How to Use Rednote (Xiaohongshu) for Business Marketing in China
To promote products and services in China, businesses are increasingly using Xiaohongshu, known as Rednote in the Western world.
Xiaohongshu is positioned to become the Instagram of China, and since it was founded, it has grown to become the fastest-growing social media platform there.
It also boasts an average of 100 million monthly users who engage with over 1.8 billion videos a month.
In fact, according to a recent Alibaba report, Xiaohongshu is ranked second for the number one app Chinese women use for digital marketing, only behind WeChat.
Let’s take a closer look at how to use the platform for business marketing in China.
📻 What is Xiaohongshu?
Xiaohongshu, which translates to Little Red Book, is a social media platform and e-commerce site that allows users to post short videos and photos featuring products they purchase.
The content typically includes product reviews, how-to videos, and tutorials.
Since it first launched, Xiaohongshu has grown to become one of the most popular social commerce and lifestyle platforms in China.
It currently has over 200 million monthly active users, with 70% of its users aged between 18 and 35.
The platform is also known for its loyal audience of affluent, urban women.
📈 How Xiaohongshu is different from other popular platforms in China
While Xiaohongshu has a similar look and feel to Instagram, it distinguishes itself from other Chinese social media platforms with a strong focus on user-generated content (UGC).
This is particularly different from WeChat and Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), which primarily focus on brand-generated content.
In fact, Xiaohongshu’s content is made up of 90% UGC.
The platform has also gained a reputation for having a more desirable user demographic that consists of younger and more affluent users compared to other platforms.
Xiaohongshu users are also more engaged with content.
According to the XHS Marketing Group, Xiaohongshu users are 30% more engaged with content than Douyin users and 50% more engaged than WeChat users.
In addition, user loyalty on Xiaohongshu is higher than other platforms.
According to the same report, 80% of Xiaohongshu users use the platform daily, compared to only 50% of Douyin users and 40% of WeChat users.
🛒 Xiaohongshu as a Social Commerce Platform
Xiaohongshu is known for being a social commerce platform.
This means its users can not only engage with UGC, but they can also purchase featured products directly through the app.
According to recent reports, Xiaohongshu has overtaken Alibaba to become the top social commerce platform in China.
It currently boasts over 200 million monthly active users (MAUs), with an average of 1.3 billion keywords searched per month.
Xiaohongshu users also spend an average of 30 minutes per day on the platform.
💁♀️ How brands and businesses can leverage Xiaohongshu for marketing
In 2025, Xiaohongshu continues to be one of the best marketing platforms for businesses looking to reach women consumers in China.
Here are several ways brands and businesses can leverage the platform for marketing and advertising:
- Focus on UGC instead of brand-generated content
Unlike WeChat and Douyin, which primarily feature brand-generated content, Xiaohongshu has a strong focus on UGC.
This means businesses looking to market their products on the platform should create strategies that encourage their customers to create and share content featuring their brand.
Encouraging UGC is one of the most effective ways to leverage Xiaohongshu for marketing.
- Use Xiaohongshu influencers
Another effective way to leverage the platform for marketing is through Xiaohongshu influencers.
While the platform is known for strong UGC, influencer marketing is also a major component of Xiaohongshu.
Just like in other countries, influencers in China can help brands increase their reach and engagement on social platforms.
In fact, Xiaohongshu influencers have a higher reach than influencers on other platforms.
According to recent reports, Xiaohongshu influencers boast an average reach of 15% compared to only 8% on Douyin and 6% on WeChat.
- Build a Xiaohongshu business account
According to Xiaohongshu, the first step for brands looking to leverage the platform for marketing is to create a business account.
Once a business account is created, companies can upload and publish videos and images, add links to their official website, and view analytics to track their marketing campaigns.
Creating a business account is essential for any brand looking to leverage Xiaohongshu for marketing.
- Utilize Xiaohongshu ads
Like other social media platforms, Xiaohongshu supports ads that brands can leverage for marketing.
Xiaohongshu ads can be displayed on user feeds and through search results.
Brands can also leverage in-feed ads that allow users to click to install apps, visit official brand websites, or visit a product detail page on the Xiaohongshu app.
- Leverage Xiaohongshu SEO
Another important marketing strategy brands need to employ to be successful on Xiaohongshu is SEO.
With over 1.3 billion searches each month, Xiaohongshu SEO is crucial for brands to increase their visibility on the platform.
For brands looking to create effective Xiaohongshu SEO strategies, here are a few tips to consider:
- Optimize profile bios: Optimize bios for keywords relevant to your brand to increase visibility.
- Use relevant tags: Use relevant tags in your posts to improve search visibility.
- Post frequently: Posting frequently can improve your brand’s visibility and reach on Xiaohongshu.
📅 How Xiaohongshu has changed since launching in 2013
Since launching in 2013, Xiaohongshu has grown to become a powerful marketing platform for brands looking to reach women in China.
Here are a few notable milestones in Xiaohongshu’s history:
- 2013: Xiaohongshu was founded by Miranda Qu and Mao Wenchao.
- 2014: Xiaohongshu began pivoting from a cross-border e-commerce platform to a social media platform.
- 2015: The app started being dubbed “Instagram for China.”
- 2016: Xiaohongshu users surpassed 10 million.
- 2017: Xiaohongshu users surpassed 30 million.
- 2018: Xiaohongshu reached over 50 million users and launched official Xiaohongshu business accounts.
- 2020: Xiaohongshu reached over 200 million monthly active users.
- 2021: Xiaohongshu was banned by the Indian government over security issues.
- 2023: Xiaohongshu launched a version of the app for overseas users, enabling international purchases.
🏦 Xiaohongshu has overtaken Alibaba and is now the top social commerce platform in China
As mentioned earlier, Xiaohongshu has grown to become the most popular social commerce platform in China.
According to the latest statistics, Xiaohongshu has overtaken Alibaba to become the leading social commerce platform in the country.
This is a notable feat, as Alibaba has long been considered a leader in China’s e-commerce sector.
According to reports, Xiaohongshu boasts over 200 million monthly active users, while Alibaba has only 140 million.
📣 Final Thoughts
As China continues to grow into a strong digital economy, brands looking to leverage the booming market will want to consider using Xiaohongshu.
With its loyal, affluent, urban female demographic, Xiaohongshu offers brands a powerful marketing platform for reaching this desirable audience.
To successfully market on Xiaohongshu, brands will need to focus on UGC instead of brand-generated content, leverage Xiaohongshu influencers, create a Xiaohongshu business account, utilize Xiaohongshu ads, and optimize their posts for Xiaohongshu SEO.