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What are the social networks where users are willing to pay for a premium subscription? Dating, (together with porno, of course) is the only segment where there is a real money transfer from users to the community owners.

There is an exception, PlentyofFish.com. Unlike competitors, this site, the largest worldwide (maybe because it’s an exception…), is completely FREE and ad-supported. Pal Michael Cerda & Co just signed a deal with them to bring Jangl to PoF’s users (80M profiles), to let them call each other, receiving voicemails and send SMS.

As Michael states in his blog, it’s not just “what” they are offering to them, but the big picture behind that, that is pushing a telephony/messaging service to the web and leveraging it through big online communities by solving a problem and satisfying a need. Mmmh, already heard about that…

In this scenario, the big driver is advertising, for both PoF and Jangl. Short ads will be inserted in messages and calls, letting Jang keep the service free, as well as PoF.

I like the approach and, for the consumer market, it is absolutely the best way to get the most from communication services targeted to big online communities. I often repeated that big communities have a need, communicate, so an effective way to keep users inside the community is to provide them with an easy way to to that, privately and at no cost (otherwise people look for alternatives, outside the community, like Skype etc.)

Jangl is executing this vision really well, something that Michael can be really proud of.

jangl, luca filigheddu, michael cerda, plentyoffish