Know Your Audience

Engagement and connectivity with your target audience.

Since the beginning of social media, consumers have seen a continuous influx of the new “in” platform. Some, like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter), have survived. They offered platforms for multiple uses. They have actively engaged through a business-to-consumer and provided for consumer-to-consumer arenas. These companies acted on consumer needs and this adaptability has proven to be the winning formula. Others, like MySpace, have disappeared. They did not adapt to changing consumer behavior, thus were overcome by companies with a growth mindset and flexibility. In 2024, there are over 5 billion social media users of a total population of over 8 billion. The competition to capture such a large, diverse audience is an everyday job. One such company is Orkut, a Google subsidiary. It is a prime example of how knowing a target audience is a successful marketing strategy. Orkut allowed users to engage with one another on a shared topic and have a sense of community, contributing to its decade of success (Mahoney & Tang, 2016, p. 192).

Orkut: Providing a Need to a Target Audience

The goal of Orkut was like most social media platforms, to offer communities for its users through shared interests. Initially, Orkut proved to be a winning strategy. Within the first four months, over 50,000 communities were developed. Eventually, the site had over 30 million communities. Orkut was different from its competitors because to join a person needed to be invited. This strategy caused the platform to become very popular with professionals, especially those in technology. With an invitation, users felt they belonged to the community. It gave them a sense of pride that fellow professionals valued their contribution. Orkut also emphasized user privacy and security, which provided a safe environment for openness. Orkut’s user-friendly site enabled users to engage with others through a rating system. This feature allowed communities within the site to thrive and promoted open dialogue. The site’s largest audience was in Brazil. This audience is very tech-savvy. Nearly the entire population has a cell phone. Understanding their audience, Orkut allowed for instant and constant connectivity and engagement with their online community. Orkut leadership realized the opportunity and provided a site that met a target audience needs and wants (Mahoney & Tang, 2016, p.192).

Lessons Learned

Orkut only lasted for 10 years, but there are lessons to be learned from its successes (Mahoney & Tang, 2016, p. 162). You must know your target audience. Providing a platform to engage is crucial and one that brings a prestige to communities. Connectivity through these communities forms the baseline for a successful online presence. However, a company must engage and listen to these communities. This active engagement will foster the innovation needed to build a following a brand loyalty. To remain relevant, sites must be adaptable and flexible. Platforms must be more than just a place to connect. They must offer a variety of options for its users based on their needs, and the only way to know their needs is by understanding them. A site should be a “one-stop” experience where users can easily navigate from one usage to another and not require a user to open additional apps or sites to achieve their needs. Therefore, know your audience…adapt, innovate, and create the place they want to be.

Mahoney, L. M., & Tang, T. (2016). Strategic Social Media: From Marketing to Social Change. Wiley Global Research (STMS). https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781118556900