BeReal, the new Gen Z novelty, is a real-time, unfiltered photo-sharing app. BeReal asks its users, at a random time each day, to capture and post an image that shows what they are doing.
The image combines a selfie and a picture – it uses the front and rear camera simultaneously – of whatever the user is looking at, and the app prompts them to post within two minutes of receiving the notification.
Another distinctive feature of BeReal is that in order to comment or react, it is necessary to take a selfie, otherwise it will not be possible to interact with other people’s content, something that distinguishes it from other social networks.
BeReal was launched in December 2019 by French entrepreneurs Alexis Barreyat and Kévin Perreau, who previously worked at activity image capture company GoPro and consulting firm Opteamis, respectively. According to productmint, the duo met while attending the French coding school 42 born2code, which was started by billionaire Xavier Niel.
For now it is still a fairly small social network with most of its users in the United States but it is already on the radar of Gen Z in Latin American countries. However, it was one of the most downloaded apps so far this year, according to Data.ai.
While the concept seems somewhat mandatory, considering the small window of time in which to post, it is especially interesting how older Gen Z and Millennials would use it. When, let’s be honest, most of the content they would produce would be pictures of a computer and a selfie with a coffee during the day.
BeReal’s main goal is to share your life in real time and “show your friends who you really are”. Which can be scary for many brands but this new platform is an opportunity to connect with your younger audience.
So how do brands fit into this new social network?
In recent months several startups have joined the platform to keep the conversation going with their younger audience, what can we learn from them?
While a brand doesn’t spend 24/7 doing interesting things, on many occasions there is content such as Behind The Scenes that can spark curiosity and interest towards a brand.
Gen Z entrepreneurs use BeReal to take their audience on a tour of their day-to-day, showing their production steps, small glimpses of new products, or collaborations with friends of the brand that show the product and how it fits into their lives.
The opportunities this new social network presents for brands:
You can create a more authentic and loyal community.
You follow your younger audience through their digital journey.
As a relatively new social network, there is little competition.
You can share exclusive content that increases your brand awareness.
In previous blogs we mentioned how Gen Z values authenticity and originality, not only from creators but also from brands. It is no longer a preference but an expectation. So it’s not surprising that such a platform is gaining ground in Gen Z territory.
And well, the recognition of this new platform set off alarm bells at Instagram’s offices, which are well known for cloning anything that works at the moment (stories, IG Tv, Reels, etc). So naturally, Instagram is incorporating an identical feature.
Instagram is testing a feature called “IG Candid Challenges” that builds on the core BeReal theme. This new feature invites Instagram users to share a photo in their Stories within a two-minute period, it also appears to take a photo from both cameras-a selfie and a rear camera photo at the same time-which is one of BeReal’s signature features.
If we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that if Instagram wants it, it’s because, most likely, it will be the next boom among netizens.
What do you think of this new approach to creating content? Let’s Talk!
If you liked this blog, we recommend: How brands are leveraging the Metaverse and NFTs to connect with younger people.
Source: The Week
