When marketing to Chinese consumers, European merchants must understand a key point: China’s social media platform environment is quite unique. While platforms like Facebook and Instagram dominate globally, China’s social media ecosystem is led by local platforms, each with its own user behaviours and preferences. One of the most influential platforms is XiaoHongShu (the Chinese equivalent of Instagram), known for its user-generated content, especially popular among the younger generation. XiaoHongShu fosters a trusted community where users actively share experiences, purchase tips, and product reviews. It seamlessly integrates e-commerce with user-generated content, offering a powerful platform for brands to reach Chinese consumers with tailored recommendations. Its strong focus on lifestyle and travel makes it ideal for connecting with the growing Chinese outbound travel market, helping brands enhance their visibility and drive purchasing decisions.
Chinese consumers often turn to content-driven platforms rather than search engines for information, making platforms like XiaoHongShu essential for discovering products and making purchasing decisions. This trend sets China apart from Western markets and creates distinct opportunities for brands to connect with Chinese consumers.
XiaoHongShu user demographics
As of January 2024, XiaoHongShu has over 19 million high-potential outbound travel users, a significant increase from around 6 million in 2022. Among these users, 77% are women, and 79% are aged between 19 and 35, with the largest group being 26-30 years old . Additionally, 42% reside in first-tier and new first-tier cities. This demographic presents a valuable target for brands aiming to engage Chinese travellers, particularly in the outbound tourism sector.
This demographic represents a high-spending group with significant travel experience. They are typically well-educated, highly capable of independent research, and actively engaged on social media. Before travelling abroad, they prefer seeking authentic, detailed recommendations and shopping experiences. Additionally, they love sharing their experiences on social media, making them both avid consumers of marketing content and influential. Therefore, European merchants can greatly benefit from establishing a strong brand presence on XiaoHongShu to connect with this highly engaged, young, and urban audience.
How XiaoHongShu shapes the purchase journey
XiaoHongShu is instrumental in guiding Chinese travellers through every stage of their planning and decision-making process. This provides European merchants with a unique opportunity to influence their purchasing choices effectively.
Awareness and Interest Stage
During the initial stages of travel planning, Chinese travellers frequently turn to XiaoHongShu, searching for destinations with keywords like “Paris travel” or “Barcelona sightseeing.” The platform offers a wealth of curated, user-generated content, including personal travel notes, tips, and reviews. It sparks inspiration and exposes users to new brands through influencer and Key Opinion Leader (KOL) recommendations.
To make the most of this stage, merchants should establish an official presence on XiaoHongShu by sharing high-quality visuals paired with compelling storytelling. Actively engaging with the audience is equally vital. Collaborative promotions and visually captivating content—whether striking images or dynamic short videos—can effectively highlight unique products or services, build trust, and capture consumer interest.
Decision & Action Stage
Once consumers have conducted comparisons and research, they move into the purchase decision phase. During this stage, XiaoHongShu becomes a go-to source for detailed product insights, including pricing, features, user experiences, and reviews. Consumers often rely on user-generated content for authentic feedback. They use the platform’s comment feature to directly ask past buyers for additional details, fostering transparency and strengthening confidence in their decisions.
XiaoHongShu’s advanced content delivery system further enhances this process by ensuring relevant posts reach the right audiences, significantly increasing brand visibility. This approach empowers consumers to access diverse perspectives and allows them to gather information from diverse perspectives, leading to a well-rounded understanding of the product and easing their way to a final purchase decision.
Merchants can motivate consumers to make prompt purchases by sharing engaging posts that highlight exclusive discounts or time-sensitive offers. Clearly communicating after-sales service details further reduces hesitation and builds consumer confidence. By leveraging XiaoHongShu’s robust features, merchants can elevate the shopping experience and actively inspire purchase decisions.
Post-Purchase Sharing Phase
After making a purchase, consumers often share their experiences and reviews on XiaoHongShu. The platform encourages active user participation by rewarding engaging content with increased visibility, helping users attract more followers. By leveraging appropriate hashtags and trending topics, these posts can reach wider, highly relevant audiences, sparking further discussions and interest.
Enhancing the in-store purchase experience is crucial for merchants, but equally important is incentivising customers to share their experiences online. Offering rewards such as shop discounts or recognition for posts can motivate users to promote the brand actively. This strategy not only boosts the brand’s reputation but also helps merchants establish a stronger, more positive presence on the platform.
How we help you enter the Chinese market
At PayXpert, we simplify payments and empower European merchants to connect with Chinese consumers by offering alternative payment solutions like Alipay+ and WeChat Pay, along with value-added marketing services. Our mission is to help you tap into the lucrative Chinese market and attract Chinese tourists. Now, we’ve expanded our expertise to include XiaoHongShu marketing, enabling clients to establish impactful brand exposure on this powerful platform.
Through our tailored marketing services, you can:
- Establish a presence on Chinese social media: Set up and effectively manage content on platforms like XiaoHongShu to engage with Chinese consumers, build brand awareness, and foster loyalty.
- Run targeted marketing campaigns: Create promotional content that aligns with XiaoHongShu users’ preferences to increase visibility, boost engagement, and drive sales.
- Attract Chinese tourists before they travel: Strengthen brand awareness within the Chinese market to gain early attention and ensure your business is top of mind when tourists plan their European trips.
- Leverage word-of-mouth in the Chinese digital ecosystem: Reinforce your reputation by encouraging organic user recommendations and reviews on Chinese platforms, increasing your reach and credibility.
Let us help you bridge the gap between your business and the thriving Chinese market. Take action today and contact our expert to learn more about XiaoHongShu marketing and other tailored services. Let us help your brand become a top choice for Chinese tourists planning their next trip and achieving success in the Chinese market.
*PayXpert provides the product and services in all Europe and UK. The acquiring services are managed by PayXpert Spain for Europe and PayXpert Ltd for UK. More details about the products and services offered by PayXpert are accessible via their official websites in the UK (www.payxpert.co.uk) or Spain (www.payxpert.es)
