Image: Via appshunter.io (Unsplash)
Have you done your German lesson today? Perhaps you have yet to practice Spanish for a couple of minutes today. That’s okay — I’m not a persuasive and persistent green owl who is going to passive-aggressively push you into learning a language. Though, it seems Duo, the Duolingo owl, knows something we don’t about captivating your audience. For those of you who have no idea who Duo is or about Duolingo as a whole, allow me to explain. Duolingo is a free mobile and web game that helps its users learn a new language. There are options for over 30 languages with the addition of other educational lessons (for instance: music and math). Duolingo was founded in 2011 and has been having a steady growth of users and popularity since its release. In recent times, Duolingo has taken to the media to promote its benefits to possible future Duolingo users as a way to expand the app’s growth. However, Duolingo’s methods and marketing strategy are what sets it apart from just another mobile ad.
What is Duolingo’s marketing strategy? Well, first it is important to understand what exactly Duolingo is trying to achieve. Duolingo is a game in which a user’s goal is to learn a language in an entertaining and fun environment. With this in mind, much of what is considered to be entertaining and fun in today’s world is primarily found in social settings online. This means TikTok, Instagram, mobile ads and more. So Duolingo took to social media. Using Duo, their green owl mascot, the Duolingo team found a way to integrate their marketing and advertising into trends and online conversation.
Look at the Duolingo TikTok page alone. The references and unseriousness of the account is what makes Duolingo more alluring to viewers. On TikTok, it doesn’t really seem like Duolingo is trying to get its audience to download the app constantly like most other marketing teams do. In fact, the ratio of videos that are just Duo following trends outnumbers the amount of videos that make any kind of direct hint for people to download the app. This seems counterintuitive for the company, but their popularity continues to increase. This is because of the way Duolingo is taking on the role of just another influencer on TikTok. It creates the atmosphere that Duo is a real-life sentient being that only wants you to do your language lessons and learn a language. However, there is another layer to this that gives Duolingo some sort of aura. Though Duolingo seems fun, lighthearted and entertaining, the implications change when regarding a user missing their lesson, though it’s unserious, and it is just an app. When a Duolingo user misses their daily lesson, the Duolingo Owl seems greatly disappointed. Which in turn gives the sorry, streak-breaking user a sense of getting looked in the eyes by their parent or guardian and them saying “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed.” Somehow, some way, Duolingo’s emphasized displeasure with users not committing to learning a language is a feeling that can be genuinely guilt-inducing and manages to keep users from ever wanting to skip their lesson again.
It’s clear that the Duolingo team has a very clear and concise understanding of the social media and online worlds and took them by storm. By being able to generate a lot more popularity and revenue from new users in recent years, technology and media is only going to advance. So, one can only wonder what Duolingo may be planning to do next. Duolingo has already conquered social media, push notifications, advertisements and efficiency, so it will be interesting to see what the future of Duolingo will bring. If you’ve never tried Duolingo before, it is a free game you can play on mobile devices or the web and there are so many languages to choose from. Not only that, but you can learn more than one. If I’ve managed to convince you, then my work here is done, and Duo will gladly take it from there. Bis zum nächsten Mal! (If you decide to start Duolingo with German, you’ll know this one).
Payton Vogt is a second-year English major. PV1017396@wcupa.edu.