As one of the fastest-growing social commerce apps, XiaoHongShu has become essential for any university’s China recruitment strategy.
XiaoHongShu, commonly referred to as "Little Red Book", serves as a digital lifestyle community for young people. Since its launch in 2013, XiaoHongShu has experienced significant growth, with a user base of over 260 million monthly active users. The platform, which only gained substantial popularity in recent years, has successfully doubled its user base since mid-2020. Notably, about 88.8% of its users are female Millennials from Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities.
For anyone unfamiliar with the platform, it integrates content creation, social networking, and e-commerce, creating a unique ecosystem where users can share experiences, connect with others, discover new products, and make purchases. This makes it an influential player in China's social commerce and livestreaming arena, often likened to and compared to Instagram Live and TikTok Shop.
Advertising on XiaoHongShu
When it comes to advertising, XiaoHongShu offers robust options particularly suited to higher education marketing. The platform supports two types of accounts: personal accounts for individual content sharing and engagement, and brand accounts for businesses aiming to promote products and services. All advertising on XiaoHongShu requires a Verified Business Account, ensuring adherence to the platform's strict guidelines for official brand representation.
More than just an e-commerce site, XiaoHongShu has evolved into a vibrant social platform offering PPC ad opportunities. This is increasingly used for posting reviews—ranging from products to travel experiences—which universities can leverage for sharing positive educational experiences and reviews related to campus life, study programs, and more.
For universities, advertising on XiaoHongShu offers a promising avenue to reach certain demographics and drive interest in their programs. The platform's advertising capabilities are housed within the Spotlight platform (聚光平台), a newly launched comprehensive tool designed to meet a wide array of marketing needs. This includes product seeding, sales volume enhancement, lead collection, live-stream promotion, and competitive positioning.
A unique aspect of XiaoHongShu's advertising strategy is its use of user-generated content, known as "notes." Universities can opt to use their original notes or collaborate with KOLs to create promotional materials. This method not only enhances the authenticity of the advertisements but also leverages the trust and influence that KOLs have within the XiaoHongShu community.
CHE Case Studies
CHE offers a range of services on XiaoHongShu for universities. Our verified account represents clients like Pace, MSU, and Tulane, and posts targeted articles to engage users. Campaigns include 8-10 impression posts which appear as 'floating ads'—sponsored content on the explore page. Our campaigns focus on either generating likes or maximizing impressions, with the primary goal being lead generation through these posts.
XiaoHongShu's blend of social networking and e-commerce functionalities and targeted advertising options make it an invaluable tool for universities looking to engage with prospective students, particularly young women in urban areas. The platform’s focus on lifestyle and community-based content provides a unique opportunity for higher education institutions to present themselves within the context of broader educational discourse and university-related reviews.
Contact us at info@chinahighereducation.org to learn more about our XiaoHongShu services!