We can divide Weibo’s development into three stages
When it comes to microblogs, Sina Weibo, which launched in August 2009, was neither the earliest nor the most renowned. In fact, Twitter, which was already well-established by 2007, had won various awards for its success. This success inspired some domestic entrepreneurs in China, leading to a wave of Chinese Twitter clones, among which Fanfou emerged as the closest to Twitter. Founded in May 2007 by Wang Xing, who later achieved great success with Meituan, Fanfou became the first Chinese microblogging site with a Twitter-like feel. By the first half of 2009, Fanfou's user base had surpassed one million.
However, things took an unexpected turn. In the second half of 2009, to comply with government regulations on online speech, Fanfou started deleting posts in bulk, restricting sensitive keywords, suspending search functions, and eventually had its domains taken offline with all servers shut down. Similar mini-blogging sites in mainland China, such as Jiwai and Digu, were also shut down.
Although the Fanfou team promised on August 11, 2009, on their blog that they would return with a better Fanfou, the site came back on November 25, 2010, on Thanksgiving Day. But it was too late.
During its 505 days of shutdown, the influence of microblogs had shifted. After Fanfou's closure, Sina, NetEase, Tencent, and other major portals launched their own microblogging services, with Sina Weibo moving the fastest. Many Fanfou users migrated to Sina Weibo, which experienced rapid and unstoppable growth. Meanwhile, Wang Xing's Meituan launched and achieved a transaction volume of 143 million yuan in its first year, leaving Fanfou with little chance to catch up.
Fanfou's shutdown was, in fact, a catalyst for Sina Weibo’s rapid development. In addition to Fanfou’s closure, improvements in functionality and other key factors contributed to its rapid growth. Today, players like Tencent, NetEase, and Sohu have almost completely withdrawn from the microblogging arena, with Sina Weibo standing out as the dominant player, achieving remarkable success.
Key Milestones in Sina Weibo’s Development:
- August 2009: Sina Weibo launched.
- Early 2010: Opened API platform.
- October 2010: Held China’s first microfiction competition.
- November 2010: Sina Weibo's group feature entered internal testing.
- January 2012: Introduced the “Quietly Follow” feature.
- January 2013: Added “Close Friends” feature to enhance private social circles.
- February 2013: Announced financial results with total revenue of approximately $66 million, over 500 million registered users, and daily active users reaching 46.2 million.
- April 2013: Alibaba acquired an 18% stake in Sina Weibo.
- August 2013: Launched Sina Weibo Taobao version, enabling account integration.
- March 2014: Sina Weibo was renamed “Weibo.”
- April 2014: Weibo went public on NASDAQ.
- November 2016: Removed the 140-character limit, allowing posts of up to 2000 characters.
- December 2016: Monthly active users reached 313 million, and daily active users hit 139 million.
Phases of Weibo's Development:
Early Growth and Breakthrough (August 2009 - October 2011): Sina Weibo adopted a similar promotion strategy to Sina Blogs, inviting celebrities for authentication and using their influence to drive early user growth. During this period, Weibo’s popularity surged, even surpassing QQ. By April 2011, Weibo’s registered users exceeded 100 million, boosting Sina’s stock price to $116.56, with a market value of $7.11 billion.
Meanwhile, other portals like NetEase, Tencent, and Sohu also entered the microblogging space, but their efforts were often seen as imitations. NetEase’s Weibo and Tencent’s Weibo failed to sustain momentum, with Tencent officially merging its Weibo team into its network media division and announcing the decline of its Weibo business. Sohu Weibo also faded from the market.
Turning Point (October 2011 - Mid-2014): Weibo continued to grow with enhanced features and strategic partnerships. In September 2012, Weibo introduced “Close Friends” for more private social interactions. The partnership with Alibaba in April 2013, where Alibaba acquired an 18% stake, provided a significant boost. This cooperation helped Weibo stabilize its business model and improve its commercial viability.
On March 27, 2014, Weibo was officially renamed from “Sina Weibo” to “Weibo” to emphasize its independence as a social platform. It went public on NASDAQ on April 17, 2014, with its stock price increasing by 19% on the first day. Despite this success, Weibo faced challenges, including a decline in user growth and increased competition from WeChat.
