Picture This
An author, a coach, an illustrator, and an entrepreneur walked into a workshop...
You don’t need to go viral to make Xiaohongshu work for you.
You just need to begin.
Here are four stories that show what’s possible in just a few months.
None of these speak Chinese fluently.
None of them had huge teams or big budgets.
What they had was something to say – and the willingness to learn how to say it differently.
📚 The Author: Story as Strategy
Maya had two self-published books on Amazon, a modest following on Instagram, and no traction in China.
She thought Xiaohongshu was just for skincare.
But she also knew that China had readers – and that her writing, which blended spiritual memoir and poetic prose, might resonate if it ever reached the right people.
She began posting short excerpts from her books – single paragraphs with atmospheric images, and voiceovers in English with subtitles. No hard sell. Just presence.
At first, it was quiet. A few followers. A kind comment here and there.
Then one post got reshared by a reader who translated it into Chinese. It caught fire.
Not viral fire, trust fire.
A small group of followers asked where to get the book. She made a pinned post with ordering info. A week later, she got her first direct sale.
Now, she’s shipping signed books in small batches, and preparing to release a PDF mini-book in Chinese, with a paid translation.
🎤 The Coach: Clarity, Niche, Voice
Leon was a leadership coach based in the UK.
He had great results, strong testimonials, and zero traction in Asia.
At a networking event, someone mentioned Xiaohongshu. “Not really your crowd,” they said. “Too young, too B2C.”
Leon saw that as a challenge.
He posted short clips – 30 seconds each – about real coaching moments. Not clichés. Not recycled LinkedIn fluff. Things like:
“When your client wants affirmation but needs accountability”
“What to do when a team member is silently disengaged”
He added subtitles and stuck with it.
By week 6, he had 500 followers. By week 8, a recruiter for a Singapore-based tech firm reached out.
By week 10, he had a paid session booked, his first in the region.
Now, he’s building a series of evergreen mini-courses, and negotiating a possible retainer with the tech firm.
🛍 The Entrepreneur: Soft Product, Strong Story
Tasha runs a one-person brand: handmade journals and stationery with thoughtful design and mindful prompts.
She wasn’t ready to launch a full e-commerce site in China.
But she was ready to test the waters.
She started posting behind-the-scenes videos:
Hand-cutting paper
Sketching new layouts
Voiceover reflections about mindfulness and analog habits
No Chinese subtitles at first. Just English + visuals.
One post was saved more than 100 times. People started commenting: “Can I buy this?” “Do you ship to China?”
She added a pinned post with an invitation to DM her for more info, and in week 9, she made her first sale.
Now, she’s collaborating with a local designer for packaging, and preparing a Xiaohongshu store page.
🎨 The Illustrator: Beauty That Travels
Aaron was based in Canada, illustrating children’s books and doing occasional freelance branding work.
He joined Xiaohongshu mostly out of curiosity – and because a friend dared him to.
He posted process videos and time-lapses of his illustration work, plus occasional “Draw With Me” reels using soft instrumental music.
He got three DMs in his first month. All in Chinese. He used Google Translate.
By month 2, he was selling digital prints to a small but devoted Chinese audience. Not high volume, maybe 20 a month. But enough to see the potential.
He’s now exploring custom commissions, and a collab with a Chinese tea brand for illustrated gift tags.
Ready to Picture Your Own?
None of these people are overnight sensations.
They’re builders.
They’re listeners.
They’re translators – not of words, but of value, across borders and platforms.
If that’s you?
Let’s build together.
🧭 First Xiaohongshu workshop: June 7
💡 Early bird ends in 3 days
🎟Find out more at www.tlinsights.com/xhsworkshops
©2025 Shelly Bryant
