In early 2025, TikTok was banned in the United States of America, creating room for other social media giants. Interestingly, US citizens caught an interest in another Chinese social app, REDnote.
While REDnote has been a dominant social media player in China for many years, the platform’s international success is new, which is why we are dedicating a fresh blog article on this topic.
We will show you the main features of the REDnote app, compare it to other key players like TikTok, and take a look at its marketing and monetization potential, especially for Western businesses.
Table of Contents
- What is REDnote?
- New role of REDnote abroad
- Key Features
- Marketing on REDnote
- REDnote vs TikTok: Similarities & Difference
- The Takeaway – REDnote vs. TikTok
Let’s jump right in.
What is REDnote?
Launched in 2013, Xiaohongshu (小红书) started as a platform for Chinese consumers, where they could find shopping tips and reviews on products from abroad. Over time, the app evolved into a social commerce powerhouse, combining user-generated content (UGC) with optimized shopping experiences.
Other names for REDnote
- Xiaohongshu (short: XHS) – original Chinese name
- Little Red Book (short: RED)
- REDnote – more commonly used since 2025
REDnote is among the largest and most popular Chinese social media platforms. This is extremely relevant for domestic and international brands due to the sheer size of the Chinese consumer market.
Chinese social media ranking by monthly active users
- WeChat (China’s super app for basically everything): 1.4 billion MAU
- Douyin (the original, Chinese TikTok): 755 million MAU
- Weibo (the Chinese Twitter/X): 582 million MAU
- REDnote: 300 million MAU
Chinese consumer market
- Chinese population of more than 1.4 billion
- Growing middle class, estimated to surpass 1.2 billion people by 2027
- Continuously increasing disposable income
- Among lowest inflation rates worldwide
- Largest retail market worldwide (and growing) – approximately 6.6 trillion USD in 2024 (!)
Just before the TikTok ban in the USA (December 2024/January 2025), REDnote’s popularity spiked with more than 3 million American users getting the app in just one week, making it the most-downloaded free app during that time.
So, what does this mean?
New role of REDnote abroad
This increased global interest in REDnote holds immense potential for Chinese domestic and foreign brands to boost the sales of their products and services.
One of the reasons is that Western users on TikTok mostly used the app for fun and the focus wasn’t on monetizing accounts. Now, with all the changes, on REDNote many users are more active and pursue a monetization with a clear plan from the start.
As the new role of REDnote internationally unfolds, let’s take a look at the key features of the app as well as marketing options
Key Features
REDnote has a unique position in the social media landscape with its social commerce approach. In the Western world, Instagram Shopping and Shop the Look on Pinterest offer a similar experience. But, generally, on Western social platforms, social/entertainment and shopping are separated.
The platform itself is driven by user-generated content (UGC), with a strong focus on reviews of products and services and their recommendations. This authentic content creates trust among users, which is an essential buying criteria in the Chinese online market that is flooded with brands, promotions, and “the next best thing”.
What’s noteworthy is that the platform’s focus on UGC and trust drives the engagement rate of the followers and the community. In other words: REDnote’s users are not just passively consuming content like on TikTok but are actively creating it, commenting, sharing, and buying.
Finally, REDnote is particularly monetization-friendly, as many users join with the intent to generate income from day one.
If you are curious to see REDnote in action, this is what the app looks like in 2025.
Example: REDnote home screen and search results for “Lancome”
So, speaking of monetization, which marketing and advertising options are there on REDnote?
Marketing on REDnote
There are several ways to promote brands on REDnote and reach Chinese consumers. We will take a closer look at them, with a special focus on service-based business.
Here’s how you can leverage the social commerce app REDnote effectively.
Organic Marketing
In this day and age, everyone is aware that “content is king”. Whether educational, entertaining, or informative – adding value to your audience is most important!
And REDnote, in particular, emphasizes authentic recommendations, whereby organic content plays a crucial role for brand visibility.
