RedNote: China's Now Invaded Application By TikTok Users
JAKARTA China's social media app, RedNote, has been in the spotlight after more than half a million TikTok users recently joined the platform. This move is a form of protest against the possibility of a closer ban on TikTok in the United States.
Known in China under the name "Xiaohongshu," this platform is a popular lifestyle application where users document their lives and share recommendations.
RedNote is often seen as a local adaptation of Instagram in China. His Chinese name, Xiaohongshu, means "Mid Little Book," refers to a collection of quotes from Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong.
The app is now the main search engine in China for recommendations. The most popular topics include beauty, fashion, travel, and culinary. Most of the users in China are young women.
The RedNote interface is different from TikTok or Instagram. This application displays many uploads at once, either in the form of videos, photos, or long text. Users can discuss, share uploads, make calls, and buy products. RedNote is also focusing on developing sales features through live broadcasts.
According to Chinese media reports, by 2023, the app will have more than 300 million monthly active users.
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RedNote Owner
The app was founded in 2013 in Shanghai by Miranda Qu, who now serves as president, and Charlwin Mao, who serves as CEO. Initially, the app was named "Hong Kong Shopping Guide" and was intended for Chinese tourists seeking recommendations outside mainland China.
RedNote is considered a potential candidate to take the floor on the stock exchange (IPO). Its shareholders include Chinese tech giants such as Alibaba and Tencent, Singaporean state investor Temasek, as well as venture capital firm GSR Ventures, DST Global, and GGV Capital.
According to the list of Hurun rich people in China, Mao has personal assets of around 18 billion yuan (Rp39.3 trillion), while Qu has a wealth of 12 billion yuan (Rp26.2 trillion).
This application is mainly used by Chinese people. Although users can change the language of the application, most of the content now speaks Mandarin.
The surge in TikTok users seems to surprise RedNote. Two sources familiar with the matter said the company was trying hard to find ways to moderate English content and develop English-Mandarian translation tools.
RedNote only has one version of the application for the domestic and international market. This is different from Tencent which runs domestic and international versions of the WeChat application, as well as ByteDance which has a domestic version of TikTok called Douyin to comply with Chinese government moderation rules.
According to the source, the company sees this sudden concern as a great opportunity to achieve global popularity like TikTok. However, until now RedNote has not made official comments.