Hello, Ello…?

 Lately the new social media concept Ello has been getting a great deal of publicity as the “Anti-Facebook” social network.  With some words of encouragement in their manifesto, stating their users are “not a product” and their social network is “a tool for empowerment,” Ello has become an overnight sensation in the social media community.  But is this platform really on its way to becoming the next social media trend to take over the world? Does it even have the potential for growth?

As trendy as it sounds to be part of an “invitation-only,”independent and ad-free social network, Ello has a long way to go if they want to compete with top social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram in the longer term.  Ello’s features are similar to the rest of these social networks, yet it became an overnight sensation when they detailed how they are not making money from advertisers, but from a “freemium” app model.  What this means is that Ello will provide the user with basic, core services for free, and additional premium features at a cost.

In theory, this sounds like a plausible business plan, and Ello’s investors seem to agree.  The company raised around $435,000 prior to its recent booming growth, and with about 31,000 requests per hour, who knows what more the company is able to raise?

Personally, I am still debating on my thoughts about this social network.  Sounds like a refreshing and different way to look at media platforms, if they are able to stick around with all the competition they are facing.  What are your thoughts?