This article mainly discusses the cultural phenomenon of TikTok users migrating to Xiaohongshu, including its origin, development process, impact, and the reflections it has triggered. The specific content is as follows:
- Origin of the event: The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the "sell or ban" bill for TikTok, and TikTok exited the U.S. market on January 19. Its users migrated to Xiaohongshu, making Xiaohongshu top the download charts in the U.S. Apple App Store.
- User behavior and community integration
- American users post content in English on Xiaohongshu, calling themselves "TikTok refugees." The topic "TikTok refugee" peaked in popularity from January 13 to 15.
- They break the ice with Xiaohongshu natives by sharing pets (such as "paying cat/dog tax"), and then expand their content to daily life, internet memes, etc., integrating into the community through images and text, bridging the information gap between China and the U.S.
- Xiaohongshu platform and user response
- Xiaohongshu users warmly welcomed the refugees, answering questions, sharing life, and joking in the comment section.
- English teaching bloggers and overseas content sharing bloggers switched from English to Chinese teaching and created user guides; brands joined in to play with memes and gain traffic, and some brands with strong internet presence launched commercial placements and collaborated with foreign bloggers to promote products.
- Subsequent reflections: As the hype subsided, netizens began to pay attention to issues such as Chinese subjectivity, information regulation, and national security. At the same time, cultural differences became more prominent, and Xiaohongshu faces challenges in user retention, traffic distribution, information review, and content ecosystem.





What this signal means for growth teams
This market signal should be treated as an operating prompt, not a standalone trend. The brand question is whether the team can connect TikTok content, creators, paid media, commerce readiness, and reporting into one measurable growth cycle.
Commercial read
- Market signal: TikTok Trend Report - TikTok Development Trends
- Published: January 22, 2025
- Commercial lens: TikTok Ads, creators, TikTok Shop, live commerce, and reporting.
- Source transparency: the original source linked in this article
What brands should do next
- Identify the market, audience, product group, and KPI this signal could affect.
- Turn the insight into a small TikTok creative, creator, Shop, or paid media test before scaling spend.
- Add FAQ, offer clarity, product proof, and contact paths so traffic can convert instead of only reading.
- Review weekly performance across reach, click quality, Shop actions, creator output, and revenue impact.
Tuke Marketing helps brands connect TikTok Ads, creator partnerships, TikTok Shop operations, live commerce, and reporting into one accountable operating system.
What should brands do with this TikTok signal?
Brands should translate the signal into a focused operating test across creative, creators, TikTok Shop readiness, paid media, and reporting before increasing budget.
How does Tuke Marketing evaluate this kind of news?
Tuke Marketing reviews platform news through market timing, category demand, creator supply, commerce readiness, and measurable growth actions.
When should a team contact Tuke about this topic?
A team should contact Tuke when it needs to turn a TikTok market signal into a practical launch, creator, advertising, live commerce, or reporting plan.
Source transparency: Tuke cites the original source linked in this article and adds its own operating analysis for brands evaluating TikTok growth decisions.