In 30 seconds:
- BeReal is the new “anti-Instagram” app that promotes authenticity. But does it allow marketing?
- Since the pandemic and reported drops in mental health, Gen Z wants to be their authentic selves. Why does BeReal tap into this?
- We’ve listed the 3 strategies your brand should follow to access a whole new pool of engagement through this app.
BeReal marketing is a completely new concept. This new, authenticity-driven app has skyrocketed to new levels of popularity, with over 43.3 million downloads since 2019 and 3 million daily active users. Unsurprisingly, brands everywhere are working out how to use BeReal to connect with these audiences in new and innovative ways.
But this isn’t simple. The social media app does not support paid digital marketing and actually specifically speaks out against brand promotions.
So, why look into BeReal marketing? Answer: done right, it could be a game-changer for young audiences. BeReal has the potential to be the next shortcut to increase brand advocacy, nurture relationships and build trusting communities, especially amongst Gen Z.
It’s no secret that Zoomers aren’t fans of advertising. Our own research shows that 39% of them find that ads ‘feel false or inauthentic’. So a truly “authentic” social media channel could be the ticket to win them over.
One thing’s for sure, with new ground and a tricky “no advertising” rule on the app, brands need to be careful. How can you create a watertight BeReal marketing strategy that delivers? In this article, we’ll be revealing how you can access a BeReal target market and achieve unprecedented results across the funnel.
But first, let’s do a background check.
Why is BeReal so popular, and what even is it?
BeReal’s tagline is “Your Friends for Real”. This is actually a pretty accurate description of what the channel is all about.
How does it work? Once you download the app, you (and your friends) receive a notification at a random time throughout the day asking you to “post your BeReal”. Upon clicking this notification, you have 2 minutes to take a “BeReal”, which involves taking a picture of what’s in front of you with everyone’s back cameras and a simultaneous selfie with everyone’s front cameras. It feels like a mix between TikTok and Snapchat but timed and with no filters.
So why is BeReal so popular? The clue is in the name. The whole idea of the platform is to be real. 66% of BeRealers are Gen Z women, and when considering young people’s behaviour, it’s no wonder they’re flocking to the platform. 92% of Zoomers say that being authentic and true to oneself is extremely or very important. The app aligns with their values and so offers a new way of truthful expression.
BeReal gives a refreshing take on sharing and taps into Gen Z’s desires. So can brands use it to access these audiences too?
Is there advertising on BeReal?
In BeReal’s terms, it states: “you agree not to Use BeReal for advertising or commercial purposes to publish or facilitate the transmission of advertising, commercial solicitations, spam, “chain letters”, “pyramid schemes” or to collect information, data or Content about other Users without their permission”.
Well, that’s it, isn’t it? Bye-bye, BeReal marketing.
Not quite. BeReal doesn’t have to embrace advertising to embrace advertisers. It’s a place where anyone can post as long as it’s coming from a real person. So how can brands (whether small businesses or global corporations) win on a “no advertising” platform?
Our research shows that Gen Z uses different platforms for different reasons. TikTok is where they go for entertainment. Instagram is their chosen place for family and friend relationships. So what about BeReal? What makes them download and use this social media app daily? BeReal is clearly the place where they can connect with friends authentically.
So it goes without saying that it’s also a place where they could connect with brands authentically too.
Fanbytes by Brainlabs’ Senior Content Manager, Jem Leslie, says, “If you want to win on the platform, you have to lean into what the platform offers, not fight it”.
Gen Z is coming to the app to enjoy its offering, so make sure you align with that. That’s the key to BeReal marketing. Create strategies that mirror both the app’s intentions and its user’s expectations.
BeReal Marketing Strategy 1: Build a community of die-hard fans
Connecting on BeReal can feel exclusive. It’s like getting a little intimate snippet of your friend’s real life that they don’t necessarily show many people. Brands can do the same and use bottom-funnel techniques to nurture leads and promote long-term customer retention.
Our Head of Creative Strategy, Tom Sweeney says to “treat it as something that only your most hardcore superfans would care about. Invite your top 1,000 customers, only approve those and make it an exclusive place for customers”.
He also explains how a brand could harness this exclusivity in a specific BeReal campaign:
“Let’s say you create an exclusive release. You could send out eight different close-up photos of that new product on BeReal (one per day) before its release and then, on the final day, encourage UGC on other social media apps from your BeReal close followers. I think that would be cutting-edge stuff”.
A strategy like this would drum up engagement not only on BeReal itself but also on other social media platforms, boosting your reach and creating the potential for massive organic growth.
He continues: “It also plays into the platform’s strengths in that BeReal wants you to form a habit, so imagine if a brand created a habitual check-in point too. When it’s time to BeReal, you could turn it on its head and post your own notification on other channels to get your followers to check in on the app too”.
