Xiaohongshu is a new battlefield for brand marketing with over 260 million monthly users, 20 million+ monthly creators, and three million+ daily notes. Another data shows that 81% of users develop purchase intentions after browsing on Xiaohongshu. Xiaohongshu has become the "consumer decision" platform in the minds of many young users. In recent years, top brands have taken up a position on Xiaohongshu, and more and more brands are using it for marketing and promotion. How can overseas brands that want to enter the Chinese market seize the opportunity? With the difficulty of buying volume increasing and the mainstream content and marketing ecosystem largely established, how can overseas brands precisely place their ads on Xiaohongshu?

I.  Common ways for brands to realize traffic monetizing in Xiaohongshu

In recent years, what are the main ways for brands and businesses to operate on Xiaohongshu and achieve commercial realization?

1.  Paid advertising

Advertising cooperation is currently more common on the Xiaohongshu platform. There are two main forms.

(1)  Brands cooperate with individual bloggers or KOLs

Brands usually take the initiative to seek cooperation based on the blogger's data and ask the blogger to publish soft notes and pay them accordingly. Generally, businesses will look for bloggers with more vertical content production and more followers to collaborate with, or bulk scatter to find more ordinary bloggers to promote. They post promotional ads in the form of graphics and videos.

Examples of advertising formats：Shop visits and recommendations of products

(2) Brands seek the help of an agency to place paid ads

Search engine and display ads are the most common forms of advertising used by brands on Xiaohongshu. Here are some features of search engine ads on Xiaohongshu, using promoted ads from various industries as examples.

• Promoted posts are original in style, and the posts are perfectly embedded in the search results. Users will get an immersive browsing experience after searching for keywords. Large images are powerfully eye-catching and deeply inspire the desire to click.

Travel advertising in the form of a Raiders Guide tips

•  The combination of pictures and text conveys the core selling point. Bloggers' close experience and strong recommendations quickly capture the user's mind.

A combination of images and text presenting the selling points of the tourism product

• Create a brand zone to establish industry barriers and create high-quality content to attract many users.

Cartier Brand Zone

Xiaohongshu users have a strong buying intention and actively search for information on brands, categories, and commodities. The Juguang platform allows for accurate targeting of high purchase intention users, making paid promotion effective in achieving efficient touch - placing an order.

2. Cooperate with the official Kols

Xiaohongshu official also provides another cooperation platform with adKols, the Pugongying platform. Brands can select appropriate bloggers or MCNS for cooperation on the platform. They can screen according to the vertical situation of the account, the bloggers themselves, fan data, and credit status.

3. Set up a store in Xiaohongshu

Xiaohongshu's e-commerce platform is rapidly growing, and brands can set up a store and guide users to buy through recommended posts. Brands can become certified brand merchants and utilize live broadcasting and paid knowledge to promote products in addition to setting up a store.

II.  How do brands use Xiaohongshu for search engine marketing?

Xiaohongshu public data shows that search-first users have accounted for 38% of the home page traffic. This is because the main purpose of Xiaohongshu is for users to generate new category demands by searching the evaluation or experience shared by other users. They have also been used to using Xiaohongshu as "Baidu" to solve a specific problem, such as "summer sunscreen," "summer hydration," and so on. If promoting products and product "efficacy" showing on the notes meet their needs, then it is likely to produce direct conversion. Therefore, search engine advertising in Xiaohongshu has a significant advertising advantage. So what is the strategy for posting search engine advertising in Xiaohongshu? Optimizing search engine advertising creativity and attracting more home page traffic is the answer.

The first part has introduced the characteristics of Xiaohongshu search engine advertising. Then, we can carry out creative optimization accordingly. Specifically, from the "picture" and "copywriting" layout for creative optimization.

(1)  Picture

The cover image of a B&B note on Xiaohongshu can showcase a panoramic view of the property and its surroundings, attracting users' attention. The note title can also be slightly exaggerated to further engage users. Using visually appealing images that match local tourist attractions can enhance the correlation and make the note more attractive to users. For a B&B in Moganshan, launching strategies can include using keywords related to Moganshan tourism, along with beautiful pictures to provide a direct visual impact. Creativity can be improved by sharing content from native home parties and personal experiences with the B&B, combined with commodity links for better results.

A B&B in Moganshan has arranged keywords, optimized pictures, and copywriting of "real experience", achieving a click rate 3% higher than the peer level

2) Copywriting

Using emojis, increasing text information, and engaging with current topics can create engaging copywriting on Xiaohongshu. A B&B brand optimized their copywriting by emphasizing service highlights that differentiated them from competitors. Within a month, several notes from the B&B brand were read tens of thousands of times. Xiaohongshu channel accounted for almost 15% of orders in May 2020. Effective copywriting can help brands stand out, attract users, and increase conversions on Xiaohongshu. Thus, Xiaohongshu can be a valuable platform for brands to establish their presence in the Chinese market.

A B&B brand highlights private baking, woodworking, and other services to achieve good reading and transformation

Xiaohongshu's search engine ads can effectively target users interested in similar brands or products, leading to increased conversions. As a digital marketing agency, QS Search has ten years of experience helping overseas companies enhance brand awareness and attract new customers in China. Our team of experts can develop a customized Xiaohongshu marketing strategy to help your brand reach Chinese users and achieve success on the platform.

Contact us at enquiry@so360.hk to learn more about how we can help your brand succeed on Xiaohongshu.