What Is Xiaohongshu: The Hottest Social Platform in China

The download heat soared as more users flocked to Xiaohongshu. But everything about it is very unfamiliar for users who have never used this software. Do you know what is Xiaohongshu? Do you know what features it has? What can users do about it? In this blog, we will introduce you to more about these things.

What Exactly Is Xiaohongshu?

Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, was founded in 2014, in China. It has now evolved into a comprehensive social platform integrating social media features with e-commerce functions.

Xiaohongshu combines the short video-sharing feature of TikTok with the like-share-comment feature of Instagram. As a shopping platform, RedNote consumers can openly and transparently post reviews of products and share their shopping experiences.

As a short-form video-sharing platform, you can create and share content on lifestyle, fashion, beauty, traveling, and stargazing.

Unlike other e-commerce platforms, Xiaohongshu uses a model of generating content based on its users, allowing for a trusting relationship between users.

What Can Users Do on Xiaohongshu?

As we mentioned Xiaohongshu is like a social media software that combines TikTok and Instagram. But the truth is, RedNote runs nothing like them. We’ll explain to you how it works:

Xiaohongshu is divided into two parts for users: The User Community and the E-commerce platform.

The User Community

As a normal user, Xiaohongshu offers two types of content for you including posts and short videos. When you go to the main page of Little Red Book, the bottom navigation bar offers five options: Home, Trending, a Red ‘+’ icon, Messages, and Me. The top navigation bar on the Home page offers three options: Follow, Explore, and Nearby.

• On the Home page, you can see a lot of different content in Explore, which you can engage with by liking, commenting, and favoring. The content is presented as both posts and videos and is based on your regular likes, comments, and favorites. Tap Follow in Home and you’ll see information about the people you follow. The Nearby option pushes content from users near you based on your IP address.
• The Trending section presents short videos like TikTok, which you can also like, comment and favorite.
• Click on the Red ‘+’ icon to create your content. You can publish both videos and posts.
• The Messages board informs you who has liked, favorited, and commented on your content and who has followed you. You can also join group chats or receive and send private messages.
• Finally, in the Me section, you can see and set everything about your account, including personal information, and what you have posted, liked, and favored.

Moreover, for foreign users, RedNote offers multi-language sections. Click the three horizontal lines at the top left corner of the interface, and select “Settings” under the right navigation bar. Choose “General Settings”, “Language Settings” is the first section. Then you can change the language to English.

The E-commerce Platform

As an e-commerce platform, RedNote has two models, Xiaohongshu Owned and Registered Brand Operated. It provides a platform for brands that are too small to operate an online shop to help them sell to potential customers.

At the same time, Xiaohongshu offers online shop registration to individuals who have brand licenses to sell their products directly.

As a normal user, just Click “Me” under the navigation bar, and you will see the “Shop” option under your profile information. Click it and you have entered into the RedNote e-commerce platform. Here are several categories provided for you.

What Are the Advantages of Xiaohongshu?

Xiaohongshu is favored by many US users as a TikTok alternative nowadays. So compared with TikTok, what are the advantages of Xiaohongshu?

Advanced Algorithms: Xiaohongshu pushes customized content to you based on what you like and your favorite. This advanced algorithmic precision streaming makes it easier for users to receive their favorite content, increasing their stickiness to the software as well as their user experience.

Diversification of Content: Compared to TikTok’s single format of short video content, it also comes with text in the form of posts or photo journals. These typically blend text and edited images to provide a richer level of detail. It’s more appealing to some users who are looking for authenticity.

Easy to Access: Some Americans are trying to use a VPN to access TikTok in other countries. Xiaohongshu can be easily accessed in the American App Store.

Multi-functional Platform: It is combined with e-commerce. You can use it to not only access your favorite content but also shop domestically or cross-border on Little Red Book. The shopping process also allows users to get advice related to fashion trends or lifestyle.

Focus on User-Generated Content: Compared to TikTok’s focus on likes data and video views, RedNote focuses more on UGC. It promotes community discussion through user comments and sharing data. These data are more relevant to the actual needs of users.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Xiaohongshu is a nice app for users. It focuses on personal user experience and meaningful community interaction. It may attract more users in the future.