Introduction to XiaoHongShu (小红书)
XiaoHongShu, also referred to as “Little Red Book,” REDnote, or more commonly as XHS is one of China’s most influential social commerce platforms, blending user-generated content with e-commerce. Founded in 2013 by Miranda Qu and Charlwin Mao, the platform began as a space for sharing travel and shopping tips.
Headquartered in Shanghai, China, XHS has grown into a vibrant community with millions of active users who exchange ideas on topics ranging from lifestyle and beauty to technology and wellness.
Social Commerce
Its combination of social interaction and e-commerce functionality has positioned XiaoHongShu as a popular platform where users explore trends, share product insights, and discover a variety of brands.
A little background about XHS
From its origins as a platform for sharing travel and shopping recommendations, XHS has expanded its features and scope over time. In 2014, it introduced its e-commerce function, the RED Store, enabling users to purchase products directly through the platform. Today, XHS is known as a platform where users exchange ideas, explore products, and engage with a community built around shared interests.
XiaoHongShu’s User Interface
XiaoHongShu’s interface is designed for simplicity and ease of use. The homepage feed showcases personalized content, while a navigation menu offers quick access to shopping, search, and profiles. Posts are displayed in a grid format with striking visuals and concise captions, making browsing seamless.
The platform integrates e-commerce directly, allowing users to explore and purchase products effortlessly, blending content discovery with shopping in a user-friendly layout.
XiaoHongShu in Malaysia
XiaoHongShu is gaining popularity among the Malaysian Chinese community as an emerging social platform. Its blend of lifestyle content and product discovery resonates with users, especially in categories like beauty, fashion, and travel.
Why Malaysian Chinese Are Shifting to 小红书?
According to these XHS Gurus in Malaysia, platforms like Facebook and Instagram have become saturated and highly competitive (red ocean), making it harder to stand out.
In contrast, XHS is seen as a growing and less crowded platform (blue ocean), offering benefits such as platform support (平台福利) and free organic reach (免费流量), which attract users seeking better opportunities to gain visibility.
Disclaimer: Before we begin, let me put on my helmet! The information shared below is based on what I learned from local Malaysian XiaoHongShu Gurus in 2024.
Please note that platform rules or algorithms are subject to change from time to time, so keep this in mind as you read.
XiaoHongShu Platform Rules
Like any other social platform, XiaoHongShu has its own house rules. Based on insights from XiaoHongShu Gurus, here are a few actions to avoid, as they could result in penalties from the platform’s system:
1. Users Redirecting Behavior 导流行为
The XHS system ‘hates you’ when you try to funnel its users to other platforms like Facebook, Instagram, email, websites, Shopee, Lazada, WhatsApp, and the like. Think of XHS as a jealous girlfriend—it wants all your attention. The platform doesn’t appreciate being used as a stepping stone to redirect users elsewhere, so be mindful of this behavior.
Here are some tricks XiaoHongShu users use to avoid the system detecting Redirecting Behavior. However, remember that the platform’s system can update over time—what works now might not work in the future, as detection methods may improve. 👇
2. Sensitive Words
Certain words the platform considers sensitive may trigger penalties such as 限流 (limiting your content’s visibility).
E.g. of Sensitive words:
1. 承诺保证用语 Terms related to promises and guarantees
2. 金融投资用语 Terms related to finance and investment
3. 医疗保健用语 （适用于普通商品，不含药品，保健食品，医疗机械，医疗服务）
Terms related to health and wellness (applicable to general products, excluding pharmaceuticals, health supplements, medical devices, and medical services)
4. 封建迷信用语 Terms related to superstition or feudal beliefs
5. 医疗机械 Medical devices
6. 保健食品 Health supplements
7. 酒类 Alcoholic beverages
8. 婴儿奶粉，婴幼儿配方奶粉 Infant formula and baby milk powder
9. 教育培训 Education and training
10. 消毒产品 Disinfection products
11. 房地产 Real estate
12. 医疗服务 （医疗美容）Medical services (including cosmetic surgery)
3. Absolute terms 绝对化用语
It refers to language that makes absolute claims, such as “the best,” “100% effective,” “guaranteed,” or “perfect,” which are often restricted or sensitive in this platform. 👇
Please be mindful when using the wording mentioned above.
Fictitious experiences, exaggeration, low-quality content, overly edited visual posts, material plagiarism, inducement behaviors, overly promotional content redirecting behaviors, and disparaging competitors—these 9 points will be closely monitored.
Penalties for violations
Violating XiaoHongShu’s rules can result in different levels of penalties depending on the type and frequency of the violation. For behavior violations, such as gaining fake accounts, followers, or traffic through non-compliant means and using them to publish promotional content, the penalties escalate from a warning for the first offense to a temporary ban on posting notes for the second, and ultimately, a permanent ban on posting or even a permanent account suspension for the third violation.
