How to Promote your Brands to Young Chinese Consumers on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book)
16 Aug 2022 | Jingrui C & Andy G | 4 min read
Intro:
Intro
Xiaohongshu, also known as Little Red Book, is one of the most popular social media and e-commerce platforms among young people in China. There are more than 200 million monthly active users on Xiaohongshu, and 72% of the users were born after 1990. Regarded as the equivalent of Instagram, Xiaohongshu has now become one of the most essential platforms for young Chinese people to use before making purchase decisions. It is time for overseas businesses to engage with the younger generation in China and optimise social media marketing strategies on Xiaohongshu.
Table of Contents
What is Xiaohongshu?
Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) was founded in 2013, and now it has captured approximately 15% of e-commerce in China. Similar to Instagram, Xiaohongshu allows users to share product reviews and post about their lives in the form of pictures, texts, and videos. Brands can also set up their in-app stores and attach shoppable links to their posts, and even host live streams to engage with the customers in real time. Apart from creating content on their official accounts, businesses can also collaborate with influencers (also known as KOLs or key opinion leaders) on Xiaohongshu to promote their products or services. Lots of young Chinese consumers trust Xiaohongshu influencers as credible sources of recommendation when they make purchase decisions. Therefore, brands can accurately target their customer segments by finding the right influencers.
If you want to further develop your social media marketing strategies on Xiaohongshu, book a call with Enlybee!
The target market of Xiaohongshu
Among the 200 million monthly active users on Xiaohongshu, the majority are aged under 35. Users aged between 18 and 24 make up the largest segment at 46%. With up to 70% of female users, the most popular topics on the platform are beauty, fashion, food, fitness, lifestyle, and pets. More than 50% of the users live in first and second-tier cities in China, indicating a high standard of living and strong consumption power.
Six types of Xiaohongshu Users
In general, Xiaohongshu users enjoy trying new things as well as sharing moments of their lives. Typical users of Xiaohongshu can be categorised into six types. Here is who they are and what they are interested in.
· Generation Z: sociable, trend seeker, interest in games, study, sports
· Office workers: financially independent, work hard, positive, unique personalities
· Urban fashionistas: fashionable, independent, insist on their own opinions
· Young singles: financially independent, enjoy life, pursue a quality of life
· Delicate moms: value quality, value personal appearance, high consumption power, interest in skincare
· Hedonists: willing to spend money on entertainment activities and hobbies, value experiences and enjoyment in life
Hot Topics on Xiaohongshu
The top topics followed by active users of Xiaohongshu are ranked as follows: cosmetics, fashion outfits, skincare, cooking tutorials, weight loss, hairstyles, food, photography techniques, fitness, and manicure.
Beauty
Beauty, including cosmetics, skincare, fragrances, and toiletries, is the most searched topic on Xiaohongshu. As Chinese consumers are still required to wear masks because of the continuous spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, eye makeup, anti-aging, and manicure products have become the most popular keywords on Xiaohongshu. International brands such as Chanel, Dior, YSL, Lancôme, and Estée Lauder occupy the predominant market share in the beauty industry in China compared to local competitors. The ranking of beauty brands’ engagement volume on Xiaohongshu is as follows.
Xiaohongshu users are more willing to pay a higher price for quality skincare products. Among the top 100 popular beauty products on Xiaohongshu, 28% of the skincare products are priced higher than ¥1,000 (approx. £122). 41% of the beauty products are between ¥100 and ¥500. Fragrances and toiletries are all under ¥500.
Fashion
As more female consumers in China become conscious of gender equality and feminism, the younger generation refuses to be restricted and appreciates the freedom of dressing. They regard fashion as a way of expressing their personalities, and the definition of beauty is gradually diversified. The most popular fashion keywords on Xiaohongshu are “hot girl fashion” (370k posts, 9.21m engagements), “affordable outfits” (330k posts, 6.44m engagements), and “dating outfits” (310k posts, 6.25m engagements).
Fast fashion brands like Urban Revivo and Brandy Melville, and sportswear brands such as Anta, Lululemon, and Li-Ning are the most recommended on Xiaohongshu. However, consumers are also interested in the premium market as 58% of the top 100 popular fashion products are higher than ¥1000.
Fitness
Xiaohongshu users have a tendency toward body anxiety and a high demand for weight loss and fitness training. The most popular keywords in this sector are “effective tips to slim down legs” (60k posts, 11.71m engagements), “diet food” (640k posts, 10.21m engagements), and “daily weight loss” (1.44m posts, 6.89m engagements). Because of the influence of the Covid-19 pandemic, more consumers choose to exercise at home instead of going to gyms. They watch online training lessons and use fitness apps to exercise at home, leading to exponential growth in the home fitness, supplements, and sports equipment markets.
Swisse, Keep, Sunnon, and Supermonkey are some of the popular brands in this sector. While 66% of the top 100 popular products are between ¥100 and ¥500, consumers are also willing to spend more than ¥1000 on fitness equipment such as treadmills, rowing machines, spinning bikes, etc.
Conclusion
As social media becomes an essential part of people’s lives, Xiaohongshu is a valuable opportunity for international businesses to tap into the Chinese market, especially in the beauty, fashion, lifestyle, and fitness sectors.
If you are interested in more market insight about Xiaohongshu or want to develop your marketing strategy on Chinese social media, check out our service and feel free to contact Enlybee.