Xiaohongshu, also known as Little Red Book or RED, is one of the most popular social e-commerce platforms in China.

It has over 200 million registered users, mostly young, urban and female, who are interested in fashion, beauty, lifestyle and travel.

Xiaohongshu is a platform where users can discover and share shopping tips, product reviews and lifestyle stories in the form of pictures, videos and text. Users can also buy products directly from the platform or from external links.

Xiaohongshu is a valuable channel for foreign brands who want to enter or expand in the Chinese market. It can help them increase their brand awareness, reputation and sales among Chinese consumers who are looking for authentic, high-quality and trendy products.

But how can foreign brands do marketing on Xiaohongshu effectively? What are the best practices and strategies to succeed on this platform?

In this post, China Domatters Marketing Agency will share some tips and examples to help you master Xiaohongshu marketing in 2023.

1. Create a brand account and a digital store.

The first step to do marketing on Xiaohongshu is to create a brand account and a digital store on the platform. A brand account is like a social media profile that allows you to post content, interact with users and build your community. A digital store is like an e-commerce website that allows you to sell your products directly on the platform or link to your own website or other platforms.

• The certification process and required materials for the professional number of Little Red Book:    https://fe-video-qc.xhscdn.com/fe-platform/9fc771bfc7576ed54ce9caede65f5136db8daca3.pdf
• Little Red Book’s merchant entry specifications (including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and overseas legal persons):小红书招商标准及入驻规范 (xiaohongshu.com)
• Here is the Merchants enter the platform port of xiaohongshu: https://gaia.xiaohongshu.com/

To create a brand account and a digital store on Xiaohongshu, you need to register as a business user and submit your business information and documents for verification. You also need to pay a deposit fee of 10,000 RMB (about $1,500) and a service fee of 6% of your sales revenue.

Once you have a brand account and a digital store, you can start uploading your products, setting your prices, managing your inventory and fulfilling your orders. You can also access various tools and data insights to optimize your performance.

2. Create high-quality and engaging content.

Content is the key to attract and retain users on Xiaohongshu. You need to create high-quality and engaging content that showcases your products, values and stories. You also need to follow the platform’s guidelines and avoid any spammy or misleading content that can damage your reputation or get you banned.

There are different types of content that you can create on Xiaohongshu, such as:

• Product reviews: These are posts that introduce your products, features, benefits and usage tips. You can use pictures, videos or text to demonstrate your products and explain why they are worth buying. You can also include user testimonials, ratings or feedback to increase trust and credibility.
• Lifestyle stories: These are posts that share your brand’s culture, vision or behind-the-scenes stories. You can use pictures, videos or text to tell your brand’s story and connect with your audience on an emotional level. You can also showcase your social responsibility, sustainability or charity initiatives to increase goodwill and loyalty.
• Shopping guides: These are posts that provide useful information or advice for your target customers. You can use pictures, videos or text to share shopping tips, trends, recommendations or comparisons related to your products or industry. You can also answer common questions or solve common problems that your customers may have.
• Campaigns or events: These are posts that promote your special offers, discounts, giveaways or contests. You can use pictures, videos or text to announce your campaigns or events and encourage users to participate or take action. You can also collaborate with influencers, celebrities or other brands to increase exposure and engagement.

When creating content on Xiaohongshu, you should also pay attention to:

• Keywords: You should use relevant keywords in your titles, tags and descriptions to optimize your content for search engines and users. You should also use hashtags (#) to categorize your content and make it easier for users to find it.
• Format: You should use clear and attractive images or videos that showcase your products or stories in the best way possible. You should also use short paragraphs, bullet points, emojis or stickers to make your text more readable and appealing.
• Links: You should include links to your digital store or external website in your content to drive traffic and conversions. You should also link to other related content on Xiaohongshu or other platforms to provide more value and information for your users.
• Call-to-action: You should include a clear and compelling call-to-action (CTA) in your content to encourage users to take the next step. You can ask them to like, comment, share, follow, buy or visit your website.

3. Interact with users and influencers.

Interaction is another key to succeed on Xiaohongshu. You need to interact with users and influencers to build your community, reputation and loyalty. You also need to monitor and respond to user feedback, questions or complaints to improve your customer service and satisfaction.

There are different ways to interact with users and influencers on Xiaohongshu, such as:

• Likes and comments: You should like and comment on other users’ or influencers’ content that are relevant to your products or industry. You should also reply to the likes and comments that you receive on your own content. You should be polite, friendly and helpful in your interactions and avoid any negative or offensive language.
• Messages: You should use the private message feature to communicate with users or influencers who are interested in your products or brand. You can use messages to provide more information, answer queries, offer discounts or invite collaborations.
• Live streaming: You can use the live streaming feature to showcase your products, stories or events in real time. You can also interact with your viewers by answering their questions, soliciting their opinions or rewarding their participation.
• Influencer marketing: You can collaborate with influencers who have a large and loyal following on Xiaohongshu. You can ask them to create content, reviews or recommendations for your products or brand. You can also invite them to join your campaigns or events or co-create products with them.

