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Introducing the BeReal Social Media Platform — How You Can Use It To Connect With Your Viewers

By Lauren Lietzow 24 August, 2022, 5 mins read

Be real. Be authentically you.

An ideal to live by, sure, but something increasingly difficult to actually do with social media at our fingertips. Instead, we’re bombarded with highly-curated, picture-perfect content on platforms like Instagram and TikTok

Imagine a social media platform without any of that. Just imagine

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Marketing Strategists Discussing BeReal

Introducing BeReal, the antidote to your oversaturated, over-polished socials.

There are no filters, photo editing features, and definitely no ads. Plus, you can only post one photo a day. Yes, you read that right.

Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? The thing is, people love it

BeReal is currently the #1 downloaded social media app in the Apple App Store, with monthly active users having grown 315% year-to-date.

How does this affect you and your eCommerce business? Simple. BeReal has huge potential to build an active, engaged young audience. 

Oh yes, that ever-elusive, bane-of-every-marketer’s-existence Gen Z audience is loving BeReal. 

Why?

Because Gen Z values authenticity and rejects social media norms. They value organic, natural connections, and that’s exactly what BeReal offers. 

What is BeReal?

BeReal is a photo-sharing app that prompts users to post one photo per day. Users are notified at a random time each day, and they have 2 minutes to take the photo and share it with their followers.

It’s that 2-minute timer that’s the real kicker here – there’s no time for studio lights, a quick blow dry, ten push-ups, or a script. 

It’s not really just one photo, either. BeReal uses your front and back cameras to snap a selfie simultaneously so that everything is on show. 

BeReal is also anti-ads and anti-influencer too. And they’re not shy about it either. It’s even written in their app description: ‘BeReal won’t make you famous. If you want to become an influencer, you can stay on TikTok and Instagram’.

How Can Businesses Use BeReal?

We know what you’re thinking – If you can’t market or sell in the same way you can on other platforms, what’s the point of incorporating BeReal into your social strategy?

Simple: building connections. 

BeReal’s ethos is all about transparency and authenticity. So remove the polish and carefully curated content and start creating low-stakes, quirky content.

Let users see the inner workings of your business and the people behind your brand. Take the focus off selling and think about personifying your brand in playful ways. 

Behind-the-scenes shots of office life, action shots of photoshoots and meetings, and play-by-plays of events are all great ways to generate buzz and build connections with your viewers.

Still not sure BeReal is a good fit for you?

Take a look at Chipotle, a brand tackling BeReal in fun and innovative ways. Their very first post focused on boosting their profile and building brand awareness. It featured a Chipotle bag with a limited-time promo code written on it (in black marker, no less) and a fork. 

No polished studio lighting, no fancy graphics. Just a picture of a bag and a fork. 

The result? 

2,000 new followers (or friends, as BeReal calls them) for American fast food chain Chipotle and engagement that’s placed them at the forefront of BeReal’s business branding. 

Getting Started with BeReal

So, BeReal’s officially intrigued you. But how can you join in on the fun and start building an audience? Easy peasy:

  1. Get the app and create an account. To have an account, you’ll need to include a working phone number, birthday, full name, and username.
  2. Confirmation code. BeReal will text you a confirmation code, so keep an eye out for it!
  3. Take your first picture. BeReal throws you right into the core of its ethos from the get-go, so be prepared to snap your first fun picture.
  4. Publicise your picture. This is a big one if you’re looking to connect with those elusive Gen Zers. You can choose whether you want to share your photo with everyone or just your friends (we recommend everyone). 

BeReal Best Practices

Post Regularly

It should come as no surprise to any business, but consistent, regular posting is key to building an engaged audience on BeReal.

But there is more to it than just the stock-standard ‘post regularly’ message you get with any marketing strategy. 

On BeReal, you can’t interact or engage with other users until you’ve posted your photo of the day. This platform is all about engagement, and that includes you, as a business, engaging in the fun too!

Interact with Other Users

You can’t build long-lasting connections with your audience if you’re not interacting and engaging with them. 

Here’s where you can play with one of the newer features of BeReal, RealMojis.

RealMojis are BeReal’s answer to emojis – and in our humble opinion, they’re way more fun. 

Why?

Because they’re personalised. 

Instead of reacting to someone’s BeReal post with a mundane, boring 👍, you can respond with a fun selfie of yourself. 

What does that mean for your business?

It’s all about connection. Users can literally put a face to your brand – your face. 

Reshare Relevant BeReals

Have you created a BeReal post that had the whole office in stitches? Reshare it across your other social platforms like Instagram or TikTok.

The great thing about BeReal is that it’s fresh and exciting to viewers, so it has a much higher chance of going viral.

How can going viral help you? For starters: higher visibility, engagement, and followers for you on both BeReal and your other social channels.

Not convinced? 

Take a look at TikTok user @emily.greeen. She reshared a BeReal of Harry Styles via her TikTok. The result? 70,000 views and over 200,000 likes on her TikTok.

Be Authentic

How many times can we say be authentic in one article? The limit does not exist.

Seriously though, the whole appeal of BeReal is the fact that it’s grounded in organic, genuine content. That’s why users are so enamoured with it – so if you’re going to use the platform as a way to connect with viewers, make sure you play into that. 

Embrace the not-quite-perfect aesthetic.

Weird lighting? Post it.

Bad angle? Post it. 

Caught someone mid-sneeze? Post it.

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Marketing Strategists Discussing BeReal

These are all things that make you relatable and real, and it’s exactly what your BeReal community will want from you. 

Navigating a new social platform can be tricky, especially when you’re juggling an ever-expanding social strategy. If you’re looking for an effective and efficient way to grow your social presence and take your business to the next level, Megaphone is here to help. Get in touch today to claim your free business growth plan, worth $1,200.

Be our next success story.