Lymabean. The name is spelled differently, but it sounds just like the disgusting vegetable that your mama tried to get you to eat when you were a child. It is the next up and coming social network for college students.
Launched in 2006, Lymabean offers all the same stuff as Facebook and MySpace but only caters to college students, something that Facebook used to be known for.
Roger Pimentel, Lymabean’s Marketing Director explained why Lymabean is a different alternative to the ubiquitous Facebook and MySpace.
Web Devil: Why break into a market that already seems well established?
Pimentel: We want to offer a social network to college students where they’re doing something more than just checking up on their friends’ status. Lymabean is more about the local college scene. College students can check local business, job openings in the area, and be informed on events in the social scene.
WD: Is Lymabean going to stay a “For College Students Only” sight?
Pimentel: Yes. Lymabean is for college students only with features designed for college students. By doing it this way it’s clean and easier to use. There are no third party applications, no spam or any other clutter like Facebook has.
WD: Are you competing with Facebook?
Pimentel: Actually, we’re not. Facebook is still great for finding out what you’re friends are up to who live on the other side of the world. Lymabean lets students know what’s happening at the clothing shop or restaurant across the street from their dorm, something that Facebook doesn’t do.
WD: What’s up with the name Lymabean? That doesn’t sound like a social networking sight.
Pimentel: We thought that there needed to be personality in our sight. Branding is everything. The Facebook logo is boring. It has no flair. We came up with the name Lymabean from our CEO Jeff Lyman Wurtz. People called him Lima Bean when he was a kid. We took that childhood memory of his and just changed the spelling.
WD: How has the response been so far?
Pimentel: Great. We’re really happy that we chose ASU as a test market. We’re posting campus organizations, groups, clubs, job openings and parties. Businesses are joining too like Bison Witches and Uno Chicago Grill.
WD: Only students can join?
Pimentel: Yes. Lymabean is mainly targeted for college students, but if you graduate and keep your “.edu” e-mail address you can still keep your account. We’re not corporate and if someone has a complaint or something to say, a person will actually respond instead of send out a canned answer. Lymabean is made up of just four guys from So-Cal who wear flip flops and dress up a guy in a Lima Bean costume.
To get a Lymabean account, go to http://lymabean.com.
