HEADLINE-SOCIAL MEDIA | Snapkyu, Cambodia’s answer to Facebook
With a total of 223,273 users in the Kingdom, Snapkyu is Cambodia’s answer to Facebook. Its founder and proprietor is 43-year-old Lee Ngeap who started this venture after returning home on completion of his studies in Canada. Talking to Khmer Times, he said that he was driven by a burning desire to see his country hold its own in the fast-paced developing world of today.
Lee developed Snapkyu for everybody over the age of 16. According to the latest Google Analytics figures, over 30,000 of Snapkyu’s users fall in the 18 to 24 age bracket making its target audience primarily youngsters. It accounts for more than 20,000 users in the 25 to 34-year age group.
According to datareportal.com, Facebook had 10.45 million users in Cambodia in early 2023 while as per ByteDance’s advertising resources, TikTok had 7.06 million users aged 18 and above in Cambodia in early 2023. There were 11.37 million internet users in Cambodia at the start of 2023, when internet penetration stood at 67.5 percent. 11.4 percent of internet users in Cambodia are between the ages of 18 and 24, and the 25 to 34 age bracket accounts for 16.2 percent.
Memento Maxima Digital MarketingAsked what makes Snapkyu different from other social media sites like Facebook and TikTok, Lee described his product as a social media and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) service marketplace for the local community in Cambodia. It is a hundred percent Cambodian entity made by Cambodians for the benefit of Cambodians, particularly in terms of boosting economic growth.
“We are creating jobs for Cambodians in the IT industry. What would happen if Facebook and TikTok suddenly stepped out of the Cambodia market? What would Cambodians then be left with?” Lee questioned. He cited the example of eBay’s abrupt withdrawal from China in 2005. “Using Facebook and TikTok is akin to giving support to the economies of USA and China and benefiting their GDP,” he said.
Snapkyu, Lee explained, combines the concepts of snapping a picture and queuing on the cloud on mobile. The name Snapkyu itself was very challenging to register and trademark as were developing the advertising system, live function and marketplace for consumers to buy and sell online.
“We were once the undisputed number one as far as the most downloaded apps are concerned, both in Apple Play Store as well as Google Play store. Right now we are still in the top 200 in Apple Playstore at No. 54 as of today,” Lee said. He named his main competition as coming from other social media sites led by Bee Bush and Tam Neak which were launched years before Snapkyu.
“Lack of funds and a shortage of investors are the two foremost problems in running my business,” Lee said. Other challenges include the small size of his workforce and limited marketing budget.
His main competition is from abroad, namely the two social media giants Facebook and TikTok. Lee said he would like to thank the 230,000 Snapkyu users whose support for the app has proved instrumental in its success.
According to Lee’s vision, Cambodia will be adopting the digital era in future, so Snapkyu by that time will be one of the best-known names for local social media. It will be a source of entertainment, online marketplace and ads for Cambodians.
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