Xiaohongshu 小 红 书, also known as Little Red Book or RED for short, is in the spot again – as football (soccer) star Kylian Mbappe recently announced the opening of his personal account on the social app just prior to his blockbuster transfer from Paris Saint Germain to Real Madrid in May.
Xiaohongshu 小 红 书 (Little Red Book or RED) is a social and e-commerce platform that has taken China by storm.
Launched in 2013, Xiaohongshu is regarded as Chinese Instagram, a social media platform seamlessly combines user-generated content with e-commerce, allowing users to share quality content such as product reviews and experiences while purchasing those same products directly through the platform.
The social media platform's early focus was on fashion and beauty trends, which helped it evolve into a leading Chinese fashion lifestyle platform with a predominantly female user base in first and second-tier cities.
The Chinese app boasts over 300 million monthly active users, making it probably the most significant player in the Chinese social media and e-commerce landscape today, thanks to its powerful recommendation algorithm and a built-in e-commerce features.
Xiaohongshu is available for download on the iOS app store and Google Play for Android devices, making it easily accessible for users in and out of China. They also developed desktop version recently.
From 'Seeding' to 'Weeding': The Power of Recommendation Algorithm for Platform Users
What is Seeding?
“Seeding” on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book or RED) refers to the practice of users sharing their shopping insights, product reviews, life tips, travel experiences, etc. on the platform to provide recommendations and references for others.
The top content generated by Chinese users typically includes digital and beauty products reviews by unboxers, genuine travel experiences by travel bloggers, how-to guide by life hackers, all of which are the most popular content on the platform.
These content are often tagged as “seeds”, which serve to facilitate discovery by other users through the recommendation algorithm. Users and companies can find topics they are interested in and connect with influencers and by searching content tags related to their interests or industry.
Chinese shoppers, after reading these content may solidify, or even develop anew, a strong desire for such products.
Although content is the platform’s early focus, it added a e-commerce platform to it, kickign off the age of “Social e-Commerce”. Many call the built-in e-commerce platform “RED Mall”.
What is Weeding?
Due to the e-commerce integration in the app, Chinese consumers can easily place the order, shortening the purchasing journey to a few taps on the screen, achieving almost instant satisfaction – this is called “Weeding”, connecting Chinese consumers to their dream purchases in a matter of seconds.
Chinese e-commerce platform users can’t get such seamless experience form other e-commerce sites.
This process is likened by the act of farming, and such content on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book or RED) plays a pivotal role in its marketing ecosystem. No other platforms can compete when it comes to shopping.
Juguang Platform: Xiaohongshu's E-Commerce Platform Ad Manager
Juguang, or Aurora as Xiaohongshu team internally calls it, is Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book or RED)’s advertising and data analytics platform designed to help brands and e-commerce businesses maximize their reach and engagement on the social commerce platform.
This tool provides advertisers with robust solutions for creating targeted ad campaigns, monitoring performance, and gaining insights into consumer behavior.
Juguang leverages the vast amount of data generated by Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book or RED) users to deliver highly personalized ad experiences that resonate with audiences.
Given Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book or RED)’s user base of highly engaged and influential shoppers, advertising through Juguang platform offers unparalleled opportunities for brands and e-commerce businesses to amplify their presence in the Chinese market.
Advertising on Xiaohongshu: Professional Account for Xiaohongshu Users
Advertising on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book or RED) is simple.
To advertise on the platform, businesses must first obtain a verified brand account, which is called a Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book or RED) Professional Account or Official Account.
A Chinese business license is not a must for an overseas business to create a brand account; one can use a foreign business license to register and verify a brand account.
Unsure how to proceed? Explore our comprehensive guide here.
Once you have a Professional Account on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book or RED), you can start leveraging the platform’s powerful marketing tools, including Juguang, to reach your target audience and drive conversions.
Unlike other e-commerce platforms, Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book or RED) offers unique, user-centered features that are particularly effective for global brands in the fashion, luxury, beauty, and lifestyle industries.
Our team has direct connection with Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book or RED) team to make sure all the campaigns are being operated properly.
Main Types of Little Red Book Ads
Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book or RED) offers two primary types of ads: In-Feed Ads and Search Ads.
In-Feed Ads
In-Feed Ads are seamlessly integrated into the Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book or RED) user's feed, mimicking regular posts to provide a non-disruptive experience.
These ads take the form of regular posts, appearing as users scroll through their personalized feed, increasing the likelihood of engagement due to their native appearance.
These types of ads can precisely target the right users. By using various forms and content in posts, they reach the intended audience multiple times, sparking their interest and encouraging purchases.
These ads can attract target users to visit stores, product detail pages, and private message pages, helping with conversions.
In-Feed Ads can images, videos, and text, making them highly versatile for a wide range of campaign objectives, from brand awareness to direct sales.
Search Ads
Search Ads appear in the search results when users enter specific keywords related to the advertised products or services.
These ads are highly targeted, ensuring that they reach users who are actively seeking relevant information or solutions.
When users enter keywords of interest in the search box, the ad system identifies and extracts valuable commercial terms to show relevant content to the users. Search ads appear in the third position on the search results page and increase by 10 positions incrementally.
If the search is performed directly in the RED Mall, the ads will appear in the first position on the mall's search results page and increase by 5 positions incrementally.
By ranking high in search results, brands can increase their visibility and attract potential customers who have a strong intent to engage or purchase.
By utilizing both In-Feed and Search Ads, brands on Xiaohongshu can effectively capture their target audience's attention at various touchpoints, enhancing their overall marketing strategy.
What Can Brands Achieve with Xiaohongshu Juguang for Chinese Consumers?
Brands can achieve a lot of business and marketing goals by using Juguang on Xiaohongshu. Most notably are five objectives:
Product or Service Seeding (Exposure and Desire Creation)
By strategically placing products or services in front of potential customers, brands can leverage fashion and beauty trends to generate awareness and spark interest. This method helps create a desire for the product or service, making it more likely that users will seek it out in the future.
Sales (Conversion)
This objective focuses on turning interested users into actual customers. Through targeted marketing efforts and engaging content, brands can drive users to make purchases, thereby increasing their sales figures.
Lead Generation
By engaging with users and capturing their information, brands can build a database of potential customers. This allows for future marketing efforts and personalized communication, creating a pipeline of leads that can be nurtured into loyal customers.
Live-Streaming Promotion
Live-streaming is a powerful tool for engaging with audiences in real-time. Brands can use Juguang to host live-streaming events, showcasing products, answering questions, and providing an interactive experience that can drive immediate interest and sales.
Category Canvasing
This involves establishing a brand’s presence within a specific product category. By consistently promoting products or services within this category, brands can become recognized leaders and trusted sources of information, which helps to build brand equity and consumer trust.
By leveraging these objectives, brands can effectively use Juguang on Xiaohongshu to enhance their marketing strategy, increase their reach, and achieve significant business growth. Xiaohongshu's user base, predominantly female and located in first and second-tier cities in China, plays a crucial role in shaping the platform as a leading guide for fashion, beauty, and lifestyle.
Brands Without Borders provides full services to help you register and verify your official accounts on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book, or RED) and other popular Chinese social apps.
Ready to skyrocket your brand in China with Xiaohongshu?
Connect with our team today and start engaging with your Chinese audience on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book or RED)! 🚀