Hornet accelerates growth by building on leadership in its core markets
West Hollywood, Calif. — Hornet, the world’s leading queer social network, is setting out on a fast-growth journey to increase its user base by 100% across all core markets and by entering new markets. To achieve that, the company relies on the strong bonds that it has built with local communities over the past ten years — which have already brought 35+ million queer people to the app — as well as data from several new experiments resulting from this decade-long leadership.
“The impact that these experiences have is clear when we look at DAU”, says Hornet co-founder and CEO Christof Wittig. “We accelerated growth in several key markets, strengthened our brand, and reduced churn”.
One of these key markets is Turkey. Hornet has previously established itself as the leading app in the country but has since skyrocketed with 34% growth in active users due to new feature releases, including Hornet Live — a new live video platform that allows users to connect in real-time and empowers queer creators with Hornet’s in-app currency, Honey.
The adoption of Hornet in Turkey is the result of strong bonds the company has been nurturing with local users for years. When the app was suddenly removed from the App Store, after a queerphobic request, thousands of users were unable to safely connect with their online community. Once the app returned to the store, user acquisition was even stronger than before.
The company expects to further accelerate growth in its user base and revenue in Turkey. “We’re still seeing a lot of growth potential, and we know that user growth benefits every user every day because there is even more community to connect to and to engage with”, says Mr. Wittig.
These strong results can also be seen in other countries across the globe as well. In Brazil, two recent experiments helped Hornet to reduce churn by letting users focus on making quicker connections during the country’s most beloved celebration — Carnaval —, thus increasing the ratio of Premium subscribers.
Hornet Premium subscribers have an exclusive set of advanced features, that include more extended grids, see who checked them out, remove ads, get read receipts, and more.
These experiments will be complemented with a refreshed approach in the market leading up to São Paulo Pride in June. Last year, over 4 million people took over Paulista Avenue in downtown São Paulo to celebrate Pride, making it the biggest in the world.
This is a similar scenario to the one observed in France. The recent experiments tailored for French users already resulted in less churn, and new ones taking place at this moment focus on increasing user engagement in the best moments possible.
Other countries and regions that are also undergoing experiments include Thailand, Ukraine, and Taiwan.
The Hornet app can be downloaded for free on Android, iOS, and Huawei devices, and a web version can also be accessed on hornet.com.
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About Hornet Networks
Hornet Networks is the world’s leading queer tech company, providing a digital home for LGBTQ+ people to safely connect with each other — anytime, anywhere. Amplifying the radical, affirmative power of the queer community with cutting-edge technology, Hornet is a queer social network serving over 35 million users worldwide. Hornet’s wide range of features from video to chat make it easy and safe for queer people to share experiences with a community that understands and validates their lives. More information at hornet.com
