- BeReal invites brands and celebrities to have “RealProfiles” starting February 6th.
- This monetization effort comes amid slowing growth for the popular app after explosive 2022 user gains.
- Fans may see increasing tension between original values and financial incentives.
The popular social media app BeReal, which boasts 23 million daily active users, is making its first foray into branded content. Starting February 6th, brands and celebrities will have access to “RealBrand” and “RealPeople” profiles, allowing them to give fans behind-the-scenes glimpses in line with BeReal’s core value of authenticity.
Authentic engagement with public figures
These public figures will have to post spontaneous moments just like regular users when they receive the app’s daily notification to “BeReal.”
While this may seem at odds with the app’s mission statement of connecting friends and fighting the cultivated perfectionism of Instagram, BeReal believes it will foster connections by showing the humanity of even notable personalities.
Balancing monetization and authenticity
This move comes as growth is slowing for the relative newcomer app after explosive 2022 gains. With the maturity typical of startups, BeReal now faces pressure to monetize its engaged user base.
Offering brands access through these RealProfiles may be the first step toward advertising revenues.
BeReal has stated these profiles don’t signify a shift in priorities, and existing users will remain the focus. But the door is now open for increased branding, marking a turning point in strategy.
As BeReal tries to avoid the same fate as other venture-backed networks, fans may see increasing compromises between original values and financial incentives. For now, the introduction of these profiles walks that line, but their evolution promises to test the app’s commitment to authenticity.
