Why Fashion Brands have to Maximize their social Media in China?

Why?

 

the best practices for fashion brands in China’s social media landscape, based on deep research from Chinese marketing reports, case studies, and platform algorithms (2025):

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1. Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) Best Practices

Fashion Western brands have to maximize their social medias strategy in China ! 

Platform Overview: 200M+ monthly users; ideal for luxury, niche, and lifestyle fashion.

• Key Strategies:

  • SEO-Optimized “Notes”: Use keywords like “小众穿搭” (niche outfits) or “OOTD” in titles and hashtags.

    • Example: Coach’s viral post titled “秋冬通勤包推荐 #轻奢” (Fall/Winter Commuter Bag Recs #AffordableLuxury) drove 10K+ saves.

  • Authentic UGC: Encourage users to post reviews with branded hashtags.

    • Example: Lululemon’s #我和Lululemon (Me & Lululemon) campaign generated 50K+ UGC posts.

  • KOC Collaborations: Partner with micro-influencers (1K–50K followers) for relatable content.

    • Example: A Chinese lingerie brand grew sales by 200% using KOCs to demo fit and comfort.

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2. Douyin (TikTok) Best Practices

 

Platform Overview: 700M+ daily users; dominates short-video commerce.

• Key Strategies:

  • Hook in 3 Seconds: Start videos with bold visuals (e.g., “这裙子显瘦绝了!” – “This dress is super slimming!”).

    • Example: Uniqlo’s “试衣间挑战” (Fitting Room Challenge) trended with 100M+ views.

  • Livestream Flash Sales: Host daily 2–4 hour streams with limited stock and discounts.

    • Example: Peacebird’s 618 Shopping Festival livestream sold ¥50M ($7M) in 12 hours.

  • Douyin Shop SEO: Optimize product titles with trending keywords like “纯欲风” (pure-desire aesthetic).

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3. KOL/KOC Collaboration Strategies

Tiered Approach:

• Mega-KOLs (1M+ followers): Use for brand awareness (e.g., Li Jiaqi for luxury launches).

• Mid-Tier KOLs (100K–1M): For targeted campaigns (e.g., @深夜徐老师 for streetwear).

• KOCs (1K–100K): For authenticity (e.g., college students showcasing affordable outfits).

Negotiation Tips:

• Offer commission + flat fee (e.g., 10% sales + ¥20K per post).

• Require KOLs to post on Xiaohongshu + Douyin + WeChat for cross-platform reach.

Case Study:

• Zara China partnered with 50+ micro-KOLs to promote its “URBAN” collection, resulting in 300K+ engagements and 20% sales growth.

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4. Leveraging Testimonials & UGC

Why It Works: 78% of Chinese consumers trust UGC over brand ads.

• Strategies:

  • Incentivized Reviews: Offer discounts for users who post photos/videos with your product.

    • Example: Nike’s “Run with Nike” campaign rewarded users for sharing workout selfies.

  • Feature UGC in Ads: Repost customer content on brand accounts (with permission).

    • Example: Chinese brand Urban Revivo reposts customer OOTDs, driving 30% higher CTR.

  • Manage Negative Reviews: Respond politely and offer solutions to maintain reputation.

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5. WeChat Best Practices

Platform Overview: 1.3B users; critical for CRM and private traffic.

• Strategies:

  • Mini Program Stores: Integrate shoppable lookbooks with one-click purchasing.

    • Example: Louis Vuitton’s WeChat Mini Program drives 15% of its China online sales.

  • Exclusive Member Groups: Offer VIP perks (e.g., pre-sale access) to foster loyalty.

  • Interactive Content: Use polls (e.g., “Pick the next color for our collection!”).

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6. 2024 Trends Shaping Fashion Marketing

 

1. AI Customization: Tools like Taobao’s “AI Stylist” let users virtually try outfits.

2. Guochao (国潮): Highlight Chinese cultural elements (e.g., Hanfu-inspired designs).

3. Sustainability Storytelling: Brands like ICICLE share “eco-journeys” in supply chains.

4. Virtual Fashion: Sell digital collectibles (e.g., Tmall’s NFT sneakers).

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Case Study: How Gentle Monster Dominates China

 

• Xiaohongshu: Posts artistic store designs + user-generated try-on pics.

• Douyin: Runs AR try-on filters for sunglasses (2M+ uses in a month).

• KOLs: Collaborates with edgy influencers like @深夜发媸 for Gen-Z appeal.

• Result: 40% of global revenue comes from China.

 

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2025 Takeaways for Marcus Zhan GMA 

1. Xiaohongshu = SEO + UGC.

2. Douyin = hooks + livestreams.

3. KOLs = tiered + cross-platform.

4. WeChat = VIP retention.

5. Guochao + Sustainability = 2024’s winning narratives.

By blending these strategies, fashion brands can tap into China’s $1.7T apparel market while building loyal communities. 

