Last Updated on December 20, 2024 
Jeffrey Hau
What is XiaoHongShu/Little Red Book?
XiaoHongShu (Little Red Book) is a Chinese social commerce platform blending social media with e-commerce.
Launched in 2013, it initially focused on shopping recommendations for foreign brands, but has since evolved into a ‘lifestyle guide’ with the slogan ‘Find the life you desire.’ The platform is popular among urban Chinese women, particularly Millennials and Gen-Z.
XiaoHongShu is known for its user-generated content, called ‘Notes,’ which cover topics like beauty, fashion, and wellness, creating diverse communities for its users.
Beyond just being a social media platform, it has redefined online shopping by encouraging users to research products through peer reviews before making purchases.
The platform encourages its users to exchange product recommendations and experiences, acting as a referencing platform for users with certain product queries. Users can even buy products directly from the platform.
What is Pinterest?
Launched in 2010, Pinterest is an American social media platform focused on inspiration rather than community-building. Unlike other platforms, Pinterest acts more like a visual search engine, where users seek self-inspiration rather than social interaction. Users share aesthetic content—images or videos—and others access this for ideas.
Content on Pinterest, called ‘Pins,’ is saved by users to personal ‘boards’ for future reference, often centered around design, home decor, and personal style. While XiaoHongShu has evolved into a social commerce platform, Pinterest remains true to its original purpose as a visual search engine and self-help tool for inspiration.
Difference Between XiaoHongShu & Pinterest
User Demographics
XiaoHongShu and Pinterest have distinct user demographics due to their platform nature. With 300 million active monthly users, XiaoHongShu’s audience is primarily young Chinese females, particularly high-income, urban white-collar workers.
The platform, mostly in Mandarin, caters to Chinese-speaking users and focuses on commercial topics like trending beauty and fashion products. XiaoHongShu users are sophisticated, and trend-conscious, and often use the platform to research and purchase new products directly. For example, an office worker might search for recommended cafes to visit.
Pinterest, with 522 million active monthly users, has a broader, more diverse audience, mainly in Western countries like the U.S. and Europe. The platform’s largest growing demographic is Gen-Z females, who make up 40% of its users.
Pinterest’s audience is less defined by economic status or geography, attracting creative professionals and individuals with specific hobbies or interests. Users typically search for visually inspiring content, like home decor ideas for new homeowners.
While XiaoHongShu users are more passive, following recommendations from others, Pinterest users are proactive in seeking content that aligns with their personal vision and interests.
Type of Content
XiaoHongShu’s content is closely tied to e-commerce, with the primary goal of influencing purchases. User-generated content, or ‘Notes,’ often includes personal experiences designed to drive product sales.
These Notes come in different formats—images, videos, text, and livestreams—all designed to capture attention and provide detailed product information. Posts with clear descriptions and visuals are more compelling and engaging for users.
On the other hand, Pinterest focuses more on inspiring ideas rather than directly recommending products. Content on Pinterest is typically more open-ended, offering visual inspiration without much context.
Pinterest ‘Pins’ consist primarily of images or short videos, with minimal text and the title is optional. Users can click external links attached to the Pins for more details if desired.
For example, when searching for home decor, a XiaoHongShu user might see posts recommending specific furniture brands, while a Pinterest user would only find sample room images for inspiration.
Content on XiaoHongShu is remarkably similar to ByteDance’s Lemon8, which is generally seen as XiaoHongShu’s overseas competitors.
E-Commerce Features & Capabilities
XiaoHongShu offers a fully integrated e-commerce experience, evolving from a shopping research platform to a one-stop shop for online shopping. Users can browse, research, order, and pay all within the platform.
XiaoHongShu’s algorithm suggests products based on user engagement, allowing them to research reviews and complete purchases without leaving the site, creating a seamless shopping journey.
From browsing and researching to ordering and paying, everything can be done on XiaoHongShu. Its algorithm suggests products based on your interests and interactions, while you can also search for product reviews to help with your decision-making.
Once you’re ready, you can complete your purchase and payment within XiaoHongShu. This creates a smooth, all-in-one shopping experience for users.
Pinterest on the other hand, its e-commerce elements are quite subtle when compared to XiaoHongShu. While XiaoHongShu allows brands to directly set up shops on the platform, Pinterest pretty much only provides advertising services to brands.
When a brand pays to advertise on Pinterest, its sponsored pin will be featured on more users’ homepages. This can introduce products to a large audience in a short time, but it may be less effective without the precise targeting provided by XiaoHongShu’s algorithm.
When users click on these sponsored pins, they will be directed to the brand’s own site through the affiliate link in the pin. Pinterest in this case only acts as a gateway to raise brand awareness, but the platform does not directly support online shopping.
