Key points
- There is no public rate card. Cost depends on six parts: verification, content, account management, advertising, creators and inquiry handling.
- Xiaohongshu advertising works like Meta and Google: prepaid, auction-based, charged by impressions or clicks, and cheaper when content performs well.
- Budget for at least three months. The first month builds the foundation; inquiries usually start in the second and results build in the third.
The six parts of a Xiaohongshu budget
| Cost | What it covers | What makes it higher or lower |
|---|---|---|
| Account verification | Verifying a professional (business) account | A fixed annual fee, plus licences for regulated categories |
| Content production | Planning, writing, design, photography and short video | How many posts a month, whether video is shot on site, how many accounts |
| Account management | Publishing, comments, messages, compliance and reporting | Number of accounts, posting frequency, how regulated your category is |
| Advertising | Paid promotion of posts in the feed and in search | Audience size, competition in your category, content quality, goals |
| Creators (KOLs and KOCs) | Posts by established creators and everyday customers | Follower count, engagement, content type, usage rights |
| Inquiry handling | Replying in Chinese, screening and booking | Hours covered, message volume, whether bookings are made for you |
1. Account verification
A verified professional account is the base for any business on Xiaohongshu. According to an October 2026 guide from AppInChina, verification costs CNY 600 a year and takes five to seven business days; overseas applicants provide a translated business licence, trademark registration and the responsible person’s ID, among other documents. Healthcare, cosmetics, food and financial businesses also need the relevant licences. Requirements change, so confirm them with Xiaohongshu before applying.
In regulated categories, the first month should also include applying for industry whitelisting in Xiaohongshu’s business backend. It costs time rather than money, and it is what lets an account publish and advertise in its category without being flagged.
2. Content production
Content is usually the largest ongoing cost. The variables are volume (how many posts a week), format (image notes are cheaper than short video), and production (whether someone films at your location, interviews your doctors or founders, or edits existing footage). One well-planned shoot can supply weeks of posts across several accounts.
3. Account management
Someone has to publish on schedule, answer comments, review content against platform rules and report results. Costs rise with the number of accounts. Multi-account structures, such as a founder account, an official account and service accounts, cost more to run but spread risk and reach more people.
4. Advertising
Xiaohongshu’s advertising platform, Juguang, works much like Meta or Google Ads:
- Prepaid. The account is funded before campaigns go live.
- Auction-based. Advertisers bid for placement in the feed and in search results.
- Charged by results. Pay-per-impression and pay-per-click models are available, with bidding options built around goals such as engagement or private messages.
- Rewarding good content. The platform favors ads that people click and interact with, so strong posts cost less per result.
Juguang accounts are opened by entities in mainland China, so overseas businesses usually advertise through a partner that holds one. The audience in a North American city is far smaller than in China, which keeps budgets modest. The useful number is cost per inquiry, not cost per thousand impressions. Many businesses run Meta and Google ads in Chinese alongside Xiaohongshu, on the same principles.
5. Creators
Creator fees vary widely with following, engagement and how the content will be used. Xiaohongshu’s official creator platform, Pugongying, handles collaborations and charges a platform fee on top of creator rates. For local businesses, several micro-creators and real customer stories often build more trust per dollar than a single large creator.
6. Inquiry handling
Every post and ad creates messages, and many arrive in the evening or on weekends. In our own records, more than 60% of inquiries come after 6 p.m. or on weekends, and inquiries that book do so in under two hours on average. Budget for someone to answer in Chinese, quickly, or a share of the spend above is wasted.
Doing it in-house or with an agency
In-house, the costs are salaries for people who can write in Chinese, design, edit video, buy ads and reply to customers, plus benefits and management time. An agency charges a monthly fee for a team that covers those roles, usually with ad spend billed separately. Ask any agency what is included, how many accounts and posts, whether ad spend is separate, who answers messages, and what is reported each month.
How to set a first budget
- Define the outcome: inquiries, consultations or bookings per month.
- Decide the scope: one account or several, posting frequency, video or not.
- Plan a modest ad budget to start, focused on posts that already perform.
- Commit to at least three months. Month one builds the foundation, inquiries usually begin in month two and results build in month three.
- Measure cost per inquiry and per booking, then move budget to what works.
How RedNexus prices it
We price by scope in a written proposal after a free market assessment on Zoom. As a guide, a full program costs about what one in-house hire would, for a team of five or more specialists, with ad spend agreed separately. We run Xiaohongshu ads alongside Meta and Google campaigns in Chinese. See Xiaohongshu and WeChat management.
Common questions
How much does Xiaohongshu verification cost?
An October 2026 guide from AppInChina lists CNY 600 a year for professional account verification. Confirm current fees with Xiaohongshu before applying.
How does Xiaohongshu charge for ads?
Like Meta and Google: you prepay and bid in an auction, and you are charged by impressions or clicks, with bidding goals such as engagement or private messages.
Can a U.S. business advertise on Xiaohongshu directly?
The Juguang ad platform is generally opened by entities in mainland China, so overseas businesses usually advertise through a partner that holds an account.
How long before we see results?
Plan on three months. The first month builds the foundation, inquiries usually begin in the second and results build in the third.