The Most Interesting and Popular Social Networks Around the World

Smartphones and, in particular, social networks have long occupied an important place in most people’s lives. Instagram and Facebook, as well as Twitter, VKontakte, and Odnoklassniki, are the most well-known social platforms worldwide, with a huge number of users logging in daily. But did you know that there are also less well-known, but no less interesting services where you can also spend your free time and interact?

Today we will tell you about eight social networks that are popular in the country where they originated. You will also learn whether they can be useful in the process of business development.

Studiverzeichnis (Germany)

Not everyone can pronounce the name of this social network correctly the first time. But in Germany, it is considered one of the most popular. The name translates as “student directory.” On the pages of this social network, people look for friends with whom they studied, as well as those who share their interests. Conversations and exchanges of any type of information are encouraged.

Main features of Studiverzeichnis:

• The social network was founded by ordinary students with the help of Lukasz Gadowski in 2005.
• It is visited by over 16 million users, of which 82% are residents of Germany.
• It bears some resemblance to Facebook.
• Its pages often sell various products and offer services.

Mixi (Japan)

The social network Mixi is considered much more popular in Japan than Facebook. Its interface is quite simple, designed in anime style, and easy to understand. There is a free option for users, but additional options can be accessed for a fee. It has been noted that most Mixi users, to align with the overall aesthetic, use images of anime characters as avatars.

Most people know that the Japanese live by the principle “go big or go home,” meaning they never stop halfway. Therefore, in this country, one might encounter the phrase “Mixi-fatigue.” This means that a person, spending a lot of time in this network, is faced with a huge number of messages and various data, and once simply begins to ignore them. Eventually, these people often delete their page.

Features of Mixi:

• It was established in 2004.
• Founded by Kenji Kasahara.
• Initially, it was mainly used by students and IT specialists.
• The number of accounts exceeds 30 million, and the average age group is 20-30 years.
• To create an account, a person must have a Japanese phone number or address.
• Primarily used for communication and entertainment, but entrepreneurs also apply it in their objectives.

Cloob (Iran)

The Cloob social network is the only national representative in Iran. For users, it is very convenient, as you can find virtually everything there. Cloob is often used for sales as a store, for sending various messages, and also for searching for job vacancies.

Important information about the social network:

• It appeared in 2004 due to the necessity of forming an Iranian social network. It remains singular in its kind in this country.
• The number of users is about five million.
• It is used for posting job vacancies and entrepreneurial activities.

Bebo (United Kingdom)

According to published data in the Which magazine, the social network Bebo was named the best. Thus, it ranked higher than Facebook. Bebo users are in the age category of 13-25 years.

As is known, most inhabitants of the United Kingdom, both young and old, are distinguished by special pedantry and strictness. And Bebo, in turn, instills in these people’s consciousness the correct understanding of how one should behave in society.

Briefly list the main points of Bebo:

• Founded by Michael and Xochi Birch.
• It appeared in 2005.
• The number of users is 35 million, and it includes British, New Zealanders, and Australians.
• For quite a long time, it held first place among the top social networks on the planet.
• Used for sales and providing various services for money.

Cyword (South Korea)

The Cyword social network, until 2011, held leading positions among all social networks in South Korea. But in 2011, it was hacked, and the information of 35 million people who used it was stolen and lost.

Today, South Koreans still actively use Cyword, though it lost its former popularity after the hack. Many people prefer two other social networks. The first is Kakao, which has a Russian version, and the second is Band, open to English-speaking users. Both rivals of Cyword are available on smartphones.

Brief information:

• The social network was founded in 1999.
• Around 200,000 people use it (which is significantly less than before).
• Used for business promotion.
• People from different countries can use it.

Qzone (China)

In China, the most well-known social networks on the globe (Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter) are blocked, as the “Golden Shield” operates there. But Chinese residents are also active visitors to the virtual world, like all of us. They also love to share photos from their lives, like each other’s posts, and read others’ thoughts. Only their social networks are unique.

Qzone in China ranks first among all social networks. And in world statistics, it occupies the third place in terms of the number of accounts. You can use the free version, but after payment, many more opportunities become available.

The most important about Qzone:

• The number of accounts is 625 million.
• Ranks third in activity globally.
• Used for business – promotion of services and goods.
• Has many paid features.

QQ (China)

QQ has some resemblance to our ICQ, only being more progressive and promising. Using the program developed by QQ, users purchase various goods online.

Quick facts:

• The social network was established in 1999.
• More than 350 million people are registered.
• Used for the sale of various goods.
• Filled with a huge amount of advertising.

Renren (China)

This social network ranks third in China. At first glance at the outer look of this social network, it is impossible not to notice the obvious resemblance to Facebook.

Important information:

• Renren was first learned about in 2005.
• The number of accounts is 170 million.
• A huge percentage of users are students.
• The interface has an obvious resemblance to Facebook.
• Used for trading and providing various types of services.

As you can see, there are quite a number of interesting and popular social networks in the world. We hope this article was helpful, as learning something new is always very interesting!