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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Hi Alok
Given that India is a rapidly growing economy I think social networking for career advancement is a key thing. I have developed some ideas around the application and posted onto your Ideas and Companies page. However, I do not think the idea has any specific India focus: it can move across cultures and geographies
sanjoy
“Some of the local social networking sites also seem to be headed for critical mass”
which ones?
what do you think is critical mass for social networking?
I use only LI & Facebook. I like one thing about facebook that is it’s light UI, very fast & easy navigation. This website has got simple feature’s yet strong in nature.
About LI, I can only say it’s wonderful website to gain knowledge. Their Q&A section is most interesting.
“The mobile interface to site” as a business model is limiting – considering the affordability of WAP enabled handsets, their fewer numbers and the mini screen display which is not quite an eyefull.
Success of a social site depends on its utility value and the profile of members that it is able to suck. Compare Linkedin with other me too’s around and you will know.
While building any social network model for masses, let’s remember the operative words are `FREE’ and `UTILITY’. That’s also the reason why VAS is still limping.
A Free Utility is what we look for. Look at the usage of Alarm, Reminders, Calculator in a mobile with other paid VAS apps ?. ARPUs keep going down and down ( latest was $ 5 or Rs.225/- p.m ) That’s about it.
Hi
Well Tagg seems to be using spam to build traffic. See this
http://www.startupavenues.com/news/2007/03/21/tagged-brilliant-use-of-spam-to-grow-%e2%80%a6/