Among the hottest topics on Xiaohongshu is "TikTok Refugee"—a discussion that has already garnered 380 million views. Faced with this staggering level of attention, what strategies should global entrepreneurs adopt?
Chinese netizens woke up to a seismic shift—overnight, Rednote seemingly transformed into an “international version”.
The hottest topic on Rednote right now is #TikTokRefugee, which has already amassed 380 million views. For the first time, a wave of American users has sparked such widespread discussion in China, with some joking that this marks an "epic summit" between Chinese and American netizens. No more climbing over the Great Firewall—the wall has been pushed down from the other side.
What Are These Foreigners Up To?
Step One: Pay the Cat Tax
These unexpected guests are surprisingly self-aware. Acknowledging that their mass influx into a Chinese app feels like barging into someone else's living room uninvited, they seek to make amends—by paying the “cat tax”. That is, sharing adorable photos of their own cats as a peace offering. Overnight, posts under the #cattax tag surged from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions.
With cute cat pictures as an icebreaker, Chinese and American netizens have launched into lively exchanges. Veteran internet users feel nostalgic, reminiscing about the early days of the internet when borders seemed nonexistent. Younger users, meanwhile, are astounded by this unprecedented online cultural exchange.
Who Are These Newcomers?
Within the surging crowds lurk hidden dragons and crouching tigers, their talents sparking continuous gasps of awe.
There's a U.S. soldier—Chinese netizens jokingly call him a "spy" and flood the comments, trying to get more photos of military equipment.
There's a firefighter, bringing frontline reports from the wildfires in Los Angeles.
There's a music maestro, showcasing talent and gaining over 10,000 followers in a single day.
There's a scientist conducting experiments, proving that academia truly knows no borders.
It's as if the legendary "Li Hua" from English textbooks has finally written back. But Chinese users aren't letting these visitors idle—they're seizing the opportunity to ask English homework questions, seek internships, and get study-abroad advice. The foreign users, in turn, are enthusiastically responding.
The U.S.-China cultural exchange has sparked discussions on TikTok about the Rednote community and China's internet landscape. Netizens joked, "No middlemen skimming profits this time", with the demise of "public intellectuals" stirring controversy across borders. The Chinese people portrayed in these interactions—passionately welcoming, friendly, and humorous—defy Americans' entrenched stereotypes of "anti-China sentiment".
Americans now confront a revelation: The China depicted by Western media stands exposed as the real "fake news."
Why Rednote?
The battle over TikTok's U.S. ban has been a long and winding one:
The first shot was fired: In November 2019, then-President Donald Trump announced a national security review of ByteDance's 2017 acquisition of the U.S. app Musical.ly.
Trump's offensive: On August 14, 2020, Trump issued an executive order requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok within 90 days. TikTok retaliated with a lawsuit against the Trump administration.
Biden reverses course: On June 9, 2021, President Joe Biden revoked Trump's ban, and the U.S. Department of Commerce followed suit, lifting restrictions on TikTok.
Then things took another sharp turn: On March 15, 2023, the Biden administration demanded that ByteDance sell TikTok or face a potential ban in the U.S. A week later, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before Congress.
The divest-or-ban bill: On April 24, 2024, Biden signed a law requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok's U.S. operations within 270 days, or face a complete ban.
The tipping point: Last Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court held a 2.5-hour hearing on whether the “sell-or-ban” law violates the First Amendment. Reports suggest that the ruling is unlikely to favor TikTok.
Final deadline on January 19, TikTok faces a looming ban, and user panic reaches its peak as they seek refuge.
Despite not being the best alternative to TikTok, Rednote has experienced a sudden surge of traffic. Why is this happening?
Rednote, often considered a blend of Instagram and Pinterest, is primarily a platform for image and text-based content. With a vast amount of high-quality material and a welcoming social atmosphere, it already had a number of overseas users before this recent surge. EqualOcean speculates that there are three key reasons behind users flocking to Rednote:
Some American internet users, driven by anti-Zuckerberg and anti-Musk sentiments, are refusing to use Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
Frustration over the U.S. government's TikTok ban, which, under the guise of national security concerns, is seen as a move to suppress Chinese tech, has pushed users to "rebelliously" send their data to a Chinese company.
