When it comes to finding a partner in China, one term has been mentioned again and again for some time: Momo. The popular dating app has been breaking all records for months. While many young Chinese have had to rely largely on classic search portals, the mobile app gives them new options when choosing a partner thanks to local search. In terms of the number of downloads, Momo broke the 150 million mark a few weeks ago.
When it comes to online dating, Momo is currently on everyone’s lips. Just in the middle of last week, the Beijing company with a branch in San Francisco presented the fifth version of the mobile app. What is new is a ranking system that categorizes users according to their reliability: from “extremely unreliable” to “reliable”. For Momo, reliability means activity above all. Those who use the app more often can use additional service offers free of charge. All other users have the opportunity to request VIP services, such as additional emoticons, for a corresponding fee. Advertisers have been able to reach customers on Momo via display ads since 2013.
Momo also has a mobile gaming platform. The app developer is thus adopting the business concept of other providers, such as Tencent (QQ). Similar to Weixin, it is possible to find other users via a local search. Using short statements, smartphone users can draw attention to themselves and also show which other social networks they are active in.
Quick date or “bond for life”?
The app developer likes to point to cases in which young people have tied the knot thanks to Momo. Social media expert Steven Millward believes, however, that a not insignificant number of users are looking for uncomplicated acquaintances. The highly efficient local search tools in particular enable singles from cities such as Shanghai and Beijing to get in touch with each other quickly and without long-term ulterior motives. The operators have recently been trying to counteract the reputation as a network for quick dates with a marketing campaign. “We are doing everything we can to filter out insulting and derogatory comments and delete fake profiles,” says Momo’s managing director Tang Yan, who wants the app to be a platform for long-term relationships.
Successful in China, still no chance overseas
Despite its success in China, Momo has so far fought in vain for market share overseas. After more than a year and a half, the app developer has now decided to temporarily close its English-language sister platform. International users have not yet been completely written off. Rather, the app developer is planning to relaunch the English-language site under new auspices in the coming months, according to a statement published by the South China Morning Post. “Momo’s problems are comparable to those of other Chinese networks: successful in China, but largely hopeless abroad,” says Jon Russell from the agency TheNextWeb. Over 70 percent of the users of Weixin, China’s most successful mobile app to date, also come from the Middle Kingdom – despite several innovative features that make the network superior to competitors such as WhatsApp.