Have you recently noticed how people in your surroundings are grabbing their phones in panic, angling their phone camera at you, smiling back at their own front camera and yelling out “BE REAL everyone”? If not, we’re letting you know now, because this new social media-phenomenon is becoming extremely popular all over the world and this article will break down everything you need to be in the know of social media’s newest member.
What is BeReal?
BeReal is a relatively new social media platform that has users post images once a day visible for the ones who are following their profile. The app’s feed resembles Instagram, but the content on it is more similar to images that would most likely end up in a private Snapchat group. Unfiltered, raw and authentic are key adjectives that describe this groundbreaking app perfectly.
First released in 2020, the app struggled at its launch as another platform rose to fame amongst many bored-in-the-house pandemic folks, (yes, we are talking about TikTok), but have increased in downloads and popularity since march 2022. Today the platform has 10 million active users with the majority being Gen Zers.
Our influencer marketing research showed that Gen Zers are becoming more hesitant towards Instagram as the climate feels “fake” and they are tired of shallow content, which might explain why BeReal has grown in number of users lately. Filtered and edited photos of white beaches on luxury resorts, expensive handbag-collections and flawlessly contoured faces are a no-go.
How does BeReal work?
Once a day, the app sends out a notification at a random time to all its users, giving them a two-minute time frame to take and upload a picture. However, there’s a twist. When the user is taking a picture with their back camera, their front camera takes a picture simultaneously (which might lead to some pretty unflattering selfies). Once the content has been uploaded the user’s followers will be able to see what their friend is up to and also what they look like while doing it. Similar to Snapchat and the Instagram story-function, the uploaded content disappears after 24 hours but the uploader can go back and view it on their own profile, where the photos are saved as “memories” forever.
How to use BeReal
At first, downloading and using BeReal can feel like a big thing to take on (I mean how many platforms can one manage at the same time?), but once you’re on it it’s easy to navigate and most importantly, it’s fun! BeReal lets users create emojis with their own facial expressions that they can use when reacting to friends posts and the unedited content makes you feel like you’re getting insight into your friends and family’s lives in a whole new way. Sounds intriguing? Great, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty stuff!
How to post on BeReal
After downloading the app, the user will be given the chance to upload their first BeReal at any time they’d like. Thereafter, you will have to go by the rules as the rest of its users which means waiting for the much anticipated notification that strikes once a day at a random time. Meaning that if you want to play according to BeReals rules and post within the two-minute time frame, you might have to snap a picture in a meeting at work, while on the loo (beware all you toilet-surfers), or if you’re lucky with the timing, the notification might strike while you’re actually out doing fun things with friends. Unfortunately, there’s no way of figuring out when the notification will be sent out (trust me, as a marketer who likes to be on top of things, extensive research on this has been made without any luck). Therefore, planning content ahead becomes extremely difficult with this app.
How to retake BeReal
Users can retake their BeReals how many times they want, within 2 minutes of time, by just clicking the “retake”-button, but there is a catch. When a user retakes their photo, their followers will be notified that they’ve done so and since the app is all about authenticity and sharing “real” content, retaking pictures is not cool.
How to delete a BeReal
Some users haven’t been able to navigate the delete button and are left with a BeReal they regret sharing in the first place. Luckily, we have figured out the way to delete a BeReal. This can be done by scrolling to the top of the feed where the user will see their uploaded image and below it three small dots will appear. When clicking on the dots, the user will see “comments”, “realmojis” and “retake” and next to it, the feature “options” exists. If the user clicks on “options” they will be given the chance to delete their BeReal. Important to know is that a BeReal can only be deleted once a day, and users won’t be able to delete the next BeReal they share.
Does BeReal notify screenshots?
