Locket, a photo-sharing app that went viral quickly after its launch, tells us a lot about the future of photo-sharing and the habits of people who use the apps. A quick search on TikTok tells us why people in the business of sales and marketing should also care.
Locket creator, Matt Moss, created the app, Locket Widget, as a way to easily exchange photos with his girlfriend.
The app creates a photo frame on your home screen. You and up to 10 friends can send snapshots to the widget that will show up when you unlock your screen.
In a post on Twitter, Moss said the Locket crossed 1 billion photos sent this month. He also announced the company had raised $12.5 million in funding.
“We think there is going to be a massive opportunity to build a product focused on best friends and family,” Moss @thefuturematt said on twitter. “People want to feel closer to their favorite people more than ever and this desire is never going away.”
Back to TikTok’s role in the success of this app.
In video after video, you can watch people sharing their photos and the screens created using Locket. Comments range from OMG CUTE to I want it!
How? One share becomes two, and two becomes thousands of TikTok users creating a trend focused on Locket and why they love it.
It’s easy to see how the app shot to the #1 spot on the App Store soon after launching.
As Moss said in July, most social media apps just want to grab your attention instead of keeping you connected.
Locket grabs your attention, but it grabs it with the 10 people you choose and you don’t have to wade through all the distractions.
Does yet another photo app matter?
It’s worth looking at trends, especially trends that can prove their success with numbers like one billion.
There’s a reason these personalized photo apps are succeeding. Can they last? That’s the big question, a question yet to be completely answered. Moss certainly plans on them lasting. His company is also hiring!
Mary Beth Lee retired from teaching in Texas this year after 28 years as a student media adviser. She spends her time these days reading, writing, fighting for public education and enjoying the empty nester life in Downtown Fort Worth.
