Why are the audience segmentation strategies of Douyin and Hongshu completely opposite?

This article describes how Douyin uses a positive funnel model, from general to precise, while Xiaohongshu uses a negative funnel model, from precise to general. Douyin has a large user base and is suitable for wide exposure; Xiaohongshu users are more precise and have strong purchasing power. Brands should choose the right platform according to different needs and adopt corresponding strategies. The article uses a lot of data to compare the differences between the two. Friends who are interested can take a look.

You must have seen this picture. I have posted it on WeChat Moments. It shows the crowd stratification strategies of Tik Tok and Xiaohongshu respectively.

1. What is population stratification strategy?

Simply put, any brand hopes to reach a more targeted audience with its advertisements, so from the very beginning, a population stratification strategy is implemented to try to find people who have demand for the product being promoted.

We can also find from the stratification strategy diagram above that the crowd stratification strategies of Douyin and Xiaohongshu are completely different.

Douyin’s model is a positive funnel model , from general to specific; Xiaohongshu’s model is a negative funnel model , from specific to general.

These two models are publicly advocated by the two platforms and should be familiar to everyone. But have you ever thought about why the crowd strategies of the two platforms are so different?

2. User scenarios determine user volume

The scenario of Douyin is entertainment; the scenario of Hongshu is search.

Therefore, the community atmosphere of the two platforms can be distinguished from the platform user usage scenarios. Douyin is entertainment-oriented, and jokes, dances, camera movements, short dramas, and games are the mainstream content. The corresponding population of these contents is very broad, and it is difficult to summarize the Douyin population with only one population. This is one of the reasons why Douyin's DAU can reach 500-600 million, such a large scale. When the population of a platform reaches such a large scale, it is difficult for us to quickly find the most accurate population unless we use some commercial tools.

The user scenario of Xiaohongshu is search, searching for practical information, desired products, and ideal life. Therefore, the number of Xiaohongshu users is smaller than that of Douyin users, because the population is more precise. This group of people comes with the need to make consumption decisions. We make some particularly direct and grass-planting content on the Xiaohongshu platform, which can also directly influence the consumption decisions of Xiaohongshu users.

Therefore, the user base of Xiaohongshu will not surpass that of Douyin. The two platforms have their own unique characteristics. Douyin has a large user base and can achieve very large-scale exposure; although Xiaohongshu has a small user base, the user base is more accurate and has stronger purchasing power.

If brands look at Douyin and Xiaohongshu from the perspective of attracting new customers, Xiaohongshu brings about in-depth growth in the population, while Douyin brings about in-depth growth in the population.

The audience of Xiaohongshu is of higher quality and more rational. Once they are inspired by something, it will lead to long-tail repurchases and spontaneous sharing. This is because being inspired by something is a rational decision. In this process, they will only buy it after relatively comprehensive understanding and comparison.

Douyin attracts a wide range of people. It finds people with corresponding needs in the general population and quickly harvests them with a cost-effective price. Sales grow fast, but mental retention is poor.

This is also why Douyin’s methodology is a positive funnel crowd stratification strategy, while Xiaohongshu’s methodology is a negative funnel crowd breaking circle strategy.

Neither platform is good or bad. Different groups of people and different communication purposes cannot be ignored for brands. They are both the most important "battlefields" and brands only need to act accordingly.

3. New consumer brands need to adopt the mentality of "must play Xiaohongshu" to engage in Xiaohongshu

Today, in addition to being a brand marketer, I am also a creator. No matter from which perspective, I find that people's attention to Xiaohongshu is very high.

Behind this phenomenon, in fact, is that brands have paid attention to the user value of the Xiaohongshu platform, and everyone has begun to realize that " Xiaohongshu is a must." Especially for new consumer brands, because your high-value, must-fight market users are almost all here . If you want to be a sustainable brand, you must avoid falling into the price war. Spend a lot of effort to study the brand's own Xiaohongshu business methods. Here are some suggestions for brand friends to deepen their cultivation of Xiaohongshu:

1. Try to break down the brand’s big ideas and transform them into daily notes on Xiaohongshu.

2. Let the Retail mkt team try Xiaohongshu’s brand self-broadcasting in their free time, and let the team that understands the brand best share the brand’s philosophy and lifestyle.

3. Regularly test the delivery of different influencers and buyers, focus on the materials and content that influencers and buyers need, and work in both directions with influencers and buyers who match the brand tone.

4. Pay attention to the repeat purchase value. Carry out refined long-term management of consumers brought by buyers and Dabo. Xiaohongshu is different from Douyin. Every consumer is not snatched by low prices, but high-quality users who highly recognize and demand the brand. These users are worth deep connection and good service. If you do this well, you will get long-tail repeat purchases and spontaneous sharing.

Author: Vic's Marketing Thoughts

Source: WeChat public account "Vic's Marketing Thinking"