For content violations, which include publishing false promotional content without real experiences, the consequences are similarly strict. A first offense results in a warning, while a second offense leads to a 14-day limitation on content visibility. Repeated violations may lead to a permanent ban on posting notes and, in severe cases, a permanent ban from the platform.
Channel violations involve collaborating on brand content outside of XiaoHongShu’s compliant commercial channels. These violations also escalate from a warning to a 14-day limitation on content visibility, with repeat offenses leading to a permanent posting ban and eventual account suspension. Users are encouraged to adhere to platform guidelines to maintain their presence and credibility.
How to sign up XiaoHongShu
You can sign up for XiaoHongShu using WeChat, a phone number, Facebook, or Gmail. Simply read and agree to the platform’s user agreement and privacy policy to complete the signup process.
Setting up XHS account
To attract followers on XiaoHongShu, it’s essential to let people know who you are. Focus on optimizing these three elements:
1. Bio (简介)
First Sentence: Introduce yourself. Who are you? What do you do?
Example: “Car Connoisseur in Malaysia.”
Second Sentence: Explain what you offer. What benefits can you bring to others? What problems can you solve?
Example: “Sharing my knowledge on automobiles and guiding you on how to buy second-hand cars.”
Third Sentence: Provide contact information.
Example: “Contact me at ❤️居 (IG) / 号🐎 (Phone No.)”
Note: Ensure your bio complies with platform rules to avoid any violations.
These three sentences help others remember you and encourage them to engage with you.
2. Username (账号名字)
Choose a memorable name that reflects your brand or niche, making it easy for users to identify and remember you.
Username Structure:
Name + [Identity/Who You Are]:
- Example: “Mike Chen [Fitness Coach]”
Name + [What You Do]:
- Example: “Emily Zhang [Travel Blogger]”
This naming convention helps visitors immediately understand your role or the services you offer, enhancing your profile’s clarity and appeal.
3. Profile Picture (头像)
Use a clear and recognizable profile picture that represents you or your brand, helping to make a strong first impression.
4. Background Image (背景图)
Select a background image that reflects your industry or area of expertise. For instance:
A chef might choose a high-quality photo of a signature dish.
A travel blogger could use an image from a recent destination.
Ensure the image is professional and aligns with the content you plan to share, as this visual representation reinforces your brand identity.
To run your business on 小红书, content is of utmost importance. ❗❗
4.1 Personal | Business Branding
One topic that many Malaysian Gurus frequently discuss these days is branding—both personal branding and business branding.
Personal Branding (个人IP)
This refers to an individual’s unique personal brand, built around their identity, expertise, or personality. It’s how they present themselves and connect with their audience, often based on authenticity and relatability. For example, a fitness coach sharing their lifestyle and workout tips.
Personality, appearance, profession/ career, strengths, values, audience profile, slogan, and tags—these are some key elements of Personal IP.
Business Branding (商业IP)
This refers to a brand or business entity’s identity, created to represent a product, service, or company. It’s typically more structured and focuses on building a professional image to attract customers and drive business growth. For instance, a skincare brand sharing product tips and tutorials.
4.2 Typical 小红书 contents
Here are a few typical types of content you’ll often find on XiaoHongShu:
- Knowledge/ Instructional 分享知识/ 教学
- Case Studies/ Showcasing 展示案例
- Experiences/ Explanations 分享经验/ 讲解
- Product/ Service Recommendations/ Sharing “种草”
- Daily Life/ Vlogs 日常
What is “种草” (grow plants) in XHS
In the context of XiaoHongShu, “种草” goes beyond its literal meaning of “growing plants.” It refers to users sharing their shopping experiences, product reviews, tips, and similar content on the platform to provide others with shopping advice and references. “种草” content typically includes product introductions, user experiences, and genuine reviews.
This practice of recommending good products to encourage purchases is akin to the concept of “Amway” or word-of-mouth marketing.
The mechanism behind “种草” is a subtle form of persuasion. Its impact lies in connecting a product with the user’s desired self-image or values—such as uniqueness, trendiness, or individuality, often sought by XHS users. By fostering a positive psychological experience for the audience, this mechanism gradually transfers the positive emotions from the experience to the product itself.
Over time, this leads to behavioral and emotional shifts: users are more likely to purchase the product (behavioral response) and feel that it aligns with their self-worth or aspirations (emotional response), thus reinforcing their engagement with the product and platform.
4.3 小红书 Content Marketing Guides
Topic 话题
- What do audiences enjoy watching?
- How to attract Malaysian XiaoHongShu users?
- What types of topics appeal to target audiences in different industries?
