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“The Social Network Service Quest for Premium Revenue = Virtual Items” |
Sean Ryan from Meez gives a convincing answer why virtual goods and social networks are a good combination:
The best reason for them to pay is that in an SNS, which is really about people interacting with each other, the #1 goal is STATUS – how can I be different, better, have more authority, etc, and most importantly, how can I impress those around me with that status? It’s so basic, and is sometimes overlooked. It’s not about getting loyal users to pay for premium services like Music since those are generally solitary services which don’t take advantage of a social network filled with people checking each other out. It can be as basic as a virtual gifting system, and as sophisticated as a fully built-out virtual item marketplace. The “online bar” FUBAR is probably the most developed in the US, with a relentless focus on getting users to pay to impress members of the opposite gender, or to somehow benefit the group through happy hour sponsorship, but there are numerous other examples emerging.
Read the full article: SharkJumping: The Social Network Service Quest for Premium Revenue = Virtual Items
