The Trust Building of Beauty Bloggers on Xiaohongshu and the Impact of the ‘Seeding’ Mechanism from the Perspective of ‘She Economy’

Abstract

Based on the background of the ‘She Economy’, this study focuses on the beauty field of Xiaohongshu. It introduces Howard Becker’s Art World Theory as an integrative analytical framework, regarding the platform ecosystem as a dynamic ‘Art World’ .The world relies on the collaborative network and sharing Convention among beauty bloggers (creators), the platform (art institution),female users (audiences), and brands (sponsors),this study systematically investigated how the three core Convention of professionalism, authenticity and empathy were collectively constructed and negotiated in the world, so as to build user trust. The research further revealed the operation logic of the ‘seeding’ mechanism operating along the path of ‘convention-driven content production→negotiated user interaction→trust-based transformation’.Research finds that while this collaborative network has positive effects in promoting consumption and creating value, there were also inherent risks from the erosion of business Convention, such as content homogenization, trust overdraft, and irrational consumption triggering. Accordingly, this study puts forward targeted governance suggestions to all stakeholders to promote the healthy development of the ecosystem under the routine maintenance.