Weibo grassroots development where

They are the extreme representatives of the micro-blogging savage growth period, and have thus suffered a loss of freshness and excessive commercialization before others.

When standing on the Guanghua road near the east of Beijing, Fang Liyin can see CCTV's image of "big underwear", and the Teda center behind him is where the most active people on Weibo often go.

The title on Fangli's business card is "senior Account Manager", but in fact, he is a trader behind the micro-broad, which has millions of fans. And his Huayi Media group is located in the Teda Times Center of building 4th. The company, once a "beauty pageant", has now become China's most influential microblog marketing company. And on Sina Weibo's "micro-blog Comedy list" and many grassroots large are belong to this company. The founder of the company, Du Zijian, also used the title of "The father of Weibo marketing".

The geographical location and the most powerful media in China across the street, how much is a reflection of the impact of the two years Weibo. But at noon on July 4, in the hot streets of Beijing, Fang Liyin suddenly said to a friend: "Micro-great Dead is sooner or later." ”

At the end of 2010, social media was on the rise, and the grassroots, which depended on Sina Weibo, welcomed the golden opportunity for development. Cold jokes selected "," micro-blog comedy Rankings "and other grassroots large number of tweets forwarded from the previous 1000 to 6,000, the number of comments from the previous 500 rose to about 1000. At the same time, the grassroots large advertising quotes are soaring, from hundreds of yuan to 1000 yuan almost only spent one months.

It is because to see the development of large grassroots bright prospects, Fang Liyin decided to join the Du Zijian of microblogging marketing, determined to achieve a career. He still remembers what happened in early March 2011. At that time, his advertising offer changes every week, and every time a customer asks for an offer, he says, "This offer works only within a week, and the price is sure to rise by 30% per week." "At that time, there will always be a relationship to find Fang Liyin to agents of these grassroots large, and ultimately the number of people who have agents are few."

This May, grassroots large "cold jokes selected", "Micro-blog comedy", the global classic "and so on by the Sina ban, because content plagiarism." Fang Liyin A hunch that this is likely to be a signal that Sina is stepping up its control of the grassroots. Employees inside the company even speculated that the grassroots have come to an end? Like other colleagues, Fang Liyin is full of doubts.

Fang Liyin and colleagues ' suspicions are not without reason. As of July 5, 2012, the first "cold jokes selected" in Sina Weibo, the number of fans reached 10.29 million people, equivalent to the total number of the Dutch population. On the surface, the number of tweets it updates every day is about 120, compared with a few months ago, and the number of fans increased from more than 8 million to more than 10 million. But in fact, its advertising list is gradually falling, keeping only around seven or eight a day, compared with the peak period of thirty or forty per day, apparently a lot of decline.

Fang Liyin found that, although the company's "micro-blog Comedy list" and other grassroots large number of fans, but the forwarding price has not risen, and even some grassroots large prices have been slightly reduced. Moreover, the forwarding of ads are now very difficult to be seen at a glance of the "soft ads." He also found a detail in which colleagues would talk to customers for more than half an hour for an ad list-a thing that was unthinkable in the past.

Is it true that, after going through a frenzy of profit, the grassroots are really dying? What makes them the roller coaster of the general ups and downs of the fate?

The Grass roots become king

The time dates back to August 28, 2009. Sina Weibo just closed the beta, some people have already smelled the smell of money.

"At the time, we called all the customers and said," You give us authorization, we help you do microblogging marketing. "Ai Song, CEO of micro-blogging marketing company, said she and her colleagues were doing their best to study the new thing about Sina Weibo, and they compared the potential business models with Facebook and Twitter. The result of this comparison is that Sina Weibo is a highly advertising-oriented product.

Almost at the same time, often bubble in the Tianya Du Zijian, play forum wine Red Ice Blue (formerly known as Xiaojunli) began to experience Sina Weibo. At that time, there is no "cold jokes selected" This registration account, because some people on the Sina Weibo platform is not optimistic, before this, the domestic micro-BO platform rice, muttering, is forced to shut down.

