What is Rednote?
New TikTok Alternative Explained

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Rednote is China’s leading social media platform, where millions discover real product recommendations, lifestyle inspiration, and a seamless shopping experience. In recent months, it has been growing rapidly worldwide, especially in the United States, where it is seen as a possible alternative to TikTok due to past bans and restrictions.

With growing interest, Rednote has become a trending platform. International brands and companies see it as a promising space for engaging with audiences and increasing sales.

In this guide, you’ll learn what Rednote is, how it compares to TikTok, and how to use it to expand your reach, monetize content, or market your brand.

Rednote is designed as a lifestyle guide and social commerce space. Many users rely on it as a search engine for inspiration and product reviews—checking it before buying a new lipstick or planning a vacation to see real user feedback and recommendations. This focus on practical, community-driven content sets Rednote apart. Unlike traditional social media that centers around friend updates, Rednote curates your feed based on your interests, making it easy to discover valuable recommendations in a visually engaging Pinterest-like format.

Alibaba and Tencent—two of China’s largest internet companies—are shareholders, which underscores Rednote’s strategic importance in the social commerce space. Unlike TikTok’s parent ByteDance, Rednote remains an independent, fast-growing startup, shaping its platform with a strong focus on e-commerce and community-driven recommendations.

As of January 2025, Rednote reportedly surpassed 350 million monthly active users. The vast majority of these users are in China, where Rednote has been a top social app for several years. By comparison, Rednote ranks among China’s most popular social networks, alongside WeChat, Weibo, and Douyin.

The platform’s user base saw a significant boost in late 2024 and early 2025 due to international interest. In just a short period, nearly 700,000 new U.S. users joined as TikTok faced a potential ban. This sudden influx pushed Rednote to #1 on the U.S. App Store download charts, indicating that its appeal can extend beyond its home market.

The platform is female-dominated—surveys indicate that 70% of users are women. This contrasts with some other networks that have a more balanced or male-heavy audience. With a strong female user base, Rednote is a prime space for brands in beauty, fashion, and shopping to connect with engaged consumers who actively seek recommendations before making a purchase.

In terms of age, Rednote is a playground for the young. The majority of Rednote users are digitally savvy Gen Z (18-24) and young Millennials (25-34), making it a prime space for trend-driven engagement. While the platform skews younger, categories like parenting, home decor, and wellness attract an engaged audience in their 30s and 40s. Rednote thrives in major urban hubs like Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou, where trend-conscious consumers drive viral discussions. It’s also expanding among overseas communities, making it a growing opportunity for global brands.

Content Focus

Photos, videos, text, strong e-commerce

Algorithm

E-commerce Integration

Interest-based, not follow-centric

Robust, direct purchases within app

Primarily short-form videos

Follow-based, viral content promotion

Limited, more focused on content creation

• Content Format: While TikTok delivers short-form videos in a vertical swipe format, Rednote offers a more dynamic browsing experience—presenting a mix of videos, photos, and text posts in a grid layout that encourages your exploration. A TikTok user typically swipes video after video, whereas a Rednote user might stop to read a long caption, swipe through an image album, or watch a short clip, all within the same scroll. Rednote’s interface thus feels more like browsing an interactive magazine or a Pinterest board than watching a linear video stream.

• Purpose and Community: TikTok’s primary draw is entertainment and virality—its algorithm excels at surfacing catchy videos to keep users engaged. Rednote isn’t just for entertainment—it’s a powerful recommendation hub where you can discover products, read trusted reviews, and get real advice from like-minded users. In short, TikTok is about quick-hit content and trends, while Rednote fosters peer-to-peer recommendations and niche communities.

• Features and Commerce: TikTok has been adding shopping features (like in-app product links and shops), but Rednote launched with social commerce in its DNA. On Rednote, many posts feature product links or shopping bag icons that lead to items on its marketplace or external e-commerce sites. The platform also has built-in support for livestream commerce, where creators can demo products live and viewers can buy in real time. This makes Rednote particularly appealing for brands and retailers.

In terms of engagement, TikTok currently has higher global usage time and virality, but Rednote boasts high user trust and engagement in its niche. Many Rednote users treat the app as an indispensable part of their daily routine for advice and ideas. As Rednote’s international community grows, it may begin to see more TikTok-like viral moments, but its core identity as a curated, community-driven platform sets it apart.

At the same time, TikTok remains a dominant force in short-form content and advertising.

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Rednote offers valuable opportunities for brands, retailers, and entrepreneurs. To use it effectively as a business, first establish an official presence. You can register an official brand account (which may require verification of your business credentials).

Once set up, you should populate your profile with a clear brand description, a logo or image, and perhaps a link to your website or online store.

