June 28, 2013

• Predictions

  Predictions

  It's Friday. And this particular Friday is also payday! So I'm feeling all kinds of generous and happy. In line with my financially-induced euphoria, I'd like to make some predictions regarding Xanga 2.0...

  Prediction 1: Xanga will surpass its fundraising goal. The key here is NOT that I believe "X" number of Xangans will pay "X" amount of dollars over the next 18 days. What I believe will be the case is that Xanga 2.0 will happen largely because the more than 350 people who've pledged to the campaign already, will be the incentive for additional angel investors (of whom some have already contributed more than $10,000 in funds not associated with rewards).

  Prediction 2: Xanga 2.0 will launch with a scaled-down (feature-lite) version that will still be free for those who can't afford (or simply refuse to pay) the $48 annual fee. Why do I predict this? Because the final iteration of Xanga 2.0 will not be designed as a deterrent to growth. The logical approach to preventing this would be to follow the current business model for launching successful apps and premium sites, which is to provide a lite version that, while functional, emphasizes the benefits of the paid version and encourages people to upgrade to enjoy the spectacular features that come with premium membership.

  Prediction 3: Xanga's community will return to its organic roots. In one of my previous posts, a couple of people pointed out some of the interesting practices that Xanga's early-adopters employed to get connected. For instance, the now obsolete "RYC:" was used extensively before the ability to reply was implemented. What this did was redirect people to the original blog to see what comment they were referring to, and in doing so, increased traffic to that person's site. What I believe we'll find with Xanga 2.0 is that in addition to promotional tools on the new platform, some of the new features will lend themselves to increasing organic traffic from one site to the next. So instead of traffic that would come from front page advertising, you'll get traffic that comes from word-of-mouth. And as any person would probably attest, word-of-mouth promotion builds stronger relationships.

  How so? Well look at it like this...

  Let's say you saw an ad in a local paper that included a coupon for an oil change. If you decide to go to that place, you'd present them with the coupon and say, "I'd like an oil change." The person would take your coupon, change your oil and send you on your way. This scenario is simply a business transaction.

  But let's say that you're talking to your neighbor Bill about the high price of oil changes and Bill says, "You know what? I think you should go check out Joe's auto shop. I've been going to him for years and he charges very little for an oil change." So you head over to Joe's shop and the first thing you say is, "Hey there Joe! Bill recommended you to me for an oil change." and Joe might say, "Oh yeah, I know Bill! Great guy!" After Joe tells you his dirt-cheap price, you agree to have him change your oil. While he's doing that, the two of you start chatting about how you both met Bill, your frustration with dealerships and you find that he can help with some of your other car issues as well. This scenario is relationship building. And so Joe becomes your go-to auto shop and somewhere down the line, you refer someone else to Joe.

  This is how we will build community organically in Xanga 2.0.

  I know I'm putting myself out on the line with these predictions. But I'm pretty confident Xanga 2.0 will happen. If it doesn't, no one will be able to refer back to this post to check how accurate I am.

  #WeAreXanga

  • 6:05 pm
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