Many folks depend on this social media platform to determine the place to eat and store in Richmond
The proprietor of a “granny” hair salon in Richmond was shocked when just a few months in the past she began getting a gentle stream of youthful clients coming via her doorways.
Little did she know a Chinese social media app – with constructive opinions about her store – was directing them there.
Anna Liu is the proprietor of Hong Kong Washington Salon, which has served clients for 26 years on Ackroyd Road.
“They advised me they got here after seeing posts on Little Red Book,” Liu mentioned concerning the inflow of youthful clients.
Little Red Book, or RED, is a well-liked Chinese-language social media platform the place folks share and search for content material on subjects starting from product suggestions and way of life ideas to procuring guides and sweetness recommendation.
Last September, somebody made a Little Red Book submit about her expertise at Washington Salon and spoke extremely of its inexpensive charges – the submit went viral.
People visited the shop after studying it after which shared extra posts about their expertise.
Little Red Book has 450 million customers globally, 70 per cent of whom are 35 years or youthful, and round 70 per cent of all of the customers are feminine.
Like what occurred to Liu, the app is more and more impacting companies in Richmond, a metropolis recognized for its Chinese delicacies with almost half of its inhabitants talking Chinese as their mom tongue.
Lynn Shen spends an hour a day on Little Red Book taking a look at opinions.
“I eat out two to 3 times per week and nearly each time earlier than I’m going out, I verify opinions and proposals on the app… Google opinions don’t essentially replicate the style of Chinese Canadians like myself,” mentioned Shen.
She additionally checks the app for suggestions for hairdressers, make-up ideas, dance courses and procuring.
“To me, Little Red Book has the most effective algorithm… I can at all times discover one thing helpful and the content material they push to me is related.”
Growing RED influencer group
The app’s development in Richmond has created a new group of Little Red Book influencers, individuals who go to outlets and eating places within the metropolis and write opinions.
Yifei Yao, a portray instructor in Richmond, has an alter ego on Little Red Book because the meals blogger “Yakuza Eater” and boasts greater than 5,000 followers.
His on-line character is a Japanese gangster sporting a patterned shirt, leather-based sneakers and a punch perm-like coiffure, posing with a severe look in entrance of assorted meals dishes.
“I like to strive completely different eating places and take photographs with the meals – and there are such a lot of eating places in Richmond to check out. At first, I shared it with mates after which began posting on Little Red Book,” mentioned Yao.
Some of his earlier Japanese gangster-style photographs turned widespread, he determined to stick to this model.
Not figuring out when he’ll submit about meals, he’s ready each time he goes out.
“I put on Japanese gangster-style garments on a regular basis, together with going to my class. Sometimes folks on the road will give me a wierd look. I additionally carry my selfie mild with me in all places,” mentioned Yao.
“The on-line character has turn into a part of my identification in actual life.”
Hannah Yuan is one other Richmond-based influencer.
She has run her Little Red Book account “Little Island Cilantro” (translation) for 3 years and has greater than 30,000 followers.
Unlike Yao who focuses on meals opinions, Yuan’s content material contains product unboxing, store visits, pet tip sharing, way of life sharing, occasion opinions and extra.
“I’m a heavy person of RED myself and I like to share issues with others. When I share and my content material can present helpful data to others, I really feel glad,” she mentioned.
Both Yao and Yuan mentioned they’re usually acknowledged by their followers out and about in Richmond, they usually have been in a position to capitalize on their affect by partnering with companies. But the cash they make just isn’t sufficient to substitute a full-time job.
“The quantity of the Chinese Canadian market right here just isn’t comparable to the market in China,” mentioned Yuan.
Crucial battlefield for companies
More corporations in B.C. have opened accounts or launched campaigns on Little Red Book lately, in accordance to Grace Zhang, content material advertising and marketing director at Periphery Digital, a Vancouver-based multicultural advertising and marketing company.
“Little Red Book is a vital battlefield for companies now, particularly if they need to goal clients from the Chinese Canadian group,” mentioned Zhang.
The platform seems related to Instagram however has a stronger search operate, she mentioned, whereby folks can search the subjects they’re inquisitive about and related posts will present up.
People can learn posts from anybody, not simply these they comply with, and the app pushes content material folks could also be inquisitive about. These options differentiate LIttle Red Book from one other widespread Chinese social media app, WeChat.
The hottest trending subjects on the platform are magnificence, outfits, skincare, meals tutorial and weight reduction train, coiffure, images expertise, health and nail artwork, in accordance to Zhang.
“Little Red Book primarily depends on user-generated content material, which is commonly seen as extra genuine and relatable. Short-format, way of life and helpful content material is extra widespread on the app,” Zhang mentioned.
“So, if corporations market on the platform, they want to tailor their messaging for this platform particularly.”
https://www.richmond-news.com/local-news/little-red-book-in-richmond-brings-in-young-customers-gives-rise-to-influencers-7710383
