What you will gain from this article:
- How to acquire customers on Xiaohongshu with low follower counts
- The most accurate posting times
- Rules you need to follow
- How to drive traffic to private domains
- How to use shopping cart features even with few followers
Hi friends, I am Serena Papaya.
Those who know me are aware that on September 19th, Gloria and I held our first offline event, an AI sharing session. During the promotion phase, the majority of our attendees came from Xiaohongshu!!! The event was so full that many people wanted to sign up but couldn't get in.
The main user base on Xiaohongshu consists of college students and office workers. A portion of them have spending power and are willing to pay for events that offer knowledge or networking opportunities.
This is a complete summary of our practical experience and results! Pure value! (I hope this is exclusive content!!!!
1. Failed Attempts
On Thursday, September 10th at noon, I posted my first note about the sharing session. Because I didn't fully understand the rules initially, I included the price and QR code, which resulted in zero traffic immediately after posting. Based on my past experience with Xiaohongshu, if a post gets likes right away, it enters the initial traffic pool, and views grow slowly thereafter.
I got anxious and thought about buying exposure. So I spent 50 RMB on promoted exposure, targeting people aged 20-30 in Shanghai.
As of today, the data shows very poor results, with only 176 views. Despite paying for exposure, there was almost no conversion. This attempt at "Shutiao" (promoted posts) was a failure.
2. Offline Consultation
I knew there were many similar communities in Shanghai hosting paid events, some priced around 199 RMB or higher, connecting more people.
I wondered how they acquired customers. So I attended a small bar exchange, essentially a networking event for AI-related activities.
At the event, I met two people dedicated to customer acquisition on Xiaohongshu:
• One person specialized in Xiaohongshu customer acquisition.
• Another person focused on acquiring customers for AI events on Xiaohongshu, with prices ranging from 199 to 299 RMB per session, targeting those with AI anxiety by offering workshop opportunities.
We discussed my event, and I received valuable feedback:
- Event Format: They found my event novel because few bloggers organize such collaborative offline events.
- Note Content: They reviewed my Xiaohongshu page and advised against placing QR codes or direct prices. Prices should be communicated in the private domain.
- Posting Strategy: The timing of your posts is crucial.
- Matrix Strategy: Their follower counts weren't huge, but by using matrix accounts, they ensured that anyone searching for AI events would see their promotions.
After talking to them, everything clicked, and I immediately implemented these strategies.
3. Practice Makes Perfect
1. Posting Time Nodes
Think about when office workers check their phones: morning, noon, and evening. However, each day of the week varies.
1️⃣ Monday Morning: High traffic. People haven't fully recovered from Sunday and check phones during their commute.
I posted a note on Monday, September 14th, in the morning. It received organic traffic, comments, likes, and saves (6 comments). At this point, inquiries started coming in.
3️⃣ Wednesday Noon: By mid-week, people tend to scroll phones intensively.
If you miss this window, post in the evening instead.
4️⃣ Thursday & Friday: People are often tired. Friday evenings might involve going out. My Thursday post had poor traffic.
5️⃣ Saturday Noon: Highest Traffic!!!!
Views and comments rose significantly. Inquiries converted highly into private domain traffic.
Remember this key time: Saturday noon has massive traffic. People search for useful things or events to attend.
2. Content to Post
Put key information upfront.
Follow these rules:
1. Do not show commercial or big company logos (avoid WorkBuddy, Doubao, etc.)
2. No QR codes, no prices.
3. Include time and location.
4. Most importantly, use tags related to Shanghai.
Examples: Shanghai AI Salon, Shanghai Events, Shanghai AI Offline Sharing, Shanghai AI Startup.
5. Set your location near the venue. Local users searching nearby convert efficiently!
6. In comments, invite DMs and @ your sub-account as an assistant.
3. Driving Traffic to Private Domain
Use sub-accounts for private domain traffic to protect your main account.
When sharing WeChat IDs, obscure them slightly:
• Others' method: Use mahjong symbols to represent phone numbers.
• My method: Simple image with WeChat ID.
4. Matrix Strategy
What is the matrix strategy?
It involves posting identical content across multiple accounts so that when users search on Xiaohongshu, all results are your event promotions. This increases visibility and click-through rates.
I used my two accounts, my husband's one account, and Gloria's two accounts.
Total of 5 accounts. Different posters, similar titles like "Sept 19 Shanghai AI Offline Sharing," posted simultaneously.
Result: When users searched "Shanghai AI Offline Events" during specific times, almost all results were ours.
5. Personal Sales Feature: Low Followers Can Still Use Shopping Cart!
Many don't know that Xiaohongshu allows the Personal Sales feature even with just 100 followers.
I used it when I had ~100 followers. Though traffic was low, I made several sales. Many small creators sell IELTS writing tips, paper skills, etc., via this feature.
For my event (69.9 RMB/person), I sold two tickets via this feature before refunding due to capacity limits. You can use this for events, tickets, skills, or tools. Even with few followers, it's an opportunity because Xiaohongshu search traffic is high.
Find "Personal Sales" on your profile and set it up.
Attach sales items to notes so users can order directly.
Final Thoughts
Before organizing the event, I was unsure about the process. But understanding these mechanics helped us fill the event. Hope this guide helps you too!
