8 Things Twitter Can Learn from Weibo

I’ll be honest with you, I used to be a die-hard Twitter fan for a good couple of years. But recently, I made a bold move and switched to Sina Weibo.

And let me tell you, I’m pretty pleased with my decision. Sina Weibo is no joke – it’s the hottest thing in China right now. With over 140 million users in less than two years, it’s dominating the microblogging game, while Twitter took five years to hit the 200 million mark.

So what’s the secret behind Weibo’s success? Well, I’ve got eight lessons that Twitter can learn from Weibo. These are the things that set Weibo apart and made it the go-to microblogging service in China.

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1. Comment Threads

In China, popular microblogging services like Tencent Weibo and Sina Weibo have figured out a way to make it easier to see what others are saying about us. They understand that as social beings, we care about others’ opinions, and they’ve implemented threaded comments to simplify the process of tracking feedback.

Have you ever wondered about threaded comments? Well, let me tell you, on Twitter, it can be a hassle to find out what people think about your tweets. You have to search through the @mentions and even then, you’ll find comments mixed together, talking about different topics. But with threaded comments, all the comments related to your tweet are neatly sorted and displayed with just one click!

Once you enter the comment thread, you can also join in on the conversation. There’s a comment box where you can add your thoughts. If you want to make sure the author or others see your comment, simply mention them using the @username format. And if you want to directly reply to a specific comment, just click on the ‘Reply’ button located on the right side of that comment.

This threaded comment feature makes everything so much easier. You can see all the comments, reply to them, and have discussions, all in one organized section – the comment thread.

2. Rich Media

One thing I absolutely love about Sina Weibo is how it lets me add all sorts of cool stuff to my microblogging posts – like images, videos, music, emoticons, and even polls – without having to use any special plugins.

This has sparked a really interesting discussion among bloggers – do microblogging services really need these features? Well, if you ask me, the answer is a resounding yes! Just take a look at Sina Weibo: images and videos are everywhere, popping up in most of the tweets.

Can you believe it? Rich media has so much to offer! And let me tell you, the emoticon feature alone is mind-blowing. With over 400 emoticons at your disposal, you’ll never run out of ways to express yourself. It’s no wonder that youngsters in China are completely obsessed with playing around with these little digital icons. It’s like a whole new language!

But that’s not all. Weibo also has this awesome image feature that adds another layer of fun to your messaging experience. You can use these images just like emoticons, adding even more personality and flair to your conversations.

Hey there! Did you know that you don’t have to limit yourself to just uploading videos? With Sina Weibo, you can also upload videos from your computer or simply input the link from a video site. How cool is that? And the best part is, when you input a link from supported video sites like Youku or Tudou, you can actually watch the video right on the site without being redirected anywhere else. That’s a smart move by Sina Weibo to keep its users engaged!

But wait, there’s more! Sina Weibo has another awesome feature that allows any user to start their own poll. And it’s not just your regular, run-of-the-mill poll feature like you see on Facebook. This one lets you add a description, options, and even choose whether users can choose single or multiple options. Plus, you can set the visibility of the poll and decide when it expires. Talk about a complete and awesome feature, huh?

3. Micro Topics

Micro Topics are a cool new thing in microblogging services, thanks to Weibo. It’s super easy to get the hang of: Weibo takes any tweet about a specific topic and makes a special page just for that topic. Then, all of us can jump in and start chatting about it!

Like, right now, one of the hottest topics is World Of Warcraft Cataclysm. So Weibo made this awesome page for WoW gamers, where we can all talk about the game and the newest patches. It’s like our own little hangout spot!

If you’re into the topic, you can immediately share it on your own profile using the tweet box with added tags. Or, you can simply click the link at the top of the topic’s page to promote it to your friends.

I have to tell you, I’m totally hooked on this feature. It’s such a brilliant idea!

Okay, here’s the thing. What do you do when you want to check out the hottest trends on Twitter, but the top 10 trends are not really your thing? It happens to me all the time. But with Weibo, I don’t have that problem anymore. They have a whole page dedicated to trends, it’s called the Board of Fame. Whether it’s the hottest trends of the last hour, the day, or even the week, Weibo’s Board of Fame always has the scoop on what users are really into at any given time.

Categorization is incredibly important when it comes to sorting through overwhelming trends, and Weibo absolutely nailed it in this department. They’ve organized all of the hottest trends into different categories like general, sports, entertainment, finance, gaming, and even travel – basically anything you can think of that might interest you! Isn’t that awesome?

Now, in the Board of Fame, you can check out the top ten hottest trends in each category. And if you’re still hungry for more, you can click on the “Check Out More” link to discover additional trends in that specific category. It’s a great way to dive deeper into what’s hot right now!

But wait, there’s more! You can also see the remaining 40 hottest trends within each category. And if that’s not enough to satisfy your curiosity, you can even go back in time and explore past trends by adjusting the date on the right side of the page. How cool is that?

Oh, and I almost forgot! Weibo also has verified accounts and a Hall of Celebrity. These verified accounts are like the VIPs of Weibo, and the Hall of Celebrity showcases all the famous people you can follow. It’s like having a backstage pass to the glitz and glamour of the online world!

