The "death" of Tencent Weibo proves once again:whoever wins the domain name wins the world!

Tencent Weibo Officially Announces Shutdown

On September 4th, Tencent Weibo released an official statement stating that it would cease its services and operations at 11:59 PM on September 29, 2020, making it impossible to log in.

"Your voice, the world's echo" – it's safe to say that few users remember this slogan from Tencent Weibo. Users are more familiar with Sina Weibo's "Discover fresh updates anytime, anywhere." With this announcement, Tencent Weibo is about to close its chapter. However, the fate of its shutdown seems to have been foreseen a decade ago, as evidenced by the initial domain strategies of major microblogging platforms.

In August 2009, Sina Weibo was born, initially using the second-level domain t.sina.com. Now, its official domain is the two-character "weibo.com," making it the first Chinese portal website to provide microblogging services. Following Sina Weibo's launch, Netease, Tencent, and Sohu all introduced their own microblogging products.

1. Netease Weibo officially launched its beta version in January 2010, using the second-level domain t.163.com. In November 2014, Netease Weibo announced its official closure.

2. Tencent Weibo, on the other hand, was born in April 2010, eight months after Sina Weibo, with the domain t.qq.com. It will officially close on September 29, 2020.

3. Sohu Weibo launched in April 2010 with the domain t.sohu.com. It has since redirected users to the "Huyou" app download page and has remained relatively obscure.

With Netease Weibo and Tencent Weibo closing down and Sohu Weibo quietly fading into the background, the once illustrious "big four" microblogging platforms are now reduced to Sina Weibo as the sole dominant player. What has propelled the rise of Sina Weibo?

In fact, the domain strategies of the "big four" microblogging platforms offer some insights. As online social software heavily relies on the internet, establishing a strong online brand necessitates a domain name that aligns closely with the brand itself. A premium domain is akin to a "golden signboard," instantly catching the user's eye in the vast online landscape.

Let's take a look at Sina Weibo's domain journey:

1. In 2009, Sina's CEO, Cao Guowei, launched the beta version of "Sina Weibo" using the second-level domain t.sina.com.

2. In the same year, Sina acquired the two-character domain "weibo.com.cn" for a six-figure sum and began registering multiple domains like sinaurl.com/.cn.

3. In March 2010, Sina spent 8 million RMB to acquire the "weibo.com" domain.

4. In August of the same year, they quietly acquired the weibo.cn domain, and by the end of the year, they secured the highly coveted short domain t.cn. It's worth noting that t.cn was originally acquired by Cai Wensheng for 5 million RMB and was later redirected to Cai Wensheng's Weibo page.

With this, Sina Weibo has acquired all major domains closely related to the term "weibo," solidifying its position as the microblogging leader.

In comparison, Tencent Weibo, which emerged only eight months after Sina Weibo, had its moments of glory with a user base of up to 310 million, surpassing the other three platforms to become China's largest microblogging service. However, their lack of emphasis on protecting the brand domain meant that their success was short-lived.

In the development of the "big four" microblogging platforms, some continue to shine while others quietly exit the stage. While a company's success is not solely determined by its domain name, premium domains have always been a symbol of corporate strength, brand identity, and strategic foresight. To effectively promote a brand and gain traffic, a company must start with its domain name. In the world of branding, the alignment of brand and domain is paramount, and it's safe to say that those who dominate the market often hold premium domain names!