Opinit started out as a small project for friends and family. The idea was to build a social media app that leverages emoji icons as a way to leave feedback on posts and images. Now they've racked up over one million content views in under two months using a simple strategy of giving the users something they want, and best of all, theyu2019ve spent zero dollars on marketing or trying to acquire users. DEMO Traction will be in Boston on September 16, 2015. For more information and to register click here You can always buy more users, however for the social media app Opinit, which uses emoji icons as a way to leave feedback on posts and images, there’s a better way, build something people really want. That strategy has led to user growth of 1066 percent in two weeks since launching on the Apple Store and racking up about 1M “content views” (which are the views one user makes to another) and 100,000 “vibes” (one user rating another) since June. Co-founders Paolo Fidanza and Q. Ladraa told Demo.com the app started out as a project for friends and family about a year ago and spent the last year in development in beta testing with a small group of users. They decided in June to make the app widely available, then watched as thousands of people started to download it right away. They also noticed how most users raved about the discovery page. There are stories that users can “rank” using five different emojis, such as happy or sad. It’s a visual way to engage with other users who are also leaving their opinion visually. After noticing the interest, they decided to make the discovery page the first thing every new user sees in the app. They also made it possible to see posts that fall into the same category. Interestingly, the founders say Opinit users are 90% female and tend to fall into the 16-24 age group. They have spent nothing so far on marketing. Because of how the app lets people leave a visual opinion and the tweaks they’ve made, the user counts are still growing. When people find the app, they tend to promote it on social networks like Snapchat and Instagram. The early interest has also caused fashion and lifestyle bloggers to chime in about the app. Another strategic decision has also pumped up user counts. Unlike most social networks, where you only see content once you befriend other users, Opinit shows fresh content on the discovery page right away from popular users, before you even have anyone to follow. This makes the app feel alive and active even before you start engaging with other people. To monetize all of this early interest, Opinit plans to build brands into the experience who pay for the privilege. “Premium cable network HBO can develop 5 emojis representing their most popular ‘bad’ characters in Games of Thrones, and the audience can “vibe” on the character that they think is the ultimate foe,” says Fidanza. “Then, via the vibe map, HBO can see what and where responses originate. This can be the same with McDonald’s with their new food menu choices.” It’s too early to say whether Opinit will become a genuine hit, rising in the ranks to challenge Snapchat and other mobile apps designed for younger users. People are already “vibing” on it even after two weeks, and that’s a sure sign of growth potential. Note: Traction Watch is a new column focused obsessively on growth, and is a companion to the DEMO Traction conference series, which brings together high-growth startups with high-potential customers. The next DEMO Traction will take place in Boston on September 16, 2015. Growth companies can apply to present, or those similarly obsessed can register here to attend. Related content BrandPost How Infosys and Tennis Australia are harnessing technology for good By Veronica Lew Mar 26, 2023 6 mins Infosys BrandPost Retail innovation playbook: Fast, economical transformation on Microsoft Cloud For retailers, tight integration of data and systems is the antidote to a challenging economy. By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 3 mins Retail Industry Digital Transformation BrandPost How retailers are empowering business transformation with TCS and Microsoft Cloud AI-powered omnichannel integration and a strong, secure digital core lets retailers innovate across four primary areas while staying compliant, maintaining security and preventing fraud. By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 4 mins Retail Industry Cloud Computing BrandPost How to Build ROI from Cloud Migration This whitepaper and webcast can help you calculate the ROI and create a business case for modernizing your legacy applications to the Microsoft Cloud. By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 1 min Retail Industry Cloud Computing Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe