BeReal’s BigResponsibility
It’s the modern-day capitalist conundrum — how do you start monetising a (currently free) platform without alienating your audience? Such a question will be front and centre for BeReal, the new social media app that’s booming with Gen Z & Millennials. It’s a nice challenge to have, although for BeReal there are additional complexities to consider.
For the uninitiated, BeReal is a time-based photo sharing app. It sends a notification at a random time each day, upon which users have 2 minutes to snap a photo using the app (front and back cameras fire simultaneously) of what they are currently doing. You can only see your friends’ photos once you’ve posted (you can post after the 2-minute deadline although such posts are labelled as late) — there’s a transience to it all as content is cleared each day when the new notification arrives, although you do keep a private history of your own snaps (sort of like a daily photo diary).
BeReal’s first consideration when looking to monetise is their deliberate positioning as ‘not another social network’. The whole premise is anti-establishment… It’s aimed at small groups of close friends, with mundane and honest snaps encouraged — ‘Your friends for real’ is its tagline, with users even able to see how many times said friends’ photos were retaken.
There’s minimal news feed, user generated content is limited to one post per day, it’s privacy-first, doesn’t pepper you with push notifications and carries no risk of doomscrolling. An uncomplicated app which celebrates reality, its simplicity is what’s driven its success. Such differentiation and limitation mean its route to revenue must be simpler and more transparent than the platforms that have been before it.
Second to consider is the broader societal context. The detrimental effects of social media are well known — from distraction to desolation and everything in between. Author Johann Hari puts forward a powerful call to arms in his latest book Stolen Focus, where he details how the established business model of the social media incumbents is directly at odds with a well-functioning society. This ad-based model, where user engagement and time spent in-app is directly correlated with the platform’s profitability, has sparked a one-sided war for our attention that we are not winning. Monetising attention so exploitatively must be curtailed and BeReal is well placed to play its part.
Given these complexities, what are some suitable ways for BeReal to start generating revenue? It’s unreasonable to write-off the ad-based model but a more responsible and ethical advertising approach can and should be tested. One that disrupts the link between time spent in-app and ad revenue. One that is more restrained regarding the murky moral issue of user data and how it’s collected and used.
Subscriptions feel a more trustworthy approach and are starting to gain traction, with platforms such as Snapchat and Twitter recently trialling paid-for services. Netflix has confirmed it will pivot the other way and test an ad-supported version of its streaming service, a response to struggling market performance and slow user growth. Such a mixed model is also an option — a free version that shows ads, alongside a paid version that doesn’t (which may also offer additional features and functionality).
Of course, it’s for BeReal to test and decide the best route. Paying for premium features such as posting video, posting at any time (rather than after the 2-minute notification) or unlocking new features (the personal photo diary element is worth exploring) will all surely be considered alongside advertising and subscriptions.
Parallels with the early days of Snapchat spring to mind. Snapchat’s initial popularity was built around disappearing photos that meant nothing was publicly or permanently pinned to your persona, a bit of light and disposable fun for close friends. This easy and candid approach is exactly the space BeReal is currently occupying. Snap has since had a turbulent time with the market, perhaps a cautionary tale for BeReal to lean into its differentiation — avoid the Snap trap of going toe-to-toe with the incumbents, setting expectations of revenue and user growth in line with such behemoths. Coincidentally, Snap is seeing success with its premium subscription service Snapchat+, announcing special features for paying users and achieving 1 million subscribers in its first month.
The social media landscape is finally starting to shift. Revenue streams are diversifying. New challengers are entering the ring. Longstanding heavyweights such as Instagram are struggling to keep up with more nimble opponents like TikTok. BeReal is certainly the undercard but has an unorthodox style that’s set to shake things up. As the flagbearer for a new, more honest age of social media, BeReal must carefully consider their responsibility regarding revenue as a lot more is on the line than just their bottom line.
