If we were to simplify the world of friendship apps into two factions, one would focus mainly on appearance, such as Tinder, which pioneered the swipe-to-match concept. The other would emphasize anonymity as the core of socializing, like Soul, which highlights "soulful connections."

As Gen Z gradually becomes the dominant demographic in social and entertainment, we've observed that more social app developers are considering them as a core audience.

In the process of defining user profiles, these developers have repeatedly mentioned a few keywords: "social anxiety," "kindred spirits," and "individuality." In response to these keywords, the importance of soulful socialization has been emphasized. In today's popular soulful social apps, people create unique avatars to hide their shyness behind anonymous identities.

In the overseas market, we've also seen a proliferation of "soulful social" apps, and some of them are gaining significant attention. For example, Litmatch, a soulful social app launched by the Chinese company Kunshan Claw Network Technology in 2020, has now exceeded 50 million downloads globally. It has performed well in Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia, gradually making its way into the top tier of soulful social apps.

Recently, we've observed Litmatch making a push into the South American market, with Brazil at the forefront. Brazil and the broader South American region are known for their passion, football, samba dance, and vibrant culture. How is Litmatch, a virtual social platform, breaking into the Brazilian and South American markets?

Part 1: The Classic Soul Social Model of Avatar + Voice Rooms

Since its official launch in 2019 targeting overseas markets, the Avatar soul social app Litmatch has been emphasizing product highlights like "soul social" and "metaverse" as it gradually expands into overseas markets, including East Asia and South America.

According to official information, Litmatch is aimed at a young user base in Southeast Asia, primarily consisting of middle and high school students and college students. In the short term, they plan to implement monetization strategies centered around paid subscriptions, offering special matchmaking privileges for paid users, with a focus on male users. In the medium to long term, they aim to expand into group social scenes and introduce monetization strategies centered around giving virtual gifts and rewards.

Soul social apps typically feature a combination of "Avatar" and "voice chat," and Litmatch is no exception. Its main application functions are divided into four modules: Moments, Chat, User Profiles, and Square. Starting with Avatar, users can select candy-themed cartoon avatars based on their interests or personal characteristics, such as "cool," "lonely," "movie," etc. Litmatch's avatars are represented by various furry monster-like images.

In terms of matching methods in soul socializing, Litmatch offers two options. One is the "Voice Game," which focuses on "limited-time socializing." It relies on the system to randomly match users for phone conversations and uses a 7-minute time limit to accelerate the ice-breaking process for socially anxious users. The other option is the "Soul Game," which matches users based on test results to find more compatible chat partners.

With chatting at its core, Litmatch's main revenue model also revolves around this aspect. To accelerate matches with people, users need to pay with "diamonds" or become VIP members by purchasing a membership. There are daily limitations on the number of free matches and the duration of free calls. To have more Soulmates, you'll need the power of "cash" to speak.

The dynamic module functions like a global social circle where people from various countries and regions share their daily content. It mainly consists of users from Southeast Asia, India, Taiwan, China, Spanish-speaking countries in South America, and Portuguese-speaking countries. The majority of users are under 30 years old, with a significant number of 17-18-year-olds, and there are also some rare users in their 70s.

In addition to soulful social networking, Litmatch has also capitalized on the trend of the metaverse's first year. With its metaverse-style approach, Litmatch has gained popularity and experienced significant growth, especially in Asian countries like Vietnam and Indonesia, as indicated by 7MAI data for the year 2022. Its downloads and in-app purchase revenue have seen notable increases, ranking it ahead of the competition.

Upon further investigation, it becomes clear that Litmatch's development company is Shanghai Kensuast Technology Co., Ltd., located in Shanghai. The company was founded by former employees of major companies such as LeEco, Joyy, and others, who held various positions in product and technology at companies like Pinduoduo, Meituan, 360, Tencent, and more. Their extensive experience in the internet industry has been instrumental in Litmatch's rapid growth. Between 2019 and 2021, the company experienced substantial development, including a successful Series C funding round with total investments exceeding 100 million RMB. With stable financial support and a promising market outlook, they have the capability to explore new markets.

While Litmatch initially penetrated the Southeast Asian market and later expanded into South America, its in-app purchase revenue has gradually stabilized. According to data.ai, Litmatch has entered the top 100 of the social networking bestsellers chart in 22 countries and regions worldwide. Observations indicate that it has performed exceptionally well in mature Southeast Asian markets such as the Philippines and Malaysia, while making a renewed push into Latin American markets in recent months.

Part 2: Internet Celebrities Leading Viral Marketing Breakthroughs in South America

data.ai data shows that Litmatch's total downloads in Brazil closely follow those in Indonesia. The download growth is primarily related to software updates. For instance, in September 2023, Litmatch released new versions on the 1st, 12th, 14th, and 20th days. The company prioritizes user needs and experiences, leading to a high level of user loyalty. Additionally, Litmatch ranks 19th on the local bestseller list in Brazil. ASOTools estimates that the Brazilian market accounts for approximately 8%-10% of the global total revenue.

