Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Tech & Science

Live-streaming app Meerkat challenges social media conventions

After making a presentation at SXSW, the app gained significant traction, spreading through word of mouth and expanding its user base to radical new heights. The functionality of the app deserves partial credit for that unusual growth curve, but more importantly, this success is attributable to the unique circumstances surrounding the app’s debut.

Now with more than 100,000 users in tow, Meerkat has cemented itself as a new power player in the social media world—at least for early adopters. While there have been countless stories of apps debuting at SXSW and eventually crumbling into obsolescence, Meerkat’s unique positioning is making it viable as a long-term success.

What is Meerkat?

The purpose of Meerkat is deceptively simple: to live-stream video of yourself to your friends and other subscribers. The Meerkat app links up to your phone’s camera, and then tweets out a link to your Twitter followers that allows them to watch live video of whatever you choose to show them.

Many have acknowledged Meerkat’s potential importance to the world of journalism, which is quickly turning to the hands of citizens. As important events unfold, individuals will be able to quickly and easily share live footage of those events with the general public, who can then spread those videos as they deem appropriate. But ordinary users in ordinary situations are also currently taking advantage of the app, using Meerkat to showcase their offices or stream parts of their ordinary routines.

Twitter’s major crackdown

One of the most important factors for Meerkat’s success has actually been a point of contention from one of the biggest players in the social media sphere. Twitter, which Meerkat uses to syndicate links to its live video feeds, suddenly cut off the app’s access to Twitter’s social feed about a week ago. Twitter’s motivation for the cutoff wasn’t entirely clear; however, they had recently acquired a similar live-video streaming app known as Periscope for integration, meaning Meerkat could pose as a threat.

Regardless of Twitter’s motivation, the move backfired. Ryan Cooley, Meerkat’s community director, revealed that in the days following Twitter’s crackdown, Meerkat’s user base rose more than 30 percent. While the app was originally criticized for being too reliant on Twitter for its functionality and popularity, this turn of events suggests something different. It suggests that the engine of popularity surrounding Meerkat is fueled only by public attention, not by any existing associations.

User dedication

Another major factor for Meerkat’s success is the dedication of its user base. In terms of functionality, Meerkat really isn’t offering anything new. Apps and services like Google Hangouts have offered live-streaming video for years now, and even Twitter’s recent acquisition, Periscope, offers nearly identical—if not more advanced—functionality.

When most new apps see a surge in popularity, those numbers are at least partially inflated. The majority of new app users simply download the app, experiment with it for an hour or so, then delete it from their phone when it doesn’t catch on. This user experience leads to the inevitable crash of the app.

However, Meerkat’s users are experiencing the app with a much more concentrated focus. According to CEO Ben Rubin, about 20 percent of all Meerkat users watch more than 2 hours of live video every day. Another 8 percent watch 3 hours or more every day. In addition to these hyper-dedicated users, Meerkat also has committed high profile users such as celebrities Tony Hawk and Ashton Kutcher.

Developer commitment

Finally, the commitment of the Meerkat team could make this app stand out from its contemporaries. While most start-and-fizzle apps were cooked up in a basement over the course of a weekend, Meerkat is the final product of nearly two years of back-end development. CEO Ben Rubin and his development team are also dedicated to continuously refining and improving the app, moving quickly to roll out new features that users demand. This shows that Meerkat takes its app seriously, and is willing to invest time and resources to perfect its approach.

Meerkat is not a perfect app, and it certainly doesn’t command the same level of ubiquitous application as a Facebook or a Twitter, but in its infancy it is making clear and impressive strides toward creating something great in the social sphere. While breakout hits rarely sustain themselves for longer than a few months, Meerkat’s user commitment and dedication to new features could help it carry well into the future. Social media marketers should take note of this rising user base and begin brainstorming new ways to incorporate live-streaming video into their strategies; even if Meerkat does end up faltering, it may end up paving the way for a new generation of live video apps.

Written By

You may also like:

Social Media

Wanna buy some ignorance? You’re in luck.

Tech & Science

Under new legislation that passed the House of Representatives last week, TikTok could be banned in the United States.

Life

Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest often suggest travel destinations based on your likes and viewing habits.

Social Media

From vampires and wendigos to killer asteroids, TikTok users are pumping out outlandish end-of-the-world conspiracy theories.