BeReal does not send out pop-up notifications if someone has screenshotted a user’s image, however, users are alerted by a number (the number of times their image has been screenshotted) which will appear next to their uploaded photo. The app keeps the profile of the person who screenshotted the photo secret, unless the user chooses to share their photo on another social media platform. If the user is curious to see who screenshotted their photo and decides to re-share their photo on Instagram, Snapchat or even text, they will be able to “open” the feature that allows them to see who took the screenshot. Complicated? Slightly, but it’s really a tactic to prevent users from screenshotting their friends’ photos, or, to make people share BeReal photos on different social media platforms.
Is BeReal safe?
Social media has had a huge impact on many people’s lives, for better and for worse. Studies have shown that some people are experiencing higher levels of anxiety after spending time on social media. Therefore, some (especially parents of tweens and teens) might be wary that BeReal is just another addicting, anxiety-enforcing channel people will spend way too much time on, which might raise questions about how safe it is to use.
After having spent a lot of time on the app and researching its data processes, my conclusion is that BeReal is a relatively safe social media platform for adults and kids over thirteen. Just like with any other platforms, people let social media affect them differently. What I have found is that, just like BeReal describes themselves, they are an anti-scroll app that promotes real content and with authenticity at its core, it’s not a media forum that will spark jealousy or have you compare your lifestyle to an unattainable one. As likes aren’t counted and other success metrics used, it’s difficult to see results on how “well” a post is doing. BeReal is not a platform for influencers to grow on, or a platform to even become an influencer at.
When I go on BeReal, most pictures I see are of my friends behind their desks at work or hanging out at home on their couch, watching reality tv-shows. It’s a safe space that makes me feel connected to my friends and leaves me with the humble feeling that my everyday life is great and quite ordinary – and so is everyone else’s too.
Another thing that might be reassuring to know is that all personal data processes are in accordance with French law, meaning that as France is a European country they have to adhere to some of the world’s strictest personal data rules. There are rules about having to be transparent about what information the app collects, how the information is being used and for how long the app retains that information. Phew, those are reassuring sentences for my eyes to read, at least (thinking back to all of the random content I’ve posted on the app).
However, one thing definitely worth noting is being aware of the geolocation function. When first installing the app, this feature is automatically turned on and unless you turn it off, your followers will instantly know where in the world you are when posting your photo. Luckily, the geolocation can easily be turned off by tapping “location off” when posting your photo.
BeReal for businesses
Even though the app’s intentional purpose is to be a platform where one connects with friends and shares photos of their every-day life, we’ve already seen how some B2C-companies have tried to jump on the bandwagon. Chipotle, PacSun and E.L.F cosmetics were some of the first companies to get on the app and enticed people to follow them by telling their Instagram-followers that they would share an exclusive discount code for their first BeReal followers. A lot of people took the bait and started following their accounts.
As you can’t plan content ahead (you have to wait for the notification and post within the 2 minute time frame) it will be hard for brands to get “cool” content out. Another difficulty brands will have to get by is not being able to measure the effect of their posts, as likes and other success metrics aren’t really available and therefore performance will be hard to get results on. On top of it, advertising is also strictly prohibited on the app. Seeing how these companies will figure out ways to master the app in their favour will surely be interesting to watch.
At the beginning of August, BeReal was faced with some serious competition as news was leaked via a twitter account informing that Instagram is working on a feature that they will release called “CandidChallenge”. Basically, the challenge is a copy paste of BeReals idea. Once a day you’re sent a notification to take and upload a picture of what you are doing, and yes, it even has a two-minute time frame. Sounds a whole lot like BeReal right?
The future of BeReal
So, what will the future of BeReal look like? Surely, it’s impossible to say but we like sharing social media trends and predictions here at Cure Media.
Only time will tell if this is yet another fad, or if Instagram will succeed in their attempt of owning the authentic content.
As it seems, authenticity is not just a trend that will flee by, but rather a good indicator telling us where our content will be heading. Think of it as authenticity 2.0. Brands will most likely need to change their content and collaborations into a more authentic approach as people expect to get to know the person behind the content. However, only time will tell which platform will win the title and grab the attention from young social media users.