Currently ranked as the 11th most popular site in the world by Alexa, hi5 is the leading social networking site in several, diverse countries including; Romania, Columbia, Peru and Guatemala. With 28,2 million active members (as of June 2007) this social networking site was launched in 2003 by Ramu Yalamanchi.
Getting Started
The registration process is as easy as pie - definitely the most simple of all the registration processes. While the look and feel is very different from some of the other popular social networking sites, setting up your profile page is exceptionally easy. Information is easy to edit and change, as it is in small boxes below the profile block. It would seem that they encourage one to fill out as much as possible about yourself, as they have little unhappy faces in the sections you haven't filled out.
What You Can Do
hi5 seems to mainly be used for meeting romantic partners from the same or different countries. It uses similar features to other social network sites with an email feature, adding and editing friend lists and creating photo albums.
An interesting added feature would be that you can add specific music to your profile - which MySpace also offers. This site also offers journal entries (like a blog), a scrapbook and a fiver feature where you can give your friends a five (an icon) for being the prettiest / a family member etc.
Profile pages are fully customisable so you can go wild; you are also able to insert YouTube videos, images and slideshows. Another interesting feature is the "degrees of separation" system, essentially this means that your network consists of 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree friends.
hi5 Music is another popular feature which is similar to MySpace Music - the only difference is that the focus seems to be more skewed towards R&B and Hip Hop on hi5 than it is on MySpace. hi5 Music allows bands to create their own profiles, to promote their music and connect with their fans. By accessing a bands page you can listen to their songs as well as watch their music videos.
Advertising on hi5
In terms of the ages of those that belong to the social networking site, 13-17 year olds make up 23% of the audience. The rest are split accordingly:
18-24 = 20%
25-34 = 15%
35-44 =18%.
According to hi5, "By using IP and profile-based demographic targeting, hi5 delivers advertising messages with precision. We offer a broad range of advertising products: text & banner ads, rich media placements, and custom sponsorships." You can contact them for more information, rates, or a proposal tailored to your marketing objectives.
Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | NextOther Articles in the How To... Social Media Series :
- Part 1: Social Media - The down low
- Part 2: Social Networking - You can never have too many friends
- Part 3: Social Bookmarking and Aggregating - Avoiding overload
- Part 4: Content Sharing - So hot right now
- Part 5: Blogging - Starting a blog baby, starting a blog
