Is it really undergrowth under the WeChat it?

Mok Street, said "I have 150 million users," Ericsson singing "users break billions only 11 months" ... ... This is not ten years ago, or even three years ago, the Renren, happy network and Weibo Fenghua In recent years, even in the social era of being recognized as WeChat as the king, the data can not be convulsed and it is still a matter of controversy. So the question arises - is there any absolute social hegemony over the Internet?

WeChat is not unique

Three years will be sitting on 600 million users, get "the largest mobile Internet era ferry ticket," WeChat is really under the grass?

At least once domineering QQ unwilling, for Bingfa mobile Internet Tencent, the evolution of the mobile QQ features and virtually do not lose WeChat. As recent street unfamiliar, data dispute triggered by Eason, in addition to the user dimension, WeChat, listed on the agenda unfamiliar street, aggressive credo, Sina microblogging or have been landing Nasdaq are still issued sound. According to Yuan Fo-yu, the general manager of YiXin Market, the current average user still uses 3.25 mobile social products at the same time.

3.25 is an interesting data, which means that there are still more than two locations beyond WeChat. However, some market observers point out that the social tools that appear on users' mobile phones with WeChat can not be too similar to WeChat, and it is just the positioning of other social tools in the future.

In fact, the most common users can also have a clear definition of the marketplace from the big ideas and mainstream social media. Such as: WeChat, Renren, Yi Xin, both belong to the "social & real familiar" type; microblogging are "media & real familiar" type; neighbors, neighbors belong to "social & virtual strange" type; & Virtual strange "type; and emerging anonymous social product secrets, toast and beep is very special, just in the intersection of all the above properties.

In fact, no matter whether social or media attributes are still familiar with or unfamiliar to virtual reality, there is no complete comparison of advantages and disadvantages with each other. If the hero of function is really guilty of "classifying all users as one type of person" The target group error.

Of course, WeChat basically has the ability to encompass all, but does not exclude certain segments of users to install the second or even third social tools to form a more focused social group. For example, many students choose Renren, and white-collar workers may want to install credible.

Looking back at the development of social networks in China, from the beginning of BBS to QQ and then to the surging of social networking sites such as Renren, the products of domestic social networks have become richer and more enriched. The ecosystem and pattern of social networks have been constantly improved, providing Internet users with a multi-perspective , All-weather online social life. Weibo may have all the rage, everyone, and even End of the World, Douban has no edge, but it is there, and more and more shows that the complementarity greater than the competitive market attributes.

User where to go

Pet spoiled by the user's products, after the user's fresh strength receded, have to experience a decline, bottleneck or even low period. Cloaking WeChat was praised at the same time also naturally became the benchmark for reflection. During this period, it was a perfect time for competitors to dig their feet under the banner of "rational return."

The case can best explain the problem, Sina microblogging due to the decline of WeChat, is still listed and profitable; the establishment of eight years of Renren passed the peak period, but also a number of sudden attacks, but still as "undead small" . In many questions, everyone is still the most powerful social platform rooted in the campus and young people groups, which can not be ignored even by WeChat.

According to experts in social network research, the starting point for online social networking is e-mail. The advent of BBS takes social networking one step further, reducing the cost of communicating from a mere point to a point and pushing down the cost of communicating with peers. Then, instant messaging and blogs looked like upgraded versions of email and BBS - instant messaging boosted instant results and simultaneous communication, and blogs started to embody an increasing sense of individuality. Then, with social networking sites with the concept of entertainment, social networking has made great strides. Weibo opened the era of micro-information social networks, while WeChat combined the micro-information social and mobile services such as location services.

Today, online social networking has moved closer and closer to real-life needs from "incremental entertainment" to "constant life". This also means that in the real life how the crowd divided, how to circulate the crowd in the network life. Zero2IPO Research Center's report defines it as "the four ages" - the early era of social networking, the era of BBS, the era of entertainment-based social networks, the era of information-based social networks and the era of vertical social networking.

At present, the social network pattern in China can also be divided into four functional components: basic functional network, core network, subdivision network and value added derivative network. The basic functional network includes online Q & A, online encyclopedia, blog (Sina blog), document sharing (Baidu library), etc. The core networks include social networking sites (Weibo), Weibo (Microblogging), instant messaging (QQ), mobile social networking (WeChat), forums (End of the World), etc .; value-added derivative networks include social games (everyone's game), social electricity providers Online travel (poor travel), picture sharing and more.

From imitation to speaking myself

In the historical period of homogenization competition, Internet companies like to imitate more powerful competitors. Just as Chinese internet companies are telling stories in the United States, the most important thing is to clarify that they are "China's XX."

But now the social war needs to "return from imitation to talk about themselves", Renren, Weibo and WeChat live together, but each solve or improve some social functions and needs. WeChat's circle of friends is hot, but it's also just one dimension of social networks that require more dimensions to meet people's social needs anytime, anywhere, and in different situations.

Some analysts pointed out that unlike a few years ago we flocked to some of the features, and now social tools are consciously looking for their own story. For example, microblogging still adhere to the value of media communication, in this area has an irreplaceable status. The Renren network after many rounds of social boom and baptism, still occupy an important corner of the social network - the campus market.

"Students graduated, is the school canteen not open yet?" This is an insider issued a questioning, to describe all networks in the school's position and future. "There are graduates every year, but there are also new students enrolled every year. Therefore, all the young people and student groups covered by AllNet are like a pool of living water.

Everyone CEO Chen Zhou has repeatedly stressed that the future will re-focus "Renren business and" 90 after "young people. The focus of the business, will make everyone on the audience, the user's research and understanding of more in-depth. Incorporating these sophisticated understandings into your product will better add to user stickiness. At the same time, familiarity with the behavioral characteristics of the "post-90s" emerging forces and student groups has made all the data about undergraduates' behaviors, interests and other data available for further exploration and cross-industry application more valuable. This allows those who can not understand the "90" and the Cenozoic business owners, advertisers, no doubt have a good data reference.

Easy letter, beep, toast and other products released, but also sufficient to prove that some social needs can not be achieved by WeChat. Together, they confirm that the social needs of Chinese netizens are moving toward diversification. No one can satisfy all the social needs of all Internet users. Therefore, diversified social products are inevitably needed in the market.

Beijing Business Daily reporter Zhang Xu Wang / article