18 new social media apps and platforms in 2023
Social networks are constantly evolving to meet the needs and interests of their users. New social media platforms are emerging to serve a specific audience or offer something different. In 2016, a small app called TikTok changed the social media landscape with short videos and a laid-back, spontaneous aesthetic; now it is the most downloaded app in the world.
Of course, not all new social media apps will explode like TikTok. But they show how social trends and user expectations change over time. If you haven’t already followed the platforms listed below, it’s worth checking them out to see how social media is changing in 2023.
New social media platforms to watch in 2023
BeReal
If you’re tired of the “Instagram Reality”filters, photoshop, and fake photo shoots that dominate social media, then BeReal might be for you.
But what is BeReal? Created in France in 2019, this app aims to create “a new and unique way to find out who your friends really are.”Here is the premise:
Every day at a random time, BeReal sends you a notification that it’s time to be real. You then have 2 minutes to take a photo of what you are doing. (It’s actually two photos at the same time, taken with your phone’s front and rear cameras.)
No filters. No editing. And you can only take a second shot during this 2-minute window.
Instagram has taken note of this and launched its own dual camera filter to replicate the look of BeReal in its own app.
In 2022, BeReal usage grew by 312% and downloads grew by 1000% compared to the previous year. (It has only been downloaded about 30 million times since launch.) In other words: this app is hot, hot, hot.
club house
Clubhouse is an audio chat app where users can go to listen to live conversations.
Clubhouse made a splash when it was released in March 2020 for iOS. An Android version followed in May 2021. Between those two dates, the app’s popularity skyrocketed, reaching two million active weekly users by December 2021.
This is especially impressive considering the app was technically still in beta and invite-only. (Or maybe this exclusivity was the reason for such high interest? In the early months, invite codes were reported to sell for $400.) In July 2021, when the Clubhouse opened to the public, there were 10 million people on the waiting list.
But, alas, it looks like Clubhouse’s luster has faded, hitting its peak in February 2021 when big names like Oprah Winfrey hosted chat rooms and were dropped from there. Since then, the number of active users has decreased by more than 60%.
Clubhouse remains at the forefront with new features and collaborations with TED, and continues to host over 3.5 million active users, mostly in the STEM space. You also have to give credit where credit should be given: Clubhouse has really inspired bigger players to create their own audio apps (LinkedIn, Spotify and Twitter for a while), so whether it continues past 2023 or not, his legacy will be felt for years to come.
Instagram Reels
Like Twitter Spaces, Instagram Reels is not so much a new social media platform as it is a new feature. But it’s still worth paying attention to.
Reels launched in 2020 as Instagram’s answer to TikTok. While the short video was already part of Instagram posts and stories, Reels has added some new features.
Instagram Reels are short videos (up to 90 seconds) that can be edited right in the app. Unlike stories, they don’t disappear after 24 hours. They live in your feed on a special tab.
Reels offer more advanced editing options than Stories: you can edit clips together, tweak the layout, or add AR effects. The results are fun and creative, which is why videos are so popular on the Explore page.
And interest in Reels is definitely growing over time:
Should your brand produce coils? We did an experiment to see if Reels would increase our engagement, and overall we saw a slight improvement. But Reels can be a powerful way to connect with an audience, and Instagram has customized the app to showcase quality Reels content.
And if you’re already creating video content for Stories, it’s definitely worth looking into Reels to increase your content’s reach and lifespan!
Spotify Live
In June 2021, Spotify released its new live audio conversation app (sound familiar?) called Spotify Greenroom – rebranded to Spotify Live in April 2022.
The bottom line is that Spotify is focusing on music artists and athletes by leveraging its existing podcast user base and music lovers.
Although a Spotify account is not required for Greenroom, you can sign into the app using your Spotify credentials. You can connect to Spotify Live chats through your favorite artist or creator’s page (look for the “Live on Spotify “feature), and if you want to join the conversation, you can use the dedicated Spotify Live app to join the conversation. discussion or create your own live room.
