Xiaohongshu has become one of the fastest-growing social e-commerce apps in China, winning over the hearts of young Chinese consumers. We’ve introduced the platform in the previous blog post of the series, have a look here. Otherwise, keep reading to learn how to use Xiaohongshu to market to the savvy Chinese consumers.
This article will introduce you to:
ow to use Xiaohongshu for marketing
USE THE PLATFORM TO KEEP UP WITH TRENDY SEARCHES AND THE SOCIAL BUZZ
If your brand or product is targeting Millennials and Gen Z, Xiaohongshu can become a great learning tool for your business to understand the target groups’ trends and online behaviors.
Using the various tag functions can help you find out what your potential customers are talking about. For example, you can discover how they’re displaying products, which tags are mentioned together, how indian phone number product tutorials are made, who’s the biggest competitor in the platform, etc. Trending search words and hot topics can also educate you on what your targets’ interests are and how buzz marketing is created inside the app.
OPEN AN OFFICIAL BRAND ACCOUNT FOR ORGANIC MARKETING
If your business has a social media account in China, then why not open an official brand account on Xiaohongshu? A brand account is different from a store account. The brand account enables your business to promote your brand via posts while engaging your customers. In addition, it helps with understanding the Chinese market by allowing you to see what your customers are saying about your brand (e.g product reviews and feedback).
Xiaohongshu notes (posts) can be optimized, just as websites are optimized for search engines. So make sure to include the right hashtags and keywords when writing content, so that your post reaches the right audience.
In order to open an official brand account, you have to register your business (more information below). Your account will be verified as an “official” one.
CREATE WORD-OF-MOUTH EFFECT WITH INFLUENCERS (KOLS)
Try to leverage word-of-mouth marketing with influencers, otherwise known as KOLs (key opinion leaders). Influencer marketing at Xiaohongshu may bring more tangible outcomes, especially if your business has an online store inside the app, as consumers can click the tagged item and buy directly from the in-app store.
Influencer marketing is getting easier at Xiaohongshu, as the platform rolled-out an influencer management system this year. The new system places qualified influencers into a ranking system and helps them connect with brands and marketing agencies. The price of a lower-level influencer’s posts can range from 10 to 40 RMB and ~10,000 RMB for a post with higher-level influencers. However, it’s essential to have a clear content strategy and the right influencer with the right audience. Avoid choosing an account to work with solely based on the number of their followers. A good combination of higher and lower-level influencers may do the trick. Have a look at the case study below.