XiaoHongShu vs DouYin | Differences, Tips, and Overview

What is XiaoHongShu/Little Red Book?

XiaoHongShu, or "Little Red Book," is a cutting-edge social media platform that blends e-commerce with user-generated content. Launched in 2013 by Miranda Qu and Charlwin Mao, it has quickly become popular among young Chinese consumers, especially millennials and Gen Z women in major cities (in and outside Mainland China).

These users turn to the platform for genuine product recommendations and lifestyle inspiration. The community of XiaoHongShu is typically vibrant, with people sharing their experiences on topics like fashion, beauty, travel, and wellness.

A key feature of XiaoHongShu is its personalized content recommendations. The platform focuses on lifestyle sharing and discovery through images, text, and short videos.

Its recommendation algorithm takes into account user interests and community interactions to tailor the content. This way, XiaoHongShu delivers a customized experience based on individual preferences and engagement.

Here are three main aspects of XiaoHongShu's algorithm:

Community Relationship Priority: The XiaoHongShu algorithm prioritizes social interactions. How users follow, engage with, and recommend each other greatly affects the content they see. The accounts a user follows and the communities they join significantly influence the content recommended to them.

Hashtag and Topic: Content recommendations on XiaoHongShu are heavily driven by tags and topics. Users can discover content of interest by following specific topics and hashtags. High-quality content linked to trending tags and topics will likely be recommended to a broader audience.

Valuable Content Priority: XiaoHongShu favors the sharing of useful and valuable content, such as shopping guides, travel tips, and food recommendations. This type of content is more likely to be recommended and attract followers.

XiaoHongShu also acts as a powerful search engine for product reviews, helping users find honest opinions before making a purchase.

Its unique content ecosystem and active user community have created a dynamic “grass planting (種草)” space where people exchange shopping tips, beauty advice, and travel guides, resulting in a rich collection of user-generated content (UGC).

This mix of social interaction and commerce builds consumer trust and makes XiaoHongShu a major player in Chinese digital marketing.

As XiaoHongShu continues to develop into a "National Lifestyle Guide," its search activity is growing.

Data from Sohu shows that 70% of monthly active users use the search function, with 88% doing so proactively. Furthermore, 90% of users say that search content impacts their buying decisions, and notably, 42% of new users use the search feature on their very first day on the platform.

How Does DouYin Work?

Douyin, known internationally as TikTok, is quickly becoming a top platform for short-form videos, letting users create and share engaging content in short bursts.

Launched by ByteDance in 2016, Douyin has gained massive popularity in China, especially among young people, with over 600 million daily active users.

The platform primarily attracts a young audience aged 16 to 30, including a diverse mix of urban millennials and Gen Z. This demographic is keen on consuming and creating relatable content, making Douyin an important space for both creators and marketers.

Douyin focuses on mobile-friendly vertical videos that are under 60 seconds, designed to grab attention quickly and let users showcase their creativity while entertaining viewers. This short format fits perfectly with today's fast-paced digital world.

Douyin's standout feature is its advanced algorithm, which determines how videos are shown and affects content creation.

By analyzing user data, Douyin customizes content and ads to match different age groups' behaviors and preferences, creating a personalized experience for each user.

A key part of Douyin's algorithm is its tagging system. Here's how it works:

For Creators: The system generates tags based on the type of content they post. If a creator changes their content style, their tags will update accordingly.
For Users: Tags are assigned based on their browsing and interaction habits. As users' preferences change, so do their tags and the content they see.

This tagging system helps match similar content with users and assesses quality through interaction metrics to promote relevant material more widely.

Douyin's success also comes from its laser focus on entertaining content. Users are attracted to videos that make them laugh, surprise them, or evoke strong emotions, which encourages interaction and engagement.

Viral trends, challenges, and catchy music further boost engagement and sharing. The platform's algorithm highlights engaging content, ensuring that it gets seen by more users.

XiaoHongShu vs DouYin - What are the Differences?

In terms of Chinese social media, XiaoHongShu (XHS) and Douyin (TikTok) have become major players, each appealing to different audiences with their unique content styles.