A month after launch, they had 141,000 downloads on iOS and 100,000 on Android, although Spotify shied away from more recent numbers. While this new social media app hasn’t taken off (yet?), Spotify has the advantage of being built on a platform that’s already audio-centric.
Discord
Just like TikTok was once just a “dance competition app”, Discord launched in 2015 as a niche app for the gaming community. Since then, it has grown into a major player in chat-centric social networks. In March 2022, Discord received US$995 million in funding and had 522 million visitors in July 2022. With money and popularity on his side, it will be interesting to see where the chat hub goes next.
Discord is still popular with gamers who can stream games on the app. But other communities use video, audio, and text features to communicate on topics ranging from dating shows to sports. The NFT and crypto community tends to gather on Discord servers as well.
While Discord does not sell ads, brands can still have a presence in the app by creating their own channels or servers (sets of related channels by topic). The emphasis on genuine connection and conversation provides an opportunity to build deep relationships and gain valuable customer insights.
Twitch
Founded in 2011, Twitch is one of the oldest platforms on this list. And while it has 26.5 million daily active users, if you’re not in the gaming space, you’re probably not familiar with it.
Here’s the thing: Twitch is a video streaming platform where creators stream content live to their audience. As of October 2022, there were 7.1 million active streamers.
While games still dominate the platform, streamers are creating all sorts of content: cooking shows, makeup tutorials, and musical performances. In one quarter, Twitch users viewed 6.1 billion hours of streamed content.
As Twitch continues to expand its presence outside of the gaming community, there is more opportunity for brands to reach audiences through the app. Companies can create their own branded channels, partner with Twitch influencers, or buy ads on the platform.
Patreon
Founded in 2013, Patreon allows content creators to earn money from subscriptions. In exchange for financial support, subscribers get access to exclusive regular content and can interact with content creators. Since its inception, Patreon has grown to over 250,000 creators and over eight million paid subscribers.
For creators who have followers on other platforms like YouTube or Instagram, Patreon can provide more ownership and control over revenue. Patreon offers two models: a monthly subscription or a plan that lets you pay per post.
substack
The easiest way to describe Substack is as an email marketing platform. Founded in 2017, Substack is a publishing platform that harnesses the power of individual creators over the media. Each creator has their own publication, allowing them to communicate directly with the audience without the publisher’s oversight.
There is also Substack for Podcasts, a relatively new tool that allows audio creators to publish and grow their podcasts. In early 2022, Substack also began beta testing a video player for creators, meaning the potential for content creation is only growing.
Creators can offer paid tiers (starting at $5/month) as well as free content. Like other social media platforms, Substack relies on influencers to build its audience and offers six-figure advances to encourage established writers to post on the platform.
Relatively speaking, Substack is still quite small, having over 1.5 million subscribers as of November 2022. However, this is a dramatic increase from 250,000 subscribers in September 2020. And interest in Substack continues to grow:
Substack represents a departure from many other social media platforms that encourage novelty and immediate gratification. Creators at Substack typically create voluminous, in-depth written content that requires in-depth exploration of topics and themes. Substack prides itself on moving away from the attention economy. Each substack functions as a community for its audience, which can leave comments and interact with posts.
Substack also represents a departure from traditional publishing, as users move away from larger titles in favor of a personalized selection of writers and creators. Its growing popularity suggests that, despite rumors of decreased attention span, users are very eager to interact with detailed and quality content.
Telegram
The messaging app Telegram was founded in 2013 as a privacy-focused alternative to larger platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Users can share files, photos, videos, and more via chats through group chats that can include up to 200,000 people. There are also public Telegram channels that can attract millions of subscribers.
Telegram has grown rapidly in recent years, now boasting 550 million monthly active users, and reached 1 million premium subscribers in December 2022. More recently, he has received even more attention for his role in the Russo-Ukrainian War.
