These days, our social media feeds are flooded with curated content. Unfortunately, content creators have gotten so used to posting high-quality TikToks and magazine-worthy self-portraits that it feels like something is missing from their profiles. Their polished grids lack the spontaneity of everyday life and the magic of the unfiltered. In other words, they are lacking something real.
What is BeReal?
BeReal, currently the #1 downloaded Social Networking app in the Apple App Store, allows users to share their lives with friends without the array of filters and effects on Instagram and TikTok. Calling itself “the simplest photo sharing app,” BeReal sends notifications to individuals when it is time to post a photo. Users are asked to capture what they are doing and share it with friends in real-time.
The platform was launched in 2019 and has sparked greater worldwide interest in 2022. According to Apptopia, downloads this year have grown by at least 315%. There have been over seven million downloads as of April 2022.
How Does BeReal Work?
While the platform is simple, marketers are trying to learn just how they can leverage the power of BeReal for their digital marketing campaigns. This task is tricky, and BeReal thrives off of this marketing challenge. The company responds to brands and creators in a short warning message:
“BeReal won’t make you famous. If you want to become an influencer, you can stay on TikTok and Instagram.”
At Zen Media, we believe that one of the most important aspects of a brand’s marketing campaign should be promoting authenticity. People can’t connect with your product if your messaging comes off as disingenuous. BeReal is an excellent way for companies to experiment with how they connect and relate to their followers.
Related reading: Here’s How to Build Trust In Your Brand in 2022
Want to learn more about this new social media app and how to use it successfully? Keep on reading!
How to Use BeReal to Grow Your Audience
BeReal only allows users to post once a day.
While every social media platform wants us to post multiple times daily, BeReal only allows for one daily post. This may seem limiting at first glance, but the challenge encourages users to get creative with their content.
Some food brands like Chipotle use BeReal to share special perks with fellow users. Its first campaign on the platform was a simple post: a picture of a reusable discount code that offered the first 100 customers who used it a free entree. Within 30 minutes, the codes were used up, and the company’s followers on the app began to rise.
This one post boosted Chipotle’s presence on the app by simply incentivizing BeReal’s audience. Candice Beck, director of social and influencer marketing, says that the campaign got their profile off the ground running.
“The response was incredible the first day,” Beck says. “All of our codes were gone in about 30 minutes because it was new. And we’re still gaining followers. We just told people, and then every day after that, it was under a minute.”
If your brand wants to use BeReal, embrace the power one post can bring and give your BeReal friends (their sweet term for “followers”) something to smile about.
The app’s demographic is primarily Gen-Z users.
BeReal is not called “Gen-Z’s new favorite app” for nothing. Marketers thought carefully to set their platform apart from their heavy-hitting competition. First, they made their presence known by running a college campus ambassador program. Then, taking inspiration from Facebook’s journey, they focused on spreading word-of-mouth through the very audience they are targeting. As of April 2022, the app has grown to 2.93 million users.
Companies wanting to tap into a younger demographic should take note of BeReal’s emphasis on organic promotions.
Be quick: the app gives you two minutes to post!
BeReal does not allow its users anytime to overthink their daily posts. The app only offers two minutes to take a snapshot of what they are doing. There is no time to fix your hair, check the lighting, or change scenes for a better photo backdrop.
This time-sensitive quality of BeReal creates anticipation for everyone involved. There is no pattern or typical time that the app notifies users to share their posts. So when the “Time to BeReal” push notification is sent to your phone, be aware that the countdown clock is ticking. While this does not give marketers time for planning, it can spark a fun group selfie of a company’s collaborations or maybe a behind-the-scenes look at the office.
If you miss the two-minute window, you can still post a photo. However, your BeReal friends will see that you posted late or retook your image.
BeReal uses your front and back phone cameras simultaneously.
A unique feature that BeReal offers is its “special BeReal camera,” which uses both phone cameras simultaneously. As a result, users can show their face and location in one post, which keeps the feeds feeling more personal.
Content creator and chef Eitan Bernath enjoys this feature because he can share his work in the kitchen from two perspectives. In many BeReal posts, Bernath will snap a picture of whatever he is cooking and a selfie sharing his excitement. As a result, the food influencer has increased his engagement on the platform.
Consumers respond positively to brand passion. A paper by the Journal of Advertising Research suggests that companies that showcase their love for what they do through their online marketing strategies can lead prospects through the sales funnel more successfully. Passion can also improve a consumer’s idea of a brand’s product and mission statement.
The BeReal camera can give followers of your brand an honest look at what you do and how you feel doing it.
Engagement with friends is key.
While BeReal markets itself as being “not another social network,” there are a few similarities it shares with its counterparts. The biggest similarity is that BeReal strives to create authentic engagement between friends. So comment on your followers’ images, react with your personalized emojis (called RealMojis—clever right?) and check out the map to see where everyone is hanging out.
Showcase Your Brand’s Authenticity on BeReal
The main message of BeReal is to think of social media as a way to connect with the people closest to you. While this may be a difficult concept for some professionals to comprehend, the sentiment of embracing who you are without the filters is beneficial for marketers to remember. And, more importantly, to think of their brand’s supporters as genuine individuals rather than target audiences.
Related reading: The Importance of Connecting With Your Audience in Marketing
“BeReal is your chance to show your friends who you really are, for once,” the app says.
Want some help bringing your brand’s authentic presence to the forefront? Let’s have a chat.
