Social media has firmly established itself as an essential part of any business’ marketing toolkit. And for many years, the game has been pretty simple: sign up to the major social networks that align with your brand and post consistently.

In recent years, however, the social media paradigm has begun to shift. TikTok has emerged as one of the world’s biggest platforms and Elon Musk has taken over Twitter, prompting many to pivot away from the platform and seek alternative spaces like Mastodon.

During this tumultuous period, one platform that has quietly gone about its business and amassed a large audience of loyal users is BeReal. Enough time has now passed for the app to be considered a passing fad, so should social media agencies and businesses be using the platform?

The rise of BeReal

Launched in 2020, BeReal is a photo-sharing platform in which users are given the opportunity to capture and share two images – one with the front camera and the other with the rear camera – in real-time.

At a random point in the day, users will be notified that “it’s time to BeReal”, giving them a two-minute window to capture what they’re doing at that particular moment. There are no filter options available, and while users are able to retake their photos, these are marked with an asterisk when shared with other users.

Marketed as the anti-Instagram, BeReal won many admirers in its first couple of years thanks to its focus on authenticity and being candid. The platform began to pick up in 2022, however, when it was named Apple’s iPhone App of the Year.

As of February 2023, BeReal had 47.8 million monthly active users, with around 13 million people using the app daily. Most of these users are Gen-Z, and are based in the US, UK and Western Europe, offering brands and social media agencies lots of scope to reach their intended audiences.

Brands using BeReal

Unlike its competitors, BeReal doesn’t sell ad space nor does it allow users to create business pages in a traditional sense. In fact, the platform’s terms and conditions explicitly prohibit using the app for advertising or commercial purposes.

However, this hasn’t stopped some businesses and social media marketing agencies from using the app to engage their audiences and develop their brand identity in creative ways.

Chipotle

Perhaps the biggest name using BeReal is American fast-food chain Chipotle. The brand was one of the early adopters of the app, joining in April 2022 and providing other brands with a blueprint for building a presence on the platform.

Chipotle started out by sharing a reusable promo code, entitling the first 100 people who used it to a free entrée. The campaign was a resounding success, as Candice Beck, Chipotle’s director of social and influencer, notes in an interview with Retail Brew:

“All of our codes were gone in about 30 minutes, because it was new. And we’re still gaining followers. We just told people, and then every day after that, it was under a minute.”

e.l.f. Beauty

Beauty brand e.l.f Cosmetics became the first of its kind on BeReal after launching on the platform in June 2022. Known for taking an innovative approach to social media marketing, the brand saw BeReal as a great way to connect with its core customers.

In its first few weeks on the app, e.l.f Cosmetics shared behind-the-scenes images of photo shoots, staff hangouts and new product releases. Like Chipotle, the beauty brand also used BeReal to share promo codes, giving away a free five-piece skincare kit to 150 followers.

Love Island

Brands don’t have to create a BeReal account to gain traction from the app. Love Island, along with the likes of Trident and PacSun, have piggybacked onto the buzz surrounding the platform by posting BeReal-style photos to other social media platforms.

If Luca posted a BeReal… #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/xsheIgnPSo

— Love Island (@LoveIsland) July 17, 2022

Pros of using BeReal

BeReal’s user base may not be as big as TikTok, Twitter or Instagram, but, in a way, this is part of the app’s appeal. Early adopters of the platform note that it’s great for connecting with a small number of highly engaged followers.

These “super fans”, as e.l.f. Beauty’s chief brand officer, Laurie Lam, describes them, can be treated to exclusive content, further solidifying customer relationships and brand loyalty. What’s more, BeReal can be used to target younger demographics among which the app is most popular.

Early case studies suggest the industries most likely to benefit from BeReal would be food retail, fashion, beauty and entertainment, though that’s not to say other businesses can’t make a splash on the app.

Cons of using BeReal

The main barrier for brands interested in BeReal is the random nature of the platform, which makes it difficult to form a social media strategy. While you may have a rough idea of what you want to post day to day, the two-minute window for sharing content can be challenging.

BeReal also lacks the reporting tools that you would find in most other social media apps, which can make it difficult to track engagement. This is because marketers simply aren’t a priority for the app, which instead chooses to focus on authentic, community-driven content.

It remains to be seen whether the app will continue its impressive growth arc. Its success has led competitors to release copycat features, like TikTok’s TikTok Now, and these could detract from the app’s potential as a social media marketing platform in the future.

How can your business use BeReal?

So, should your business be using BeReal? While the app has lost some of the buzz it had garnered last year, BeReal remains a worthy candidate for brands and social media marketing agencies looking to raise their profile.

This is especially true if your business has an exciting and dynamic workspace, with the app perfectly suited for highlighting office activities, behind-the-scenes product demonstrations, exclusive promotions and more.

Most importantly, brands using BeReal will have to play the game by the platform’s rules. It’s not an app for making sales or generating leads, but rather a space to connect with your core audiences with light-hearted, authentic content.

Looking for a social media agency in Birmingham to help you maximise your social media marketing efforts? Our social team are vastly experienced across a range of platforms and will help you build the following that your brand deserves.