The year 2020 altered nearly every aspect of our lives, including how we socialize. Distancing ourselves from others has become a norm; leaving a hole for customized communication that we used to have in person. Nonetheless, humans are flexible, and in the last year, a slew of new social networking sites have sprung up to replace the groups we’ve had to leave behind.
Smart marketers have used key social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to promote their products and services, share content, and expand their businesses. Rival platforms are constantly being built, and though many of them do not attain the same levels of success as Ello, and a few of them could give the big boys a run for their money. Your firm may gain the most if you are an early adopter of these emerging social networks.
These are the following social media networks to keep an eye on if you want to stay ahead of the curve.
Upcoming Social Media Channels You must Know
MeWe
MeWe was started in 2012 as Sgrouples, but its platform wasn’t released until 2016. This social media website has long claimed to be the “anti-Facebook” alternative. Despite this, it contains features that are extremely similar to those found on Facebook. Members get access to a newsfeed that they can share with their friends. Members can also exchange direct messages to one another on MeWe.
MeWe, like Signal, is committed to privacy and security. These characteristics made it a popular choice among demonstrators in Hong Kong during the 2019 and 2020 protests. Due to the protests, the platform attracted roughly 3 million users in November 2020. MeWe claims to have more than 16 million users as of the beginning of 2021. MeWe is popular among MeWe users since it does not filter what they say. They can post about almost any subject without the platform censoring them.
It remains to be seen whether MeWe can continue to expand. It makes money by charging a monthly fee for premium membership. Nonetheless, marketers should keep track of its importance and consider how they can make the platform work for them.
Bebo
Currently in beta, Bebo is showing signs of a stellar comeback from its demise after the 00s. Many people aren’t aware that it had surpassed MySpace and Facebook as UK’s most popular social media platform in 2007. After a few turns and mishaps, the company behind the network filed for bankruptcy. In 2019, Bebo (Blog Early, Blog Often), was acquired by the Amazon-owned streaming platform Twitch, who closed it down after the platform’s relaunch in 2015.
Surprisingly, Bebo is slated to make another comeback in what seems to be a rollercoaster ride. Before, a Bebo profile page featured a comment section (where other people can writ messages), and a list of the profile owner’s friend. A notification was sent out every time a user updated their profile. You could include additional forms, questionnaires, pictures, and video in your Bebo profile page, too.
We’re not sure how Bebo 2.0 is going to play out (only the beta testers know), but there’s confirmation that previous data from Bebo won’t be reinstated. That means a fresh start for the network and everyone associated with the company (users and employees alike).
Signal
People are becoming increasingly concerned about their mobile devices’ security. Some of the most popular social media networks have security vulnerabilities. A Chinese startup leaked 400 GB of scraped data from Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn toward the end of 2020. More than 200 million people were affected by the breach. Because of its emphasis on security, Signal stands out among emerging social networks. Only the sender and receiver can see messages because the app uses end-to-end encryption. Even Signal is unable to read what users share with one another.
The signal is currently used as a messaging service for sending photographs, videos, voice conversations, texts, and other media. End-to-end encryption is beneficial to all communications. The app gained a lot of traction in early 2021 after Elon Musk, who has over 46 million Twitter followers, tweeted a two-word message: “Use Signal.”
Parler
Parler entices users by promising that they will be able to post whatever they want without being restricted. When Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms began to remove accounts that shared dubious content, it drew a lot of attention.
Since AWS ceased hosting Parler’s platform, the company has struggled to stay online. Parler, on the other hand, has a few million users and will most certainly find another cloud service shortly. The network has been down since mid-January 2021, and no one knows what the future holds for this social network.
CloutHub
CloutHub debuted in 2018 as a competitor to popular social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. According to the company, it provides consumers with a non biased platform that does not restrict opinions or track user data. It also claims to provide a “healthy user experience” by employing innovative technology that keeps interactions happy and constructive.
Given concerns that social media algorithms are designed to create division, it’s understandable that some people would want to utilize CloutHub to express themselves without arguing. CloutHub is tight-lipped about its membership figures. Keep an eye out for statistics that will help you decide whether or not you want to try marketing on new social networks like this one.
Clubhouse
The clubhouse is only available on iOS in private beta mode as of the beginning of 2021. It does, however, intend to make its new social media platform available to the general public in the near future. There will also be an Android version. The focus of Clubhouse is on allowing people to join live discussions as participants or audience members.
So far, I’ve only heard positive feedback. Some compare it to the early days of Twitter when you could get direct contact with experts. Others claim it’s the same people talking the same things over and over again. For marketers, it may be advisable to wait until the app’s membership is open to the whole public before diving in.
This year, we expect various company founders to add this app into their social media marketing plan. Doing so can help them evaluate the impact of their companies and aid image-building.
Caffeine
Caffeine. tv, a platform created by former Apple designers, allows you to broadcast live to your friends and followers. The broadcasts appear in a feed, where you can reply with an emoji or leave a comment. You may also stream your computer or TV screens while playing video games, in addition to live video broadcasts. Caffeine could be a competitor to Twitch. tv, a slightly older game-streaming site.
Caffeine has created a monetization model that encourages engaging broadcasters, similar to Twitch, which pays you for high views or subscriptions. The company hasn’t stated how many users it has, but according to its Crunchbase page, it has received around $259 million in funding thus far. 21st Century Fox has been Caffeine’s biggest backer to date.
Houseparty
Houseparty is a group video messaging program that allows up to eight users to participate in video chats at once. While a live conversation is in progress, you may apply video filters, stickers, and other fun effects to make things more entertaining for everyone in the chat.
While the app has been available for a few years, it has undergone several changes and has recently seen a surge in interest and users. The software was originally known as Meerkat, then it was renamed Houseparty and its features were updated. Houseparty has climbed the app store charts since then, growing from 1 million to 50 million users by 2020.
Although the app includes commercial space, future marketers may use it in more inventive ways. A small cosmetics brand, for example, can host a “house party” where an influencer can answer beauty concerns and demonstrate how to use one of their new cosmetics. Although it appears to be promising, keep in mind that this app competes with a number of well-known apps such as Snapchat and Zoom.
Conclusion: Marketing on Up-and-Coming Social Media Platforms
Some of the most promising new social networks have stated that they do not want to advertise and will not sell user information. This creates a dilemma for marketers who want to connect with social media users using current approaches. However, social media marketers are well aware that strategies evolve over time.
Though diving into all of these platforms at once is generally not a good idea, especially if you’re short on time or have a limited budget, it’s worth taking the time to examine each one more closely. This allows you to figure out which ones are best for your company and jump on them while they’re still hot. This can provide you an advantage over your competitors.