The comparison between Pinterest’s external shopping links and XiaoHongShu’s own e-commerce platform, XiaoHongShu Shop.
Influencer Culture
XiaoHongShu’s role as a ‘lifestyle guide’ has made it the top platform for young users seeking authentic product reviews before making purchases. This has fueled the rise of influencers, including Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and Key Opinion Consumers (KOCs), who share expert advice or personal experiences.
KOLs can give product recommendations due to their expertise in certain topics of interest; while KOCs are influencers who try out products themselves to provide first-hand experience and honest reviews to followers.
These influencers have built loyal communities that trust their product recommendations, making them a powerful marketing tool for brands looking to boost visibility and engagement.
In contrast, Pinterest influencers have a more limited reach. While XiaoHongShu influencers focus on both content creation and community building, Pinterest influencers mainly curate content to enhance the platform’s overall environment.
User Engagement
XiaoHongShu encourages active interaction and community building through features like commenting, liking, and bookmarking posts. Users can spark discussions, ask content creators questions, and even message privately or create group chats, making engagement more dynamic.
In contrast, Pinterest is more passive and focused on personal inspiration. Its social features are limited to liking, saving Pins to boards, and commenting or sharing, but there’s little interaction between users. As a result, Pinterest feels more like a search engine than a true social platform.
Content Authenticity & Quality
XiaoHongShu has strict rules to ensure content quality and authenticity. The algorithm carefully evaluates every note before promoting it to other users. New users will typically go through this phase, which we call the ‘sandbox’.
The platform’s algorithm carefully checks each post, limiting visibility for content that seems too commercial or inauthentic. Accounts that repeatedly post content like these can even be banned. This system helps build trust by prioritizing genuine reviews and experiences.
Content is evaluated based on visual appeal rather than authenticity. As a result, posts tend to be more polished and brand-curated. If content looks attractive enough, it will be promoted, even if its authenticity is unclear, since Pinterest users are more focused on inspiration than product recommendations.
Is XiaoHongShu Similar to Pinterest?
XiaoHongShu and Pinterest share several similarities, with some even viewing them as counterparts.
For example, both rely heavily on user-generated content—XiaoHongShu users post real product reviews and experiences, while Pinterest users share ideas and tips to inspire others.
Unlike other social media platforms that focus on daily life, both are more niche and interest-based, allowing users to connect over shared passions and hobbies.
Both platforms also feature visual content designed to grab attention. XiaoHongShu uses appealing images and videos with detailed product descriptions to drive purchases, while Pinterest showcases aesthetically pleasing images for inspiration. Despite this, XiaoHongShu is more commercialized and has the capabilities to help brands grow.
User behavior on both platforms is similar as well. Unlike casual browsing on Instagram or TikTok, users come to XiaoHongShu and Pinterest with specific questions or goals in mind. As a result, search and hashtag functions are key features on both platforms.
Why XiaoHongShu is the Better Platform
So, what makes XiaoHongShu better than Pinterest, especially if you are a business?
Support on the Purchasing Journey
XiaoHongShu supports users at every stage of their purchasing journey. Whether they’re discovering new brands, researching products, or ready to buy, the platform helps your brand reach users at each phase.
Its algorithm can introduce your brand to new users, while the platform’s ‘Notes’ feature lets you share content about your products.
XiaoHongShu’s built-in shop also allows for seamless transactions, and its live-stream feature lets you engage with customers in real-time to promote your products. This streamlined process increases your chances of converting users into paying customers.
Higher ROI on Advertising
XiaoHongShu’s user base primarily consists of high-income individuals who are eager for information on attractive products. These users have greater spending power, making them highly valuable customers for your brand.
Advertising on XiaoHongShu, allows you to target this audience directly. If your products match their interests, you can see significant returns on your advertising investment. However, it’s important to take note that XiaoHongShu mainly caters to a Chinese-speaking audience!
Potential of Influencers
We’ve also mentioned that XiaoHongShu has a well-established influencer culture (KOL/KOC), with users trusting influencers’ authentic reviews and recommendations. Partnering with these influencers has the potential to boost your brand’s visibility and credibility.
Since the platform encourages strong connections between influencers and their followers, it acts as an effective connection between your brand and potential customers. Collaborating with influencers on XiaoHongShu is a powerful way to engage users and drive sales!
Interested in XiaoHongShu Marketing?
At PRIZM, we’re here to support you every step of the way. With our solid experience in the Chinese market, we’re well-equipped to help with all your XiaoHongShu marketing needs.
Whether it’s account management, content creation, or campaign activation, we can help your brand make an impact on the platform.
Ready to get started on XiaoHongShu? Click the button below to reach out to us for a consultation—we’d love to help!
