Last Updated on January 15, 2025 
Jeffrey Hau
What are the Different Tools That You Need on XiaoHongShu/REDNote?
Starting out on XiaoHongShu (or REDNote) can feel overwhelming for brands and creators. Fortunately, there are various tools and software available from third-party providers and XiaoHongShu itself, to help brands navigate their journey more effectively.
For your convenience, we’ve broken down these tools into four distinctive categories, which are:
- Data Analytic Tools: Tracking your XiaoHongShu account’s performance through engagement metrics can be overwhelming, especially when you’re faced with a mountain of data every day. These tools can transform all that data into easy-to-read insights, helping you stay on top of your progress and plan ahead for success on the platform.
- Content Creation Tools: The success of content on XiaoHongShu depends on eye-catching visuals and captions. Plus, XiaoHongShu’s strict content regulations should be considered! These tools are designed to help you with planning, editing, and crafting the most attractive and engaging content, all while ensuring you stay compliant with the platform’s rules.
- Paid Promotion Tools: If you’re already creating top-notch content, waiting for the platform’s algorithm or other users to notice your account can be a time-consuming process. Paid promotion tools can help fast-track this process. By using XiaoHongShu’s official tools, you can directly target your desired audience, increasing your chances of success on the platform!
- Influencer Collaboration Tools: Partnering with influencers is a powerful way to boost your brand awareness on XiaoHongShu. However, selecting the right influencers who align with your brand’s image can be a challenge. These tools can help you identify the most relevant influencers to achieve your goals while ensuring a safe and fair collaboration that protects both the influencer’s and your brand’s rights.
Types of Tools & Software You Need to Succeed on XiaoHongShu
1. Data Analytic Tools
XiaoHongShu Content Creator Centre
The Creator Centre is XiaoHongShu’s official tool, integrated into the app to help you track your account’s performance and spark inspiration for new content. It provides valuable analytics, including engagement rates, follower growth, and much more.
Additionally, the Creator Centre features a content creation masterclass with video guides to help you produce captivating content for your account.
It also includes an account scanning function, allowing you to identify abnormal activity or check if your account has been shadowbanned, enabling you to take swift corrective action.
Best of all, this powerful tool is completely free to use!
XinHong Data（新红数据）
XinHong Data is a third-party data analytics tool owned by Newrank China, specifically designed for the XiaoHongShu platform. It is also verified by XiaoHongShu as the platform’s official partner! It serves as a one-stop shop for all the data you need about XiaoHongShu, offering deeper insights than the Creator Centre to help you optimize your content creation process.
XinHong provides functions and insights such as:
- Latest trends and changes in target audiences in different industries.
- Real-time updates on trending searches and keywords on XiaoHongShu
- Performance metrics of specific XiaoHongShu accounts with XinHong’s ‘Search’ function.
- In-depth analysis and recommendation reports for businesses to boost performance on XiaoHongShu.
XinHong Data is open for everyone to use and its price is charged based on a subscription plan, starting from 799 RMB per month.
2. Content Creation Tools
XiaoHongShu Editing Room
XiaoHongShu offers its own editing tools to create visually appealing posts. When you select images from your device to post, you’ll be directed to the XiaoHongShu Editing Room before publishing.
From adding filters and cropping images to adding stickers and even beautifying your face in photos, the Editing Room functions like a simplified version of Photoshop, making content creation on XiaoHongShu easier and more fun!
LingKe Term Checking Tool（零克查词）
This tool is designed to help you navigate XiaoHongShu’s strict regulations with ease. Since XiaoHongShu has a list of high-risk terms that are prohibited to protect its users, it’s crucial to avoid these in your captions and descriptions to prevent penalties.
Before you publish your note, simply run your captions and descriptions through this tool to ensure you haven’t accidentally included any restricted terms in your note!
The LingKe Term Checking Tool is free for all to use, but you can also subscribe to a premium version for 28 RMB per month to enjoy its complete functions and features.
3. Paid Promotion Tools
ShuTiao (薯条推广）
ShuTiao is XiaoHongShu’s official paid promotion plan, designed to help extend the reach of your content. By subscribing to ShuTiao’s services, your posts will be featured on more users’ feeds, giving you access to a wider audience.
ShuTiao provides different promotion plans with different goals for users to choose from, such as increased views, increased likes, increased followers, and increased account visibility.
However, it’s important to note that while ShuTiao increases your reach and views, you will still need to focus on creating engaging content to boost interaction!
ShuTiao is open to all account types, but you’ll need at least 500 followers to be eligible. Besides, ShuTiao can only be used for notes published within the past 90 days.
ShuTiao offers flexible pricing plans tailored to your desired audience size and promotion duration. For instance, plans start at 75 RMB to reach 5,000 new followers, with costs increasing for larger audiences or longer promotion periods.
If you have more specific goals, such as boosting follower numbers instead of just increasing views, the pricing will also be higher.
Aurora (聚光平台)
In addition to the ShuTiao promotion plan, XiaoHongShu offers a more professional advertising solution: the Aurora platform.
Aurora is a paid advertising platform designed for brands to showcase polished promotional content. Notes promoted through Aurora appear as feed ads for the brand.
The key difference between Aurora and ShuTiao lies in the content they promote. Aurora focuses on professional, product-centered advertisements, while ShuTiao highlights more lifestyle-oriented, organic-style content.
Another notable distinction is how the promotions appear to users. ShuTiao notes blend seamlessly into the feed, resembling regular posts, whereas Aurora promotions are marked with a ‘Sponsored’ or ‘Ads’ tag, clearly indicating they are paid advertisements.
4. Influencer Collaboration Tools
Dandelion (蒲公英)
Dandelion (蒲公英) is XiaoHongShu’s official platform where brands and influencers can connect for collaborations, such as seeding campaigns.
All partnerships and interactions must occur on Dandelion per the platform’s rules. Unauthorized collaborations outside of the platform may lead to penalties from XiaoHongShu!
Dandelion streamlines every stage of collaboration, from influencer selection to performance analysis. When selecting influencers, the platform provides detailed engagement metrics for each one.
For example, if you’re looking to collaborate with influencers for livestream promotions on XiaoHongShu, you can access specific data, such as their livestream conversion rate, to make informed decisions.
Throughout your collaboration campaign with an influencer, Dandelion also provides real-time updates on the campaign’s performance, helping you track progress toward your goals.
However, this tool is only available to brands verified as official, professional accounts.
XiaoHongShu charges a 10% commission on the total collaboration cost, deducting 10% from both the influencer and the brand.
How Many of These Tools Are Crucial?
If this is too much for you and you’re confused – don’t worry. You don’t need all of them to do well in XiaoHongShu, as a content creator or brand. As a matter of fact, you only need a couple to yield real, tangible results!
The most important tools you absolutely need would be XiaoHongShu’s official Creator Centre, XiaoHongShu’s Editing Room, and the Dandelion platform. The rest are really just nice-to-haves, and you can honestly find easy alternatives, for example:
- XinHong – for trends, you can check out XiaoHongShu’s own hot ranking.
- LingKe Term Checking Tool – Can spend more time reading XHS’s regulations to check yourself for prohibited terms.
- ShuTiao – You can improve your content’s reach by knowing how the algorithm works & tips to create engaging content and increase views.
Do You Need Help With Any of These Tools?
Although many of these tools are free to use, some of the more advanced tools might be confusing to many foreign brands and creators. Especially when it comes to payment, as you’ll need to fulfil all requirements and even a Chinese payment method in order to subscribe!
Why not let us help and make things simple for you? Click the button below for a free consultation, no strings attached!
