How Chinese Beauty Consumers search Brands information in 2024?

Little Red Book, Douyin, Tmall reviews, KOL , Baidu, Q&A like Zhihu

In 2024, Chinese beauty consumers use a variety of methods to search for brand information, utilizing several platforms and technologies. Here’s an overview of the key strategies they employ:

1. Social Media Platforms like Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu), Douyin (TikTok), WeChat, or Bilibili are crucial for brand discovery and product information. Little Red Book, in particular, serves as both a social media platform and a search engine, offering a blend of user-generated content, influencer reviews, and e-commerce functionality​​​​.
2. E-commerce Platforms: Tmall, JD , Douyin, they will check Pages info and Comments , specially testimonials Consumers often read reviews and compare products on these e-commerce sites before making a decision​​.
3. Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) Influencer marketing remains significant, with consumers often turning to KOLs. For authentic reviews and product demonstrations, it is called in China, KOC or key opinion consumers (small influencers that make tes reviews for money) . This approach helps in building trust and influencing purchase decisions​​​​.
4. Detailed and Informative Content: Chinese consumers are known for their desire to deeply understand products, especially their ingredients and benefits in 2024. They prefer detailed content that provides comprehensive information about the products, including scientific data and clinical trials where applicable​​.
5. Search Engines Like Baidu: For more extensive research, consumers also use search engines like Baidu. They look for product reviews, company information, and other details to inform their buying choices.
6. Online Communities and Forums: Chinese consumers also participate in online communities and forums to discuss and share their experiences with beauty products like Zhihu. These platforms offer peer-to-peer recommendations and are valuable for gaining unbiased opinions.

Little Red Book, favorite Social media of Girls in China

In 2024, Chinese female consumers use Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book or RED) to search for brand information in a variety of ways that are tailored to the platform’s unique characteristics as a social commerce site. Key aspects of their search behavior include:

1. Lifestyle Content: Xiaohongshu is popular among young and trend-savvy individuals interested in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle products. This makes the platform particularly suitable for foreign brands aiming to enter the Chinese market, as it offers targeted advertising, official brand account options with mini-program stores, and comprehensive data tracking analytics.
2. Authentic Content: Users on Xiaohongshu seek content that resonates with them and offers value. Brands successful on this platform create compelling content that tells their brand’s story and establishes a personal connection with Chinese consumers. Authenticity is key, and content that is overly promotional is less effective compared to informative or entertaining content.
3. Brand Storytelling: Effective storytelling is crucial for building a brand presence on Xiaohongshu. Brands use this strategy to showcase their values, history, and unique selling points in an engaging and authentic manner.
4. RED Search Engine: To maximize content visibility and reach on Xiaohongshu, it’s important to optimize for the platform’s search engine. This includes using relevant keywords in captions, titles, and hashtags of your brand , and actively engaging with users to increase interactions with posts.
5. Trends: Users on Xiaohongshu are highly brand-sensitive and often search for top international and premium brands, as well as niche and emerging brands. There is a strong interest in discovering new trends and products that align with consumers’ lifestyles and needs.

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87% of beauty Users in China use Little Red book primary source for discovering new brands

On Baidu, People search Answer to their questions

 

Analysis of Baidu keywords searches showed that over 70% of online searches in China are non-brand terms.

Consuming habits shifting

The emergence of the middle-class

 

As the Chinese market is evolving with the emergence of the middle-class, the growth of ecommerce especially thanks to WeChat, Weibo, Taobao, Tmall and Tmall Global, JD.com, the Chinese consumers purchasing habits are shifting. The newest generations are getting more and more internet savvier than their elders, and they have the tendency to favor online purchases than the traditional mortar-and-bricks stores. The user-friendliness of WeChat, Alipay and online retail platforms such as Alibaba’s and JD.com is a major factor of such a change. With over 700 million Chinese internet (and mobile) users, the online platforms are reshaping the Chinese market.

Foreign influence

The growing influence of western and foreign fashion and beauty, especially from Europe, the US and South-Korea is prompting new demands from the Chinese consumers that are now paying more attention to their looks than they used to. The influence of K-pop and Korean drama in line with the brand promotion from Korean beauty industry is redefining the Chinese consumers interests for fashion and beauty. This ascending trend has been monitored on the Chinese number one internet browser Baidu (Chinese equivalent of Google). Keywords searches analysis found out that over 70% of Chinese consumers search non brand keywords on the internet (mobile & desktop). 58% of these non-brand related searches are about non-product searches and guides.

Top cosmetic related online searches

• Nail and eyebrow tutorials.
• Many users seemed not to be able to figure out the difference between BB cream, foundation, primer and cushion compacts.
• Chinese consumers are looking for convenience so products are becoming more and more diversified.
• Fashion & beauty are becoming even more important nowadays, especially the looks.
• Drama (like Korean dramas) and celebrities are leading the new fashion.

50% of the searches are for cosmetic tutorials ! 

 

The analysis further proved that about 50% of the searches are for cosmetic tutorials and methods, regardless of whether they come from smartphones or desktop computers. These Baidu based analysis of the keywords searches carried out by the Chinese consumers are indicating a significant consumption shift, focused towards non-brand terms, make-up and beauty tutorials rather than branded cosmetics and make-up products. The Chinese consumers seem to be on the verge of getting more and more cosmetic and make-up savvier than in the past, which is more likely to reshape their purchasing habits, looking for more convenient cosmetic and beauty products.

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