When Oneforty launched two years ago as an app store for Twitter, the startup undoubtedly filled a hole in the media platform. The brainchild of Laura Fitton, the startup provides a comprehensive e-commerce marketplace where third-party developers on the Twitter platform can sell their apps. The idea was such a hit in the Twitter ecosystem that rumors swirled that Twitter was potentially interested in buying Oneforty.
But interestingly, after nearly two years, Oneforty has found a specific target market for its products—business users. As more businesses, both enterprise, large and small, look to incorporate social media into their marketing and PR efforts, these companies are also looking to spend money on expertise, services and tools for these strategies. And Oneforty has now become a destination for business users.
Social media consultants have already built out 700+ guides on the site to help businesses tackle all things social media, including Twitter and Facebook. Fitton tells us that many businesses are confused about social and are spending money on business expertise, services and tools.
She adds that the “social business” market opportunity is huge and the site has turned partly into a consultancy of sorts for businesses who want to incorporate social elements into their workflow or marketing efforts. Today, the company is publicly rolling out its B2B platform on social business, which includes information on how to invest a budget, what other companies are doing and more. Other content includes a buyers guide for brands looking to adopt social media software and reviews of social media tools.
Fitton assures us that the App Store is still thriving, but that this focus makes sense for Onforty longterm. Inn fact, new business user signups have grown 5 times since October. And the company plans to roll out additional comparison tools, case studies, webinars and events.
Of course the elephant in the room is that one of the reasons Oneforty has shifted strategy is that businesses will actually pay for tools and services, as opposed to consumers who can simply download free apps to suit their needs. As for funding, Fitton says the company has no immediate plans to raise another round.