These platforms provide distinct experiences for both users and brands, thanks to their varied features. By exploring their key differences, we can better understand how each one meets different needs and preferences in the market today:

Content Format & Audience

As we talked about earlier, XiaoHongShu (XHS) is known for its focus on lifestyle content, including beauty, fashion, travel, and personal reviews.

It mainly serves a female audience, with about 70% of its users being women. This makes it an attractive platform for brands looking to reach female consumers who are actively seeking genuine reviews and recommendations to inform their purchasing decisions and research.

XiaoHongShu supports various content formats, such as text notes, short videos, and image galleries, allowing for engaging storytelling and detailed product insights.

In contrast, Douyin features a wide range of content, from entertainment and humor to educational material and trending topics.

Douyin attracts a fairly balanced audience, with around 52% male and 48% female users. The platform specializes in short-form videos of up to 60 seconds, featuring visually engaging content designed for quick consumption. This broad approach contrasts with the more targeted focus of XiaoHongShu.

Algorithm

The algorithms behind the two platforms differ quite a bit.

XiaoHongShu's recommendation system focuses on user behavior and content quality. It uses interactions like likes, comments, and saves to gauge positive feedback and boost visibility.

Factors such as layout design, image quality, and originality are also key in evaluating content.

Douyin, on the flip side, emphasizes entertainment value and trendiness. The platform favors light-hearted, engaging, and creative content, with its algorithm prioritizing viewer interactions and creativity.

XiaoHongShu tends to attract mid-to-high-end consumers who value quality and have strong purchasing power. Its algorithm, therefore, promotes high-quality content that aligns with users' tastes.

Douyin, with its broader and more diverse user base ranging from young adults to older individuals and urban to rural residents, focuses on diversity and inclusivity to cater to a wide array of preferences.

Engagement

XiaoHongShu promotes higher user engagement by tailoring content to individual interests, leading to more meaningful interactions.

The platform allows users to form communities and connect with like-minded individuals, which enhances brand loyalty and conversion potential among them. Social interactions on XiaoHongShu are reflected in actions like commenting, liking, reposting, and following favorite creators.

Douyin provides a wider range of social interaction options. Users can comment, like, share, and participate in features like "challenges" and "duets" to engage with others.

While these features help reach larger audiences quickly, they often don't build the same depth of connection between users and brands due to Douyin’s trend-driven focus. This results in interactions that may be more fleeting and less impactful.

In summary, XiaoHongShu emphasizes building strong connections and communities, while Douyin focuses on rapid audience reach and trend-based engagement, which may result in less sustained interaction over time.

Content Longevity & Discoverability

Douyin is known for its fast-paced, trend-driven environment where content can go viral quickly.

The platform revolves around short videos that often leverage current trends, music, or challenges. As a result, what captures users' attention today might be outdated by tomorrow.

If a popular dance challenge emerges, a brand might create a fun video featuring their product to join the trend. However, if the trend fades quickly, the video might receive a lot of views initially but soon become irrelevant.

This puts brands under constant pressure to produce new content aligned with ever-changing trends, leading to a reactive rather than a strategic marketing approach.

This dynamic presents challenges for brands, including a short engagement cycle and the need for significant creative and financial resources to keep up with rapid trend shifts.

In contrast, XiaoHongShu (Little Red Book) supports more in-depth content that can remain relevant over time (evergreen). Users often search for specific topics, interests, or products, which helps valuable content resurface long after its initial posting.

For example, a detailed skincare review on XiaoHongShu might cover the product's ingredients, application methods, and results. As users seek skincare solutions, this post can continue to attract views and engagement weeks or even months later, as potential buyers look for reviews before making a purchase.

This model of sustained engagement allows brands to generate ongoing interest and discussions without the need for constant updates, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of their marketing strategies.

Influencer Culture

XiaoHongShu is known for its originality and practical content, making it a vital resource for younger audiences. This focus on authentic, user-driven posts has earned the platform significant user appreciation.

Influential content on XiaoHongShu encourages frequent interactions, fostering a strong community atmosphere. The platform features Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and Key Opinion Consumers (KOCs) who share genuine posts and personal experiences.