Some TikTok influencers have posted videos declaring Rednote to be an interesting and friendly platform, attracting a large number of users to download it. After using it, these users continue to promote Rednote on TikTok, creating a positive feedback loop, compounded by herd mentality, ultimately leading to this wave of "refugees".
In fact, ByteDance launched Lemon8 in August 2020 and entered the U.S. market in February 2023. From its user interface to its features, Lemon8 is quite similar to Rednote. However, Lemon8 has yet to build a rich content pool and lacks a comparative advantage, which makes it less appealing in comparison.
Now, Rednote has not only topped the U.S. download charts but is also dominating globally, gaining a massive following. According to incomplete statistics, Rednote has become the top download app in over 70 countries.
What Can Overseas Businesses Do?
As international users crowd around the "doorstep", EqualOcean has come up with several strategies to make the most of this overseas traffic surge.
An Ideal Window for Brand Promotion Overseas brands must seize this free traffic opportunity, taking advantage of the window period to build their brand awareness in foreign markets. Domestic brands have also jumped in, publishing English posts and using the hashtag #TikTokRefugee to tap into the trend, reaping massive exposure. Many international brands (such as Meituan, Luckin Coffee, Miniso, and Mixue) were quick to act, while domestic brands (like Ele.me) can expand their influence during this national celebration.
Engaging Overseas Influencers This "digital refugee wave" includes an influx of overseas influencers now thriving on Rednote. Cross-border brands, international sellers, and KOL marketing agencies should seize this momentum to forge partnerships with these key opinion leaders. The author observed in private social circles that some industry players are mass-DMing overseas influencers via Rednote's backend, noting: "They never reply on Instagram, but now they're all active here." The success rates of such outreach remain unverified.
Conducting Overseas Market Research Content related to #TikTokRefugee has gained a clear traffic advantage, and posts discussing cross-cultural topics are experiencing tremendous engagement. Businesses going global can use Rednote to release relevant posts and conduct market research, particularly to better understand U.S. user preferences and demands. However, this approach requires processing large amounts of data from the comment sections, making the cost of information extraction relatively high.
What Comes Next?
January 19 is the final deadline for the TikTok ban, and with President Trump set to be inaugurated on January 20, many speculate that the change in leadership could bring hope for TikTok. Trump had previously expressed support for TikTok in January. However, due to the U.S.'s separation of powers, the ban was legislated by Congress and cannot be altered at the president's discretion. If Trump wishes to overturn this legislation, he would need to push Congress to pass new laws, which could be challenging. A possible delaying tactic is that after Trump takes office, he could appoint a new Attorney General, who has a certain degree of discretion in law enforcement and could postpone the implementation of the ban.
Some netizens have noted that the lights are still on in Rednote's office at 2 a.m. As Rednote prepares to address this new influx of users, the company is recruiting interns with a background in U.S. studies, especially those with experience abroad. EqualOcean did not find this position listed this morning, suggesting it might have already been taken down, though the specific reasons remain unknown.
A source close to Rednote told EqualOcean, "Rednote's internal strategy will not undergo major changes in the short term. Long-term adjustments are uncertain, but for now, the company is in a defensive position, implementing solutions to address regulatory concerns." Later this evening, EqualOcean discovered that Rednote had launched a new Google login feature, and some media outlets found that the company is hiring English-language content moderators. These actions reflect the company's proactive attitude towards this surge in traffic and offer initial strategies for dealing with it.
TikTok refugee invasion, the harvest may be Chinese fans. Huang Yuanpu, founder of iYiou & EqualOcean, analyzed that Rednote's platform has been aggressively promoting foreign creators, creating numerous KOLs with tens of thousands of followers overnight, while domestic accounts see minimal growth in follower counts. By capitalizing on Chinese users' preference for foreign influencers, the platform has successfully attracted a large number of new Chinese users.
Amid Rednote's IPO preparations, this unexpected traffic surge adds a glitzy growth narrative. With the platform aggressively expanding e-commerce, the "digital refugee wave" may catalyze unplanned cross-border trade opportunities.
Regardless of what happens next, the brief moment of the "global village" has been realized, and the world internet celebration is far from over.
