The US is preparing to ban TikTok by 19 January due to national security concerns and its users are flocking to Chinese app Xiaohongshu, often known as RedNote.
RedNote is a lifestyle video app that launched in 2013. A mix of TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest, it consists of videos, text posts, photos and has an e-commerce section. The platform swiftly took the number one spot in the US app store and is also the top social networking app in the UK at the time of publication. On TikTok, #RedNote has been tagged in more than 75,000 posts
An easy solution for self-declared “TikTok refugees” would have been focusing on Instagram but it’s clear people don’t want to support Meta platforms following CEO Mark Zuckerberg ending third-party fact-checking and his comments about masculinity. Of course, there are platforms such as YouTube Shorts and Snapchat, but for now, RedNote seems to be the new go-to.
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People could be moving to RedNote out of defiance and it’s likely that, long-term, popular creators will focus on growing through Instagram where their audiences will naturally follow along. Case in point: People have pivoted away from X (formerly Twitter) to Threads and Bluesky, but these platforms haven’t found the same success or built the same tight-knit communities.
What other apps are US consumers pivoting to? Lemon8 (which, like TikTok, is owned by China-based company ByteDance) and Neptune, which is currently in beta. Still, RedNote remains the top choice.
@alyshaa.gilbert Give me your data😭😭😭 Guys I just joined the app rednote (Xiaohongshu) and its sooo funny stop I LOVE IT THERE #rednote #littleredbook #xiaohongshuapp #xiaohongshu
However, it’s not just about America – people globally are creating accounts to join the action. UK TikToker Ikram Abdi joined the app to ensure she doesn’t miss out on American content while Dutch creator Alysha Gilbert has also created an account and shared her experience on RedNote.
Brands should monitor where US users go and keep these platforms in mind for future influencer and social media campaigns. The fate of TikTok in the US is yet to be decided, but now is the time to rethink your social strategy.
By Caroline Edwards, news and features writer for CORQ. Picture credit from left to right: @eres_rara, @ikramabdiomar and @milesabovetech via TikTok.
US TikTok ban: Users flock to RedNote as UK creators say goodbye to the platform that made their careers