October 23, after a period of wait and see, after 85 "Yin Guangxu in Sina Weibo registered" cold jokes selected. On this day, he posted 4 tweets.

In this way, Du Zijian, Yin Guangxu and other people became the first batch of Sina Weibo users. In the following time, the grassroots of the behind-the-scenes control of the three factions: Du Zijian, wine red ice blue each accounted for one, and angel investors Cai in the incorporation of Yin Guangxu, also occupy a place. At present, in the Sina Micro-bo grassroots large number ranked Top 50, Cai wins has 25, Du Zijian has 15, and 10 also belong to the wine red ice blue.

In the early days of Sina Weibo operation, Du Zijian, wine red ice blue and other people registered grassroots large to provide users with rich and colorful content, widely popular. Sina Weibo has left the staff Zhang, still remember at that time grassroots large popular situation: "Content recommended this piece, the basic are those funny, constellation of the grassroots large occupy." In fact, the original did not use our deliberately to recommend them, forwarding volume has explained everything. We are only in the new registered user this piece, will recommend these grassroots large. At that time, no one thought to make money. ”

But Du Zijian, who has long been on the internet, began to realise what, after playing for one months, he began to pay attention to Weibo, and to push away everything, to delve into the potential business value of Weibo. After a period of research, Du Zijian realizes that this new gadget will bring a lot of business income. As a result, he turned his "beauty pageant" into a microblog marketing company, with only 12 employees left. Hua Yi Media Group is responsible for the integration of resources Tian Ziwei said, at that time Du Zijian no business, with a group of people to raise these large, but he did first put forward the concept of microblogging marketing.

The unique vision of microblogging marketing, in the Du Zijian success of the road on the natural work, but in fact, the biggest impact on his grassroots, when it is to invest huge sums of money angel investor Shire.

"The original Shire investment Du Zijian before, call me to ask me grassroots how," the Network marketing company Wang Technology CEO Tong said, "At that time I said, the grassroots play a good game, but it is difficult to make money." However, not long Shire still give Du Zijian invested. ”

December 2010, Shire pulled blue cursor on the Du Zijian investment, both sides invested 2.5 million yuan to subscribe to the Du Zijian of the total stake in the Chinese arts 24.5%. In addition, the blue cursor of their 750-odd clients of the microblogging demand all to Du Zijian company to take care of.

After completing the investment, Du Zijian began frantically implementing plans to buy the grassroots. At that time, Du Zi built the strategy is: top, with a hundred thousand of of fans of the grassroots are he even with the number of "Yiguoduan"-account buyout, people into the company work. Although the Du Zijian did not disclose the purchase price, but according to industry sources, the original purchase price per grassroots large only around 60,000 yuan. "For people who don't need much, the price is pretty high, but it's not like they're going to make more than 60,000 dollars a day," he said. "Fang Liyin said.

Control

At a time of rapid rise of the grassroots, it is precisely when Sina Weibo needs to expand its influence. As the carrier of Sina, the grassroots large as attached to their own body, the same as its existence can help to promote the impact of Weibo, which is in line with Sina's interests, is a good thing. At that time, the new registered users are recommended to focus on the "people", most of them are grassroots large, and the content of the extension of the bar is almost all of the grassroots occupied.

Objectively speaking, if Sina Weibo is not originally to promote their influence and prop up the large, I am afraid the grassroots will not usher in such a brilliant profit moment. However, when the grassroots through micro-blog marketing to make a lot of money, the contradictions between its and Sina began to appear gradually.

Du Zijian has mastered a large number of grassroots large by acquiring and even managing the team behind the grassroots. In the beginning, Du Zijian through the "zombie powder" for the Enterprise Micro Bo marketing. For example, to a well-known beverage company to do micro-blog marketing, Du Zijian will be through the company's official micro-blog published content, with "micro-blog comedy table" to forward, and then through his control of the "Large Corps" collective forwarding, so that the original micro-Bo forward volume reached more than 40,000. In order to make the official Weibo meet the face, Du Zijian will also use the navy and "zombie powder" to make the company's fans instantly soar, the number of comments soared. However, in this lively marketing behind, the actual effect is not how good, and this practice attracted the strong dissatisfaction of Sina.

