So, you’ve been hearing this buzz about XHS Malaysia, and you’re wondering… what’s the hype? Is it just another social media platform? Is it a shopping app? A blog? A new TikTok clone?
Well, it’s kind of all that… and a lot more.
If you’re in the digital marketing space, especially here in Malaysia, you’ll want to keep your eyes on this one. In this post, we’re going to break down what XHS is, why it’s blowing up in Malaysia, and more importantly—how brands (big and small) are already using it to drive crazy engagement and real sales.
Let’s dive into the Little Red Book and see what the fuss is all about.
Table of Contents
Alright, XHS stands for XiaoHongShu, which literally means “Little Red Book” in Chinese. It started in China as a place for users to share shopping experiences, product reviews, and lifestyle tips—mostly around fashion, skincare, food, and travel.
Fast forward to 2025, and XHS has turned into a mega social commerce platform. Think of it as Pinterest + Instagram + Google Reviews had a baby… but with aesthetics on point and the vibe way more authentic.
What makes it unique is how much people actually trust what they see on there. That’s because the content is mostly user-generated and way less “salesy” compared to other platforms.
Now here’s the kicker: XHS is picking up serious traction in Malaysia, especially among Gen Z and millennials who are into lifestyle content, product reviews, and—let’s be honest—soft launching their latest skincare obsessions.
Searches for XHS Malaysia are going up. We’re seeing more Malaysian users joining the platform—not just to browse, but to create, share, review, and buy.
It’s especially catching on with:
Chinese-speaking Malaysians
Digital marketers looking for new traffic sources
Lifestyle and beauty influencers
Local SMEs in fashion, F&B, wellness, and skincare
This isn’t just a place to scroll for fun. People actually go on XHS to look for recommendations. They’re typing in stuff like:
“Best cafes in KL”
“Minimalist OOTD Malaysia”
“Skincare for oily skin”
“Hidden gems in Penang”
This is where the magic happens for marketers. When your brand shows up in these searches organically… you’re in business.
Let’s get into the juicy part: how brands are using XHS Malaysia to grow.
If you’ve been burned by generic influencer campaigns on Instagram before, this will be a breath of fresh air.
On XHS, influencer marketing is all about authenticity. No hard-selling, no over-polished ads. Just real people sharing real experiences. A lot of content feels like a friend sharing their latest product discovery with you—casual, honest, and hella relatable.
In fact, influencer marketing in Malaysia is slowly shifting in this direction, and XHS is leading the way.
Here’s something most people don’t realize: XHS functions like a search engine.
You can literally optimize your content for keywords. Yep, it’s social media meets SEO.
So instead of just posting something cute and hoping it goes viral, you can actually rank for long-tail phrases like:
“Sensitive skin serum Malaysia”
“Muslim-friendly sunscreen review”
“Best budget cafes Penang”
It’s a goldmine for brands who understand how to play the content game.
User-generated content is king on XHS. But here’s the thing—it has to be real, raw, and relatable.
What works:
Reviews written like journal entries
Unfiltered “before and after” skincare routines
Travel recaps with honest pros and cons
Aesthetic food shots with cheeky captions
If it looks like a glossy ad, people scroll past. If it looks like your bestie wrote it? Jackpot.
If you want to win on XHS Malaysia, don’t go in guns blazing with promos and discount codes.
Instead, think value first: What will make someone save your post? Share it with a friend? Comment?
The brands that do well are building communities, not just chasing conversions.
And the cool part? Conversions still come—they just happen naturally when you build trust through content.
Okay, not every brand needs to jump on every platform. So how do you know if XiaoHongShu marketing is right for you?
It’s probably a good fit if:
✅ You’re targeting Gen Z / millennials
✅ You serve a lifestyle-focused niche
✅ Your brand is strong in beauty, fashion, wellness, food, or travel
✅ You have some presence among Chinese-speaking Malaysians
✅ You’re willing to invest in long-term content and community building
If that’s you—then yes, you should absolutely be looking at XHS Malaysia as part of your 2025 digital strategy.
Here’s your beginner-friendly game plan:
Download the app and search for your niche. What kind of content is performing? What hashtags are trending? Who are the top creators?
You can either:
Create a brand account and start posting
Partner with KOLs (influencers) for sponsored posts
Do both
A lot of smaller brands start with influencer collabs before building their own presence.
Use this formula:
Hook: A catchy headline or question
Story: Personal experience or relatable journey
Value: Tips, reviews, lessons learned
Call to Action: Ask for saves, shares, or comments
Throw in a few local slang words, aesthetic visuals, and relevant hashtags… and you’re good to go.
There’s this small Malaysian skincare label that launched a sensitive skin cleanser. Instead of running Facebook ads, they worked with 8 micro-influencers on XHS.
Each influencer posted:
A “week in my skin” diary
Before/after photos
Honest reviews (including what they didn’t like)
Within 2 months, the brand was ranking for terms like “敏感肌 洗面奶推荐” and “acne cleanser Malaysia” on XHS search.
End result? A 38% increase in sales from Shopee traffic… and they didn’t spend a cent on paid ads.
Now that’s what we call smart XiaoHongShu marketing.
If you’re looking to get ahead in digital marketing this year, XHS Malaysia is worth your time. It’s still relatively early, and brands that move now will get first-mover advantage.
With the right content, voice, and strategy, you can grow your brand organically—and build an audience that actually cares.
So don’t sleep on this. If you’re a business owner, a marketer, or even just curious—now’s the perfect time to test the waters.
We help brands create authentic, search-friendly, community-driven content for XHS Malaysia. If you’re curious, reach out to Legency—we’ll help you build a strategy that actually makes sense (no fluff, just results)