When interacting with users and influencers on Xiaohongshu, you should also pay attention to:

• Authenticity: You should be authentic and transparent in your interactions and avoid any fake or misleading information or behavior. You should also respect the platform’s rules and regulations and avoid any spammy or unethical practices.
• Relevance: You should interact with users or influencers who are relevant to your products or industry and who share your target audience. You should also tailor your interactions according to their preferences, needs and expectations.
• Value: You should provide value and benefit for your users or influencers in your interactions and avoid any hard-selling or self-promotion. You should also appreciate and reward their support and loyalty.

4. Analyze and optimize your performance.

Analysis is the final step to do marketing on Xiaohongshu. You need to analyze and optimize your performance to measure your results, identify your strengths and weaknesses and improve your strategies.

There are different tools and metrics that you can use to analyze and optimize your performance on Xiaohongshu, such as:

• Xiaohongshu’s data dashboard: This is a tool that you can access from your brand account’s settings. It provides you with various data and insights about your account’s performance, such as followers, views, likes, comments, shares, sales, revenue, etc. You can also filter the data by time period, content type, product category, etc.
• Xiaohongshu’s data reports: These are reports that you can download from your data dashboard. They provide you with more detailed and comprehensive data and insights about your account’s performance, such as user demographics, user behavior, user feedback, product performance, etc.
• Third-party tools: These are tools that you can use from external sources or platforms. They provide you with additional data and insights about your account’s performance, such as keyword ranking, competitor analysis, influencer analysis, etc.

When analyzing and optimizing your performance on Xiaohongshu, you should also pay attention to:

• Goals: You should set clear and realistic goals for your marketing on Xiaohongshu based on your business objectives and expectations. You should also track and evaluate your progress and achievements towards your goals.
• Benchmarking: You should compare your performance with other brands or competitors in your niche or industry. You should also learn from their best practices and avoid their mistakes.
• Testing: You should experiment with different types of content, strategies and tactics on Xiaohongshu. You should also test different variables, such as titles, images, videos, links, CTAs, etc. You should also measure the impact of your changes and optimize accordingly.

Domtters share some Case Studies of Foreign Brands Doing Marketing on Xiaohongshu

To inspire you further, here are some case studies of foreign brands that have done successful marketing on Xiaohongshu:

• Sézane: Sézane is a French fashion brand that joined Xiaohongshu in March 2020 as a way to test the Chinese market. The brand created a brand account and a digital store on the platform and started posting content about its products, stories and culture. The brand also collaborated with influencers who shared their reviews and recommendations of the brand’s products. As a result, the brand gained over 100K followers in less than a year and received positive feedback from Chinese consumers who expressed their interest in buying the brand’s products.
• By Far: By Far is a Bulgarian novelty luxury brand that discovered its popularity in China through Xiaohongshu. The brand noticed that many users were posting content about its shoulder bags and linking to its global website. The brand decided to create a brand account and a digital store on the platform and started posting content about its products, features and benefits. The brand also collaborated with influencers who created content, reviews or recommendations for the brand’s products. As a result, the brand increased its sales and conversions in China and built a loyal fan base on Xiaohongshu.
• Longines: Longines is a Swiss luxury watch brand that joined Xiaohongshu in 2018 as part of its China marketing strategy. The brand created a brand account and a digital store on the platform and started posting content about its products, history and events. The brand also collaborated with celebrities and influencers who endorsed the brand’s products and participated in its campaigns or events. As a result, the brand increased its brand awareness, reputation and sales in China and became one of the most popular watch brands on Xiaohongshu.

At last

Xiaohongshu is one of the most popular social e-commerce platforms in China that can help foreign brands enter or expand in the Chinese market. It can help them increase their brand awareness, reputation and sales among Chinese consumers who are looking for authentic, high-quality and trendy products.

To do marketing on Xiaohongshu effectively, foreign brands need to follow these steps:

• Create a brand account and a digital store on the platform.
• Create high-quality and engaging content that showcases their products, values and stories.
• Interact with users and influencers to build their community, reputation and loyalty.
• Analyze and optimize their performance to measure their results, identify their strengths and weaknesses and improve their strategies.

By following these steps, foreign brands can master Xiaohongshu marketing in 2023 and grow their business in China.

If you have any questions about Xiaohongshu, whether it is registering an account in Xiaohongshu, operating Xiaohongshu, creating and publishing content, or other aspects, please feel free to contact Domatters, your Chinese social media marketing expert.