Second Spring (Second Half of 2014 - First Half of 2017): This period marked a resurgence for Weibo. By June 2017, Weibo had 361 million monthly active users and 159 million daily active users. Its revenue and profitability showed significant growth, with a 79% increase in second-quarter revenue and a 152% rise in net profit year-over-year.
Weibo’s strategic focus included user expansion into lower-tier cities, diversification into vertical content areas like fashion and movies, and a strengthened video ecosystem. The introduction of features like video tags and short video uploads reflected Weibo’s commitment to staying relevant in the evolving digital landscape.
Concerns and Controversies:
In the latter half of 2017, Weibo faced several controversies. In August, Weibo announced it would suspend third-party data scraping due to unauthorized content extraction. In September, the release of a new user agreement aimed to restrict third parties from using Weibo content without permission, which led to criticism and comparisons with other platforms like Zhihu, known for its respect towards content creators' rights.
Conclusion:
The Rise and Fall of Sina Weibo Over Eight Years
August 24, 2017, 13:01 Source: Kanche.cn
When it comes to microblogs, Sina Weibo, which was launched in August 2009, was neither the earliest nor the most famous. In fact, Twitter, an American platform, was already quite mature and awarded various accolades by 2007. Twitter’s success inspired domestic entrepreneurs, leading to the emergence of Chinese microblogging sites modeled after Twitter. Ultimately, Fanfou, which closely resembled Twitter, stood out. In May 2007, Wang Xing, who later achieved great success with Meituan, founded Fanfo, China’s first microblogging site, which had over a million users by the first half of 2009.
However, things took a turn for the worse. In the second half of 2009, to comply with government regulations on online speech, Fanfo deleted a large number of posts, restricted sensitive keywords, and suspended search functions. All domains became unresolvable, and all servers were shut down. Other similar microblogging sites like Jiay and Digg in mainland China were also closed.
Although the Fanfo team promised on August 11, 2009, to return with a better version, Fanfo’s comeback on November 25, 2010, was too late.
In the 505 days of its closure, Weibo’s dominance was established. After Fanfo’s shutdown, portals like Sina, NetEase, and Tencent launched their own microblogging services, with Sina Weibo emerging as the fastest-growing. Many Fanfo users migrated to Sina Weibo, which developed rapidly and was hard to resist. Meanwhile, Wang Xing’s Meituan went online, achieving a transaction volume of 143 million yuan in its founding year. Fanfo’s return was overshadowed, and it had no chance of surpassing Sina Weibo.
Fanfo’s closure thus became one of the reasons for Sina Weibo’s rapid rise. In addition, improvements in functionality were also crucial for its fast development. Today, players like Tencent, NetEase, and Sohu have almost completely exited the microblogging arena, leaving Sina Weibo as the dominant player with remarkable achievements.
Here are some key milestones in Weibo’s development:
August 2009: Sina Weibo launched.
Early 2010: API open platform introduced.
October 2010: China’s first microfiction competition held.
November 2010: Sina Weibo group feature began internal testing.
January 2012: New feature “Quiet Following” launched.
January 2013: “Close Friends” feature added for private social circles.
February 2013: Financial report released showing revenue of approximately $66 million, over 500 million registered users, and 46.2 million daily active users.
April 2013: Alibaba acquired 18% of Sina Weibo.
August 2013: Sina Weibo and Taobao integration achieved.
March 2014: Sina Weibo renamed to “Weibo.”
April 2014: Weibo went public on NASDAQ.
November 2016: Character limit for posts removed; up to 2,000 characters allowed.
December 2016: Monthly active users reached 313 million; daily active users hit 139 million.
We can divide Weibo’s development into three stages:
Establishment and Breakthrough (August 2009 - October 2011)
Turning Point Year (October 2011 - Mid-2014)
Revival (Late 2014 - Mid-2017)
Next, we will delve into Weibo’s phased development, product iterations, and major events to review its historical journey.
Reflecting on Weibo's eight-year journey offers valuable insights into its product planning, operational strategies, and underlying values. Whether for major tech giants or emerging startups, understanding the dynamics of such a pivotal platform can inspire future innovation and strategic direction. We hope Weibo continues to create valuable products and user experiences and that this historical overview provides meaningful reflections and inspiration for others in the industry.