"I told Du Zijian in Xiamen that if you do this again, I'll have your account sealed off," he said. "Sina Vice president, microblogging division general manager Peng Shaobin in the media interview said.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of the contradictions between Sina and the grassroots. January 17, 2010 This day, "cold jokes selected" A total of 9 micro-blog, but also ushered in two advertising revenue. Although advertising is sporadic and not a big thing, but let "cold jokes selected" and other large size to see a good blueprint for future profits. In the two years since then, the grassroots have opened a business-profitable thoroughfare. 2011, only a "micro-blog comedy list," the annual profit is 15 million yuan. The commercial impact of the grassroots large is evident.

This situation has aroused Sina's attention. Or they start to be jealous.

As a carrier of Sina Weibo itself, it is less commercial than the landscape of the grassroots. In the third quarter of 2011, Sina's share price had surged to the all-time high of 147 U.S. dollars, and now only about 50 U.S. dollars. Wall Street once valued Sina at $6.9 billion trillion, and the value of microblogs accounted for about 70%. That is to say, Sina must be profitable on Weibo as soon as possible, before reversing the situation.

Unfortunately, Sina Weibo has not been able to develop a suitable business path. Rui Yi Heng is one of the earliest companies engaged in social network marketing, both on Sina Weibo to help customers do product or brand promotion, but also responsible for some of the official micro-blog brand maintenance. Motorola, red children and other customers often to Rui Yi Heng CEO Shen Pillar reflected that they do not want to work with the grassroots large, but the commercialization of Sina is too slow, so many customers want to advertise and find no way. Shen Pillars believe that if Sina's commercialization earlier, a year ago, there will not be so many grassroots live to this day. It is like Coca-Cola, Motorola such enterprises, to feed these grassroots large.

To reverse the adverse situation, Sina began to do two things. On the one hand, Sina is now in the process of speeding up commercialization, the introduction of apps, micro-games and other new means, hope that the end of the vast number of users and traffic, but it has been difficult to convert to the embarrassment of profitability.

In addition, Sina also launched a microblogging based on the topic and content of advertising declarations, such as micro-interview a quote of 75,000 yuan, a micro-live to 150,000 yuan, micro-blog iphone client top banner a week to 1.4 million yuan.

On the other hand, because of the maintenance of its own advertising system, to prevent the grassroots large advertising revenue split Sina's commercial interests, Sina Weibo began to implement a strict grassroots control measures. Tian Ziwei recalls that the previous grassroots large-fat pornographic pictures, yellow jokes are particularly popular, but this May, a ban on Sina, so many grassroots large are blocked or banned. The move, however, is just one of Sina's actions to control grassroots size.

At the beginning of March 2012, Sina a wide range of micro-bo "sweeping powder" (remove zombie powder), the focus of the object is the grassroots large. In this operation, the root of the large size of the powder drop rate of more than 10%, more than 30% to 40%.

After this sweep, "cold jokes selected", "micro-blog comedy rankings, such as grassroots large start on the ad cautious, even if there are ad lists will be selective forwarding, to maintain a daily in seven or eight or so, because more ads, on the one hand will drop powder, on the other hand Sina will look at.

"As long as Sina in advertising end exerting force, the prospect of grassroots large is not good." "Talking about the relationship between Sina and the grassroots, Fang Liyin, the senior account manager of Huayi Media Group, is full of worries.

The success or failure of the trader

In micro-blog marketing expert Jianhua View, the plight of grassroots large is not all caused by Sina, to Du Zijian as the representative of the back of the control in the micro-blog marketing is not professional, but also difficult to escape the blame. Jianhua questioned Du Zijian, Cai, wine, red ice and blue do not understand the spread and marketing, said they previously in the grassroots large field of success just catch up with a good time, luck. As a platform provider, once Sina, in the light of its advertising platform, has increased its control over the grassroots, those who are behind the grassroots can only resign.

