Social Networking Journal » Social Network News

How Is Hi5 Doing In Social Media?

Heather — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:31:58 +0000

Hi5 is a social network, created in 2003 by Ramu Yalamanchi, an entrepreneur of Indian descent. The site follows the criteria of those of any social media, has a neat, clean design and is mostly used by Hispanic people. As of 2009, they claim to have over 60 million active users. It is currently ranked as the 26th most popular site on the web by Alexa. There is, however, a question – will hi5 sustain their growth in the countries they’re active in, or they’ll surrender their share of the market to other, larger social networks like Facebook?

Hi5’s current market:
Hi5 is popular in Latin America and some countries in Europe e.g. Romania and Portugal. It is also quite popular in Asia, namely Thailand. The use of hi5.com is falling in the U.S. and other Facebook-migrating countries. However, it will sustain at least some of their user pool in the U.S. since immigrants will continue to use the service. The site is popular among people who share the love for hip-hop and reggae, so it’s quite easy for them to target their advertising.

List of successes:
Hi5.com offers many translated versions of their site, as the site’s popular used in many different countries. They happened to quickly tap into markets of which other sites weren’t conscious with their translated versions. Hi5 music is quite developed, with the same features MySpace music offers, but their music is more targeted to their members, simply because many of them share the same taste.
They’ve adopted OpenSocial applications to a degree other sites can only dream of – more than half of their members are said to use third-party developer apps to use with hi5.com.

List of downsides:
They are known to advertise via unsolicited bulk mail aka spam and there have been reports of phishing e-mails appearing as hi5.com friend requests.
Hi5.com is getting fewer and fewer visitors each month. More and more people are turning to more popular sites like Facebook and other sites with more members than hi5, but it is arguable whether or not it’s the fault of hi5. Although subject to some innovations, they added their own IM service within the site a few months after Facebook did and generally are slower to add new features.

It looks like hi5.com has a few years to live, after that it’s only downhill. Although there is a chance that the social networking can make a comeback, they’ve have lost about 20 million users during the last year and now claim to have some 60 million active members. 60 million is still a lot, but competition is fierce in the social networking vertical and the reign of Facebook could cause hi5.com to lose a lot of visitors to Facebook in the future. The site will probably sustain the markets it has conquered, while losing in those they haven’t, but in short, it seems like it’s an uphill battle for hi5.com to compete with the larger sites. However, if they decide to fight, we might witness some innovative features added, so it is worthwhile to follow the activities of the social networking website.

Mobile Social Networking

Heather — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:32:36 +0000

With social networking websites like Facebook, Myspace and Twitter gaining popularity every day, it’s no surprise that mobile social networking is on the rise, too.

A number of today’s mobile phones and devices are now equipped with internet access so people can now gain access to these websites with little or no barrier. In fact, some cell phones are even designed to make visiting a social networking website easier.

Advantages of mobile social networking

Freedom to stay connected no matter if you’re enjoying a day at the park or waiting for a flight at the airport.
Ease of use. Now you don’t have to be tethered to a cumbersome desktop computer to update your ’status’ online.
The ability to send and receive quick messages to family and friends without logging into an Email program.

Disadvantages of mobile social networking

Cost. Wireless plans don’t come for free, so be sure that your calling plan isn’t going to cost you a small fortune for accessing your favorite social networking website.
Social Networking addiction. With no reason to log out, you might end up spending an inordinate amount of time “Twittering.”
The truth is, social networking is fun to do and the ability to upload photos and video from your mobile phone makes the experience more interactive – it’s almost like bringing your friends and family with you wherever you go!

Mobile Social Networking Is Bright Spot

admin — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 18:37:28 +0000

Mobile social networking is a bright spot in the current landscape of business. Since 2007, social mobile networking has grown a rather impressive 187%. And the trend doesn’t appear to be slowing down any.

Other highlights of the Kelsey Group/ConStat report: In October 2008, 15.6 percent of subscribers searched the mobile web for local products or services (compared to 9.8 percent in September 2007), 14.3 percent searched the mobile web for products or services outside of their local area (compared to 6.4 percent), 13.7 percent accessed mobile for information on movies or other entertainment (compared to 8.2 percent), 11.7 percent accessed info on restaurants or bars (compared to 9.0 percent) and 8.4 percent watched or purchased a mobile video clip (compared to 4.4 percent).

