BeReal was conceived with the intention of being an app for sharing candid and authentic photos, going against the grain of social networks such as Instagram, with its increasingly standardized feeds and elaborate planning to turn posts viral.
BeReal's goal is to share “real life” photos with friends, showing authenticity and absence of filters.
However, the social network is rolling out a feature that seems to run counter to the app's original purpose: RealPeople, an exclusive feed for famous people. The purpose of this feature is to showcase the daily lives of celebrities, offering a curated timeline of the most interesting people of the moment, including top athletes, artists, singers and others.
What is RealPeople?
According to the company, “With the launch of BeReal, people were eager to share and see an authentic glimpse into the daily lives of their closest friends, rather than the filtered view we typically find online. RealPeople is our next step in trying to bring out all the things we love about a connected experience.”
BeReal also clarifies that “RealPeople is not about influencing, accumulating likes or comments or promoting brands”. You won't see photoshopped photos, product recommendations, or ads disguised as posts. The goal is to show that we are all more alike than we think.”
The app is currently testing this feature in the UK only, but plans to expand it worldwide soon. Users who don't want to see the RealPeople feed can hide their accounts from this new feature. Additionally, users can suggest profiles for the RealPeople feed through a form.
What will be the future of the social network?
With BeReal's rising popularity over the past year and an authentic yet disruptive social networking model, this enthusiasm was expected to last for a long time and become increasingly popular among young people tired of fake feeds.
However, as enthusiasm waned, largely due to the lack of new features being updated on the platform, BeReal began to adopt similar approaches to other social networks, falling into the trap of seeking out celebrity engagement as a way to revitalize its reputation. social network.
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Last month, The New York Times reported that the app has lost appeal among key Gen Z demographics, resulting in a significant decline in monthly users. “The number of people using the app daily has dropped by 61% since its peak, from around 15 million in October to less than six million in March, according to Apptopia, another analytics firm,” wrote Callie Holtermann of the Times. .
This demonstrates that to become the next big hit app, companies need to be quick to differentiate themselves and listen to what users want in terms of new features, while remaining true to the initial purpose that made the social network known and loved by young people.
BeReal failed in this regard, not listening properly to its target audience and not maintaining authenticity and sharing photos among friends' feeds.