Jianhua has had the experience of dealing with Du Zijian and others personally. After the Spring Festival, he paid to Du Zijian's Huayi Media Group training, the cost is 10,000 yuan, a period of 7 days. In these 7 days, he has contacted Du Zijian in the Huayi Media group and learned something about Weibo marketing. Before going to, Jianhua several times with Du Zi Company's staff to bargain, the final cost from 10,000 yuan reduced to 7500 yuan.

To Huayi Media Group, the first day of lunch, Du Zijian fete Jianhua and other 9 students. The grade of the day is very high, a meal ate more than 2000 yuan, this let Jianhua is very surprised, Du Zijian impression is very good. But the day after the expense, the next day of lunch, Jianhua can only eat fast food, the following days have been so. Jianhua guess, before the 2000 Yuan Feast, should be to coax students to sign up to learn it.

"The contrast is a bit large, as if it were a lie." This is the same as Du Zijian's microblog marketing class, the goal is high, but the final implementation of the customer is very disappointed. "Up to now, Jianhua mentioned Du Zijian also some unhappy:" 7 days, I did not learn anything, I hope to learn the things, but Du Zijian said is all theory. ”

In these 7 days, Jianhua has seen Du Zijian two times, the first is the first day of lunch, the second is the end of the last day, Du Zijian to say a paragraph. Jianhua that the basic aspects of the Du Zijian is not as good as the general marketing staff: "He said are unrestrained, said the importance of Weibo, micro Bo Why so fire, very exciting, but no dry goods." ”

"Financial world" weekly on this issue to Du Zijian, but did not receive a response.

Sometimes, people who study in Huayi Media Group will find Fang Liyin chat. Often at this time, Fang Liyin heart are silently read: Look, another set of fools to come. ”

In fact, Shen pillars very early Du Zijian defined as "Carnegie", the success of the lecturer, he felt that Du Zijian is not the dissemination of advertising, marketing, but the success of learning. He observes that Du Zijian's curriculum is not a professional thing, but a social and human nature. "These things are different from commercial brands, and his stuff is not business, it can only be inspirational." Shen Pillars said.

Shen Pillars feel that the grassroots go to today's point, and Du Zijian and other control of the unprofessional. He said: "Cai is an angel investor, the team is to do grassroots large, Du Zijian is a successful lecturer, pay attention to packaging their own, the name of their own packaging, you can continue to do so, and wine red ice blue only by their own large, it is difficult to have any prospects for development." ”

At the moment, Du Zijian, Cai and wine-red ice-blue are struggling in the grassroots, and at the same time, 3 of them are experimenting with different changes to adapt. As a grassroots large producer, Du Zijian in the training of the transition, CAI back to make investors, occasionally also take into account the software business, and wine red Ice Blue Company is in the adjustment.

The decline is hard to pull

In the grassroots large Micro Bo Lake, there is a "micro-bo Easy" advertising platform, playing an indispensable key role.

Micro Chih CEO Xu has been in Baidu for 9 years of search engine marketing, he has a unique, based on the data analysis of the microblogging marketing business. The micro-chih he controls has tracked more than 40,000 Weibo accounts, identified 7,000 valuable accounts and signed a long-term partnership agreement with them. These accounts have a specific preference of fans, when the enterprise has to promote demand, they find the most matching account to promote.

Unlike the grassroots large size, Weibo is easy to pursue monopoly and scale effect, adopt low profit policy. In this way, micro-chih to the business to provide micro-blog marketing prices, will be far below the grassroots large price, the grassroots large commercial advertising volume caused a great impact. Some industry insiders believe that the existence of micro-chih, greatly accelerated the decline of the grassroots large.

