novelraw Chapter 440 179: The Instructor's Cunning Plan, I Also Want to Be Scum
Chapter 440 179: The Instructor's Cunning Plan, I Also Want to Be Scum
The meeting had been going on for over an hour, and all the existing issues related to the Zhihu website were finally clarified. They immediately began researching, discussing, and formulating solutions on the spot.
Li Yuan looked at Lin Yuwei, who was in charge of the website's development and construction.
"Group Leader Lin, how much longer do you think it will take for Zhihu to go live on various platforms?"
Lin Yuwei pondered for a moment before giving a definitive answer. "Director Li, based on feedback from our beta users, the website's overall performance and model are very popular. After we optimize a few shortcomings, it can go live directly. It should take about three days, so we can officially launch by October 12th, which is this Friday, at the latest.
"What we need to consider now is how to promote it, increase user registration and activity level, and compete with those established websites for market share. I suggest we adopt various methods for market deployment. We can advertise on platforms like 360 Browser, QQ, and Weibo, or directly hire some popular celebrities for endorsements."
Next, Lin Yuwei elaborated on her marketing strategies. Building a website was one thing; promoting it successfully was another significant challenge. In this booming era for internet companies, new websites were established daily only to quickly fade into obscurity. The competition was incredibly fierce.
If a website lacked core sections to attract users and traffic, it would be quickly eliminated by the market, with the only exceptions being platforms like Tieba and Weibo, which had already captured a massive user base years ago.
Lin Yuwei was describing traditional promotional methods, which made Li Yuan frown inwardly, as he had his own ideas about how to promote Zhihu.
In his previous life, platforms like Xiaohongshu and Zhihu hadn't been established at this point, but they would become extremely popular in the future, dominating half of the domestic forum market. As long as they could capture the interest of young women and male college students, there would be no shortage of users.
Take the version of Zhihu he developed, for example. It covered many sections and a lot of content, and the user experience and feedback were good. He had used it a few times himself and felt it was decent, though the database was still a bit empty.
Li Yuan looked at Lin Yuwei, Xie Zheng, and the others, then began with a smile, "Those are traditional marketing methods. They require a lot of funding, but the results aren't always great. Let me share my thoughts, and we can all discuss them."
"I think we can use a prize-based registration approach, inviting users to 'Kan Yi Dao.' Once a user gets a certain number of new people to register, they can receive a cash reward from our company. We should also hire more online astroturfers to drive traffic on major platforms, like posting intensively on Tieba."
Li Yuan spoke convincingly. While this wasn't yet the age of viral marketing, and though he didn't understand all its intricacies, he was familiar with some common tactics.
Hiring a large number of astroturfers wouldn't cost much; plenty of college students were willing to do it as a part-time job for a small fee, which just involved high-intensity posting on forums and in chat groups. Additionally, Pinduoduo's unique 'Kan Yi Dao' user invitation method could attract a massive number of registrations.
This method of driving traffic was far more efficient than hiring celebrities for endorsements or signing contracts with major websites. It could also attract more genuine users, a perfect example of achieving great results with a small budget.
Hearing the various promotional methods Li Yuan mentioned, Lin Yuwei, Xie Zheng, and the others' eyes lit up with shock and excitement.
"Director Li, the 'Kan Yi Dao' invitation method you mentioned is truly magical," Lin Yuwei exclaimed with feeling. "It precisely captures the psychology of the college student demographic and the fact that they have abundant leisure time." She felt Li Yuan's approach was quite rare for the time and had incredibly broad applications.
Li Yuan chuckled. "Haha, don't just stand there praising me. Everyone should share their thoughts and suggestions. Let's brainstorm and try to finalize our approach and come up with a plan by noon today."
As Li Yuan, Lin Yuwei, Xie Zheng, and the others discussed, the time flew by. Soon, it was past one in the afternoon.
Xia Zhijin had been quietly listening to the discussion the entire time, occasionally stealing glances at Li Yuan's confident and sunny profile. Whenever Li Yuan smiled back at her, she would blush, her heart pounding.
A serious Li Yuan at work is just like the business magnates I've imagined—so confident, his words carrying immense weight, commanding the respect and awe of all the other employees.
Li Yuan's throat was dry from speaking so much when his stomach suddenly growled. He remarked casually, "It's time for lunch. Ah, if only we could order takeaway!"
Though his comment was made in passing, it caught a listener's keen attention.
Lin Yuwei's eyes had already been opened by Li Yuan's various promotional methods. When she heard the words "order takeaway," she immediately sensed an opportunity.
"Director Li, may I ask what you mean by 'ordering takeaway'?"
As someone who frequently ordered takeaway in his previous life, Li Yuan was naturally familiar with the industry. In 2008, the takeaway industry was just beginning to bud and was a completely new and emerging market.
"Takeaway is a model where users browse food from merchants online, place an order, and then a delivery company brings the product right to their doorstep. This will be a very popular model in the future, and the market potential is massive."
Li Yuan briefly explained the takeaway model.
Lin Yuwei drew in a sharp breath, staring at Li Yuan as if he were some kind of monster.