China's UGC (user-generated content) community app, Xiaohongshu (RED), recently announced a creator fund and traffic support measures for mid-to-long-form videos, attracting industry attention. The platform, which evolved from a shopping information site into an SNS, now boasts over 400 million monthly active users (MAU) and 800 million daily searches, wielding significant influence both domestically and internationally. It is currently exploring a new growth path to differentiate itself from competitors.

Xiaohongshu defines mid-to-long-form videos as "content longer than 2 minutes." It has established a fund worth tens of millions of yuan (hundreds of millions of Japanese yen) in this area, aiming to support up to 1 million yuan (approximately 23,522,900 JPY) per phase to provide appropriate remuneration to high-quality creators. Simultaneously, it will change the basic logic of its algorithm. Moving away from an over-reliance on completion rates, such as whether a video was watched to the end, it will shift to major indicators such as watch time, horizontal screen playback, and engagement through comments. Furthermore, it will extend the content recommendation period and create a fairer evaluation environment for long-form videos. Additionally, referencing YouTube's ad revenue sharing model, plans are underway to insert advertisements at appropriate points in videos and distribute revenue to creators based on viewership.

This decision is regarded by the industry as going against the prevailing trend. According to the "China Online Audio-Visual Development Research Report" for the past two years, short-form video apps continue to maintain their lead in user scale and usage time. By the end of 2025, China's online audio-visual user base is expected to reach 1.099 billion, with short dramas being the segment experiencing the most rapid year-on-year increase in daily usage time.

The person in charge of Xiaohongshu's relevant initiatives admits that, from the perspective of the platform's short-term commercial returns, the return on investment (ROI) for mid-to-long-form videos is significantly lower than for short-form videos. However, they state, "Users need this kind of content, and this also includes the company's idealism, because for Chinese people, moral education and aesthetic education are both important." They also point out that in the mid-to-long-form video sector, new top creators have not emerged in the Chinese internet industry in recent years, and content themes tend to be homogenized.

Industry observers point to another underlying reason: with MAU reaching 400 million, Xiaohongshu's original positioning as a "lifestyle guide" alone can no longer support the consumption needs of such a large user base. Similar to many major community services in China and abroad, its development is currently at a turning point.

Among these, Xiaohongshu's attempt to seek growth through mid-to-long-form videos and high-quality content, despite facing numerous business challenges, has been largely well-received and anticipated by the industry. In China, there is a growing view that a respectable creator community should not merely pursue traffic but also be a place that can foster an environment where excellent works can emerge. (Provided by/CGTN Japanese)