XiaoHongShu's emphasis on detailed analysis and lifestyle sharing helps build trust between users and influencers. This approach makes user recommendations more influential compared to traditional celebrity endorsements.

Brands can collaborate with creators to leverage their influence, promoting products or services effectively to their followers and reaching a wider audience.

In contrast, Douyin allows content to gain visibility without requiring users to build up a follower base first, unlike platforms such as YouTube. Engaging videos on Douyin can attract attention even from new users, as the platform actively promotes captivating content.

This feature helps both individual influencers and brands gain recognition, driving the influencer economy.

Douyin heavily relies on influencers to reach broad audiences, with many creators having large followings. Partnering with these influencers can enhance brand visibility and increase consumer purchasing intent through their credibility.

However, while collaborations with top KOLs can provide broad outreach, they may sometimes lack the authenticity found in partnerships on XiaoHongShu.

Data & Analytics

Both XiaoHongShu (XHS) and Douyin offer valuable data collection tools for brands and marketers, but they serve different purposes.

XiaoHongShu provides deeper insights into consumer behavior and preferences through its detailed analytics services. Brands can use XHS’s built-in analytics dashboard to access various metrics related to user engagement and audience demographics.

While both platforms offer strong analytics, many consider XHS to be more user-friendly for brands looking to interpret data effectively for strategic decisions.

Douyin focuses on proactive recommendations based on user habits, while XiaoHongShu emphasizes search-based recommendations.

Over 65% of XiaoHongShu's traffic comes from search, leading to more refined search traffic algorithms.

In contrast, Douyin’s data may seem more limited as it primarily focuses on trend-based metrics rather than comprehensive consumer insights.

Tools like 抖查查, 新榜, and 千瓜数据 analyze popular Douyin content, audience profiles, and industry trends. These tools assist brands in identifying patterns in popular videos, content creation, audience behavior, and industry developments, but they have a different focus compared to XiaoHongShu’s analytics capabilities.

Cost of Marketing

The cost of marketing and influencer promotions on platforms can vary widely depending on factors like region, product type, services offered, and promotional methods.

Because of these variables, it's difficult to provide a standard price for these marketing efforts. However, below is a brief overview of general options and average cost benchmarks for advertising, for XiaoHongShu and Douyin:

1. Paid Advertising

XiaoHongShu offers advertising formats including Cost Per Click (CPC) and Cost Per Thousand Impressions (CPM). CPC on XiaoHongShu charges advertisers based on clicks, typically ranging from 1 to 3 yuan per click for accounts with larger follower bases. In contrast, CPM is based on ad displays, with banner ads costing 20 to 50 yuan per 1,000 impressions and Feed stream ads averaging 50 to 100 yuan. Topic and live-streaming ads tend to start at 100 yuan or higher.

Douyin also features competitive pricing with both CPC and CPM models. Currently, Douyin's CPC rate for information flow ads is set at 0.3 yuan per click, while its CPM cost is 8 to 10 yuan per 1,000 impressions.

2. Influencer Marketing

On Xiaohongshu, the cost of influencer promotions varies widely. Partnering with well-established influencers typically costs several thousand to tens of thousands of yuan. Micro-influencers, such as parent-child bloggers with around 10,000 followers, usually charge between 3,000 and 6,000 yuan for store visits. Recommendations from everyday users are more affordable, generally ranging from 500 to 1,000 yuan. Prices can vary based on the industry and the specific influencer.

On Douyin, advertising costs also depend on factors like follower count and account niche. Well-known influencers may charge anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000 yuan per ad, while those with moderate recognition often charge between 1,000 and 10,000 yuan. The final pricing can also be affected by the ad format, production value, and duration.

For businesses or individuals looking to place advertisements, it's important to research and choose the advertising format and placement that best suits their needs. Understanding these options will help brands effectively use influencer marketing to boost their reach and engagement on both Xiaohongshu and Douyin!

XiaoHongShu vs DouYin - Similarities

XiaoHongShu (XHS) and DouYin share several key similarities, particularly in content creation and user engagement. They might even be more similar than you might imagine!

Short-form Videos

Both platforms primarily use short-form vertical videos to quickly and effectively capture their audience's attention.

