TikTok Creators Are Jumping Ship to RedNote — But Can You Make Money on There?

As a potential TikTok ban in the U.S. looms, speculation has focused on where users might migrate, with YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels leading the pack.

However, a large number of full-time content creators and influencers — dubbed "TikTok refugees" — are heading to Xiaohongshu, aka "RedNote."

Now, this brings up several key questions: What is RedNote? Who owns it? Can you make money on the platform? Here's everything you need to know.

At this point, it hasn't been officially confirmed whether content creators and influencers can make money on RedNote. However, TikTok creator Ryan (@rysenseii) has shared some insights that suggest the platform doesn't currently offer built-in monetization features for its most popular users.

Ryan admitted that he wasn't entirely sure about Rednote's monetization policies, so he reached out to his partner for clarification. According to her, the Chinese social media app does not pay creators based on the number of views or followers they have, no matter how popular their content becomes.

In her words, "No matter how many views or followers you have, you don't get paid."

Nevertheless, she did point out that creators can still make money through external opportunities. If a creator builds a large and engaged following and consistently posts content, brands or companies might reach out for sponsorships or paid collaborations. This type of brand partnership appears to be the only way to earn money on RedNote at the moment, as "the app itself won't pay you.

According to a 2023 report from PJdaren on influencer marketing in China, Rednote has emerged as the leading social media platform for influencer-driven campaigns. In fact, a whopping 59 percent of brands chose RedNote as the platform where they saw the most significant impact on brand-building.

Additionally, RedNote ranked first in terms of social commerce success. It also proved to be the most favored platform for influencers in China, with nearly 67 percent naming it their primary social media platform.

According to Vogue Business, the app has around 300 million monthly active users and over 140,000 brands involved on the platform. Given these incredible numbers, it's clear that if a creator's content gains traction, brands and companies are likely to reach out for paid partnerships, sponsorships, or collaborations.

Although it's Although many TikTok users are jumping ship to RedNote — some even bringing their loyal followers along — the app's format isn't exactly what you'd expect if you're familiar with TikTok. In fact, TikTok creator Ryan, whom we mentioned earlier, thinks RedNote is more like a mashup of Pinterest and Instagram than a direct competitor to TikTok.

"I don't think [RedNote] is the next TikTok because [RedNote's] template is very 'Pinterest plus IG' combined," he told his followers. "There is a section where you can scroll videos just like TikTok, but the overall format of [RedNote] is Pinterest plus Instagram (but better)."