It’s also a place to put out exclusive deals. Chipotle showed us all how to do it by sharing a picture of one of their tortilla bags with a message scribbled on it inviting the first 100 people who see it to use code FORREAL in the chipotle app to get a free entree.
This taps into the FOMO idea (that’s Fear of Missing Out) that BeReal generates and somehow still feels authentic. It’s not a branded poster, it’s not a visually perfect ad; it’s a simple bag of tortilla chips with a message. With this, Chipotle generate both community and exclusivity.
This is perfect for winning over Gen Z. Over two-thirds of Gen Z feel more confident online with community-focused social apps, and 70% of them joined a community for a feeling of ‘belonging’.
Create a BeReal marketing strategy where you give your audience that sense of belonging through exclusive insights into your brand, promo codes and community-based content. This can help you deepen connections with your most loyal customers, allowing you to retain those relationships even in the most difficult of times (like the cost of living crisis).
BeReal Marketing Strategy 2: Humanise your brand
Let’s go back to this idea of leaning into the BeReal app’s values. If you were using BeReal on a personal level, you would be posting pics of what you were doing right then right there.
So as a brand, do exactly that. Humanising your brand is essential on BeReal. After all, Gen Z is coming to the new platform to connect with other humans.
Why is this such an effective strategy? It builds trust.
Only 53% of Gen Zers believed brands, in general, come across as authentic, and millennials aren’t too far behind, with 61% thinking the same. It’s becoming increasingly hard to build up that confidence with younger target markets. How brands can get around this is by finding new ways of building brand advocacy.
You could post behind-the-scenes snippets to break bread with customers, connect with your audience and make your offerings feel more accessible. Pacsun, the LA-based clothing brand, use BeReal to post funny behind-the-scenes shots for their fans to see.
These spur-of-the-moment images are what can turn a brand from company to companion. 57% of consumers are prepared to pay more to purchase from a trusted brand, so start building that trust in BeReal and don’t break it.
BeReal Marketing Strategy 3: Enhance influencer collaborations
Is BeReal influencer marketing a thing? It’s getting there. The photo-sharing app may not draw influencers in initially as it isn’t a place to grow a following (plus they still say no promotional material is allowed). But it is definitely a platform to foster deeper connections. Creators will see this as an opportunity to engage with their loyal followers in a different way.
Because BeReal is not monetised, it’s difficult for marketers to collaborate with influencers on it. But that doesn’t mean you can’t experiment with off-platform partnership material.
One way to make these partnerships work is by enhancing collaborations on other platforms through BeReal. For example, you may be working with an influencer, and they’re doing a photo shoot with your product. Where can BeReal come into it? Imagine that influencer sharing unfiltered, raw images of the behind-the-scenes of the shoot. It provides insight into your brand’s inner workings and the influencer’s day. This kind of post would increase engagement but not necessarily be directly promotional.
Of course, whichever creator you collaborate with has to align with your brand values and be the right fit. Otherwise, it will come across as inauthentic.
So how do you know which influencer is right for you? That’s down to a lot of research. You can read our article, ‘how to find influencers’ to get our advice on finding the perfect partnership. Alternatively, work with us! We created Bytesights, our in-house social listening and data insights tool, to help us find the perfect influencer for ecery campaign and track their progress in real-time. Check out how it works here.
The future of BeReal
The question on everyone’s lips? Is BeReal going to replace TikTok? They both clearly have a goal to produce authentic content, but are they really that similar?
They’re not competing for the same kind of attention. TikTok provides consistent entertainment and with the BeReal new post UX working only once a day, it’s still a win for TikTok.
Sarah Penny,Content and Research Director at Influencer Intelligence, states: “Whilst BeReal is undeniably making waves, there is no evidence to suggest it is going to replace any of the other top-performing platforms. Currently, it does not allow much scope for influencer involvement but is certainly an app to watch.”
So will it rise and fall like the one-hit wonder, Clubhouse, or grow even more powerful like its authentic cousin, TikTok?
Well, TikTok has taken note of BeReal and made a similar feature themselves. “TikTok Now” is an in-built feature where users have 3 minutes to take a picture or video. Sound familiar? It’s fair to say that TikTok has taken inspiration from the BeReal app to provide even more authentic content for its users. But despite this competition, can they work hand in hand?
TikTok is the ideal channel for brand growth. BeReal is the ideal channel for brand advocacy.
Fanbytes’ Tom mentions: “You have to treat it (BeReal) as a much smaller community. You’re not trying to grow on there, you’re just trying to engage. So use it to access your most valuable customers”.
Wondering how to get your BeReal strategy off the ground? As a social media marketing agency, we know a thing or two about how to get noticed. We have a whole creative team on hand to think out of the box and get your BeReal strategy to deliver results. Get in touch to find out how we can help you get into the hearts and minds of Gen Z.
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