Telegram added ads to the platform in October 2021. Advertising is limited to public channels, and Telegram has promised not to give advertisers access to personal data or track whether users click on ads. Instead of targeting specific demographics or user interests, advertisers can choose topics, channels, and languages for their ads. Brands can also organically reach audiences by launching public channels or creating chatbots for customer support.
Polywork
LinkedIn finally has a rival? Polywork, launched in April 2021, is a new social media platform focused on professional networks where users can create profiles, curate a personal channel, and connect with other users for collaboration and collaboration. He raised another $28 million in September 2022, so it doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere.
Unlike LinkedIn, where users have a single title describing their current role or specialization, Polywork is designed for the hectic culture generation, allowing users to highlight multiple roles, jobs, passion projects, and specializations.
In addition to profiles, Polywork aims to bring people together to collaborate through beta features such as a digital group work space called Clubs.
It’s great to see someone finally shaking up the professional networking space with a more Gen Z-friendly platform. It will take a long time to dislodge LinkedIn, which has 875 million members. But Polywork is worth checking out as it represents an exciting evolution of professional social networking.
Yubo
Launched in 2015, Yubo is a live streaming app with a focus on friendship and communication with 40 million users (up from 25 million in December 2021). Although it was founded in France (bonjour!), 60% of its users live in Canada and the US. And in the early months of COVID, when everyone was at home, Yubo tripled its daily user base.
Yubo users can create video chats where streamers can interact with viewers. Users can add each other as friends, which allows them to start one-on-one chats.
Among the new social media apps, Yubo is particularly teen-friendly, with a dedicated community for users aged 13 to 17. And Yubo has invested significant resources in making the platform a safe space for users.
Enhanced age verification technology is designed to mitigate abuse, and there is a Security Center that users can access 24/7 to report problems or ask questions. There is also human and algorithmic content monitoring to quickly address any violations of community guidelines. And users who share personal information in chat, such as their phone number, will receive a security warning pop-up to inform them of the risks.
This focus is refreshing considering how many platforms have become insecure spaces where users (especially women and people of color) face harassment and threats. While Yubo does not offer advertising or brand partnership opportunities, this is an example of how user expectations regarding security and privacy are changing.
mastadon
Mastadon downloads jumped 6,000% after Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter Whether or not users will stay there remains to be seen, but it’s definitely a Twitter alternative that should be on the marketer’s radar. As of November 2022, Mastodon had one million monthly users. (By comparison, Twitter predicts it will reach 335 million users worldwide by 2023.)
Mastodon is a free and open source social networking platform and application launched in March 2016 where users can share text, image and video updates with their followers. However, unlike Twitter, Mastodon is a decentralized social network: users can create their own networks in the app with the rules of their choice. People can then join servers that match their interests.
Just like on Twitter, Mastodon users can follow each other and participate in the conversation with replies and likes. But unlike Twitter, Mastodon’s news feed is built purely chronologically (there’s no algorithm here to reassure) and currently has no advertising options. This can be a problem for marketers looking for paid placement opportunities, but if you’re looking to reach a niche audience with some organic engagement tactics, the right server might be waiting for you there. In addition, Mastodon can also be a good place to listen on social media.
Locket
Launched in early 2022, the Locket widget is designed to display photos of your best friends right on your phone’s home screen (whether you have an iPhone or Android). Your buddies add images using the Locket app and you’ll have them throughout the day.
Developer Matt Moss created a widget to share photos with his girlfriend, but the concept intrigued so many of his friends that he turned the tool into a public app.
@locketcamera
Within weeks of its launch, Locket soared to the top of the US App Store charts, with more than two million sign-ups in just two weeks. While it was designed as a kind of micro-social network designed to connect with your five or 10 closest friends, it recently raised $12.5 million in funding. .. so it’s obvious that someone in the business world thinks there’s potential here. for branding.
