The Rise and Fall of Orkut

Why was Orkut so popular among Brazilians and why did it eventually lose its users, when similar sites like Facebook flourished?

Orkut was a social media network launched by Google in 2004. If you are like me, you have never heard of the website until now. Well, that’s because it was most popular in Brazil. Fun fact: in 2009, the network had earned a whopping 27 million users, while Facebook only had 4.2 million users.

Let’s go back to 2004. It was Google’s first stab at this “social media” thing. As one of the first successful platforms, the site was clean, organized, and sophisticated and people were excited to use it.

Come with me to 1997. SixDegree.com became the first social media site to make its debut online. Then there was AmIHotOrNot.com in 2000 (no beating around the bush with that name).

2003-2006 was really when social media “took off”. In addition to Orkut, we saw Facebook, LinkedIn, and Youtube hit the market. Then Twitter made a smooth entrance in 2006.

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Though Orkut was similar to the aforementioned networks, it had other features that made the platform unique. Users liked Orkut because it was by invite only which offered a sense of exclusiveness. Users were also drawn to the site because you could rate “friends” on how “hot”, “cool”, or “trustworthy” they were – definitely, a great idea for boosting self-confidence…not.

As awareness of Orkut continued to grow in Brazil, more people joined, particular workers and students. At the time, outdoor advertising was banned in the country, leaving retailers to advertise solely online.

Consumers were turning into digital consumers. Brazil was on the cusp of being a technology epicenter.

So, why was Orkut so popular and then quickly bypassed by these other social media networks?

Well, for one, Google was turning to focus its resources on YouTube and Google+. Second, video was one feature that grabbed the attention of Brazilians and that was one feature that Orkut had difficulties with.

Brazilians expected brands to advertise through video and so when they couldn’t access that type of media on Orkut, they found it elsewhere.

To add to this, Orkut’s user experience was unsatisfactory, to say the least. Users found it difficult to share photos, add friends, and access other website features that functioned well on other social media networks like Facebook.

And just like that, Orkut fell behind and couldn’t catch back up. The needs and preferences of Orkut’s audience outpaced its ability to meet those standards.

The result? Brazil said, “tchau” (goodbye) to Orkut.