(Source: https://pltfrm.com.cn)
Introduction
Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) has solidified its position as China’s most trusted platform for lifestyle inspiration and overseas product discovery among urban females aged 18–35. Unlike Douyin’s entertainment focus, Xiaohongshu excels at consideration and purchase intent. Here are the exact strategies turning notes into sales in 2025.
- Perfecting the Authentic Notes Formula
1.1 Real-Life Photography Standards Natural Lighting + Chinese Settings: All product photos must be taken in recognizable Chinese environments—Shanghai apartments, Guangzhou cafes, or Beijing hutongs. Studio shots trigger instant skepticism. Imperfection as Authenticity: Include minor flaws (smudged lipstick edges, natural skin texture) to prove photos aren’t heavily edited. This dramatically increases saves and shares.
1.2 Caption Writing Framework Problem → Journey → Solution → Recommendation: Structure every note with clear sections addressing pain points, personal experience, detailed results, and final verdict. Notes following this template routinely rank top in search results. - Hashtag and SEO Optimization Inside Xiaohongshu
2.1 Three-Layer Hashtag Strategy Category + Pain Point + Overseas Origin: Combine broad tags (#护肤), specific problems (#敏感肌救星), and origin tags (#欧洲小众品牌) for maximum discoverability. Trending Topic Participation: Jump on weekly hot topics while naturally incorporating products—never force-fitting. - KOC Collaboration Model That Works
3.1 Volume Over Star Power 100+ Micro Notes Campaign: Commission 100–300 genuine user-style notes from KOCs with 5K–50K followers instead of relying on top accounts. This creates social proof at scale. Template + Freedom Balance: Provide loose templates ensuring key messages while allowing personal voice—resulting in higher authenticity scores. - Driving Traffic to Private Domains
4.1 WeChat Conversion Pathways Bio Link + Comment Pinning: Direct users from high-performing notes to WeChat personal numbers or groups via pinned comments and bio links. Average conversion rates exceed 8% with proper nurturing.
Case Study: A Korean-Backed Skincare Brand’s Xiaohongshu Mastery
An overseas clean beauty brand launched with 400+ authentic notes showing “glass skin” routines adapted for China’s polluted cities. All content used real Shanghai/Tier-1 city backdrops and followed the exact pain-point-to-solution structure. Strategic hashtag usage propelled multiple notes to platform homepage recommendations. Outcome: 2 million+ saves, top-ranked keywords for “海外平价好物”, and 150% month-over-month Tmall sales growth driven entirely from Xiaohongshu traffic.
Conclusion
Xiaohongshu success in 2025 belongs to overseas brands that prioritize genuine sharing over polished advertising. Master authentic visuals, structured storytelling, and massive KOC volume, and you’ll dominate China’s most valuable purchase-intent platform.
PLTFRM is an international brand consulting agency that works with companies such as Red, TikTok, Tmall, Baidu, and other well-known Chinese internet e-commerce platforms. We have been working with Chile Cherries for many years, reaching Chinese consumers in depth through different platforms and realizing that Chile Cherries’ exports in China account for 97% of the total exports in Asia. Contact us, and we will help you find the best China e-commerce platform for you. Search PLTFRM for a free consultation!