Douyin is focused mainly on video content, whereas XiaoHongShu (XHS) stands out by offering a variety of content types, including images and text-based posts, on top of just short-form videos. This variety allows brands to engage with users through different formats.

e-Commerce Store

Both platforms feature integrated e-commerce stores, but many brands and marketers find XiaoHongShu's store more effective.

On XHS, users can smoothly move from reading product reviews to making purchases, which boosts satisfaction and conversion rates. This streamlined process makes XHS a great choice for brands looking to sell directly to consumers!

UGC-Friendly Platforms

Both XiaoHongShu and Douyin make great use of User-Generated Content (UGC) to build trust and enhance brand credibility.

Brands can use UGC, such as authentic testimonials and real-life experiences from users, across both platforms.

This approach helps engage the community and strengthens the brand’s authenticity. By leveraging UGC, brands can deepen their connections with audiences, improve user experiences, and boost brand loyalty.

What is XiaoHongShu Good For Then?

XiaoHongShu (XHS) stands out as an invaluable resource for brands and businesses, excelling in several key areas:

Targeted Segmentation

XiaoHongShu excels in targeted segmentation, making it an attractive platform for brands in the lifestyle, fashion, travel, and beauty markets. Its user base primarily consists of young adults aged 20 to 40, mostly women, who have independent economic means and strong purchasing power.

These users actively seek content that matches their interests, allowing brands to reach high-potential buyers and drive conversions more effectively.

Strong User Interaction

The platform's high level of user interaction enables brands to engage effectively with their audience, helping convert followers into subscribers on other platforms like WeChat.

XHS offers diverse creative formats that appeal to its young demographic, providing valuable opportunities for brands to connect with potential customers and build a loyal following.

Targeting Bottom-Funnel Consumers for Effective Conversions

XiaoHongShu focuses on bottom-funnel consumers who are closer to making purchasing decisions. By integrating products seamlessly into content, brands can guide users from consideration to conversion, increasing brand exposure and improving sales performance.

Public Perception

User-generated content (UGC) acts as modern word-of-mouth marketing on XHS. Endorsements from Key Opinion Consumers (KOCs) enhance trust in a brand, as authentic reviews from real customers make potential buyers more likely to trust the product and make a purchase.

XHS encourages brand storytelling and interactive engagement through activities like contests and comparisons.

Product Launches and Promotions

XiaoHongShu is an excellent platform for product launches and promotions. Brands can collaborate with KOLs and KOCs to market products effectively to high-intent buyers.

The platform’s integration with e-commerce shops offers a smooth shopping experience, making purchases easy for potential customers. UGC further boosts product visibility, attracting attention and fostering trust.

Brand Authority & Thought Leadership

XHS provides valuable opportunities for establishing brand authority and thought leadership.

Businesses can share insights and expertise to position themselves as industry experts, building trust and credibility. This is particularly beneficial for service-based businesses that need to demonstrate knowledge to attract and retain clients.

Overall, XiaoHongShu offers unique advantages for targeted marketing, enhancing public perception, promoting products, and establishing brand authority, making it a powerful tool for businesses aiming to excel in competitive markets.

What is DouYin Good For?

DouYin is a powerful platform that shines in creating content virality and tapping into trends. This makes it an excellent choice for brands looking to quickly boost their visibility.

Content Virality and Trend-Riding

If you want to make a quick impact, Douyin's fast-paced environment is ideal. Its focus on short-form videos lets brands leverage trending sounds, catchy challenges, and popular hashtags to grab attention.

The spontaneous nature of Douyin means you can launch campaigns that have the potential to go viral overnight, helping you gain visibility exactly when you need it.

Live Streaming Services

Douyin's live streaming feature is a game-changer for selling products. It allows brands to connect with their audience in real-time and showcase their products through engaging demonstrations. Many brands have achieved impressive results using Douyin's live streaming.

For example, TINECO, a new home appliance brand known for its innovative cleaning machines, teamed up with influencers on Douyin to boost its visibility and highlight its product features.

During the 618 shopping festival in China, TINECO's V7 floor cleaning machine was featured in a live stream hosted by Chinese celebrity Chen He.

