Why Most Brands Fail on XiaoHongShu (XHS) — And What F&B Businesses in Singapore Need to Know

"Should we start doing XHS (小红书)?" is one of the most common questions we at Start Media hear from Singapore restaurants, cafés and F&B groups. Many have already tried. They opened an account, posted a few beautiful photos, maybe invited one influencer, and then saw almost nothing happen.

Updated October 2026.

The timing matters. F&B services sales in Singapore fell 1.9% year on year in July 2026, and café sales fell 6.4%, according to SingStat. Meanwhile, mainland China remained Singapore's largest visitor market in 2025, with 3.1 million arrivals, according to the Singapore Tourism Board.

The problem is rarely effort or budget. Most brands fail on Xiaohongshu (XHS, also known as Little Red Book or RedNote) because they treat it like Instagram. This article explains the most common reasons F&B businesses struggle on XHS and what to do differently.

1. Are You Treating XHS Like Instagram Instead of a Search Engine?

On Instagram, content is pushed to followers. On XHS, a large share of discovery happens through search. A Chinese-speaking diner in Singapore types phrases such as "新加坡 火锅" (Singapore hotpot), "乌节路 咖啡" (Orchard café) or "Tampines 美食" (Tampines food) and reads the notes that appear.

If your notes do not contain the words people actually search for, they will not be found, however good the photos look.

What to do instead: build every note around a clear search phrase that combines location, cuisine and occasion, for example "Tanjong Pagar 日料 约会" (Tanjong Pagar Japanese date night). Put it in the title, the caption and the text on the cover image. We explain this in more detail in Why Most XHS Content Strategies Fail.

2. Are You Posting Adverts Instead of Experiences?

XHS users trust real experiences: what someone ordered, how much it cost, how long they queued, what was good and what was not. Heavily branded posts that read like advertisements tend to get fewer saves and comments.

What to do instead: write notes the way a diner would. Share prices, set menus, portion sizes, good seats, parking or MRT tips and an honest recommendation of who the place suits.

3. Are You Relying on One Big Influencer?

Many restaurants spend their whole budget on one well-known creator. The result is a single note that may get views for a few days and then disappears.

What to do instead: work with several KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers), everyday creators with smaller but engaged followings. Ten genuine notes from different diners create a cluster of content that keeps appearing in search results for months. See KOC vs KOL marketing and our guide on how to find food bloggers and KOCs in Singapore.

4. Machine-Translated or Unnatural Chinese

Copy that has been run through a translation tool is easy for native readers to spot, and it immediately lowers trust. Singapore Chinese-speaking diners also use local terms for places and dishes that tools often get wrong.

What to do instead: have notes written or edited by native Chinese speakers who know Singapore neighbourhoods and food culture.

5. No Professional Account Setup

Some restaurants post from a personal account with no clear name, address, opening hours or contact method. Customers who are interested cannot easily find out where to go.

What to do instead: set up a professional (business) account with a clear Chinese and English name, location, opening hours and contact details, and pin your most useful notes. Our article on XHS account management costs explains what ongoing management involves.

6. Giving Up Too Early

XHS rewards consistency. Notes build up over time, and older notes keep receiving search traffic. Restaurants that post for two weeks and stop never reach the point where search visibility compounds.

What to do instead: commit to at least three months of regular posting combined with KOC store visits, then review saves, profile visits, messages and walk-ins that mention XHS.

7. Ignoring Comments and Messages

Questions like "需要预约吗?" (Do I need to book?) or "有包间吗?" (Are there private rooms?) are buying signals. Leaving them unanswered loses customers who were ready to visit.

What to do instead: reply quickly and helpfully in Chinese, and use common questions as ideas for new notes.

A Simple XHS Checklist for Singapore F&B Brands

• Professional account with name, address, hours and contact details

• 8 to 12 notes targeting location and cuisine search phrases

• Native Chinese copywriting

• Regular KOC store visits (探店) instead of one big influencer

• Fast replies to comments and private messages

• Monthly review of saves, enquiries and walk-ins

For a full F&B playbook, read Xiaohongshu marketing for Singapore restaurants.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my XHS account not getting traffic?

Usually because notes do not match what users search for, the Chinese copy feels unnatural, or content has been reposted from other platforms without adapting it for XHS search.

Can Singapore businesses run ads on XHS?

Yes, but opening and verifying an advertising account from Singapore involves documentation and platform requirements that many in-house teams find difficult. An experienced agency can help with the process.

Why do XHS accounts get restricted?

Common causes are overly promotional content, repeated posting of the same material, misleading claims or an incorrect account setup. Following platform rules from the start avoids most problems.

Is XHS worth it for every restaurant?

It suits restaurants that want to reach Chinese-speaking diners, including residents, students, professionals and tourists. Results depend on consistent, localised content rather than one-off posts.

Get a Free XHS Audit

Start Media is a Singapore Xiaohongshu (小红书) marketing agency founded in 2022 by Dawn, who has 8 years on XHS and has trained 1,000+ students. We work with more than 100 local creators for KOC store visits. If your XHS account is not bringing in diners, contact us for a free XHS audit or explore our XHS marketing services.