In the last couple of weeks, an app has surged in popularity across both social media and app download charts. Business Insider reports that ‘At last count, there were more than 518,000 posts on Instagram tagged “#vero”, most of which are of new Vero users posting their profiles and asking their friends to join them on the app.’ With the app touted as the “next Instagram,” only time will tell if Vero has what it takes to match up to the big players in the game.
Established in 2015, Vero’s growth may seem a little slow off the mark. However, with ongoing frustration from users fighting updates to the Instagram algorithm, which saw an end to the much loved chronological feed in favour of prioritising posts with high engagement; Vero’s timely rise could offer the perfect antidote to recent social media changes. Influencers appear to be the main driving force behind the growth of the app, presenting a stark contrast with Snapchat, which may be feeling the pinch after shares sank 6.1 percent following a single tweet from Kylie Jenner.
Will Vero change the face of social media?
With all of this in mind, what could Vero mean for social media, and should brands be poised to take a look at what it could offer them in the future?
The app promises its users a true reflection feed, which means they can mimic their real life relationships online by utilising the app’s connections feature. With choices such as close friend, friend, acquaintance or follower, it offers users the freedom to filter who sees each piece of content they post. Although this is nothing new, with Facebook offering similar filtering options, the ease of audience selection is a lot more fluid.
With the app giving the option to share more than just photos, viewers can curate their feed using the collections feature to select books, movies and tv shows, as well as the usual photo and video content.
Although the app prides itself on its ‘no advertising’ model, users will eventually be expected to pay up in the form of a subscription fee. But it pays to be quick: since offering its first million users a free account for life, the first target has been surpassed and the offer of a free account has been extended for a short time. This is not to say that advertising won’t be considered in the future, or that Vero will not be useful to brands looking to utilise the app’s functions to target customers.
What does Vero mean for brands?
Currently Vero’s output for the app seems to be centered around its standard users; however, they have released a few indications of what is available for brands. The main option on offer is to purchase a “buy now” button which will allow users to buy things directly from their posts. This was first tested back in 2016 alongside Temperley London’s SS17 collection, allowing those in the audience and those watching through a live stream to purchase straight from the catwalk.
To promote products within the app, it would also be worth brands getting to know the direct links feature which could be used to drive consumers to external sites. With the return of a chronological feed, it could be the perfect time for brands to connect with their consumers in a real-time way.
Time alone will tell if Vero has what it takes to challenge the likes of Instagram and Facebook and establish itself as the next must-have app for users and brands alike, but in the meantime brands would be wise, at the very least, to reserve their name, watch this space and remain ready to jump in should the need arise.
