If you like to be updated with social media trends, you might have heard about BeReal, a new platform at the top of the social media charts that is winning over Gen Z and Millennials. 

In a world surrounded by filters and ads, where everything is well calculated and planned before posting, BeReal goes the opposite way. According to their own statement, they aspire to be “a new and unique way to discover who your friends really are in their daily life.”

The timing for this approach was just right. With users criticizing Instagram for prioritizing more and more recommended content instead of the ones that the users already follow, and social media becoming less and less about “social connections” and communities, and more about becoming content platforms… people seem to miss having a space on the internet to simply connect with each other.

That’s why Gen Z turned itself to Tumblr (do you even remember Tumblr?) in early 2022. And that’s why BeReal is growing — a lot and fast. 

The platform already has more than 10 million daily active users, up from 2 million in January 2022. 

And of course your peers wouldn’t let this growth go unnoticed, right? Snapchat, for example, launched a “new dual” camera option, similar to BeReal, and Meta is currently testing new Instagram features with a little bit of BeReal inspiration, too. 

If “real life” content is growing to a point where it achieves on giant social platforms such as Instagram (and exponentially boosts new ones like BeReal), of course we have to think about where we, marketers and brands, fit into this equation.

If the problem is the excess of edited content, advertising and algorithm… is there room for brands and Marketing at BeReal?

How Does BeReal Work?

If you’re not on BeReal yet, let me explain to you how it works.

First, you will be able to have a single post per day. Every day at a different time, everyone is notified simultaneously to capture and share their real-time photo. No videos, no filters, only your real life in a single shot.

And you need to act fast! When you receive the notification, you’ll only have two minutes to capture your picture, both with the rear and the front camera. So, as you can see, there’s no time for overthinking what you’re going to post. It is all about what you are doing at this specific moment. 

Also, another important piece of information is that BeReal’s main purpose is not for you to have a lot of followers or only to “check what your friends are doing”.

The platform wants you to be real (duh), too. So, to make sure you’re also posting your real-time photos, the platform will only allow you to see and interact with your friends on the app if you are up-to-date with your own posts. 

If you don’t post, you’re not allowed to interact with other people. 

And How Are Brands Using BeReal To Interact With Their Customers? 

With that explanation, you might be thinking there’s no room for Marketing on BeReal. But I’m here to tell you that yes, there is — all you have to do it’s think outside the box.

Some brands are already testing some approaches on the platform to understand its environment and possibilities and, of course, to take advantage of this new trend. 

Chipotle, for example, is one of the growing number of brands joining BeReal. They joined the app in April and are using it to share exclusive and reusable promo codes for a certain number of people.

Using the platform to share exclusive coupons, information or releases is a smart way to engage with your BeReal audience without depending on a lot of planning, as you won’t be able to predict when exactly the platform will send the daily notifications.

As an important note, BeReal doesn’t allow formal advertising at this stage. But there are other ways to use the platform besides that. For me, the main message is that customers are demanding real content, without masks. 

Brands can be inspired by the platform’s idea of life without filters, and start showing themselves without filters, too. How about inviting the customers to see the “behind-the-scenes” of the operation, meet the real people behind the company, and use it to strengthen the brand community? It’s a great way to start!

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