This event was note-worthy as it became the first single product in the industry to surpass 100 million in sales and sell over 52,000 units in just one live session, contributing to a 26% increase in overall platform sales.

By using influencers and live streaming, emerging brands like TINECO can effectively overcome market challenges, reach a broader audience, and present their products in engaging ways.

Content Repurposing

Douyin makes it simple for brands to turn existing video content into shorter clips. This allows you to get more value from what you've already created and keeps your brand visible across various platforms.

Large Scale Branding

Douyin offers custom brand filters that enhance user engagement by allowing people to interact with your brand in fun and creative ways.

These unique filters encourage users to include branded elements in their content, boosting brand recognition and turning consumers into active participants. This approach effectively transforms each user into a brand ambassador!

Overall, Douyin is a great tool for brands that want to quickly reach a large audience, boost visibility, engage with consumers, and drive conversions.

Its dynamic features and interactive elements help brands connect effectively with users, making it a valuable platform for achieving marketing goals in a competitive market.

Which Platform Should Brands Invest In?

Choosing the right platform for brand investment depends on your marketing strategy, industry, and business goals. Each social media platform has its own strengths and can be better suited for different products and target audiences.

XiaoHongShu is Great For…

If you're in the beauty, fashion, or lifestyle sectors, XiaoHongShu could be a great fit for your brand. This platform excels with user-generated content and authentic recommendations, making it perfect for businesses looking to build trust and engage with the community.

XiaoHongShu is particularly effective for introducing new products or boosting visibility among young, urban, and high-potential consumers.

Its visually-driven format and focus on user-generated content make it especially useful for niche markets like emerging skincare brands, cosmetics, and sustainable lifestyle products, where consumer reviews and personal experiences are key to influencing buying decisions.

Let's take a look at another example, the Chinese silver jewelry brand EWEST has successfully used XiaoHongShu's live-streaming feature. They run three live sales sessions each week, each lasting three hours, which has significantly boosted their monthly sales.

Since opening their store on XiaoHongShu, EWEST's revenue has reportedly increased by 70%. One of their top-selling products even sold over 1,000 units on Tmall and around 800 units on XiaoHongShu.

DouYin is Great For…

If you're looking to achieve viral reach and engage with younger audiences, Douyin is a great choice. Its short video format is perfect for creative storytelling and entertainment, making it suitable for a wide range of industries.

Brands that want to create buzz around products—such as electronics, fast fashion, and food items—can thrive on Douyin. If you're interested in showcasing your products in a fun or informative way, like through cooking demonstrations or DIY tips, Douyin is an effective platform to attract attention.

For example, the Douyin influencer "Zheng Xiangxiang" gained immense popularity with her unique "lightning-fast sales" style. She presented products in an average of just five seconds each, rapidly selling large volumes of merchandise.

This fast-paced method quickly attracted over one million followers and generated more than 100 million yuan in sales within a week.

Though this particular sales technique was eventually banned, it demonstrates how innovative and engaging approaches can capture user attention on Douyin.

So, Which Platform Should Brands Invest In?

When choosing between Douyin and XiaoHongShu, consider how each platform aligns with your marketing goals and target audience. Douyin is excellent for generating buzz and engaging users with its entertaining and diverse content. In contrast, XiaoHongShu is all about searchability and practical information, drawing users who are looking for reliable reviews and product details.

So, which platform should you focus on? For most brands and businesses, we'd suggest concentrating on XiaoHongShu. XHS generally provides deeper engagement, with users who are more likely to make a purchase, leading to a better return on investment. Additionally, the users of XiaoHongShu often have higher purchasing power. Plus, you won’t have to constantly chase trends, which is a common challenge with Douyin marketing.

To make the most of XiaoHongShu, ensure your content is easily discoverable through its search features. You might find our XiaoHongShu content creation guide helpful for tips and strategies.

You can also use a combined approach: capture attention on Douyin with engaging content and then guide those users to XiaoHongShu, where they're more likely to convert. This way, you connect brand awareness with conversions, optimizing your marketing efforts across both platforms!

Ready to kickstart your XiaoHongShu marketing? Explore our XiaoHongShu offerings and get in touch with us to see how we can help!