Viber has opened its public chat system to Indian startups, as part of the messaging platform’s efforts in India to reach out to fledgling businesses. Zopper, ObiNo, Vuclip, Lootore and KhauGaliDeals are among the startups that in the past two to three months have joined Viber Public Chats that allows users to follow, as well as comment on, the conversation streams of celebrities and brands.
“Public chats is (now) open to startups as it is to larger brands,” said Anubhav Nayyar, Regional Head at Viber South Asia.
Viber Public Chats, launched in 2014, has the potential to boost visibility for startups and allows them to reach out to more than 48-million Viber users in India, he said. “In a world run by social media platforms, it is imperative to leverage platforms such as public chats for a more targeted approach,” he said.
Other social messenger players such as WhatsApp and LINE don’t offer dedicated public chats for celebrities or brands. WeChat offers a similar facility.
Startups have already sensed the benefits of using public chats that allow them to reach out to targeted audience, give them an idea about fan following, work as a tool for quick dissemination of useful and compelling content, and also help get quick feedback.
Just two weeks ago, foodtech startup KhauGaliDeals joined Viber Public Chats to target young users as it seeks to expand its registered user base, which currently stands at 6 lakh, by entering into 25 more cities.
“This alliance is part of Viber’s startup outreach in India and we are exploring the potential of India’s growing mobile commerce space,” said Kartik Saboo, CEO of KhauGaliDeals.
Zopper received 500-plus followers in just one month after joining the Viber Public Chats, said the startup’s CEO Neeraj Jain. “One of the main things that sets it apart from other social media channels like Facebook is that our posts are seen by or exposed to all our followers versus the minimal organic reach of a startup’s Facebook page,” said Ritu Soni Srivastava, Founder of ObiNo
Source: The Economic Times