For marketers, the main lesson here is that there is a growing interest in more personal digital experiences and quality connections, rather than just getting huge likes.
Tribel
Tribel bills itself as “a bigot-free social network where kindness and intelligence thrive”and is owned by activists Rafael and Omar Rivero, who run the news site Occupy Democrats.
Tribel stated that it had 400,000 users as of October 2022. The structure and functionality is very similar to Twitter, but as you can imagine, Tribel’s small but active audience leans to the left. Here you will find many political memes. Customize your profile and channel, or join a public or private group.
There doesn’t seem to be a way to advertise on Tribel at this time, but if you like a loud, left-wing audience, joining this network to start a conversation can be helpful.
hive social
Hive Social was first developed by a mysterious founder named “Raluka”back in 2019; In November 2022, the network reached 1.5 million users.
A mobile-only social media app similar to Twitter. Subscribe to other users, like and repost. However, one of the key differences between Hive Social and Twitter is that its feed is chronological; Raluca, according to the About Us lore, was inspired to create Hive because she was tired of her posts not being seen by her friends.
Another difference: there is no character limit for messages in Hive Social. At the moment, there is also no way to check users or promote posts.
But there are a number of ways to customize your profile too – connect your Spotify account to play a song when people visit your profile, and add your astrological sign and pronouns if you like.
Gas
Gas is currently only available in 12 states, but it dominates high schools wherever it is. It was downloaded 5.1 million times between August 2022 and November 2022. The social media app allows users to post questions about their friends and collect anonymous responses. (Think: “Who should be the DJ at every party?”)
All questions are skewed positively, which makes sense given that the name “Gas”refers to the goal of “fueling”friends with compliments. Users earn coins for participating in surveys, which they can then exchange to see who answered questions about them. Juicy!
If your ideal audience is Generation Z (or younger), this is a key point to keep an eye on. And these sharing apps tend to trickle down to an older demographic — think about how teens were the first adopters of Snap and TikTok before millennials joined in.
Check out our latest digital trends report for youth trends and up-and-coming social platforms to stay on top of things.
cohost
CoHost takes its design cues from Web 1.0 – you get a retro feel when you return to a Geocities page – but the blogging site offers some intriguing modern features. No character limit and the ability to create theme pages for different projects or random whims; these pages can be collaborative if you want to come together for something. The Verge describes CoHost as “the clumsy offspring of Tumblr, Twitter, and a nod to Reddit.”
Users can include CSS in their posts, which creates interesting interactive content with interactivity—an unusual feature for a social networking site.
CoHost is still in invite-only mode and is experimenting with monetization through subscription-only CoHost plus accounts.
Opportunities for social media marketers are currently unclear, but keep an eye on this space. The social network for creativity seems like a refreshing change of pace.
CounterSocial
An ad-free chronological news feed launched in November 2017 but became part of the Twitter Alternates discussion in 2023.
CounterSocial claims to have over 63 million monthly users, although those people don’t necessarily log in from all over the world – the app bans access to common bot and troll hotspots such as Russia, Iran, North Korea, Syria, China, and Pakistan. (An act that some critics called xenophobic.)
Funded solely by app users and founded by a hacker named The Jester, CounterSocial is built on the principle of no attacks, no ads, no harassment, no misinformation. Fans praise the community’s lack of toxicity and may even apply a filter to see “lighter”content if they crave more dog photos and less political discussion. Attention to cybersecurity is built into everything: uploaded images and videos are devoid of metadata.
Application to manage all your social networks in one place
Staying on top of every new social media platform that hits the scene can be intimidating, but a basic understanding of the landscape is critical if you want to make the right choice for your brand’s social media strategy.
Luckily, social media dashboards like Hootsuite can help keep your workflow running smoothly with your verified and trusted social media accounts so you have more time to explore the new kids in town.
Our current social media integrations include: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Business Profile and Whatsapp.
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