- How to leverage trending topics to drive traffic and eventually guide users to private messages (PM)?
Title 标题
- How to craft effective titles for your industry
- Learn to align titles with trending topics
- How to use titles to target the right customers
- Writing compelling titles to attract the right audience
Cover 封面
- Designing viral-worthy covers
- Matching the cover design with the content theme
- Integrating the title effectively into the cover
- Creating covers that act as “stop-scrollers”
Copywriting 文案
- Utilize templates like AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) or AISAS (Attention, Interest, Search, Action, Share).
- Create story-driven copywriting structures for lead generation.
- Focus on crafting a strong Hook to grab attention.
- Use a CTA (Call to Action) tailored for XiaoHongShu, such as “Save this post,” “Follow me for more tips,” or “DM me for details.”
Hashtag #关键词
- How to optimize hashtags so the system recommends your content to the right audience.
- How to make your XiaoHongShu posts easier for others to find through search.
How to Use Hashtags on 小红书:
Before diving in, it’s important to note that XiaoHongShu limits users to a maximum of 10 hashtags per post. To make the most of this limit, you can structure your hashtags using the 5-3-2 tier system as follows:
These are five core keywords directly related to your product or services (核心关键词).
Example: Keywords based on your location or product, such as “吉隆坡” (Kuala Lumpur), “吉隆坡美食” (Kuala Lumpur Food), “吉隆坡探店” (Kuala Lumpur Restaurant Recommendations).
These are three secondary keywords (衍生词) related to your location or product/services but more generalized or less specific.
These are two trending hashtags (推荐话题) on XiaoHongShu or hot topics currently relevant to your business.
By following this approach, you may effectively target your desired audience while also leveraging popular trends to increase visibility.
4.4 XiaoHongShu Traffic Sources (流量来源):
The traffic flow on XiaoHongShu works as follows:
- Note Publishing
- Hashtag Categorization (标签分类)
- Interest-Based Distribution to Users (依据兴趣分配给用户)
- First-Round Recommendation (第一轮推荐)
Below are merely examples of user signal scores. The exact calculation methods are proprietary and only known by the internal staff.
- Likes (赞): +1 point
- Saves (收藏): +1 point
- Shares (分享): +1 point
- Video Completion (视频完播): +2 points
- Comments (评论): +4 points
- Follows (关注): +8 points
4.5 Bluetick 小红书企业号认证 (蓝钩）
Obtaining a blue tick through an enterprise account is like applying for a verified license on the platform. It provides several key advantages that can benefit businesses:
Exemption from Marketing Content Restrictions
Even if your account primarily focuses on marketing content, being verified means your posts are less likely to face visibility restrictions (限流). This certification helps ensure consistent reach for your audience.
Reduced Risk of Penalties
Compared to regular accounts, a professional enterprise account with a blue tick significantly reduces the chances of being muted (禁言) or restricted (限流), ensuring smoother content operations.
Access to Advanced Advertising Features
With a blue-ticked enterprise account, you can openly run ads on XiaoHongShu, such as using advanced marketing tools, adding direct contact options (e.g., WhatsApp), and engaging KOLs through the 聚光广告平台 (Spotlight Advertising Platform).
These benefits make the blue tick essential for brands looking to enhance visibility, credibility, and interaction with their target audience on XiaoHongShu.
XHS vs Instagram
From a content creator’s perspective, XiaoHongShu is more challenging and time-consuming to work with. Creators need to carefully choose their wording, avoiding sensitive terms, redirecting behaviors, and absolute terms, all of which are monitored strictly. In comparison, Instagram and Facebook offer more flexibility, with fewer restrictions on language and content, making it easier for creators.
However, from the perspective of general users, I find XiaoHongShu much better than Instagram. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook are increasingly plagued by fake accounts, pornography-related content, and violent material. XiaoHongShu’s strict control over sensitive words and content creates a “cleaner” environment.
Kudos to Xiao Hong Shu
Let’s do a quick comparison between Instagram and XiaoHongShu using the same search term: “AV” (commonly referring to adult video). On the left, Instagram displays numerous profiles of AV actresses and pornographic material. On the right, you simply can’t find pornography material on this platform.
This strict control over content deserves credit, as it helps maintain a cleaner and healthier environment on social media.
Drawback of XHS
Currently, the obvious drawback of XiaoHongShu is the lack of an English version for desktop, as most of the content is in Chinese. This limitation can reduce accessibility for non-Chinese-speaking users.
DM for a XiaoHongShu Consultation
小红书 stands out as a social platform for connecting with audiences through authentic content and effective strategies. Whether you’re building your personal brand or growing your business, mastering XHS can open up new opportunities.
Feel free to DM me for a quick 5-minute consultation on how to set up your XHS account and start creating new business opportunities today.