Imagine that George Orwell was alive and writing about social media apps. He’d probably say that all social media apps are equal, but that some are more equal than others, right? And he’d be right.
There’s no shortage of social platforms out there. But it’s a handful of social media apps that are topping the trends. Let’s see what these are and how you can start using them to your advantage.
TikTok
Monthly active users: over 732 million
Since its launch in 2017, TikTok has generated more global app downloads than Facebook or Instagram. Most of these downloads are among people under 30.
TikTok is all about short videos that play in a loop. This format is not only easy to digest and fun, but it encourages creativity. You can add music, filters, and effects to videos. And then there are hashtag challenges that other users can join.
If you’ve not been using TikTok so far, now it’s time to add it to your marketing plan. Ignoring it means losing a valuable opportunity to engage your audience through highly shareable video content.
TikTok looks like it’s here to stay, so think of it as a long-term marketing opportunity.
Instagram Reels
Monthly active users: unspecified
TikTok’s popularity is at least in part responsible for the launch of Instagram Reels last year. With Instagram Reels, you can create and share short videos much in the same way. Reels is not a new social media network but a popular feature built into Instagram.
Reels come with the added benefit of helping you reach users who are already following you on Instagram. For brands not on TikTok but with a good following on Instagram, Reels makes perfect sense.
Just like TikTok, Reels is more about creativity and virality than fancy production and post-processing.
Brands are teaming up with influencers to create eye-catching Reels, something you may want to consider doing as well. Reels work especially well for fashion, beauty, and other visual industries.
Houseparty
Monthly active users: over 20 million
Video again! But this time, the focus is on group-based video chatting. Formerly known as Meerkat, Houseparty is a “face-to-face social network.”
It lets you host group chats with up to 8 people at a time. In addition to a smooth, fluid interface, it has chatting features and video filters and effects.
While not as big as Zoom or Google Meet, Houseparty offers you the opportunity to do creative branding. Think live Q&As with an influencer or a fresh approach to customer support.
Yubo
Monthly active users: over 20 million
You may not have heard of this one yet, but it’s already got over 20 million users. It’s also one of the most downloaded social network apps in the App Store.
Yubo lets you swipe to find like-minded people in your area or around the world. Tags help with filtering. It offers chat, live streaming, community-building features, fun games, Snapchat lenses, and more.
The audience is markedly young, something to keep in mind when planning your marketing strategy.
Clubhouse
Monthly active users: 2 million
Another major social media trend is audio chatting, and the leading example is Clubhouse. Self-described as a “new type of social network based on voice”, Clubhouse combines conference calling with talkback radio features.
You select topics of interest and can join other users in conversation rooms. You can also listen in to other ongoing conversations. Rooms disappear once the conversation is over.
To join Clubhouse, you need an invite from an existing user.
Telegram
Monthly active users: over 550 million
While not as new as some of the other networks on our list, Telegram has been gaining momentum lately. It’s now one of the most popular mobile communication apps, and it’s being embraced by brands.
Telegram is ad-free, offers personal cloud-based storage, and is fully encrypted. Best of all, it supports groups of up to 200,000 people. That’s massive compared to WhatsApp’s 256 group cap.
Discussion groups, chatbots, and direct customer assistance are some of the ways brands are using this platform right now.
Caffeine.tv
Monthly active users: unspecified
Live streaming has grown to new heights of popularity in 2020. Understandably so, since so many people around the world have been stuck at home. One of the social media platforms that are riding the streaming wave is Caffeine.tv.
Caffeine.tv makes creating live broadcasts that you can share with friends and followers easy and fun. All broadcasts appear in a browsable feed where other users can react to them.
One advantage of checking out this platform is that brands are still figuring out how to make the most of it. That means less competition from established brands and plenty of room to experiment.
And with that our list comes to an end. Happy socializing!
