e-commerce sector has become increasingly prominent. In the realm of book sales, the Douyin platform has emerged as a key channel for book promotion and sales, thanks to its vast user base and unique content ecosystem. This paper focuses on the role of UGC in book purchasing decisions on Douyin. Taking book reviews and reading lists as the entry point, we collected book-sharing videos from Douyin and processed the data using techniques such as word segmentation, keyword extraction, and sentiment analysis. We then conducted an empirical study using regression analysis. The results indicate that factors such as keyword richness and sentiment orientation in UGC significantly influence consumers’ book-purchasing decisions. These findings provide valuable insights for publishing houses, book marketers, and platform operators, helping them formulate more effective marketing strategies and further drive the development of the book industry in the era of short-video e-commerce.