Inside BeReal’s comeback strategy

It wasn’t long ago that a new app asked users to BeReal. Now, that same platform is hoping to BeRelevant again.

The app, in which users post one front-facing and back-facing photo per day, peaked in popularity around 2022. After it was acquired by French mobile games publisher Voodoo last year, Voodoo has been quietly building what Ben Moore, managing director of US operations, describes as “BeReal 2.0,” fixing bugs and UI issues while adding features like video and chat in the hopes of enticing a new set of users.

“We’ve been able to prevent churn, patch stability, we’re seeing new users come to the platform for the first time, and the OG users that have been loyal from 2021, [and] 2022 are still around,” Moore told Marketing Brew. In April of this year, the platform said it had around 40 million monthly active users. (Instagram, for comparison, had more than 2 billion monthly active users as of January, according to Sensor Tower data cited by TheWrap.)

As BeReal has courted new users, it’s also been courting advertisers in the US since April, when it first introduced sponsored content on the platform. So far, that strategy has included making a debut appearance at Cannes Lions, where BeReal hosted a party for nearly 500 attendees and left with the plan to return next year with an “even bigger presence,” Moore said.

BeReal has also recently rolled out cost-per-click based insertion orders and paid amplification on organic posts. There are also new sections of the app, like Nearby, where users can see public posts from people around them as well as a feed called Friends of Friends that displays content from followers’ followers, both of which also offer new places for brands to advertise, Moore said.

Even with new features, the question remains whether BeReal can carve out a lasting space beside its endless-scroll competition—or whether the appetite for a slower, more intentional online experience is indeed growing.

Engagement over reach?

When BeReal first took off, it didn’t take long for brands like Chipotle and American Eagle to start experimenting with the platform, offering deals and exclusive offers to brand superfans. At the time, there were some limits to how many followers an account could have, but that’s no longer the case, Moore said, meaning brands have an opportunity today to reach more organic users than they did in years past.

Despite BeReal’s dedicated user base, downloads of the app have decreased 50% in the last year, according to Sensor Tower data cited by Business Insider, and some existing users have complained about the introduction of in-feed and takeover ads to the platform. Combined with posting limits that don’t exist on other social media platforms, some advertisers may wonder what the value proposition of the BeReal audience is.

Moore said the platform’s biggest selling point is a more intentional way to engage with younger customers. “BeReal is not a platform for reach, unlike Instagram, TikTok or even Snapchat,” Moore said. “It’s more about engaging or talking to Gen Z in a meaningful way.”

According to Moore, who previously worked at TikTok, about 70% of BeReal users post every day, driven in part by the knowledge that in order to see other posts on the app, they must post first.

“That translates into a level of engagement that is so much better than on TikTok, Insta, and Snap,” he said.

BeReal has already worked with advertisers like Levi’s, Nike, and Amazon, and Moore said top-performing brand content has tended to look much like the organic content brands were posting years ago, including behind-the-scenes looks, limited offerings, and creator content. Putting Gen Z faces behind (and in front of) the camera has also proven to be a campaign booster, he noted, whether it’s a brand community manager or a creator partner.

“Whenever [a brand] can work with a creator that produces a piece of content that they can utilize for paid amplification on BeReal, they are going to see ultimately greater results for their campaigns,” he said.

In general, Moore said he’s noticed a “resurgence” in the number of content creators, specifically micro-influencers, on BeReal.

“They want to show that there isn’t a big team behind this, that they’re doing everything themselves,” he said. “They know that BeReal can be the place for that.”

Away from the noise

What BeReal might lack in reach, it is hoping to make up for in stability and safety, Moore said. In addition to benefiting from the uncertain future of competitor platforms like TikTok, he said, mounting concerns over the mental health impact of social media have led to increased inbounds for BeReal.

“The fact that we don’t want to keep users scrolling endlessly on the app, that we just want them to open up the app, check in on their friends or the people they care about, and go back to living their best life, resonates really well,” Moore said, adding that it “also translates into business reach.”

With time on the platform intentionally limited, Moore said Voodoo is looking at offline opportunities to engage BeReal users in places like college campuses, where it hopes to re-create the success it saw among student interest during the “golden, viral years” of BeReal.

Since joining the BeReal team, Moore said many people have told him that they see it as “the healthy social platform for the next generation.” Whether that can translate into long-term business results is yet to be seen, though Moore seems optimistic.

“We intend to stay, we’re going to keep growing,” he said. “We’re going to keep doing everything we can to make sure that people find value in utilizing BeReal.”