How to Collaborate with Influencers on Xiaohongshu: A Complete Guide to Pugongying

In today’s Chinese digital marketing landscape, Xiaohongshu (RedNote) has evolved from a niche lifestyle-sharing community into one of the most powerful social commerce platforms in China. Unlike entertainment-driven platforms, Xiaohongshu users visit with clear intent: they come to discover products, read reviews, and make purchase decisions.

For global brands entering the Chinese market, influencer marketing on Xiaohongshu has become one of the most effective ways to build trust, increase brand awareness, and drive sales. At the center of this ecosystem lies Pugongying (蒲公英) — Xiaohongshu’s official influencer collaboration platform.

This guide explains how Xiaohongshu influencer marketing works, what Pugongying is, and how overseas brands can collaborate effectively.

Why Influencer Marketing Matters on Xiaohongshu

Influencer marketing (达人营销) on Xiaohongshu is not just about exposure. It directly shapes consumer trust and purchasing decisions. Influencers play three critical roles in the Xiaohongshu ecosystem:

1. High-Quality Content Creation

Influencers act as product interpreters. They translate brand messaging into native community language, refine product highlights, and present features through relatable storytelling. In many cases, influencers help brands identify new product angles or even uncover unmet consumer needs.

2. Trust-Based Influence

Unlike traditional advertising, Xiaohongshu is built on authentic recommendations. Influencers maintain emotional connections with their followers. This trust layer significantly increases conversion probability and brand credibility.

3. Cross-Audience Expansion

Influencers bring built-in audiences. By collaborating with creators across different verticals (beauty, fashion, 3C electronics, parenting, etc.), brands can break out of their existing customer base and expand into new demographics.

H3 4. Accumulate Branding Assets

By default, brands receive usage rights for content published through the Pugongying platform (subject to agreement terms), which means influencer-created posts can be repurposed for paid media campaigns, social ads, landing pages on Xiaohongshu

However, efficient and compliant collaboration requires using Xiaohongshu’s official system — Pugongying.

What Is Pugongying?

Pugongying (蒲公英) is Xiaohongshu’s official one-stop influencer marketing and brand collaboration platform. It serves as the centralized infrastructure that connects brands with verified creators (KOLs and KOCs) within the Xiaohongshu ecosystem, making influencer marketing in China more structured, transparent, and scalable.

Before Pugongying, brand-influencer partnerships often relied on offline contacts or third-party agencies, leading to:

● Opaque pricing

● Unverifiable data

● Compliance risks

● Limited performance tracking

Collaboration with influencer on Xiaohongshu without going through Pugongying is strictly prohibited by Xiaohongshu, to protect both brands and influencers.

How to get access to Pugongying?

Pugongying is an enterpise user tool that only verified business user can access. To become a verified business user or get the blue v (蓝v认证), you will need to follow the steps below or see our dedicated tutorial on how to register an Blue V account on Xiaohongshu:

Step 1: Prepare Required Documents

Brands need to submit basic company verification materials, including:

● Overseas business license (with certified Chinese or English translation)

● Trademark certificate (if available)

● Legal representative’s passport or ID

● Official verification letter downloaded from Xiaohongshu

All documents must be clear, accurate, and consistent to avoid delays.

Step 2: Submit the Application

Through the Xiaohongshu app, go to:

Me → Menu (three lines) → Creator Center → More → Upgrade Pro

Select Enterprise Account, upload the required documents, complete business information, and pay the verification fee (600 RMB).

Step 3: Platform Review

The review process usually takes 1–3 business days. If additional information is needed, Xiaohongshu will request supplementary materials before approval.

Key Features of Pugongying

Massive Influencer Database

Over 100,000 influencers across various niches and price ranges are available, allowing brands to match budget, campaign goals, and audience targeting precisely.

Verified Data & Transparency

All influencers on Pugongying undergo official verification. Brands can access:

● Follower counts

● Engagement rates

● Audience demographics

● Past collaboration history

This reduces influencer fraud risk and ensures data authenticity.

End-to-End Campaign Management

The entire collaboration process is managed within Pugongying:

● Influencer selection

● Briefing and negotiation

● Content review and approval

● Paid traffic amplification

This significantly improves efficiency, especially for large-scale campaigns.

Compliance & Brand Safety

Pugongying ensures content adheres to Xiaohongshu community guidelines and Chinese advertising laws. The platform also provides dispute mediation and payment protection.

ROI Tracking & Analytics

After campaign completion, brands receive detailed reports covering:

● Impressions

● Reads

● Engagement

● Clicks

● Search behavior

● Downstream conversions

This enables data-driven optimization for future campaigns.

How to Collaborate with Influencers on Pugongying

Xiaohongshu influencer marketing typically follows four structured stages:

Step 1: Influencer Selection

Brands filter influencers by:

● Industry (beauty, fashion, 3C, parenting, etc.)

● Follower size

● Engagement rate

● Content style

● Audience demographics

● Past collaborations

Step 2: Campaign Briefing & Negotiation

Brands send collaboration requests, defining:

● Content format (image post or video)

● Key selling points

● Posting timeline

● Deliverables

Step 3: Content Creation & Approval

Influencers submit drafts for review. Brands provide feedback to ensure brand messaging aligns with influencer authenticity. Once approved, the content is published.

Step 4: Data Review & Optimization

Brands analyze campaign performance through official reports and optimize future influencer strategies accordingly.

Types of Influencers on Xiaohongshu

A successful Xiaohongshu influencer marketing strategy often combines all three tiers.

Advanced Strategy: Paid Amplification or Paid Traffic

High-performing influencer posts can be further boosted through paid traffic (投流).

Benefits:

● Extend content lifecycle

● Increase exposure

● Improve organic distribution

Best practice: Test ads 48 hours after post publication and scale posts with strong engagement.

Challenges for Overseas Brands

Entering Xiaohongshu presents unique challenges:

● Cultural localization

● Strict advertising compliance

● Business license requirements

● Difficulty evaluating real ROI

Translation alone is insufficient. Content must align with Chinese user behavior and community expectations.

How WSD Supports Global Brands

WSD is a cross-border social marketing expert and an officially certified Xiaohongshu agency, as well as a Pugongying partner.

We provide end-to-end services including:

● Strategy development

● Influencer selection

● Content localization

● Campaign management

● Compliance guidance

Our goal is to help overseas brands build sustainable brand presence on Xiaohongshu while minimizing risk and maximizing ROI.