As expected, mobile users are big users of social networks. Social networks are hitting critical mass, and heavy users of them want access, regardless of where they’re at.

The social networking space, especially for mobile users, remains healthy.

Bebo, Facebook And YouTube Targeted For Political Ads

admin — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:08:24 +0000

The Lisbon Referendum Commission is looking to change public policy, so they’ve decided to advertiser where they think their voters are, namely the major social networks. They feel that young people are using the sites, and that’s what makes them a good place to advertise.

Chairman of the commission, Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O’Neill, said that the commission would not engage in debate around the treaty issues.

However, he said the commission believes, in its considered opinion, that Ireland’s position on neutrality and tax would not be altered by the Lisbon Treaty.

The Referendum Commission is an independent body set up by law to ensure voters are informed about the issues involved in the 12 June referendum.

As well as providing impartial information, its role is to encourage citizens to vote

Bebo, Facebook, and YouTube are generally considered to be the most popular destinations for most of the world’s youths.

Social Networking Takes On Malaria

Heather — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:26:16 +0000

Social networking isn’t just something for entertainment. One social network has decided to use their
networking abilities to battle against Malaria – a deadly disease that’s spread by pesky mosquitoes.

Malaria Engage is accepting donations to help select scientists in developing countries learn more and battle against the disease.

“It’s shocking that thousands of people are dying every day from a preventable disease. When I came back from Africa last summer, a lot of people asked me what they can do to help. By encouraging individual participation and involvement, we will create international communities of common interest.” said Tom Hadfield, one of the team members involved with the site.

There are seven different fields of study and a donation of $10 or more will go a long way. Hadfield also stated that he’s hoping to spread word about Malaria Engage to Facebook and other social networking sites to help raise awareness (and cash) for his cause.

This is one disease that kills far too many people on a daily basis and it’s great to see that someone is trying to help with prevention, cure and awareness.

Social Networks For Baby Boomers Growing

admin — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:37:40 +0000

Baby Boomers are getting in on the act at social networks. Not only that, but the boomers are attracted to the services for the same reasons as younger people. They are looking to meet people and be social.

Eons is one of at least two dozen social networks aimed squarely at baby boomers, the population bubble born between 1946 and 1964 that has defied traditional perceptions of aging and retirement. Many boomers jumped into the Internet mashup to keep track of their kids on Facebook or MySpace, then moved on to their own networks in search of more common ground.

They’re blogging about the virtues of oatmeal and the beauty of aging, posting video clips from their favorite old movies, and sharing ideas and support on grieving the death of a spouse, caring for a sick parent or sex after 50.

As many Baby Boomers are already retired, they have the time it requires to make the most of a social network. I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of this trend.

Frengo Introduces OpenSocial Mobile Toolkit

admin — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:45:01 +0000

Frengo today announced a new OpenSocial Toolkit. The company says the software extends the functionality of social networking by allowing developers to build complex applications on of their API.

“Our services on Facebook attract millions of users and we are excited to support OpenSocial networks and the thousands of developers building applications across that platform,” said Mahi de Silva, Frengo CEO. “We learned very quickly that social networking has no geographic boundaries and are especially excited about social networks extending the reach of fun, social experiences to places where the Internet is more likely to be accessed on a mobile phone than a PC. Mobility brings a level of intimacy and convenience, making it easy for people to stay connected in ways not possible on a PC.”

Frengo also has some nice options for users of Hi5.

“As we launch third-party applications to hi5 members, we’re pleased to include ones that are already mobile enabled,” said Ramu Yalamanchi, CEO of hi5 Networks, Inc., the leading social network in over 20 nations, a founding adopter of OpenSocial, and the 8th most-trafficked website in the world. “We think it’s great that Frengo’s OpenSocial mobile toolkit is helping to bring mobile applications to our 80 million registered members.”

Look for more out of Frengo in coming months.