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Vero is a new social network that seems to have exploded overnight. You may have heard the name but many people are still struggling to understand exactly what it does. Lots of people are turning to Google to ask “what is Vero”, and if you’re one of those people, you’ll be glad to know, we’ve got the answers for you.
When did Vero launch?
Despite it seeming to be the newest app around, it actually launched back in 2015. It was created by Lebanese businessman Ayman Hariri.
What is its purpose?
When you first take a look at the app, you could be confused about how to use it, as it encourages actions that you may be used to performing on other well known apps and websites. You can share photos with hashtags like on Instagram, share movie recommendations like on Lettedboxd, share life updates like on Facebook, amongst a whole host of other things.
Vero claim that,
“Most social networks reduce everyone to a friend or a follower. This encourages us to only share the parts of our lives we think are the most interesting. When you can control who sees what, you can behave in a way that is more natural, which we believe ends up being better for you… We created a social network that lets you be yourself.”
What they mean by this is that when you share an update, you can chose to share it with people you have (privately) labelled as either a close friend, friend or acquaintance. This allows you to only share more private and personal updates with those closest to you.
Is it free?
For now, yes. The first million users will be able to sign up for free but after that, there will be an annual subscription fee.
Why has it become so big all of a sudden?
Over the weekend of February 24/25, two communities seemed to be responsible for beginning the discussion around the app: the cosplay community and Instagram influencers.
A spokesperson for Vero said that the recent increase in popularity has partly been driven by “the Cosplay community” whose members “see the value in no ads and quality photography”. The other reason for the surge in users is thanks to Instagram influencers. Many of them have been sharing that they are trying out the platform and have been inviting their followers to connect with them. This is influencer marketing at its best, but as far as we’ve seen, Vero hasn’t paid these influencers to talk about the app. Big Instagrammers are likely choosing to try Vero as a result of their frustration over Instagram algorithms that affect which content users get shown. Vero is different. Users can select to see content in chronological order – no algorithms. On Vero, you see content from the people you follow as they post it, rather than what the app choses to show you, like on Instagram.
The downside to the app’s sudden surge in users is that it has been struggling to keep up with demand. Several people have been unable to use the app and Vero has regularly been reporting on Twitter that they are working to fix the issues.
What could this app mean for advertisers and marketers?
The makers have stated, they intend to keep the app free of advertising. Instagram did however begin like this too, so who knows what the future holds.
Once the first million free accounts have been created, new users may be reluctant to pay the subscription fee. Social media users are not used to having to pay for such apps so this is something the average Joe may not be comfortable doing. This means there may not be a diverse enough demographic of users for marketers to see the worth in putting their brand onto the platform.
There are however some features that could be good for brands. The app allows the sale of products and services with a “Buy Now” feature. There is also a “Donate Now” feature for charities. Non-charitable companies will be charged to sell on the app but depending how the app continues to be received, this could prove to be a useful platform for e-commerce businesses.
Finally, the biggest question of all, how is it pronounced?
Veh-row. Now you know!
Let us know your thoughts on Vero, tweet us @CuMarketing, comment on Facebook and LinkedIn or send us a message. We’d love to know how you’ve found the app, or, why you are choosing not to try it out. If you are hoping this could be the new social media marketing tool for you, we’ll have to wait and see, but in the meantime, feel free to stop by our marketing agency in Vancouver to chat to us about how we could help with your social media marketing strategy.