Of course, in the barbaric period of growth, there will be micro-bo such platforms in the test of grassroots large this industry has no vitality. But in the final analysis, the grassroots in the content and advertising mode can not be upgraded, is the root cause of the death.

An Yong is a freelancer and a micro-blogging control. Over the past 3 years, he has focused on more than 20 grassroots, but now many large black. "Very annoying, the past Sina has no content, I just pay attention to them, now different, all kinds of content have, grassroots large hair of those messy things, interfered with my vision, definitely canceled attention." "An Yong said.

Sina responsible for data to the "financial world" weekly revealed that grassroots large group of concern 60% white-collar workers and students, this group of people care about the content. Once the grassroots large content updates let them feel visual fatigue or no new ideas, then the cancellation of attention is understandable. Currently on Weibo, it is like "the Internet Thing" and other professionals in a field Seiko professional operation of the grassroots large is popular, as well as "sister paper blog" to the whole country's news, their own on the news to express the views of the grassroots large, but also very popular with readers.

But for the grassroots large, there are many difficulties in the transformation of content. At present, the root of large content sources mainly rely on three kinds of means: the first, translation of foreign content, and then sent to the micro-blog; the second, pure plagiarism, do not produce their own content, what other people have good jokes, directly passed over; third, there are planning topics. So far, in terms of content, none of these grassroots is willing to change, because once the third "planning Project" model is chosen, its operating costs will rise, and the direction of development will change significantly.

For the current grassroots large, 360 mobile phone guards before the operator, now engaged in pioneering micro-BO data development Shobezhen that the first batch of micro-bo grassroots large no technical content and original content, and even the copyright does not pay attention to. Because they are the first batch, the qualifications of the old, take the initiative, if they do not reflect on their own, pay attention to their views and copyright, will surely die. Zhang Zhian, associate professor of communication and design at Sun Yat-sen University, also believes that many grassroots microblogging has interesting or humane things in it, and once into the commercial field, must be conventional, institutional, otherwise it is difficult to maintain long-term influence, to the decline of the reasonable.

Not only is the grassroots large, the fact that the entire Sina Weibo has lost its past activity. Internet traffic monitoring agency Alexa data show that Sina Weibo growth slowed in 2011, the third quarter of user activity decreased by about 30%, and the cause of this phenomenon, in addition to zombie powder rampant and strict examination of such external factors, the lack of content production caused by the loss of freshness is an important internal.

Interestingly, in foreign countries, Twitter and Facebook's grassroots size is not as sharp as the domestic grassroots large rise and decline, and like the "micro-blog comedy" annual profit of 15 million yuan situation will not appear. Take Twitter, for example, the grassroots large women ' shumor has more than 910,000 fans, on July 3 this day, only sent two soft text ads, one is a health site, the other is a questionnaire network.

The main reason Twitter and Facebook's grassroots are not as rampant as at home is that they prematurely launched their own advertising model. For example, Facebook works with large advertisers such as Ford and Pepsi, and users can see which friends are interested in the brand or product in the advertisement. More than a year ago, Facebook launched a "social environment" ad based on collected user preferences and buddy information. Twitter's advertising model, though later than Facebook, was launched in November 2011 with ads for topics, hotspots and tweets. Sina's micro-interview, micro-games are mostly for individuals, for the enterprise more reasonable advertising model is still groping.

In the final analysis, Sina Weibo's immature advertising model is one of the reasons why the "cold joke picks" are a big mess, compared with Twitter and Facebook. Perhaps this is the only way to explore Chinese social media.

July 4, 2012, "cold jokes featured" forwarding ads for only 8, and this day, the number of tweets is 115. From the registration of 4 micro-blog every day, to the current 115, "cold jokes selected" such as roller coaster, experienced the initial deserted, the middle of the madness, the late decline and future unpredictable. Equally unpredictable, and the size of the grassroots that cling to Sina Weibo, is where the future goes.

(Should interview the object request, the article Fang Liyin, Jianhua, Zhang all are aliases)