Businesses on Rednote typically share content that aligns with the platform’s aesthetic and community focus—instead of overt ads, they post engaging lifestyle content featuring their products. For example, a cosmetics brand might post short tutorial videos using its makeup, or a fashion label might share user-generated photos of customers wearing its latest line.

Explore trending content and dive into specific topics and creators that interest you. Interact with posts by liking, commenting, and saving them to curated collections for easy access later. As you engage, the app’s algorithm will learn your preferences and fine-tune your home feed to better match your interests.

Share your content and become part of the conversation. The more authentic and valuable your posts, the greater the chance they will resonate with Rednote’s community, helping you build meaningful connections and expand your reach.

Making money on Rednote is definitely feasible, especially if you approach it with a strategy. Brand collaborations and product sales offer the easiest entry points, aligning perfectly with Rednote’s shopping-driven ecosystem. As with any platform, growing a sizable and engaged audience is the precursor to significant earnings.

Those who can build trust and authority in a niche—be it clean beauty, tech gadgets, or travel hacks—will find monetization opportunities organically coming their way. Businesses, on the other hand, “make money” on Rednote by leveraging it as a sales and marketing channel—driving product sales, acquiring new customers, and increasing brand recognition among the app’s users.

Rednote offers two primary paid advertising formats that integrate with the user experience: In-Feed Ads and Search Ads.

In-Feed Ads: These native ads seamlessly integrate into users’ feeds, appearing like regular Rednote posts. They can feature a single image, a carousel of images, or a short video with a caption and a call-to-action (e.g., “Shop Now” or “Learn More”). For example, a fashion brand might run an in-feed ad showcasing a new collection, leading users directly to its Rednote store or product page. Since these ads blend naturally with user-generated content, they tend to perform well—especially when they are visually appealing, engaging, and relevant to users’ interests. Advertisers can refine targeting based on demographics, browsing behavior, and engagement with specific categories like beauty, fashion, or travel.

Search Ads: Users actively search Rednote for lifestyle and product recommendations, looking up topics like “best moisturizers for winter” or "Thailand travel guide.” Advertisers can bid on keywords to ensure their content appears at the top of search results, increasing visibility. A skincare brand, for example, might bid on “moisturizer” so that its ad is seen before organic posts, directly reaching users with high purchase intent. These ads often appear as promoted posts or videos that naturally introduce a product within useful content. By providing informative and engaging ad placements, brands can capture interested users at the moment they are searching for solutions.

Beyond these, Rednote sometimes offers special banners or pop-up ads for big campaigns, though these are less common and typically used for major promotions or by well-known brands due to their intrusive nature.

Advertising on Rednote, especially for brands operating in China, must adhere to Chinese advertising laws and the platform’s own rules. Some key points to be mindful of:

1. Compliance with Regulations: Rednote advertising must follow local laws and platform rules. Ads should avoid politically sensitive topics, explicit content, or anything violating public morality. International brands should tailor campaigns accordingly, steering clear of restricted topics like cryptocurrency or foreign political discussions.
2. Truth in Advertising: Chinese advertising regulations emphasize authenticity, requiring truthful ads, especially in health, food, and cosmetics. Rednote encourages clear, honest language, avoiding terms like "the best," "the most," "luxury," or "upscale" to maintain credibility. Users value genuine recommendations and practical advice over promotional claims.
3. Sponsored Content Disclosure: Influencers and brands must disclose paid partnerships using tags like “广告” (advertisement) or #ad. Proper disclosure ensures higher post visibility and trust within the community.
4. Ad Approval Process: Official ads undergo a review to ensure compliance with platform and legal standards. This includes verifying ad copy, landing pages, and ensuring content does not contain restricted phrases. Approval may take time, requiring patience and potential adjustments.
5. Global Advertising Considerations: As Rednote expands beyond China, international advertisers should balance cultural sensitivities. While lifestyle content like fashion, beauty, and travel is generally safe, brands should ensure messaging is universally appropriate and apolitical.

Some brands have already cracked the code for Rednote advertising, running highly successful campaigns. A standout example is Florasis, a Chinese cosmetics brand known for its traditional aesthetic. Their strategy involved beautifully-crafted content produced in partnership with popular beauty influencers.

Another example is the success of many luxury and fashion brands on Rednote. Brands like Lancome and Gucci have run campaigns where they encourage users to create content (outfit posts, unboxing videos) with their products, essentially blending user-generated content with advertising. These brands often use Rednote’s influencer partnerships as part of advertising—by sponsoring posts from influential users.

Following these steps will set up your Rednote account. Remember to abide by community guidelines when choosing a username and posting content.