The BeReal app is one of the fastest-growing apps out there, and it recently made it onto the top charts of the US Apple App Store too. But what can this app actually do, and how can you use it to spice up your business's marketing strategy? We'll show you!
BeReal – or, own your real face
The app, as its name suggests, encourages its users to show their real face on social media. Which also means that the app has no filters or editing options at all, and you can't even like each other's content. The goal behind this is for users to show each other a true picture of themselves, instead of conjuring up a fake face to gain a bigger follower count. But can a "real face" even exist in the world of social media and advertising noise? Well, one thing's for sure: BeReal does everything it can for it.
Does the app have a place in marketing?
The short answer: yes, but not for every brand. Under BeReal's current terms of operation, it's not possible to run the influencer collaborations or ads that brands love to use on their platform. That doesn't have to put you off, though, because there are plenty of other ways to take advantage of the opportunities the app holds.
So how can it still hold its own in your marketing strategy?
If you feel your customers are open to using this trendy app, and you're comfortable with a filter-free presence yourself, then great doors can open up in your marketing communication.
- Share behind-the-scenes moments!
If your brand is comfortable showing its real face, then sharing a few behind-the-scenes moments can be excellent content. That way, since your customers don't only see perfectly retouched product photos, they can feel your brand is more personal right away, and more than just a plain company. - Build a community for Gen Z!
These days more and more companies are striving to build a community, since it makes it easier to build a base of loyal customers too. Gen Z are big fans of BeReal, so if they're your target group, it's definitely worth building the app into your marketing strategy. - Long live mental health!
Perhaps the most criticism, when it comes to the use of filters and Photoshop, is aimed at beauty industry companies. And not by chance, since this really is the industry that reaches for cosmetic post-editing perhaps the earliest and the most often. If you operate in this field too, you can do a lot to help customers maintain their mental health by occasionally sharing natural, no-makeup photos on your channels. That way you not only show more sides of your brand, but your customers can also feel closer to it because of its authenticity. - Get to know people!
During the COVID pandemic and the lockdowns that followed, a significant shift happened in the world of social media. People began to care less about perfectly edited and painstakingly curated posts, and started to prefer more authentic content instead. Why not give it to them too? - Let your customers create the content!
It can strengthen others' trust and boost your brand's credibility if you share some of your customers' feedback on your channels too. Go ahead and ask them for it, even in the form of BeReal content, and post it on your social media channels!
If you find our tips useful and true to your brand, it's worth hopping on the BeReal train yourself and taking advantage of what it offers. Not only can you bring new directions into your brand's communication this way, but a bit of real, more human content can also be a breath of fresh air for your followers in a world of edited images and like-hunting.