TLDR: Leverage the KFS+C Model for successful Xiaohongshu marketing. Follow the 8-step campaign plan and prioritize engaging content like contrarian viewpoints, emotional stories, and aesthetic displays to maximize ROI on this crucial Chinese platform.
What is Xiaohongshu and Why Does it Matter for Your Brand?
Xiaohongshu, or Little Red Book or simply RED, is one of the most popular social media platforms in China, boasting over 260 million users. With a predominantly female user base (76%), the platform is renowned for its ability to influence users' purchasing decisions, a phenomenon known as "seeding."
Many brands have successfully driven brand awareness and sales through Xiaohongshu campaigns, utilizing tactics like Professional Accounts, Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), In-stream Ads, and Xiaohongshu eCommerce. However, a comprehensive, executable roadmap for new brands to follow has been lacking – until now.
Introducing the KFS+C Model for Xiaohongshu Marketing
The KFS+C Model is the most widely used communication model for Xiaohongshu marketing today. KFS stands for KOL/KOC, Feed, and Search – the three pillars of Xiaohongshu marketing.
K: KOL (Key Opinion Leader) and KOC (Key Opinion Consumers)
Influencers and micro-influencers are typically the first step in creating initial brand awareness. Selecting the right influencers means choosing the correct tags for your brand, enabling the algorithm to push your content accurately to those interested in your brand.
F: Feed
The Feed refers to In-stream Ads. A common practice for brands on Xiaohongshu is to select the best-performing KOL content and invest advertising budget to amplify it to a much larger audience with similar personality tags. The promoted content appears as organic posts in users' feeds.
S: Search
Over 40% of Xiaohongshu users search for reviews and related content when they develop an interest in a product. With Google inaccessible in China and distrust surrounding Baidu, Xiaohongshu is rapidly becoming a major search engine replacement. Xiaohongshu's Search Ads allow brands to pay for branded presence in its social SERP, complementing KOLs and Feed as the third capture point for traffic.
+C: "Add it to Cart"
The '+C' in KFS+C stands for "Add it to Cart."
Xiaohongshu's e-commerce arm enables qualified brands to open e-shops, allowing interested users to complete purchases without leaving the platform (Xiaohongshu prohibits brands from redirecting users to other destinations).
8 Steps to Plan Your Xiaohongshu Campaign Using the KFS+C Model
Step 1: Set up your Xiaohongshu Professional Account
Step 2: Create and publish foundational content; ensure that when people visit your profile, they can understand who you are and what you're selling
Step 3: Identify the right target audience and a KOL Matrix; develop a combination of top, medium, and micro KOLs/KOCs.
Step 4: Coordinate your first KOL and KOC campaign with 20-30 influencers; utilize different content styles for testing.
Step 5: Review the results and invest advertising budget behind the best-performing content; this will further increase its reach.
Step 6: Monitor the Xiaohongshu SERP: pay particular attention to the SOV (Share of Voice), which is the number and frequency of branded content among the top results for category search keywords.
Step 7 (Optional): Register a branded Xiaohongshu Shop; this will complete the conversion journey for your audience.
Step 8: Review the campaign and use the data to inform future campaigns
Xiaohongshu Content Best Practices
While Xiaohongshu provides an integrated marketing platform for brands, the foundation is good content. By Xiaohongshu's standards (algorithm), good content sparks user engagement, particularly reposts and comments – two metrics favoured by Xiaohongshu's traffic distribution and recommendation algorithm.
Here are some popular content types that have been proven to perform well with the new algorithm:
Anti-common-knowledge knowledge
Attract clicks with a contrarian viewpoint, filter for an interested high-potential audience, provide valuable content showcasing expertise to increase persuasiveness, and then promote relevant products and services.
Emotional personal stories
Content that can evoke authentic human emotions can score high when it comes to engagement. Products that can provide "emotional value" in these contexts can naturally attract reads and engagements.
Aesthetic display
For lifestyle brands, showcasing unique aesthetics can broaden your readership.
Key Takeaways
Xiaohongshu is a platform that brands cannot ignore if they want to reach their Chinese audience. However, implementing a smart strategy that aligns with the platform's algorithm and content best practices can massively drive your ROI. Follow the KFS+C Model, prioritize high-quality content, and continuously optimize your campaigns based on data for maximum success on Xiaohongshu in 2024 and beyond.