As a child, Orkut Büyükkökten was bullied because, he thought, he was small and “nerdy.” Several years later, he had an opportunity to ask one of his childhood bullies, why? The response: School was easy for Orkut, and other kids were jealous.
Perhaps it is these experiences that have driven Orkut to spend his life attempting to connect people. At Google, where he worked as a developer, Orkut spent time creating a social network that wasn’t aimed at any specific demographic. Encouraged by management, that social media platform launched in 2004 as Orkut.com.
Introducing Orkut.com
Orkut grew fast from the start. In particular, the platform did well in Brazil, which ultimately accounted for over 90% of its total page views. However, the platform’s popularity began to decline in the late 2000s due to a number of factors, including the rise of newer social media platforms like Facebook, as well as changes in user preferences.
The early days of Orkut and its popularity in Brazil and India.
Not long after launch, Orkut was the dominant force in social media in Brazil and India. It offered users an enjoyable way to connect with friends, family members, and included a strong focus on community building. The platform was a pioneer in the social media space, and it played an important role in the early days of the internet and Web 2.0 concepts. Specifically, Orkut carried these advantages:
The rise of Facebook and the decline of Orkut.
Orkut's time in the sun didn't last long. Facebook soon emerged as a major competitor and Orkut began to lose users. In 2014, Google announced that it would be shutting down Orkut in Brazil and India. The platform was completely shut down in September 2017.
Why Orkut Didn’t Keep Pace with Facebook
Facebook's better UX and innovative features helped doom Orkut. Created with Canva Pro.
There are a number of reasons why Orkut failed to keep up with Facebook, including:
Lessons for Social Media Marketers
The story of Orkut can serve as a cautionary tale for social media marketers. It’s important to stay relevant and adapt to changing trends in order to remain competitive in the market, and something that performs well may not tomorrow. Among the lessons marketers might take from Orkut are:
- 1Know your audience(s): Orkut ultimately failed to capture a global audience despite its success in Brazil and India. Researching and understanding the preferences and behaviors of their target audience, which may vary across different regions, is critical to success.
- 2Keep innovating: The social media landscape is dynamic. The platform failed to keep up with competitors in terms of feature development and innovation. It’s vital for marketers to continually innovate and adapt to changing user preferences and market trends.
- 3User experience is key: While competitors like Facebook provided a more intuitive user experience, Orkut's platform began to lag behind. Marketers need to ensure that the user experience on is seamless and caters to the ever-changing expectations of their audience.
Conclusion
The story of Orkut can serve as a cautionary tale for social media marketers.
Ultimately, social media marketing is not a static endeavor. It is constantly evolving, and it is easy to fall behind. As marketers, we constantly need to be innovating and improving user experience. And, we also need to keep up with emerging technologies and platforms in order to reach our target audience and, importantly, remain relevant to it. Its downfall serves as a reminder that in the fast-paced world of social media marketing, staying relevant and adapting to new technologies and user behaviors is crucial for success.
Note: Featured image licensed from Adobe Stock.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below.
Hi Robert,
First, I have to say how much I enjoyed reading your blog with your analysis of Orkut. I agree that it is so important to know your target audience and be innovative.
Orkut had many features you would expect from a social media site, such as the ability to connect with others and share information, photos, videos, and information (Raju, 2021). There were key features that Orkut was missing, such as not being very mobile or user-friendly. Probably the most significant element that Orkut missed that Facebook could do was to connect with businesses (Raju, 2021). Limiting themselves to personal connections was a missed opportunity for Orkut for B2B or B2C connections. A retail page on Facebook can average almost 975,000 impressions monthly (Newberry, 2023).
Newberry, C. (2023, January 17). 42 facebook statistics marketers need to know in 2023. Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard. https://blog.hootsuite.com/facebook-statistics/
Raju, S. (2021, August 4). Main reasons for the failure of Orkut. StartupTalky. https://startuptalky.com/why-orkut-failed/