In China’s digital marketing ecosystem, Baidu holds the enviable position as the most powerful—and popular—search engine and content distribution network. To cater to diverse user needs and the rise of content marketing, Baidu launched a lightweight content-sharing platform Baidu Notes(百度笔记) to help brands reach target user groups through high-quality content.
If you’re already familiar with some of the more well-known social media offerings in China, Baidu Notes may bear a striking resemblance to something else…
The style, features, and overall design are almost identical to REDNote (Xiaohongshu), right?
Not convinced? Here’s an example of REDNote for comparison.
You may have thought that with their similar appearance, Baidu Notes and REDNote would have some common ground, but apparently not.
As of the latter half of 2024, REDNote content is no longer appearing on Baidu Notes, and it remains uncertain whether they will return to be indexed by Baidu in the future. Therefore, this post will examine both independently. But for now, the platform’s content is no longer found within Baidu Notes,
(All screenshots in this article are taken from the desktop versions of Baidu Notes and REDNote.)
Baidu Notes
First launched in 2020, Baidu Notes allows users to search user-generated content on third-party platforms.
Baidu Notes lacks a PC-based creation feature, which means users can browse and search content via a desktop computer but must publish through the mobile app.
Initially, Baidu Notes’ content primarily drew from the Q&A platform Zhihu and forum Douban for knowledge-based topics, Ctrip and Mafengwo for travel content, and REDNote and Dianping for food recommendations. However, some content was also sourced directly from Baidu’s own platforms.
Since the second half of 2024, we’ve noticed a significant change in Baidu Notes’ search results. REDNote content has become increasingly hard to find, while results from Baijiahao, Bilibili, Douyin, and Baidu Notes have become more prominent.
In the screenshot below, a search for “Sailor Moon” on Baidu Notes revealed results from Douyin and Bilibili videos, and Baijiahao and Baidu Notes content, but nothing from REDNote.
Baidu Notes delisting of REDNote content is definitely not a positive development; however, it’s not all bad news of late for China’s number one lifestyle app.
With the recent news of TikTok facing bans in the US, foreign users are flocking to REDNote, and the platform has emerged as a top choice for content marketing in China, thanks to its unique “grass-planting” (recommendation) model and community-driven interactions.
Dian Dian (点点)
In response to the widespread adoption of AI, the app has created a team to develop its own AI-powered search app, called “Dian Dian”(点点), which is currently in beta testing.
Before Dian Dian, REDNote had already made several AI-related attempts:
- 小地瓜 “Little Sweet Potato” (a general-purpose AI model)
- Trik (an AI-powered creative app specializing in AI drawing)
- 此刻 “At This Moment” (which generates images based on input text)
- 达芬奇 “Da Vinci” (an AI-powered search assistant)
Dian Dian is just the latest in REDNote’s exploration of AI, and according to internal sources, the feature is not designed to compete directly with Baidu Search; rather, it represents a new way for users to interact with REDNote and its ecosystem.
While Dian Dian is available for download, its embedded usage within REDNote requires internal testing.
Below is an example of the Dian Dian search feature integrated into the REDNote app.
According to publicly available 2024 REDNote data,
- 70% of the platform’s monthly active users (MAU) engaged in search behaviors,
- users initiated 88% of searches, and
- one-third of users developed a habit of deep searches, averaging six per day.
Users who entered note pages via search converted to customers 30% more than those browsing content organically. Unlike other popular AI assistant products currently available in the domestic market, Dian Dian focuses on being a “smart search assistant for lifestyle scenarios,” leveraging REDNote’s abundant user-generated content (UGC) to help users find actionable guides for specific queries.
With REDNote’s large female user base, the platform already boasts strong advantages in lifestyle-related content areas:
- Travel
- Food recommendations
- Beauty and skincare
- Product reviews
Although Dian Dian’s promotion and testing are currently low-profile, once fully launched, it could significantly improve the user journey by locking users within the app for the entire process (from search to conversion).
For marketers, the continuous development of new products by major platforms presents new challenges; therefore, it’s crucial to quickly familiarize ourselves with these new tools and adjust marketing strategies accordingly.
Recommendations for Content Marketing
Based on our initial tests of Baidu Notes, from a strategic perspective, we recommend the following.
If you’re already engaged in content marketing, consider slightly modifying your content and publishing it on Baidu Notes and REDNote. Doing so allows you to reach more potential users on REDNote while benefiting from Baidu Notes’ rapid indexing where content can appear in search results within a day.
(Our exploration of REDNote Search is still ongoing.)
We have included examples of our content for clients on both platforms below.
Example from Baidu Notes (Lizenzero):
Example from Xiaohongshu Notes (Lizenzero):
For now, REDNote’s content is no longer found within Baidu Notes, and it remains uncertain whether they will return to be indexed by Baidu in the future.
The evolution of these platforms is something we’ll continue to watch closely. Let’s wait and see how things develop!