From a strategic perspective, the changes in Litmatch app rankings and download volumes are closely related to its efforts in social media marketing. It's observed that Litmatch has established official accounts on Instagram and TikTok in multiple countries, including Vietnam, Thailand, and Brazil. The official Instagram account for Brazil, launched in October 2022, has garnered 2,431 followers, posted 107 pieces of content, each receiving thousands of likes. Currently, it ranks in the top 50 on the social app download charts in Brazil and continues to rise, with a substantial user base in other South American countries as well.

Let's delve into Brazil's background: Brazil is located in South America, with a land area of over 8.5 million square kilometers and a population of over 200 million people. In 2022, its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reached approximately 9.9 trillion Brazilian reals (about 1 USD equals 5.2 Brazilian reals), representing roughly half of South America's total GDP.

When we think of Brazil, we often associate it with football, music, and dance, as it is known for its rich culture in these areas. Brazil's vast population and consumer market have made it an attractive destination for tech companies, but due to its cultural differences and geographical distance, tech companies from outside the region have been slower to establish a strong presence. Brazil has a smartphone user base of over 100 million, and among the top-ranked social mobile apps are WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram.

Litmatch's path to breaking into the Brazilian market involves leveraging these popular apps. While it initially had a relatively small advertising presence in Southeast Asia, Litmatch's unique model has been very successful. In recent years, it has increased its advertising efforts, particularly in South America, using various new marketing and promotional strategies to gain users. It has also utilized influencer marketing on platforms like Instagram and TikTok to boost its visibility.

1.Influencer Marketing and Operational Efforts in Sync

Litmatch adeptly utilizes popular social media platforms. In today's world, creating social media accounts for a new product is common practice, but Litmatch takes it a step further. The app has established official accounts on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, using them to drive traffic and create buzz with trending topics.

Data from the website similarweb reveals that the top two apps used concurrently by Litmatch users are Instagram and Facebook. According to the 2023 Generation Z report by GWI, TikTok continues to grow in influence among the Generation Z demographic. Litmatch focuses its efforts on operating Instagram and TikTok effectively.

Litmatch specializes in promotional campaigns and collaborates with influencers on Instagram. On TikTok, the app invites popular creators to participate and successfully generates a trend with a smaller-scale impact. It leverages the viral video trend to boost its download numbers.

Additionally, Litmatch targets the teenage idol demographic by inviting dozens of influencers from Portuguese-speaking countries to join the platform. These influencers promote Litmatch on Instagram and TikTok, and the app utilizes algorithms for widespread platform promotion.

2.Precision Operations: Bidirectional Engagement in Culture and Thematic Activities

Brazil, a Portuguese-speaking country, has been heavily influenced by Western culture for many years. Litmatch seizes the recent trends in Western internet culture and continuously introduces themed activities to increase daily engagement.

One is regular singing competition events. Using the unique features of the app, Litmatch creates activities that involve features like live streaming, enabling interaction between the metaverse and music.

The second type includes various holiday and themed activities, such as Christmas marketing and World Cup marketing. In Brazil, religious holidays and football play a significant role, helping boost the engagement of existing users, showing cultural proximity, and capturing the hearts of Brazilian users.

The third type involves activities targeting minority groups, which further expands the user base and engagement. In June, which is International PRIDE Month, Litmatch provided a platform for LGBT Night, fostering an inclusive and open image and providing a shared cyberspace for different communities.

Soul social networking apps going global are not uncommon. For instance, the Chinese app Soul has invested heavily in advertising in Malaysia and Thailand. Similarly, Gravity, a social app focused on the Japanese market, ranks second in downloads, with users also coming from China and Canada, among other countries.

In a landscape where there are competing apps like Raya and Momo, maintaining freshness and exploring new directions, whether internally or externally, are challenges that apps like Litmatch need to consider.

Part 3: Conclusion

In addition to Portuguese-speaking Brazil, Litmatch has also achieved remarkable results in some Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America. For instance, it ranks within the top 10 in the charts in Ecuador, Honduras, and Bolivia, while countries like Peru and Mexico also show demand for in-app purchases. The app has gained an advantage in terms of downloads in Asia, and it is not lagging behind in terms of in-app purchases in South America. Users in these regions are more willing to invest more money for face-to-face meetings or video calls. Litmatch, with its niche focus, has captured different needs and maintained growth, carving out its place in a market long dominated by Instagram and TikTok.

However, now Litmatch is gradually encountering some of the challenges faced by other soul social networking apps like Soul. Issues like a mixed internal ecosystem and potential compatibility problems with the payment model can affect user experience and lead to customer loss or a decline in the ecosystem quality. This may not be conducive to the app's reputation and long-term growth. The product team should address these concerns and avoid the pitfalls that have hindered Soul's progress.

As of now, Litmatch has been online for four years, relying on its soul social networking model and innovative internet marketing strategies. It has established its unique presence in both Southeast Asia and South America. It is believed that the strategies mentioned above can provide valuable insights for internet companies looking to expand into the South American market.

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