From millions of popularity to zombie fans, why did Liu Genghong's live broadcast room encounter a "cold winter"?
First, the popularity of the live broadcast room plummeted
Liu Genghong, this name once became popular all over the Internet during the epidemic in 2020. His "Compendium of Materia Medica" shuttlecock exercise has allowed countless netizens in home isolation to work out with him, and has also made him gain more than 60 million followers in just one and a half months, becoming a well-deserved "top" fitness anchor.
However, the good times did not last long. With the adjustment of epidemic prevention and control measures, people's lives have gradually returned to normal, and the days of Liu Genghong dancing have gradually become a thing of the past. The popularity of Liu Genghong's live broadcast room also began to decline significantly. From millions of views in April, to hundreds of thousands in June, and now tens of thousands or even thousands, the "cooling" in Liu Genghong's live broadcast room is very obvious.
According to third-party data, since June, Liu Genghong's fan increment has even experienced negative growth. On the Douyin platform, his video views are far less than before. Some netizens ridiculed: "Liu Genghong's live broadcast room is full of zombie fans. ”
Second, what is zombie powder
So, what is zombie powder? According to Baidu Know 1's explanation, the zombie fans in WeChat refer to people who block you or delete your friends, or fake accounts that maliciously register. These people take up space with your friends, but they don't interact with you.
So, what are zombie fans on live streaming platforms? According to the answer on Zhihu 2, zombie fans on the live broadcast platform refer to those titular fans who follow the anchor, but have no news, and will not watch, like, comment, give gifts and other interactive behaviors. These followers may be automatically generated by the system, or purchased by the streamer himself or others to increase popularity and rankings.
So, in Liu Genghong's live broadcast room, what is the zombie fan? According to reports on Tencent.com 3, the zombie fans in Liu Genghong's live broadcast room mainly refer to those users who have followed him and danced with him. For various reasons, these users stopped watching his live broadcasts and they canceled their attention to him. But because unfollowing on the Douyin platform requires manual operation and there is no reminder function, many users do not unfollow in time. This led to the existence of a large number of zombie fans in Liu Genghong's live broadcast room that had actually "taken off".
Third, why capital is abandoned
So, what is the impact of "zombie fans" in the live broadcast industry? According to an article on the website of the China Journalist Association4, the development of the live broadcast industry is not only affected by user demand, social trends, technological innovation and other factors, but also driven by capital. In 2017, the size of the overseas live streaming market was only US$1.137 billion, but by 2021, it will reach US$1.104 billion, a staggering growth rate5. In China, the live streaming e-commerce economy has also become a new economic form, involving multiple industries and fields6.
In this context, the relationship between live streaming platforms and streamers has also become complicated. On the one hand, live streaming platforms need anchors to provide high-quality content and services to attract and retain users, so as to realize the monetization and profitability of the platform. On the other hand, streamers also need live streaming platforms to provide traffic and resources to help them expand their influence and revenue. Therefore, there is a dual relationship of cooperation and competition between live streaming platforms and anchors.
In this relationship, the role of capital is crucial. Capital can provide financial and technical support for live streaming platforms, as well as contracting and promotion opportunities for anchors. However, capital is also selective and variable. Capital will decide whether to continue to invest or withdraw based on market conditions and investment returns. Therefore, it is very important for live streaming platforms and anchors to maintain their competitiveness and innovation.
So, in Liu Genghong's case, why did capital abandon him? According to a report on China News Network 7, although Liu Genghong did not carry out live streaming on his account, he tested the water on his wife's account. On May 31, there was no warm-up in the debut of the "trumpet", nor was it a popular period for live streaming, but the three sportswear he brought were still sold out. The three pieces come from a previously "soft wide" sports brand.
This shows that Liu Genghong once had great commercial value and potential. But because he did not seize the opportunity in time to transform into a professional live streaming anchor, he insisted on doing what he loved to do - fitness teaching. This led to his gradual loss of competitiveness and influence in the live streaming industry. And the capital has also shifted to other more promising and rewarding anchors or platforms.
IV. Conclusion
In short, the popularity of Liu Genghong's live broadcast room plummeted from 1 million to 60,000, and there were a large number of zombie fans, because he did not follow the market demand and trend changes, did not adjust his content and form in time, and did not effectively use his traffic resources for monetization and expansion, resulting in the loss of interest and confidence in him by capital. This also provides a warning to others who want to work or have already engaged in the live broadcast industry: in this fast-changing and competitive industry, only by constantly innovating and forging ahead can we maintain our advantages and value.