Location based social media app Public has doubled its userbase from 15 million in March to 30 million in May, owing to the extended lockdown in India announced on March 22. As per Sensor Tower, the homegrown Public app has also become the second most downloaded app in the News and Magazine category worldwide (source).
Interestingly, Public App saw a 140 percent surge in the 35-44 year age group, which is a difficult user audience to attract on video-based social media apps. Public app saw a 70 percent increase in the 18 to 24 year user group and a 120 percent rise in the 25 to 34 year age group. Remarkably, Female userbase surged by 127 percent as opposed to male user group that increased by 90 percent.
Said Azhar Iqubal, Co-founder and CEO, Inshorts and Public, “Keeping oneself updated about happenings in their locality is the need of the hour and we have become the go to platform for everyone in small towns and cities of the country. We are providing users with verified and real-time local information. Many central, State and District level politicians and authorities have joined Public to interact directly with their local communities and share location relevant updates around COVID 19. We are focusing on investing in technology upgradation and additional manpower to manage this significant growth..”
Extended isolation due to lockdown and social distancing have made people rely on digital mediums for information and to stay connected with their communities. Location-based, video-sharing social networks like Public App are fast becoming this source of credible local updates as they allow citizens to record and share videos on happenings in their vicinity. The COVID19 outbreak has also demonstrated how the administration and the common man can use technology and video formats to work in tandem for better outcomes.
