Albizu Garcia, GUEST WRITER
Co-Founder and CEO of
Gain
February 22,
2019 6 min read
Opinions expressed
by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
The appeal of behemoth
social networks like Facebook is slowly declining. Many social media users are growing tired of
scrolling through feeds only to see what friends and family are eating or to
read political debates. Younger social media users, especially, are turning to
niche social networks to express their creativity and connect with friends or
other people with similar interests. As a result, a number of new social apps
are cropping up to fulfill this need for more interest-based social networking.
Many of these platforms also allow users to hide their identities, giving users
a sense of security and permitting them to share their thoughts or express
themselves without judgment.
Marketers who are
aware of how social networking is evolving and how these new social channels
are gaining popularity can discover ways to connect with their target audiences
more effectively. Here are some of the emerging social apps to watch in 2019.
1. Virtual avatars turned influencers.
Businesses of all
sizes are putting money behind influencer marketing campaigns in an effort to
expand their reach and boost brand awareness. According to research from the
World Federation of Advertisers, 65 percent of multinational brands are
planning to increase their spending on influencer marketing in 2019.
The demand for
quality, credible influencers continues to rise and nano influencers (someone
with around 5,000 followers), micro influencers (someone with approximately
50,000 followers) and now virtual influencers, are saturating the market. With so many
choices, brands can now be more selective in choosing which influencers they
want to work with and in which way they want to work with them. As the
influencer marketing world continues to develop, some fascinating social
networks are emerging around it.
A popular new 3D
avatar, or “virtual influencer,” app called Zepeto recently
shot to the number one spot in the iOS app store. Zepeto allows users
to customize their own avatars with virtual outfits, hairstyles and
accessories. It became an overnight sensation in China.
The app is now picking up steam in the U.S.
Virtual avatars are
nothing new, however, upgraded technology such as facial recognition is helping
take the concept to the next level. Many brands quickly
realized the marketing potential for user-generated content on Zepeto. A quick
search for Zepeto-related hashtags on
Instagram reveals thousands of Zepeto avatars, many sporting their favorite
brands. Social features-- such as private chats, games and virtual selfies
with other users -- also make Zepeto an app to watch as social media users
increasingly turn to secondary accounts to express other versions of
themselves.
Other virtual avatar
social apps to watch include:
- Coey. An avatar-based networking app that
allows users to ask questions, share knowledge, meet people and more.
- Genies.
A social app to create highly-customized, lifelike avatars to chat with
friends. Soon users will be able to use their avatars in games.
2. Private messaging.
In 2018, the total
number of monthly active users of the top four messaging apps reached 4.1 billion. What’s more, users are spending more time on
messaging apps, up to 12 minutes per day, and it’s estimated that more
than 70 percent of all social sharing now takes place on
messaging apps.
For marketers who rely
heavily on social networking to get in front of their target audiences,
messaging apps provide numerous opportunities. A Twilio study revealed
that 66 percent of consumers now prefer to reach brands, or be reached by
brands, through messaging apps.
Many brands have
already introduced chat bots as a way to provide customer support. Whatsapp and
Facebook Messenger are the undisputed leaders in this space; however, new
messaging apps like Kik are presenting brands with more promising features to
engage with their audiences more intimately.
With well over 300 million users and 6,000 bots, Kik is now a top 10
app among teenagers and young adults based in the U.S. On Kik, users can access
public chats on any topic or interest, or they can search for bots. Kik bots
can be educational, funny, games or brand-based. Big brands such as Sephora and H&M are
leveraging the private social app to share products, offer personalized styling
services and help customers build style profiles.
Other private
messaging social apps to watch include:
- Imo. A private messaging and video
app that reached the no. 1 spot in September 2018.
- Slack. A
popular app for workplace communication, Slack is also becoming a place
for brands -- primarily B2B -- to help existing customers share
feedback, solve issues or participate in research.
3. Hey there, neighbor.
Neighborhood social
networking apps are appealing to the $130 billion local advertising industry.
These apps offer private feeds for neighbors to share local stories,
recommendations and advice.
Arguably the most
popular social app in this space is Nextdoor, which currently has a presence in more than 175,000 neighborhoods, or approximately 85 percent of the U.S. Nextdoor users send more than four
million private messages a day on the app, and businesses can join the
conversation by setting up a Nextdoor business page.
With a Nextdoor
business page, businesses can add basic information about their services,
contact information, a link to their website and view the number of
recommendations received from neighbors. Statistics on how many neighborhoods
can view the business page and the ability to thank neighbors for their
recommendations are simple but powerful ways to understand and get in front of
local audiences. As Nextdoor rises in popularity, more competing neighborhood
social apps are likely to emerge. Marketers should watch these networks closely
as they can be great places to deliver hyper-local content.
Other hyper-local,
neighborhood social apps to watch include:
- Hoodi. A private neighborhood app that
allows users to connect with their neighbors.
- Neighbourly. Google’s latest hyper-local
app that allows users to crowdsource answers to their questions from people
in their community.
What’s next.
The social apps
mentioned above should be on every marketer’s radar in 2019. Video apps
like Tik Tok (short,
mobile videos) and Houseparty (group
video chats) are also grabbing the attention of younger audiences -- and worth
watching. Though these platforms are primarily built for existing friendships
or relationships, making it difficult for marketers to squeeze their way in,
partnering with influencers on these apps could be a good start. There’s no way
of knowing what will be the next Facebook or Instagram, but marketers should
always be on the lookout for the next big thing.
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