Thoughts on BeReal App - Not Your Typical Social Media

Are you tired of scrolling through social media and being bombarded with highly curated posts, edited pictures, and floods of digital marketing? Do you stress out trying to present yourself on typical social media platforms? If the answer to these questions is yes, you might want to download the BeReal app.

What is BeReal?

While the BeReal app was founded in December 2019 by Alexis Barreyat, according to Time, 65% of its downloads (around 3.2 million) have taken place this calendar year. BeReal was designed to provide a new, unique, and unfiltered way to discover what your friends are up to in their daily lives. Unlike other social media platforms, BeReal prompts users with a two-minute ever-changing window to post a candid photo. At a different time each day, all users have a short opportunity to take and share a photo that simultaneously captures both the selfie and frontal cameras. There are no built-in filters and no ability to use third-party apps to change your appearance. If users post in the allotted time, they can see the snaps that their friends shared. The idea is to show a more genuine and authentic glimpse into your friends' lives.

How is BeReal different from other social media platforms?

When you click on someone's BeReal profile, it is entirely blank. You can't see how many followers they have or how many people they follow. Compared to other social media apps, BeReal is less of a popularity contest. In the app's description, a warning states, "If you want to become an influencer you can stay on Tik Tok and Instagram." BeReal attempts to combat the adverse effects of typical social media platforms. It strives to eliminate social comparison, lessen the chances of FOMO, and alleviate the stress from using other social networks. Users lose the ability to plan and prepare posts and must share a snap within two minutes, no matter how mundane or exciting.

What does this mean for social media marketing?

BeReal is anti-filter, anti-influencer, and anti-marketing. The social media platform doesn't offer paid advertising options or many opportunities for sponsorships and influencer marketing. While this can present a new social media experience for users, what does it mean for digital marketing and companies that rely on social media advertising? Because there is no possible way for companies to use advertising to promote their businesses, some companies are organically putting their presence on the app. Everyone knows Chipotle loves engaging with customers on various social media platforms, so it's not surprising that BeReal is one of them. Although they comply with the rules of the app by posting real-time, unedited photos of ingredients and products in-store, Chipotle utilized innovative digital marketing strategies to promote its brand. For one of their daily uploads, the company shared a reusable promo code offering the first 100 users a free entree after applying the code on the Chipotle app or online. According to PRWeek, the results paid off, with every 100 codes redeemed within a minute of posting.

The algorithms and trends of social media platforms are constantly changing and adapting based on society's needs and values. People are finding new ways to share their life experiences with friends while attempting to block out the filtered, promotion-based content that frequently surrounds us. Brands can transform and adopt a more genuine approach to engaging with customers through the BeReal social media platform. Although they cannot directly market to their consumers with paid ads, this more human-like approach creates strong connections and allows the users to resonate with the brand.

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