India finally seems to be responding to viral marketing. After Orkut that seems to have taken off on back of viral marketing, last month Tagged.com showed a brilliant run (globally, but in India as well – its Alexa 33 for India already) on back of suck-email-addresses-and-send-invites functionality. Some of the local social networking sites also seem to be headed for critical mass.
The manner in which Orkut took off seems to be very different from Tagged.com though. Orkut seemed more organic unlike the mass messaging style of Tagged.com. Earlier, I believe hi5 had followed the same path. While this helps create quick base of users, wanted to get people’s views on what really makes them stick? What is the set of “local features” that Indian social networking sites can create to provide a superior offering to Indian consumers? One of the clear answers seem to be mobile interface to site functionality. The other one perhaps is local content such as bollywood. However, community is the central product of a social network, and that gets created automatically on a site as you get more people on.
Would love to hear from folks here on what they think is the killer app on social networking, which is their favorite network and why?
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“In my opinion, people have assorted reasons for using social networking sites. While such sites provide an effortless way of establishing a presence on the web, I do believe that repeat visits are driven by the need to either meet people or get information”
Vineeth had very summed up the “need” side of joining social networking sites.Viral marketting will get you the “lets-try-this-one-too” memebers.What matters more is to retain those memebers.
Initally I had membership in all social sites yaari,hi5,orkut,linkin,tagged etc.I joined them becoz my friend sent me the links.I now used only Orkut.Why?Not becoz its best ,but becoz its the first one I used and most of my friends use it. Initially we were active members.Now we scrap on special occations.
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I share this experience with buddies.Even the most web savvy among us are now not get excited by “you are Tagged” spam we are getting daily.
Reasons for such customer behaviour could be many but the point is that “intial lets try it too” activity and membership of site doet not matter.
In my opinion social networking sites have done little to keep their memeber.Stickyness of social sites is decreasing while membership is increasing due to viral marketing.Viral marketing is most effective when combined with innovation,creativity,and uniqueness of social site.
Have you checked out ‘Twitter’ yet!?
Longer post later – post our social media workshop on Friday.
Cheers.
Rajesh
I haven’t signed up with Tagged. because of this clause in their terms of service:
E) Notice Regarding Commercial Email
MEMBERS CONSENT TO RECEIVE COMMERCIAL E-MAIL MESSAGES FROM TAGGED, AND ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT THEIR EMAIL ADDRESSES AND OTHER PERSONAL INFORMATION MAY BE USED BY TAGGED FOR THE PURPOSE OF INITIATING COMMERCIAL E-MAIL MESSAGES.
“Aa bail mujhe maar”
Social networking use in India: I don’t find arranged marriage interesting, there are specific sites that have it covered (plus there’s no “local” flavour, potential spouses could be seven seas across)
What are the social activities people do in India? Religion for one – that’s a niche no one has tapped online in a social networking way. A DVD/CD exchange system may be another use – like a library for books. Parenting is yet another niche that none have tapped significantly (other than indiaparenting.com).
Hi ,
I think having a social networking feature for arranged marriage is very interesting. But I think in real life, this networking is done by the parents and even though parents have become comfortable using matrimony sites they would find it tough to use a site like orkut.Thats a guess though.
Another big winner could be cricket.
Alok,
I tried to contact you throught the band of angels website. Seems it doesn’t work as I am still to get a reply from you.
Mohit
In my opinion, people have assorted reasons for using social networking sites. While such sites provide an effortless way of establishing a presence on the web, I do believe that repeat visits are driven by the need to either meet people or get information. Further, the more the relevant, useful, timely or interesting the information, the better. Majority of the sites out there focus on the former, i.e., giving people a way to establish a unique online presence. A few others, like LinkedIn (granted professional, not social) are more effective at providing access to people and information.
For the Indian market, a few applications come to mind considering the context behind the need to find people and/or information in a social setting. First, given the continued popularity of arranged marriages, many of which are largely done through referrals within family and/or a circle of friends, a social networking site that puts people in touch could be particularly useful. Second, the same could apply for other social functions such as finding caterers for house functions, ‘pujaris’ for poojas, help around the house, etc. — done through an information database, even if these very people may not be on the network themselves. Third, a smart shopping site that allows people to get referral fees for advertising products and/or services to their social network could be well received as well (similar to yub.com).
There are many other ideas of course, but I do believe that the key is to pick a niche in terms of providing people the access to some unique type of information or group of people.
Hope that helps!
-V