The rise of Xiaohongshu and Douyin

In recent years, the social media landscape in China has undergone a significant transformation with the emergence of new Chinese social media platforms like Xiaohongshu and Douyin. These social platforms have gained immense popularity among Chinese consumers, reshaping how they search for information and make purchasing decisions.

Xiaohongshu

Also known as China’s Instagram or Little Red Book, Xiaohongshu is a social e-commerce platform that combines user-generated content with shopping recommendations. It has become a go-to platform for Chinese consumers seeking product reviews, travel tips, and lifestyle inspiration.

Xiaohongshu’s combination of social media and e-commerce has also made it a powerful tool for companies and brands to reach and engage with potential customers. Businesses can build trust and credibility with consumers by leveraging user-generated content, ultimately driving sales.

Key features of Xiaohongshu include:

• User-generated content: Xiaohongshu users can share their experiences, reviews, and recommendations on various products and services. This content is highly influential and can significantly impact consumer purchasing decisions.
• E-commerce functionality: Xiaohongshu lets users purchase products directly from the platform, making it a seamless and convenient shopping experience.
• Social media features: Xiaohongshu incorporates social media features such as following, liking, and sharing, enabling users to connect with each other and build communities around shared interests.

As of 2023, Xiaohongshu has about 200 million monthly active users, with a majority of them (around 70%) being females and a similar amount of users born after 1990. Brands can open their own official brand accounts and use them to build brand awareness and sell products.

Douyin

Douyin, the Chinese version of the platform TikTok, is a short video platform that has taken China by storm. It is currently a major player in the Chinese digital landscape, with 750 million daily active users. Douyin’s interactive features present a unique opportunity for your business to showcase your products or services through innovative and viral video campaigns.

Key features of Douyin include:

• Short-video format: Douyin videos are typically short, ranging from 15 to 60 seconds, making them easy to watch and share.
• Creative tools: Douyin provides various creative tools and effects that businesses can use to create engaging and visually appealing videos.
• Social media features: Douyin incorporates social media features like following, liking, and sharing. This way, it enables users to connect with each other and build communities around shared interests.

Although Douyin is still perceived as a Chinese app for young people, recently it is expanding into other age groups. The number of older daily active users is growing, thanks to many features introduced in recent years on the app, such as e-commerce integration and live-streaming. Male users are a slightly bigger group, accounting for about 54% of the total number of users, against 46% of female users.

Your business should adopt a multi-platform approach to create a comprehensive China marketing mix. Basically, you want to incorporate WeChat, Baidu, Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and other relevant platforms based on your target audience, industry, and marketing objectives. Each platform or app brings its own strengths and unique user base, allowing your business to effectively reach and engage with different segments of the Chinese market.