Social Media Marketing
by facastillon

5 New social media Platforms to consider

by Local Loyal Clients LLC

The Five New Social Media Platforms to consider are:

  1. LASSO
  2. TikTok
  3. Steemit
  4. VERO
  5. HouseParty

When it comes to social media, you always have to be updated so that the next big thing doesn’t pass you by. Even though Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have large audience numbers, new social media platforms reach further. They are home for unique segments of people that could be where your market lies now or in the next few years. Here are the top 5 new social media platforms that any business strategist should have on their radar.

1. LASSO

LASSO has been around since late 2018. The launch was not anything grand, just a single tweet from the product manager. The social media platform serves audiences similar to Facebook and houses content on entertainment, fitness, and more. Its most prominent features include camera tools with special effects. Users can also take part in community forums and make use of hashtags and Facebook-like challenges.

Users can browse through top trending content that is automatically posted to their feed by the app’s algorithms. The signup process happens through Facebook or Instagram. It’s a quick step process. Given that LASSO is owned by Facebook signing up is a matter of transferring your Facebook info to Lasso. It’s also possible to cross-share content between Facebook, LASSO, and Instagram.

In terms of reach, Lasso is still a budding platform. However, given Facebook’s engineering and financial resources, one can only predict that LASSO will be a top hit in the future. Even now, at its tender age, LASSO could be the best consideration for brands that target a much younger audience in the generation C category.

LASSO for Business

In early 2019, CNBC reported that LASSO had 500 million monthly users, which could be a significant audience for brands looking to tap into younger markets

  • The app has potential for higher audience engagement levels in the future, given that it closely follows in the footsteps of TikTok
  • It is possible to share content from Facebook and Instagram to LASSO, which then helps you reach more people per dollar of your advertising
  • Perhaps the major disadvantage is that the audience is on LASSO are young and may not have the purchasing power you seek
  • Also, the only brands that can currently do well on LASSO include those in the entertainment or fashion industries

2. TikTok

For younger millennials and those in generation Z, TikTok is the current biggest thing. Since the merger with Musical.ly, a lip-syncing app in 2018, TikTok has had higher downloads than Facebook, Twitter, and other similar prominent social media apps.

TikTok was founded in 2016 and went live in 2017. Users get to record and posts short videos that play in a loop. You can also add a variety of fun effects from text to filter and musical backgrounds. This content is optimizable with hashtags that make it easier to categorize by theme and for easier search.

Users also get to create challenges with the use of hashtags in the ‘challenges’ tab. Subsequent users that create content for those challenges must use the same hashtags for easy visibility and shareability. Many brands have already jumped over to TikTok. The increased business use reflects the great potential in leads and conversions that TikTok could have in the not-so-distant future.

Videos on TikTok are often 15 seconds long, but there is an option to create one-minute recordings. You can across-post longer videos from other platforms like Snapchat. Or you can also make use of the live streaming function, which could be handy for a new product launch or sales offer.

TikTok for Business

In 2019, TikTok was the second most downloaded app across the globe, and AppTrace reports that the app is now fully operating in more than 150 countries

This app could, therefore, be ideal for marketers looking to reach

  • a younger global audience for their future brand awareness and loyalty
  • TikTok reportedly has the highest engagement levels per post according to Influencer Marketing statistics
  • The app has more than 500 million monthly users

As opposed to investing endless resources in content creation, small businesses can spin existing

  • content using hashtags and comments

Brands can start or take part in the existing hashtag challenges to show the human and

  • the humorous side behind the scenes
  • Beware that TikTok leans more towards modern trends and its audience is the short-attention-span kind that wants new and exciting ways of connecting
  • Also, marketing messages only work better on TikTok if they take on the humorous and entertaining angle

3. Steemit

The Steemit journey started in 2016. The designers created a Reddit-like app that rewards users with crypto coins if their posts do well on the platform. Users can interact with each other and engage with content via commenting or upvoting it.

The platform has an easy design similar to Reddit’s older site designs. The feed style is also simple, and the content is geared towards knowledge and information as opposed to entertainment. There is similarly a bar that shows the Steemit coin’s live benchmark against others like Bitcoin.

Steemit has 1.2 million users and with 50,000 monthly posts and comments. Many tech reviewers, including TechCrunch, are calling Steemit the leading social platform for cryptocurrency. For those willing to invest in such platforms, it essential to remember that their performance relies heavily upon the future of cryptocurrencies.

Steemit for Business

By mid-2018, Steemit announced that they had reached one million-plus users You can share with people the processes that go into your product or service

You can create contests around your brand and offer the Steemit coin as the reward

You can

  • promote your Steemit posts using the new paid ‘promote’ feature
  • There are many opportunities to grow brand awareness by commenting on or upvoting people’s posts or participating in Steemit chats
  • The major drawback is that the audience here is more focused on technology and cryptocurrencies

4. VERO

Vero is the no ad no algorithm solution for users that have problems with Instagram or Facebook. This platform could be gold for companies that thrive on organic content.

You get to create and share useful information that people care about, as opposed to hard sales.

On VERO, a user can create content in various formats, including music, photos, videos, TV shows, and movies, among others.

There is a capability to share content between VERO and your website or other social media platforms. There are also features for deciding who gets to see your content and who doesn’t. You can choose from categories, including posting to followers, friends, close friends, and acquaintances.

Even if this platform has a no-ads policy, marketers can leverage social influencers to push their content to more people on VERO. You can add the ‘Buy Now’ button on a post by upgrading to a paid account.

VERO for Business

According to recent reports, VERO has more than

  • 3 million users, and therefore a wider reach compared to Steemit
  • Small brands with little or no budgets for paid campaigns can take advantage of this ‘no-ads’ social media platform to double their organic leads
  • Influencer marketing is likely going to be a big thing on VERO
  • It’s a bummer that VERO only supports organic content, and as such, it may not be the best channel for urgent sales

5. Houseparty

Houseparty is a face to face video messaging platform that can host up to 8 users at ago. There is an option to add fun features to chats, including video filters, stickers, and other special effects. Houseparty has grown gradually since its launch in 2016. The app now boasts more than 20 million users.

A majority of the audience on Houseparty are teens. This free app allows them to chat like Skype or Facebook Live, but in this case, these are group chats in Videocon kind of call. When you log in to the app, your friends can see that you are available to chat.

You can also see who is chatting and can join a video chat or chat room. You can start a conversation by sending your offline friends a link via SMS.

The app interface includes split-screen that allows easier group chats. There is also a privacy feature for making chats exclusive for or among close friends. Houseparty has been integrated with Snapchat, thus making the signup process a cinch. Users can also invite friends over from

Snapchat or Facebook.

Houseparty for Business

The app has more than 20 million users according to recent estimations

Users can leave ‘Facemail,’ a recorded video message to

  • friends that are not online
  • Users can create and upload their emojis using their Snapchat account
  • Businesses can start Houseparties for their brand gifts and generate buzz

Users can jump between campaigns and create their content about products and brands

  • The major drawback is Houseparty’s a much younger audience that may not have the necessary purchasing power
  • The app has geographical limits; it may not be available in some regions

The takeaway

New social media platforms are springing up by the day. As a business, you do not have to jump on all of them. Start by analyzing the types of audience, reach, and business-friendly features before you plan a move.