How Does Influencer Marketing Work on BeReal?

The basic idea behind social networks was once, quite generally, to connect with friends, share experiences in the form of digital memories, and expand one’s network. But while the apps themselves are becoming more and more profit-oriented and therefore focus mainly on creators and ads, the desire for more authenticity is increasing. Polished content and insights into a supposedly perfect life – this not only conveys false expectations, but also frustrates many users. In 2019, Alexis Barreyat was also annoyed and developed his app BeReal. Two years later, however, the app’s downloads have gone through the roof. According to data.ai, the app was downloaded 3.3 million times worldwide in the first quarter of the year.

Also read on the Kolsquare blog: How social is social media really? This question recently came up again with the protest action “Make Instagram Instagram Again“. The app, which belongs to Meta, was criticized for focusing more than ever on the needs of influencers and neglecting the original idea of sharing photos with friends.

What is BeReal?

BeReal, developed by French Alexis Barreyat and Kévin Perreau, promises an aesthetic without filters and the sharing of authentic moments with friends. Every day, exactly once and at a random time, users receive a push notification and must then share what they do with their friends within two minutes.

The clue is that BeReal uses the dual camera as one of the first apps to be successful with that feature. Hence, while users are capturing their moment, the app simultaneously takes a selfie that is not shown before the photo is sent. Moreover, only those who post what they are doing will see what their friends were up to today, too.

On BeReal there is also the possibility to set your profile to public and discover content from other people in the area. Public or private, users can of course also comment on the photos. The special feature here is: BeReal uses “Realmojis”, so instead of emojis, users can respond with personal RealMojis, cropped from their faces.

Influencer marketing on BeReal: Here's how

BeReal was not designed for creators and businesses, so Net Influencer says: “If you want to become an influencer, you can stay on TikTok and Instagram.” But if individuals already have many followers on TikTok, Instagram and co, they can definitely use BeReal to expand their audience and interact with it in a new way. Especially since the target groups of BeReal and TikTok, mainly GenZ, overlap.

Ryan Stern, founder and CEO of San Francisco-based social media content agency Collectively, warns on the website The Drum: “We’ll see where BeReal goes. For now, it’s too early to tell, but when it comes to influencer marketing, it’s about connecting brands with audiences. For communities where there’s a general hesitation to connect with brands in a commercial way, I don’t see it as a place that I can recommend brands to focus on. There are other places where those relationships are celebrated authentically.”

Instead, the app is particularly suitable for what is classically attributed to influencers anyway: authenticity. A look behind the scenes, into everyday office life, photo shoots and meetings, meetings with friends or simply a lazy evening on the couch – that is what is expected on BeReal and why the app is celebrating huge success.

Marketers who want to try BeReal and promote their brand there should always post in the specified time window in order to maintain their credibility. Otherwise, they will not be able to interact with each other’s content, which is extremely important. Therefore, you should also create many RealMojis and respond to other photos of friends or on the “Discovery” page with them. Reuse and recycle applies for BeReal, especially when you re-share unique content on other social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

In late July 2022, BeReal caused waves when a fan wanted to take her BeReal photo at the Harry Styles concert, but the app refused service at that exact moment. So while a girl desperately hammers the “Take your BeReal” button, another, namely Cara McManus, films the chaotic moment and goes viral on TikTok as a result.

Examples of influencer marketing on BeReal

Also active on BeReal, for example, is Vogue. The magazine’s reporter Christian Allaire tested the app for a week and wrote on day four of his experiment: “I wonder if some people aren’t being honest with me and are putting on a facade instead. It’s hard to change those habits, after all, we’ve all been conditioned to present the perfect version of our lives on social media.”

While he excuses a few flaws of the fledgling app and is simultaneously excited about the unadulterated content, his conclusion is as follows: “Sure, the app brings spontaneity and authenticity back to social media – but wouldn’t it be most authentic to simply not use social media? If you want to ‘BeReal,’ I recommend ‘GoOutside,’ ‘LeaveYourPhoneBehind’ and ‘TakeAWalk.’”

Mexican fast food chain Chipotle, known for its early-adopter mentality, already created an account on BeReal this spring. Since there is no advertising on the app and opportunities for sponsorship therefore remain slim, brands need to get more creative and refer users above all else from BeReal to other channels:

Image via The Drum

Chipotle posted the promo code for a limited offer in early April 2022, and the first 100 customers received a free entrée at any Chipotle store. This is a great example for brands to position themselves on BeReal and capitalize on the hype.