The Yangè°‹ of UCHOME
This article presents an interesting analysis. The author raises two core viewpoints. First: distributed communities. Second, the integration of SNS in vertical fields with commerce.
I strongly agree with the author's perspective: the overall community situation is a standard platform plus several vertical communities. No matter how powerful FACEBOOK becomes, it can never capture all users. Markets can always be segmented, which makes it necessary for vertical SNS communities to exist to cater to these niche audiences.
Based on this view, we can see the future of distributed communities. A large number of SNS communities will emerge, and after consolidation, they are bound to enter an era akin to the Warring States period. And for those SNS communities with limited users and resources, there is still development value. Even if they are small, their combined effect can be significant. The user data and platform resources they provide to Comsenz are extremely crucial. Comsenz will stand behind these small sites, providing a healthy ecological environment. In this sense, distributed communities bring about a new situation in community marketing.
Secondly, the author mentions a very constructive idea: the business approach of vertical SNS. Through seamless integration with products under the Comsenz umbrella, the connection between community and commerce can be realized. Social commerce can be approached from two angles: one from a social perspective and the other from a commercial perspective. Ant has proven that directly entering commerce under current user literacy and internet conditions seems too aggressive. Transitioning to a social angle may progress slowly and require time but appears more mature and gentle. However, is it suitable for vertical SNS to directly integrate commerce? Or, can SNS be expanded with commerce at its center? Social commerce is built on a social foundation, but for niche commerce, it naturally lacks social attributes. Therefore, it is acceptable to conduct commerce straightforwardly and appropriately among users with common interests. For example, for a small circle SNS community where the main users are female cosmetics enthusiasts, it can provide business functions to users. Users can make friends within the circle, share experiences, and share products. Through a series of self-driven and others' behaviors, purchasing behavior can occur on the website. This is achievable. Comsenz has many products that can interface with UCHOME, making commerce through tools like "Sell" or SS very convenient. This could become a natural advantage for UCHOME. Because it is not too big, it is convenient.
Comsenz is very smart, gradually laying out a strategy to occupy China's community landscape through its well-organized product lineup. Whether UCHOME can reach the level of Discuz remains to be seen. But in the context of SNS becoming wildly popular and the increasing demand for interactivity among internet users, UCHOME is indeed a great supplement for Comsenz. During the market cultivation phase, Comsenz is promoting UCHOME more from the perspective of site administrators. When the market matures, the wider and denser the community distribution, the more advantageous it will be for Comsenz. Behind the efforts of Comsenz site administrator users to make money, UCHOME contributes countless user data points. And these implicit user data points are the core foundation of Comsenz. Perhaps UCHOME will bring much more than we imagine.