5 Marketing Lessons from Sarahah
With ‘Sarahah’ – a self-development tool that allows people to receive constructive feedback – being in news for various reasons, I decided to write this article to jot down my learning, pertaining to Marketing, from the journey of Sarahah. Let us have a look at my learning (which I claim as ‘Marketing Lessons’):
5. Manage the controversies around the product:
Despite Zainab letting people know the actual intentions behind the ‘Sarahah’ app, as far as my knowledge is concerned, the constructive utilization of the app has been very minimal. With respect to the same argument, the app has been in news for wrong reasons such as cyber bullying for quite some time. Also, rumours were rife that the makers of Sarahah were planning to expose the identities of the senders on August 1, 2017. But, the people behind Sarahah were prepared to manage the controversies circling the app.
In order to thwart cyber bullying, facility to block senders has been incorporated to the app. From Sarahah’s official Twitter account, it was clarified that the rumours regarding the plan to expose the senders’ identities are fake.
4. Leverage influencers:
In the fall of 2016, Zainab Alabdin Tawfiq had launched the website, Sarahah and shared it within his group of friends, expecting 1000 messages to be shared in the site. But, by the end of 2016, only a couple of hundred messages were shared. So, Zainab decided to share the application with his friend whom he considered to be a major influencer. After sharing Sarahah with his influencer friend, the reach of the website became manifold. Post the sharing, the application spread across other Arabian countries too.
Hence, it was the utilization of an influencer by Zainab that brought in a sea change in the Sarahah’s outreach.
Marketing Journo
3. Optimize the product for mobile platforms:
Following Sarahah’s outreach in Arab countries, Zainab had decided to create a mobile app for Sarahah. By hiring a third-party company, Zainab had created the mobile app and launched the same in the App Store on June 13, 2017. For the first time, Sarahah was available in English when it went live in the App Store. With its availability in the App Store in English, Sarahah went on to garner the people’s attention from Western Countries as well. The app has been made available for download from Google’s Play Store as well.
Zainab’s efforts to optimize his product for mobile platforms, such as to create an app version of Sarahah; cater the app to the universal audience by making it available in English; choosing the channel, App Store to distribute the app, have paid dividends to him.
2. Make a ‘Simple to use’ product:
As far as the ‘Sarahah’ application is concerned, you get to see minimal features in it and the navigation within the app tends to be uncomplicated. In order to use an application of this sort, one doesn’t necessarily be a tech-savvy. Also, for a person to send a message to a Sarahah user, it is not necessary for the sender to get the app installed.
All the above mentioned factors pertaining to the ‘Sarahah’ application have made it to be a ‘Simple to use’ product.
1. Incorporate a feature to your product that resonates with its target audience:
Be it in the workplace or family or friends, there have always been barriers (due to various factors) that have been preventing people from speaking openly. Under such prevailing circumstances, think of people getting a platform to share their opinion to the person they wish to and yet not reveal their identity. Wouldn’t such people feel excited or relieved with an opportunity of this kind? This is the point where Sarahah has been striking a chord with the people. It is the app’s ‘anonymous messaging’ feature that has been resonating well with its target audience.
What are your Marketing Lessons from Sarahah? Let me know in the comments below!