Writer: Zilun Lin
When TikTok faced a ban, millions of users flocked to rednote—and 98% of them decided to stay. Here’s why marketers should take notice.
As TikTok resumed normal operations, the digital world quieted back to its old rhythms. But the momentary chaos left brands, content creators, and marketers asking an important question: for the waves of TikTok refugees and the possibility of future disruptions, should we continue exploring rednote? Should we give it equal weight alongside Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube in our social media strategy decks?
rednote, also known as Xiaohongshu, briefly claimed the #1 spot on the U.S. App Store during the TikTok ban frenzy, though it has since fallen back in the rankings. Despite this, it offered a glimpse into a world beyond mainstream social media platforms and provided a bridge to China’s digital ecosystemThe hashtags #TikTokRefugee and #CatTax, which garnered over 3.8 billion and 300 million impressions respectively, highlighted how users adapted to and connected on the platform. Many new users shared photos of their cats as a lighthearted way to join the community and felt welcome as they received warm feedback from other users.
What sets rednote apart from other social media platforms, including ByteDance’s Lemon8, is its algorithm, which excels at connecting small communities through the Discover page. Unlike TikTok, which thrives on flashy, fast-paced content with strong background music and vibrant visuals, rednote fosters a more intimate experience by prioritizing niche communities. In my experience, the Discover page is often more engaging than my actual Following feed. rednote’s emphasis on creating and sustaining small, personalized communities ensures highly tailored content recommendations that resonate deeply with users.
Curiosity and a desire for mutual understanding drive the connection between TikTok refugees and existing users. Posts showcasing “a day in the life of a mine worker,” “a preschool teacher’s typical lunch in California,” or “street fashion in Russia” fascinated Chinese and global rednote users, bridging cultural gaps and addressing knowledge voids. The exchange of local fashion and art recommendations further connected Eastern and Western users. Among the content from this wave of TikTok refugee emergence, pet posts, daily life snapshots, food, fashion, and experience-based content (e.g., “what it’s like to be a Midwest cowboy”) gained significant traction.
One rednote influencer’s video posed a simple but telling question: “If TikTok stays alive, would you still stick around on rednote?” The poll results spoke volumes: 98% said they would stay, while only 2% chose “Here sucks.” With 91.9K likes and 28.5K comments, the video revealed how TikTok refugees had fallen for rednote’s charm. Top comments like “I’ve never felt so welcome” and “I love learning about other cultures” captured the sentiment of many who now find themselves scrolling for hours.
For marketers, the key takeaway isn’t just whether to invest in rednote, but the broader lesson of avoiding overreliance on a single platform. rednote’s quick efforts to optimize for Western users, such as introducing translation features and interactive tools for learning Chinese, underscore its commitment to becoming a globally appealing platform.
Whether marketing teams decide to prioritize rednote or not, this experience highlights the importance of diversifying strategies to mitigate risk and seize new opportunities. For brands looking to establish a presence on rednote, focusing on niche communities, authentic storytelling, and culturally specific content can strongly resonate with its users. In addition, partnering with local, small-to-medium-scale influencers who create relatable daily life vlogs could offer one of the highest ROI strategies in today’s marketplace. If hiring a social media manager for rednote isn’t currently part of the plan, there’s no need to worry about posting content in English. Many rednote users can read English content without issues, and the platform’s translation function is reliable enough to deliver messages with reasonable accuracy.
Zilun Lin is an experienced branding and digital marketing strategist, specializing in helping artists and brands explore, navigate, and connect with the Chinese market.
