The word ‘microblogging’ almost instantly brings to mind the global platform, Twitter. While Twitter may be the big one across the globe, India’s homegrown platform Koo has quietly built up a platform for netizens across the country, allowing them to air their views in 10 Indian languages. Aprameya Radhakrishna, co-founder and CEO, says Koo is meant to give a voice to 95% of the population that is more comfortable with vernacular languages. The plan is to gradually include all 22 of India’s official languages.
Building scale
Since its inception in March 2020, Koo has seen 40 million downloads, and it aims to reach the 100 million download mark by the end of FY23. “The potential for Koo to grow in India is tremendous. If there are 800 million internet users, the goal is to get at least 400 million of them to use Koo every month,” says Radhakrishna. Given the storm that Twitter finds itself from time to time, including tussles with the Indian government, Koo could very well become the microblogging alternative for the country’s netizens. The platform’s user base is predominantly male, 24-35 years of age, with a sizable number from tier-II and smaller cities such as Lucknow, Bhopal, Patna and Jaipur. Given that it has some star presence with users such as Virat Kohli and Anupam Kher, Radhakrishna adds it will also involve celebrities for promotional campaigns.
Getting recognition for a new platform like Koo can be challenging in the current logjam of social media apps, notes Mitesh Kothari, co-founder and CCO, White Rivers Media. “Promotions using celebrities and famous faces might work, but everything boils down to the user experience for a long-term impact. App stability, data security, accessibility, and the platform’s overall functionality help retain the users and amplify the marketing efforts,” says Kothari.
With fake profiles the bane of social media platforms, Koo recently started Aadhaar verification of user profiles, thus minimising fake accounts.
Monetisation plan
Radhakrishna observes that Koo is seeing interest from potential advertisers across sectors like FMCG, OTT and gaming, though these are still early days. “Over the next quarter, we plan to start monetising on a small scale,” he says.
That Koo is in its nascent stage also works in its favour, says Shradha Agarwal, co-founder and CEO at Grapes, a digital marketing agency. “Koo is clutter-free at the moment, allowing brands to experiment with it. Snapdeal, Amul, Droom and many others are already present on the platform. Brands can exercise better targeting with the less crowded landscape and attract paid promotions that ensure more traction,” she notes. The regional advantage is yet another advantage. Koo can enable brands to tap an audience beyond metros and tier-I markets, she says.
Also Read: Ad volumes on radio grew by 62% in H1,2022 over H1,2021: TAM AdEx
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook
