Boost Your Brand on Xiaohongshu (RedNote): The Power of Vertical Content for International brands.
- Xinyi Hu
- Sep 1, 2025
- 3 min read
For many international brands, Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote) can feel like a paradox: simple on the surface, but highly complex once you dig deeper. At first glance, the platform looks familiar because its interface and user interactions resemble Instagram, a platform most brands already know how to manage. Yet beneath this similarity lies a very different algorithmic logic.
One of the most powerful and often misunderstood mechanisms on Xiaohongshu is vertical content. Brands that understand and apply this principle can gain significantly more visibility, traffic, and engagement.
What is Vertical Content on Xiaohongshu?
Vertical content refers to creating consistent, high-quality, and highly focused content within a specific niche or theme. In practice, this means producing Red posts that target a particular interest group, with professional depth and a unified style.
Take a coffee brand as an example. If your account is built around coffee, your posts should consistently revolve around this theme, such as coffee shop reviews, bean roasting methods, or pour-over brewing techniques. It is not enough to occasionally mention coffee. True vertical content delivers valuable insights, demonstrates expertise, and maintains consistent visuals and tone.
How Xiaohongshu’s Algorithm Works?
Xiaohongshu’s algorithm tags each account based on its content themes and user interests. This allows the platform to deliver highly relevant posts to users who are most likely to engage with them. The platform’s slogan, “Your Lifestyle Community,” reflects this exact principle: matching users with the content they care about.
For creators, this system can feel restrictive since it rewards niche focus over broad lifestyle sharing. For international brands, however, the system works in their favor. Brand storytelling, product education, and industry insights naturally align with the concept of vertical content.
The Advantages of Vertical Content for International Brands
The more vertical content a brand posts, the more likely the algorithm is to tag its account. When a brand consistently publishes vertical content, Xiaohongshu’s algorithm can quickly recognize its positioning and assign clear tags. For instance, a perfume brand that shares posts about fragrance notes, product recommendations, and brand stories will soon be categorized under “#perfume” or “#women’s fragrance.”
The benefits are clear, new posts are more likely to be pushed to users already interested in perfume. When users search for keywords like “perfume,” your brand’s posts have a higher chance of appearing.
Without vertical content, however, the algorithm struggles to understand your account. Posts may be randomly distributed to unrelated audiences, making it harder to reach your genuine customer base and raising marketing acquisition costs.
Building Authority Through Vertical Content
Consistency does more than improve visibility. It also builds authority. When a brand produces professional, in-depth posts that attract strong engagement, such as comments and saves on Xiaohongshu, the algorithm assigns higher weight to the account. Over time, the brand may be recognized as an industry expert within Xiaohongshu’s ecosystem, gaining access to larger traffic pools and stronger organic reach.
Equally important, vertical content strengthens brand trust. Chinese consumers often approach foreign brands with both curiosity and caution. By consistently publishing valuable, expert-level content, your brand positions itself as a reliable authority, rather than just another advertiser. This credibility makes it much easier to attract and convert the right audience.
For international brands, success on Xiaohongshu marketing requires more than simply replicating Instagram strategies. The real key lies in mastering vertical content: delivering specialized, consistent, and valuable posts that align with both the platform’s algorithm and your audience’s interests.
By committing to this approach, your brand can increase visibility, establish authority, and ultimately convert followers into loyal customers.
Key Takeaways:
Xiaohongshu looks like Instagram but works differently. Its algorithm relies on tagging accounts by niche, not broad lifestyle content.
Vertical content is essential. Focused, consistent, and professional posts in one niche earn more visibility and trust.
Brands benefit more than individual users. A clear content niche naturally aligns with brand identity and product categories.
The algorithm rewards specialization. Accounts with strong vertical content are more likely to appear in searches and get recommended to the right audience. Consistency builds authority. Regular, high-quality posts increase algorithm weight, leading to stronger reach and credibility.
Vertical content builds trust with Chinese consumers. Expert-level insights help position brands as reliable authorities, not just advertisers.
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