When the future looks uncertain and things go dark, we put our faiths on a doctor or on our stars.
Uncertain times, such as the one that we are living in, has led to a boom of astrology-based tech apps. The horoscope market in India is worth $10 billion.
As per Google Trends, search for ‘birth chart’ and ‘astrology’ hit a five-year peak because of the pandemic!
A famous astro-tech platform Astrotalks saw its revenue more than double from Rs.14 lakh per day in 2020 to Rs. 30 lakh per day in 2021.
So you could get people to pay for their birth charts. But, how do you make recurring revenues out of it?
Hope.
You see, when you are going through a rough patch, you cling to the tiniest straw of hope.
These astro-tech platforms are like a marketplace for astrologers. When someone’s going through a low phase, a conversation with the astrologer shows them the light at the end of the tunnel.
The market is huge and there are about 2 million practicing astrologers (Don’t we all have someone in our families who has a great amount of ‘knowledge’ in that direction?).
Now, there are various techniques of astrology: Numerology, Palmistry, Tarot Reading, Chinese Astrology, Horary, Reiki Healing, Vastu, Vedic Astrology, KP System, Feng Shui. If one method doesn’t work out for you, the other methods become super tempting to try. The more you try, the more revenue you give to the tech platforms.
Astro-vision Futuretech, a tech platform in the space, has a tie-up with matrimony.com. Seema aunty on Netflix got this one right: a sizable chunk of Indians believe in Kundli-matching before getting married, especially when it is arranged. About 90% of all marriages in India are arranged. So every time someone finds a potential match, they tend to go through the ordeal of matching Kundlis. The cycle repeats until they finally get hitched. Nice source of recurring revenue, isn’t it?
These tech-platforms also have regular content to keep you hooked. You know how newspapers and magazines come with a dedicated life-prediction column? Even the non-believers can’t resist from checking their predictions for the day. The same technique is being used by the platforms to stay at the top of your mind.
Similar trends around the world
Humans across the globe could have different cultural practices. But deep inside, we are all the same.
Even before Covid, Americans spent $ 2.2 billion annually on such mystical services. Divided by distance and culture. United by our love for future predictions!
Have you seen any astro-prediction come true for you? Share your experience!
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