Popular content on REDnote includes life hacks, behind-the-scenes stories, explainer tutorials, and any kind of user-generated content. By using relevant Chinese keywords and trending hashtags you can increase the discoverability of your brand.
REDnote isn’t just about posting content, it’s about creating meaningful interactions as part of a community. Brands that build strong and active communities and engage them set themselves up for success.
Engagement strategies include quickly responding to comments and DMs, participating in trending discussions, and encouraging user contributions, for example, through contests.
Paid Advertising
Promote your brand on REDnote through PPC ads and collaborating with influencers.
PPC Ads
Running ads requires a verified official account (available for foreign brands, an agency can help with the setup process as a variety of legal documents are required) to gain access to the advertising platform.
These are the PPC (pay-per-click) ad types on REDnote:
- In-Feed Ads: Native-style ads that blend with organic posts.
- Search Ads: Your brand can appear when users search relevant keywords.
- Discovery Ads: Recommended content appearing on users’ home feeds.
- Interactive Ads: Polls, quizzes, and engagement-based ads.
Paid advertising is quick and effective as it allows brands to target their ideal audience precisely. The down side, once you stop paying, your advertising stops. This is where your organic strategy comes in.
Influencer Marketing
KOLs – Key Opinion Leaders and KOCs – Key Opinion Consumers are central to REDnote’s ecosystem. Chinese consumers value trust, and recommendations from well-established users – their peers or aspirational selves – significantly contribute to their forming their opinion and purchasing decision.
- Micro-KOLs: Niche influencers (10K–50K followers) often have more engaged audiences.
- Mid-Tier KOLs: (50K–500K followers) offer a balance of reach and trust.
- Top-Tier KOLs & Celebrities: Large-scale campaigns with massive exposure but higher costs.
- Livestreaming Collaborations: Partner with influencers to host live Q&A sessions or service demos.
Now, to sum this topic up, let’s take a look at the direct comparison of REDnote and TikTok.
REDnote vs TikTok: Similarities & Difference
While both platforms have similarities like a strong focus on short videos, user engagement, and monetization opportunities, there are also significant differences.
The key differences are the type of content (TikTok focuses on entertaining short videos, REDnote focuses on social commerce), target audience (TikTok appeals to a broader and younger demographic, REDnote focuses on young women in China), and geographic availability (TikTok is for a global audience, REDnote is still expanding at the moment).
| TikTok | REDnote | |
| What is it? | International version of the Chinese original Douyin | Leading social commerce platform worldwide |
| Owner | ByteDance (China) | Xiaohongshu Inc (China) |
| Established | 2017 | 2013 |
| Monthly active users | 1.6 billion | 300 million |
| Target audience | GenZ and millennials (16 – 34 years old) | Primarily young women (18-34 years old) |
| Available in | 150+ countries (excluding China) | 10+ countries (including China) |
| Available languages | 75+ languages | 5+ languages |
| Content focus | Music, beauty, fashion, health, food, travel, humor, pets | Lifestyle, fashion, beauty, travel |
| Key features | Viral short videos with challenges and trends, focus on entertainment | User-generated content, product recommendations, reviews, in-app shopping |
This brings us to the update on REDnote and the comparison of REDnote vs. TikTok.
The Takeaway – REDnote vs. TikTok
REDnote’s rise is not just a temporary shift, it represents the future of global social commerce. For businesses looking to connect with Chinese consumers or expand their brand in Asia, now is the time to establish a presence.
- REDnote is the new dominant platform for social commerce after TikTok’s U.S. ban.
- It offers organic, paid, and influencer marketing opportunities for service-based businesses.
- The platform fosters a strong monetization culture, where users actively seek ways to earn.
- Early adopters will have an advantage in gaining visibility and brand loyalty.
If you’re serious about growing your brand in China, don’t wait! Start building your REDnote strategy today. We are happy to assist you.