Meipian

About Meipian

Meipian, operated by Nanjing Lanjingren Network Technology Co., Ltd., is a Chinese social media application founded in 2015. The platform was reportedly created by founder Tang Qi, a former R&D engineer at Huawei, to provide a senior-friendly way for his father to share his photography hobby. The app functions as a content sharing and creation tool, allowing users to produce and beautify images and posts for sharing on other social platforms like WeChat and Weibo.

The company's core product is a mobile application that enables users to create blog-like entries with long-form text and up to 100 images and videos, a feature that has resonated with its target demographic. Initially a tool for editing texts and photos, Meipian evolved by adding comment and discussion functions in January 2016, which led to significant user growth. By June 2020, the platform claimed 200 million registered users. To cater to a broader audience within its demographic, a microblogging feature for posts under 140 words was introduced in May 2020. Meipian specifically targets the middle-aged and elderly population in China, aiming to enrich their inner world. Over half of its user base is over the age of 45.

Meipian's business model has faced challenges in monetization. The company has a subscription model offering members access to premium functions like more formatting options and background music choices for their posts. It has also attempted to generate revenue through paid offline activities, such as photography-themed tours and book clubs, but these have struggled to gain traction. The platform's primary revenue stream appears to be advertising, though the reluctance of its user base to engage with online payments presents a hurdle. The company has undergone four rounds of financing, raising a total of over 180 million yuan by July 2018, with investors including Tencent Investment, ZhenFund, and Mango Cultural and Creative Fund. Despite its large user base, the company reportedly downsized in 2022 to about 100 employees.