How a file-sharing app played a part in nation-building amidst the pandemic
SHAREit, the top 10 largest app in the Philippines in terms of monthly active user base (MAU), is best known in the Philippines for its incredible file-sharing capabilities, large peer-to-peer file-sharing ecosystem, and “one app, many solutions” proficiency.
For Lester Lim, the recently appointed country director of SHAREit Philippines, the app has more potential than just being a content-and-file-sharing app many Filipinos can enjoy. For him, SHAREit, thanks to its huge user base and flexibility, is able to become an integral part of Philippine culture.
Using tech to contribute to nation-building
At the height of the pandemic, nationwide information dissemination can be difficult, especially for an archipelagic country such as the Philippines. SHAREit’s content discovery feature was proven to be a helpful tool for awareness campaigns, reaching even the farthest places in the country.
It is also worth noting that the app has 40 million active users monthly, an outstanding number achieved through purely organic growth. For Lester Lim, this feat is something SHAREit can leverage to help with nation-building.
“Our participation as the media partner Ingat Lahat, Bakuna Lahat last May 2021 is something SHAREit is proud to have been part of. We realized that our 40M monthly active user base is something we can leverage for a campaign such as this. We generated over 100M impressions by activating banners and videos through the SHAREit app,” says Lester Lim.
In the same way, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has recommended using SHAREit to hasten the voter registration process. In a statement last June 2021, COMELEC said that Android users may acquire the voter registration app using SHAREit’s peer-to-peer app-sharing feature when they visit their local COMELEC offices. (Please note that the app is no longer available on Google Play as the registration period has ended.)
Lester Lim on SHAREit’s growth opportunities in the PH
Since Lester Lim has been appointed as the country director, he has been looking at SHAREit’s growth in the Philippines differently. Lim says that aside from growing the business’ revenue in terms of sales and partnerships, he is now looking at how SHAREit can grow in the Philippines not economically, but culturally and socially, as well. To date, SHAREit’s client portfolio includes brands in different industries like Gcash, Kumu, UnionBank, PayMaya , and most recently apps such as Shell Go+, BDO Pay and Watsons etc.
SHAREit, aside from its sharing abilities, is also known for its contribution to the exponential growth of mobile gaming through ease of adoption via SHAREit recommendations.
“Engagements such as this happen without any activation or promotion from our end. In the same way, because SHAREit has state-of-the-art peer-to-peer sharing capabilities, those without full access to the internet can still transfer apps. For example, farmers and fishermen in remote areas can use SHAREit to acquire digital banking apps for payment transactions,” Lim says.
As the new normal marches in, Lim is also anticipating the rise of telehealth and social live streaming and how these emerging markets can be supported through reach and engagement.
For the rest of the year, Lim and his partnerships team are set to broaden the horizon for SHAREit Philippines. The goal, Lim shares, is very simple: To help more businesses, to keep serving the underserved, and to bridge the digital divide in the country.
“The goal is not just to elevate and ease the lives of Filipinos individually, but also as a nation – whether it be through file-sharing, content discovery, or seamless smartphone usage,” concludes Lester Lim.
