The need for more “real life” in social media is becoming urgent. Before posting a picture, the user usually spends time on filters and preparing the images to go online. But, now, there is an app that focuses on freeing people from it: BeReal.
The app sends a daily notification to users, at random times of the day, to post a photo of what they are doing at that moment. The process uses both cameras, and the user has 2 minutes to do so. If you don’t take the picture at that moment, you can’t view your friends’ posts until you do it.
BeReal is getting so popular that companies are unfolding themselves to join the app. They can use it to innovate in actions and services once it promotes truthness and connects with Gen Z. But how to make marketing strategies more real? Keep reading to discover!
How Did “BeReal” Become So Popular?
It may be ironic, but here is the answer: Tik Tok.
Alexis Barreyat is a former GoPro employee in France. He created BeReal on December 21, 2019, intending to be a platform that showed people’s real daily lives. This year, the app gained visibility in more countries and now has over 20 million downloads, making it one of the most downloaded social media apps.
Within those two minutes, users can add captions and locations to photos. And that’s it. No filters or edits are available, and there are no followers or likes. But the funny thing is that it became popular on a platform with opposite ideas, which made many users download the new app. Even if they’re not migrating to the new idea of social media and leaving the other ones behind, the videos that went viral managed to reach those who are not satisfied with the way some platforms work.
The App Has What Users Miss From Instagram
Aside from going viral on Tik Tok, the reason why people are downloading the app is that it has something other platforms don’t have: The speech to align your digital life with your real one in a true way.
And yes, Instagram is still massive. In 2021, it was ranked 4th out of all social media networks worldwide, with over 1 billion people using the app each month. But the new app comes at just the right time, as Instagram users criticize the Meta platform for prioritizing recommended content over posts from people they follow.
The Filters
As previously said, there are no filters at BeReal. And that differs from other big platforms, creating a light and real space concerning physical appearance. After all, social media interferes with self-esteem, leading to serious mental problems. The constant comparison can be dangerous for stress and anxiety.
A study stated that around 1 out of 5 Americans with any social media account had used a beauty filter before posting pictures on social media. Among these, 9 percent said they “always or nearly always” use them and 13 percent said they “often” use them.
The goal of BeReal is for users to be closer to “reality” and let go of perfection.
Can Brands Use BeReal For Marketing?
First of all, BeReal does not allow formal advertising in its current phase.
The app shows that people prioritize reality and criticize the excess of edited and planned content on social media. Even though, is it possible to use the app of the moment with marketing strategies? After all, professionals must follow trends to understand people’s behavior in that new product.
It can be possible to adapt to the app’s features to promote a product or service. In addition, instigate people to think strategically to stay within trends and reformulate how to sell.
For instance, Chipotle opened its in-app account in April 2022 and uses the platform to share unique, reusable promo codes to 2,000 friends on the app. Not only that, but Trident, PacSun, and Love Island, among other brands, have hopped on the trend of posting BeReal-style photos on Twitter.
Brands can use BeReal to strengthen the brand community, get closer to the public and deliver what they want: reality, behind the scenes and exclusive information.
Can It Be a Room For Influencers?
Maybe not. Perhaps the idea that we have of digital influence doesn’t take hold in the new app. The goal is to show reality without perfection, and we know that certain social media forces us to create a better extension of ourselves.
Furthermore, BeReal focuses on friendship and not celebrities. You can’t be famous over there for influencing others. In fact, one of the goals is to connect only with people you know without the pressure to get thousands of followers.
Wrapping Up
With the strong presence of the other platforms, we don’t know if BeReal will survive alone or for how long it will be around. But, in fact, it pleased those who felt a lack of reality in the digital world.
Regarding the marketing strategies, every new place is an opportunity. One tip is understanding what users are looking for and adapting the approach to succeed on that new platform. It’s all about understanding the demands and leveraging innovative ideas.
If you like this article, I recommend you to read this one: Web 3.0: How to Innovate in the 3rd Generation of the Evolution of Web Technologies?
