The Ultimate Xiaohongshu "Seeding" Guide: How to Get Chinese Consumers to Love Your Brand

Posted on October 28, 2025 | By AdXingmei Insights Team

Here’s a secret about Chinese consumers: They don’t buy products—they buy trust.

And in China, the most powerful way to build that trust is through a strategy called "seeding" (种草, zhǒngcǎo)—literally, "planting grass" in users’ minds. It’s how brands turn strangers into loyal customers on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book/RED).

Seeding isn’t advertising. It’s getting real users to say, "I tried this, and it’s worth your money." And on Xiaohongshu, that’s pure gold.

If you’re a global brand struggling to break into China, this guide will show you how to master seeding on RED—the right way.

What is "Seeding" on Xiaohongshu?

Seeding is the art of getting real users (not just influencers) to create honest, detailed content about your brand. These users—called KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers)—are everyday people with 1,000–100,000 followers who’ve built trust in a niche (e.g., "organic skincare" or "luxury travel").

Why does this work? Chinese consumers are 3x more likely to trust a KOC review than a brand’s official ad. On Xiaohongshu, where 82% of users research products before buying, seeding is the shortcut to credibility.

3 Steps to a Winning Xiaohongshu Seeding Campaign

1. Choose the Right KOCs (Not Just "Big Followers")

It’s tempting to pick KOCs with the most followers—but that’s a mistake. On RED, engagement > follower count.

• Look for KOCs with high interaction rates (comments like "Did you buy this?" or "I need this link!"—not just likes).
• Check if their niche matches your brand (e.g., a "sustainable travel" KOC for an eco-resort, not a "fast fashion" KOC).
• Aim for a mix: 70% micro-KOCs (1k–10k followers) for authenticity, 30% mid-KOCs (10k–50k) for reach.

2. Create "Useful, Not Salesy" Content Briefs

Chinese users spot "paid ads" instantly—and they hate them. Your KOCs’ content must feel like a genuine recommendation.

Good brief example: "Share how our sunscreen worked during your beach trip—what did you love? What could be better?"

Bad brief example: "Tell everyone our sunscreen is the best on the market."

Focus on specific scenarios (e.g., "using this coffee machine in a small apartment")—details make content feel real.

3. Amplify with Paid Ads (At the Right Time)

Great seeding content won’t reach its full potential without a little push. Wait 1–2 weeks after your KOCs post, then use Xiaohongshu’s paid tools:

• Search ads: Target users searching for keywords like "best sunscreen for sensitive skin."
• Feed ads: Promote your top-performing KOC posts to users with similar interests.

This "organic + paid" combo can boost content reach by 300%.

Common Seeding Mistakes to Avoid

• Forcing positive reviews: If a KOC dislikes something, let them say it. Honesty builds trust—censorship destroys it.
• Ignoring hashtags: Every post needs niche hashtags (e.g., #OrganicSkincareTips, #TravelWithKids) to get found in searches.
• Not tracking results: Use Xiaohongshu’s backend to measure "search volume for your brand" and "click-throughs to your store"—not just likes.