You’ve mastered the basics: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Now you’re looking for a different approach to your digital marketing strategy.
There are new platforms going live every day, and while you can’t possibly utilize each of those platforms, there are some out there that are well-suited for your brand and will help you reach a larger percentage of your buyer persona.
We’ve researched and played with many of the new apps. Here’s a look at the platforms that we think are great opportunities to add to your inbound strategy.
VSCO Cam
What it is: Pronounced viss-co, it’s a photo-editing platform similar to Instagram, that has become an app for creatives. You can either use it as an alternative to Instagram or just use it for photo editing.
Features: While Instagram filters are starting to go unused because of their lack of variety, VSCO offers a wider selection of photo filters. You can even buy filter packs which will help with ease of editing and can help create a consistent imagery for your brand.
Pros: It cuts out the fancy Photoshop-savvy middle man. With practice, you’ll be able to turn your boring iPhone snaps into images that look like they were taken with a DSLR and edited in Photoshop.
Cons: There’s little explanative text, so if you’re not intuitive with phone apps, you may have a hard time. You might need to search online how to use it or ask a teen to help you (trust us, all the kids are using it).
Best uses: If you use the editing software for your Instagram and Facebook posts, this app can be used for any type of brand to up your photo game. If your brand uses the posting feature like Instagram, it’s best used for creative businesses.
Peach
What it is: It’s technically labeled a messaging app, but it’s a combination of Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram. It allows you to update your status, load a picture, or use a gif, among many other features.
Features: The fun part of Peach is the “secret words,” which are hacks to use the app. An easy one to use is the gif secret word that helps add personality to a text post.
Pros: It’s easy to use, and it’s engaging. Merriam-Webster and Huffington Post have figured out the best ways to use it for their audiences.
Cons: So far, it’s an extremely small community, but it’s only a few months old. It’s also only available for iPhones. You can use it for personal use now to figure out the best uses, and if Peach begins to grow, you can integrate your business into the app.
Best uses: This is definitely for the millennial audience. This isn’t a serious app at all. It’s easy to engage with your audience with more attitude and less formality than other platforms.
Boomerang
What it is: Boomerang is an add-on to Instagram. It takes bursts of photos and turns them into a gif (a moving photo).
Features: Other than creating the gif file, it lets you upload the image to different platforms.
Pros: It’s extremely simple. It’s as easy as taking a photo. It also helps diversify your Instagram page, and it shows views instead of likes. If your images aren’t getting many likes, it will show views instead, making your posts look more engaging than they are.
Cons: You can’t choose how long the gif is, and you can’t edit brightness, contrast, etc. You’re only able to use filters.
Best uses: This is an easy app and can be used for any business already using Instagram.
Ello
What it is: Ello is a social platform hyped as the anti-Facebook because of its insistence of no ads.
Features: Definitely check out their Community Directory, found under “Resources.” You can join an existing community, like “Adventure” or “Quilting.” You can also scroll to the end of the Community Directory for Ello’s tips for using their app as a business and how to start your own community. There are also many features hidden at the bottom of the Resources page.
Pros: Its interface is clutter-free and looks like a cleaner and more stylistic Pinterest. Since it’s an alternative to Facebook, Ello attracts an audience who rejects the social media giant.
Cons: It’s been around for a few years and still hasn’t captivated a large following. The no-ad approach might make it difficult to reach an untapped audience. It also takes a while to figure out.
Best Uses: Ello is currently a niche market for millennials and creatives. It also works great for brands selling unique merchandise, like Etsy stores and Threadless.
Snapchat
What it is: Snapchat is by no means a new platform. However, the way it’s being used is new, as well as a surge of new users.
Features: The most talked about feature of Snapchat is the filters. Both the face overlay and the post-image filters, like the geotags. You’re also able to write text, draw or add emojis to images or videos you take. There are many other capabilities, including the app’s unrelated Snapcash.
Pros: There’s a large audience of people under 35 using the app. It allows you to communicate with your buyer persona in a more personal way and even show behind-the-scenes of your company.
Cons: Nothing is permanent because posts disappear after 24 hours. However, that’s also a benefit of the platform; followers have to constantly stay up-to-date in order to see content. It can be time-consuming, though, since you can’t schedule content to be published. On a smaller note, you can’t change your username after you sign up, so be 100% sure before you continue.
Best uses: Use Snapchat to make your brand more human. It doesn’t take long to take a few snaps each day, but there should be someone designated to run the account. It’s also a great tool for any company that runs events.