Applause without Purchase: The Conversion Gap of Knowledge-Based Book Sales on Douyin in the Context of Fragmented Communication

Abstract

In the fragmented communication environment, knowledge-based book marketing on Douyin has gained wide attention through the model of knowledge-driven consumption. Yet a clear discrepancy between communication impact and sales conversion persists, forming the typical phenomenon of “applause without purchase”. Guided by cross-media storytelling theory, this study analyzes the Douyin case of high interaction but low conversion through quantitative data from four leading influencers (total followers: 9.199 million; total interactions: 152,000). Results show low conversion efficiency, with CNY 21,500 sales per 10,000 interactions and CNY 3,563 per 10,000 followers. The findings identify three key causes of the conversion gap: the value substitution effect of cognitive bias, attention dissipation under fragmented reading, and market dilution caused by content imbalance. To address these issues, the study proposes three optimization path—cognitive reconstruction, cross-media cultural storytelling, and content ecosystem governance—to bridge the gap between communication and consumption and promote the shift of knowledge-based marketing from traffic generation to value realization.