So, there you have it – Weibo has really thought of everything when it comes to keeping you up to date with the latest trends and connecting you with your favorite celebrities. It’s a trendsetter’s paradise!

The Verified Account feature is designed exclusively for celebrities and famous individuals. If you register a verified account on Sina Weibo, you’ll be treated like a celebrity too!

Why is that? Well, Sina Weibo wants their celebrities to stand out even more. So, they’ve gone the extra mile and created a special page called the “Hall of Celebrity” just to showcase their superstars.

One of the best things about the Hall of Celebrity is how it organizes celebrities. Sina Weibo does a great job of sorting them into different categories like entertainment, sport, finance, and tech. And within each category, there are even more specific subcategories. For example, in entertainment, you can find actors, musicians, and entertainment executives.

And here’s a cool feature: new celebrities don’t have to worry about getting overshadowed by more popular users. The Hall of Celebrity also highlights celebrities who have just joined Sina Weibo, so everyone gets a chance to shine.

When you’re on the page, you have the choice to follow your favorite celebrities or simply click on the ‘Follow All’ button to follow all celebrities in a specific field. I get why Weibo takes celebrities so seriously because they have a massive fan base. Keeping them on Weibo is key for converting their dedicated fans into loyal users.

6. Medal Reward System

Why does the medal reward system exist on Sina Weibo? Well, it’s because it’s fun and it motivates users to tweet more! We all have a little bit of a gamer inside us. We love playing games and earning rewards that make us proud within the gaming community.

Recognizing the benefits, Sina Weibo has created a fascinating medal reward system that allows users to have fun earning medals for personal satisfaction or to show off.

If you think this medal reward system is just a game, you’ve got another think coming. Weibo is way more than that. It’s not all fun and games; it’s actually a vital part of Weibo’s business plan. Big-name brands like Nike and Transformers have teamed up with Weibo to promote their products by offering medals. These medals are usually earned by users who do specific things, like retweeting about events or products.

This marketing strategy is a genius move for the brands because it helps spread the word about their events and gets their logos plastered all over users’ profiles as stylish medals.

Weibo has even created a dedicated page to showcase, promote, and remind users about these medals and the events or brands they’re associated with.

But wait, there’s more! Weibo has also introduced a bunch of new style templates for you to choose from. They’re designed to make your posts look even more eye-catching and unique. So, go ahead and explore the stylish side of Weibo while earning those coveted medals.

In microblogging services like Sina Weibo and Twitter, each profile is like my own little corner of the internet. Even when I don’t want to promote myself, I still want to stand out from the crowd.

I wish there were some unique style options that aren’t so basic and boring. Sina Weibo actually did a great job at solving this problem by offering more than 60 different style templates. They have them organized into five groups: ‘Newest Promotion’, ‘Classic’, ‘Fashion’, ‘School’, and ‘Events’.

If you’re not happy with these templates, you can always create your own using the template builder. You have the power to choose the font color, add custom background pictures, use tile backgrounds, and adjust the alignment of your pictures. It’s just like Twitter’s template builder, so if you’ve switched over to Twitter, you won’t have any issues customizing your own unique template.

You might be wondering, what about Themeleon? It’s a service that offers an abundance of high-quality theme designs for Twitter. So, you might be thinking, why bother creating my own when there are so many great options available?

I really like Themeleon a lot, but it’s definitely nice to have more built-in designs. It takes quite a few steps to authorize Themeleon and apply the design to Twitter. Plus, Themeleon doesn’t have very good categorization, and a lot of people still don’t know much about the concept of authorization. This can make some people worry about their privacy.

8. Weibo Event

Finally, Sina Weibo has introduced a new concept to the microblogging service called Weibo Event. Weibo Event will completely change how you think about microblogging. It’s not just a place where everyone’s thoughts are collected. It’s a place where everyone can get involved and have fun together!

Hey, guess what? Weibo Event is more than just reading others’ tweets. You can actually join in on the fun and be a part of the events that other users are enjoying!

Here’s the scoop: there are thousands of events waiting for you to explore. They’re divided into three categories: Local Events, Prized Events, and Online Events. Plus, there are some extra special events that are featured right at the top of the page. The best part? Most events are sponsored by awesome companies or individuals, so you might just win something cool for your efforts!

I don’t know about you, but I think this feature is pretty rad. It gives us a whole new reason to keep coming back to Sina Weibo. Before, we could only read tweets and join discussions, but it could get a little repetitive. Now, with Weibo Event, we can dive into exciting activities and keep the fun going!

When it comes to Weibo Events, there’s something special about coming together as a group to participate in exciting activities. It’s not just about winning prizes; it’s about forming connections and making new friends along the way. And the best part is, you can invite people who aren’t even on Weibo to join in on the fun!

So, what’s the bottom line?

It’s clear that every feature on Sina Weibo is designed with one goal in mind – to bring in new users, keep the dedicated ones engaged, and make sure everyone has a great time tweeting away!

Now, I won’t lie, Sina Weibo definitely has its work cut out for it. Twitter is already a titan in the world of microblogging, and breaking through won’t be easy. But hey, let’s not forget how MySpace once ruled the social media scene before Facebook came along.