Love it, hate it, social media is the beast that keeps morphing. Just when we think we understand it and get a presence, it changes. It all started with MySpace and Twitter. Then came facebook, that private playground of connection for college kids that trickled down to the high schoolers. And as soon as we adults signed up and started posting inane things on our children’s Facebook Pages, they hopped right off and went elsewhere.
The young ones migrated to Snapchat and Instagram, but we followed them there too. Then, about three years ago, the big bosses on each of these platforms began to monetize them and some of the kids stayed, but more of them moved on once again.
Everyday it seems like something new is popping up. Have you even heard of these three”new” platforms?
Kik is a cross-platform mobile application used for instant messaging. It is similar to Facebook Messenger or Snapchat. Users can message individual friends as well as groups on Kik. Kik’s main differentiator is privacy. Unlike other messaging apps, it doesn’t require a phone number to register. Instead, users can maintain anonymity by registering with a username or email.
- Kik is ranked as a top ten app with teens in the United States
- Kik tracks it’s 300 million users by IP address and age, so targeting by location and age group is easy for marketers.
- Users can make money (Kik has its own cryptocurrency called Kin) by taking brand surveys, sharing content or other activities on the platform
- 60% of users are under 24, so it’s a prime place to reach Gen-Z
Vero calls itself the “authentic” social media platform because it doesn’t use an algorithm to determine what users see and, at least for now, is completely ad-free. Vero is similar to Instagram, offering users the ability to share all types of content with their followers, who can be classified as a friend, close friend, acquaintance, or follower.
- Vero launched in 2015, but didn’t see massive growth until February 2018, when it added upwards of 500,000 users in 24 hours.
- The platform’s growth is thought to be attributed to the algorithm challenges on Instagram.
- It’s completely free, but the owners have expressed interest in pursuing a subscription model in the future.
It’s difficult to keep track of all the new platforms and apps coming on line. Perhaps the best thing to do is ask your children and their friends where everyone is landing these days, and follow them on over. Unless your product is geared towards the younger crowd, it’s probably still safe to set up Instagram Stores and keep your Facebook Business Page active.
Social Cindy, at your service
