How Xiaohongshu Algorithm Works in 2023
How does the Xiaohongshu algorithm actually work?
It’s a common question for brands trying to promote their products and individuals looking to grow on Xiaohongshu.
Today, I’ll break down the Xiaohongshu algorithm for the Explore Feed, and share some practical tips to “crack” the algorithm, so you can boost engagement for your business or brand.
Understanding Xiaohongshu
As of November 2023, Xiaohongshu boasts 260 million monthly active users.
Xiaohongshu primarily attracts users from top-tier cities.
They are predominantly urban white-collar professionals and elites, who are wealthy and enjoy a high-quality lifestyle.
This demographic represents middle to high-end users, which is valuable for international brands because they can sell high-ticket offers.
In the face of this golden opportunity, many people might find themselves perplexed about how to tap into this user base.
Just like any other social media platform, content lies at the heart of Xiaohongshu.
As a result, content-driven traffic is crucial for achieving success.
And the algorithm plays a vital role in delivering your content to your potential customers.
What Is the Xiaohongshu Algorithm?
The Xiaohongshu algorithm serves as a recommendation system responsible for curating your uniquely personalized “For You” page.
Firstly, it’s important to understand that Xiaohongshu consists of four main feeds:
1. Search Results Feed:
This is the feed you see when conducting a search on Xiaohongshu.
2. Explore Feed:
It’s the main page when you open the Xiaohongshu app.
3. Follow Feed:
You can access posts from users you follow from this page, which is located on the left of the Explore Feed.
4. Nearby Feed:
This feed provides you access to content from users in your vicinity and is located on the right of the Explore Feed.
Today, our primary focus will be on the Explore page.
In summary, Xiaohongshu’s algorithms have one main objective: to deliver high-quality posts to your Explore feed that match your interests.
The process of a post from creation to delivery to users
Before diving into algorithms, it’s crucial to understand the entire process a post goes through from the moment it’s created to when potential customers finally see it.
During this process, algorithms play specific roles at different stages. This graphic forms the foundation for much of what we’ll discuss today.
1. Post Creation
2. Platform Review:
Xiaohongshu checking for compliance with platform rules
3. Subject Matter Analysis:
Xiaohongshu analyzes keywords in the title, images, captions, and hashtags to understand the post’s context and essence.
4. Initial Traffic Distribution:
Xiaohongshu shows it to a small group of users to collect initial reactions.
5. Engagement Analysis:
Xiaohongshu monitors the engagement rate as users interact with your content.
6. Wider Distribution:
Content that performs well in the initial exposure phase are then shown to a broader audience.
7. Feedback Loop:
This process continuously adjusts the distribution based on the latest engagement analysis.
8. End of Recommendations:
In general, content in Xiaohongshu’s explore feed naturally stops being recommended within 14 days.
First, Subject Matter Analysis (Collect Content information )
Just like other social media apps, when you use Xiaohongshu, it learns about your preferences and interests.
So, when someone creates a new post, Xiaohongshu also figures out what it’s about and connects it with people who might like it.
It does this by looking at:
- Keywords in the title, images, captions, and hashtags to comprehend the essence of the content and grasp the post’s context.
Second, Initial Exposure
After understanding your post, Xiaohongshu initially displays it to a small group of users to see how they react.
This is what sets Xiaohongshu apart.
Like, even if you’re a new account with no followers, your post still has a chance to become popular because every post stands pretty much at the same starting line.
How does Xiaohongshu decide how many users will see this post?
It’s all about account Strength!
Below are three factors that influence your account strength:
1. Account Status
Is the current account in violation of any rules? Is it under any form of limitation? Is it categorized as a spam account? Is it actively maintained?
Accounts with positive performance receive more traffic, while those with issues receive minimal traffic.
2. Account Performance
Has the account consistently posted content in the relevant niche? What’s the general quality of content in the past? Has it produced viral content before?
3. Topic Competition
How much similar content is out there on the app, and how many users are interested in this topic? If there are too many posts and too few users, then the initial traffic will be lower.
In general, all accounts receive an initial traffic allocation of 50–200, typically within two hours after publication.
Third, Engagement Analysis
Hence, once a post receives its initial traffic allocation, Xiaohongshu’s algorithm assesses the post’s quality based on several aspects:
- Click-through rate
- Engagement rate (including shares, etc.)
- Completion rate or reading rate
- CES: stands for community engagement score, calculated as follows:
Likes * 1 point + Saves * 1 point + Comments * 4 points + Shares * 4 points + Follows * 8 points.
These factors collectively determine the size of the next traffic Distribution of your post.
Fourth, Wider Distribution
Content that perform well in the initial exposure phase is then shown to a broader audience.
The more engagement the content accumulates, the wider its reach becomes.
Now, you might wonder, “How many likes or clicks are enough to reach the next group of people?
Well, there’s no set number because it depends on how your content compares to similar posts.
For instance, if a hundred people post about “Tesla,” your traffic depends on how your post ranks among those 100.
Plus, the size of the next audience you reach isn’t fixed either. Different ranks of posts get into different-sized audiences.
Fifth, Feedback Loop
This cycle of distribution, engagement analysis, and more distribution keeps going.
Similar to the initial exposure phase, if your content continues to perform well, it can reach a wider audience, and this cycle continues until there’s no more audience left interested in that niche topic.
But if your post doesn’t perform as well compared to other posts at different distribution stages, it won’t get recommended anymore.
Of course, there’s a limit to how long your content gets recommended on the Explore page.
Typically, Xiaohongshu’s Explore page traffic recommendations end within 14 days.
So, apart from recommendations, we also have search traffic, which is a long-term source of traffic on Xiaohongshu.
On Xiaohongshu, search traffic is crucial because there is a vast amount of content related to reviews and tips.
Users tend to search for other people’s opinions on a product before making a purchase on Xiaohongshu.
This is why I have been emphasizing the importance of the long-term benefits brought by Xiaohongshu.
As for how to optimize Xiaohongshu SEO, I’ll discuss that in the next blog post, so stay updated.
Bye, I’m Zoe, a Chinese social media manager.
If you’re considering promoting your brand on Xiaohongshu or have any questions about Xiaohongshu in China, feel free to contact me anytime. I’m here to help you navigate this exciting journey!
For more social media marketing tips, follow me on YouTube and Instagram.
- My website: https://www.chinamarketingzl.com/
- Email: zoe@chinamarketingzl.com
- Follow me on Instagram: @chinamarketingzl
- Check out my YouTube HERE for more tips