 

Nowadays, penetrating the Chinese market is not easy, especially for companies overseas.

Ready-to-wear’s brands pass through the social media in order to attract the Chinese consumers because they are very connected.

Fashion Western Brands  social Media Case studies in China

Otte company’s strategy

On the last March, Otte a small shops’ chain in New-York opened its gates for the first time out of America, in Shanghai. While this feat, the most of American people have never heard the brand’s name.

Why ?   Social Medias are huge opportunity for brands

The major part of it online customers are Chinese who are living in USA or in China. Indeed, these last years, Otte was mainly active in the Chinese market thanks to the famous social media’s platforms Wechat and douyin.

1. Thus, this Otte’s spreading emphasize on these platforms efficiency for foreign brands to penetrate the Chinese market by attracting Chinese consumers.
2. Obviously, social networks occupe an important position around the world but particularly in the Asian mainland.
3. Actually, using the social networks for a brand in order to increase it activity in China really a huge opprotunity in a strategy’s development.

Basically, Otte had not met any success until it discovered the social networks powerful in China to expose it brand image. Also, the brand passed through e-commerce platforms such as Shopbop and Revolve which increased it awareness in China.

 

 

Stores or online platforms ?

Effectively, Otte succeed in opening a store in Shanghai, what a success !

• Therefore, is this needed ? The brand have been known on famous Chinese e-commerce platforms and social networks and Chinese consumers prefer purchasing abroad.
• In addition, that allows to maintain directly relationship between brands and customers who don’t need to buy products within stores.
• Moreover, many brands succeed in penetrating the Chinese market without being present on the Mainland.

 

Events

According to Tommy Hilfiger brand, social networks are also an efficient way to promote events around products or activity. Indeed, the brand’s thirtieth birthday set up in Beijing, brought 2000 visits on it Weibo page and further 21% of online sales. The big brand decided to get it own mobile app in China.

Entertainments’ quality

• Chinese users are very attracted by their favourite networks’ content.
• That’s why, brands know it, it is crucial to be aware on their target’s expectation in order tailor their Weibo or Wechat page.
• They emphasize their strategy through the entertainment and they launch campaign by converting customers and organising games, trials with prizes to be won.
• Then, thanks to Weibo, brands have the opportunity to reach a larger audience when they publishing contents.

Influence users

Having a brand voice might be effective, mainly for a small brand such as Diane Von Furstenberg. Obivously, for Tommy Hilfiger or Burberry icons, many important professional come to represent its so that attract Chinese consumers.

 

Subjects to approach

Getting Key Opinion Leaders, such as popular bloggers or celebrities, take part of strategies to adopt in order to increase e-reputation on social networks.

1. Therefore, marketing’s professionals as Avery Baker, brand and marketing development manager at Tommy Hilfiger, noticed talking about business on social medias don’t have so impact and don’t brought many comments.
2. However, approaching topics as the every day life, weather, private area, meets more success among users. They need more simplicity, and don’t feel the brand strategy through brands’ contents.
3. Thus, Tommy Hilfiger hired Qin Shu Pei, a Chinese model. She appears discussing with their friends in a ad which brought further 60% of followers.

Read more: How brands use WeChat for impact and engagement

Wechat

• Wechat is a “One-to-One” message app and for luxury brands, this feature is important to increase its e-reputation. To some of them, brands get awareness on Weibo, and then use Wechat so that maintain deeply relationships with users.
• On Weibo, brands are free to publish freely contents and users take a look at posts without being the page’s member. On Wechat, it is more private area, where users have to be page’s followers or members so that access to the content.

Foreign companies use Wechat because it offers various functions they don’t find on Western social medias such as Facebook or Twitter.

Many luxury brands adopt this solution in order to set up events, promote products, as Michael Kors regarding it store’s opening at Beijing.

To sum up

• Wechat is the largest message app in China with over 500 millions active users monthly.
• Famous Internatioanl brand manage their business on social medias.

Therefore, it is more difficult for startups or young companies overseas to understand these various platforms. Marketing digital represent a huge opportunity for them in order to launch their brand within the mainland !

Need a Market Agency to Enter to the Chinese Market ?

In China, Marketing Agency exist to help them to learn these different tools and then approach the Chinese consumers and market.

Read our Top Guide for Fashion Premium Marketing Strategies for China

You can also read:

• Louis Vuitton, the new farouvite middle-class’ brand for Chinese
• 5 Social Media Networks Used by Luxury Brands in China
• China becoming one of the most globally connected economies