The world of social media is a constantly evolving beast. Just when you think you’ve mastered the algorithms of Facebook and Instagram, a new platform emerges, brimming with potential customers and brand engagement opportunities. For marketers, staying ahead of the curve hence becomes incredibly crucial.

To maximise reach and engagement, it’s essential to keep an eye on the latest trends and platforms gaining traction. In this very article, we will explore the seven latest social media platforms that hold immense promise. These platforms, each with unique features and audiences, can provide fresh avenues for brand visibility, customer engagement, and content dissemination and therefore deserve a spot on your social media monitoring radar.

Ditch the outdated playbook and get ready to discover the exciting new frontiers where your brand can thrive!

1. Threads

Launched in July 2023, Threads is a new social media app by Meta designed to facilitate more intimate and personal connections among close friends. It appeals to those who prefer sharing moments with a tight-knit group rather than broadcasting to a wider audience. This focus on close friends and intimate connections differentiates Threads from other social media platforms, making it an attractive option for users seeking meaningful interactions.

For marketers, Threads offers an opportunity to engage with users in a more personal and direct manner. Brands can leverage the platform to create exclusive content, offer special promotions, build stronger relationships with their most loyal customers, and foster a sense of community and loyalty that is often harder to achieve on larger, more public platforms.

Often considered as X/Twitter’s competitor, Threads saw a rapid rise in users upon launch, especially after changes on X/Twitter under Elon Musk caused some users to seek alternatives.

Some of Threads’ features include: 

• Focus on Text: Unlike Instagram, which focuses on photo-sharing, Threads is all about text-based updates. You can share posts with a maximum of 500 characters, including links, photos, and short videos.

• Public Conversation: Threads aims to be a platform for public discussions. Similar to X/Twitter, you can follow users, reply to posts, repost content, and like interesting threads.

• Auto-Status: Leveraging location, motion, and battery level data, Threads can automatically update your status, giving your friends context about what you might be doing without requiring you to update it manually.

• Camera-Centric Design: The app opens directly to the camera, which makes it quite easy to capture and share photos and videos quickly. This design encourages spontaneous sharing and real-time updates.

• Direct Messaging: Threads focuses on private messaging, allowing users to communicate directly with their close friends. Messages sent through Threads also appear in Instagram Direct, ensuring seamless communication across both platforms.

2. Clubhouse

Remember the early days of the pandemic, when everyone was stuck at home craving connection? That’s when Clubhouse, a unique audio-based social network, burst onto the scene. Unlike the photo-centric platforms we’re used to, Clubhouse offered something entirely new: a space for live, interactive conversations. Launched in April 2020, it quickly gained popularity, becoming a virtual hub for discussions, interviews, and even impromptu social gatherings—all conducted entirely through voice.

As for its target audience, Clubhouse appeals to a diverse range of users, from professionals and entrepreneurs to creatives and hobbyists. Its focus on live, voice-based interaction attracts those looking for more authentic and meaningful connections, as well as individuals eager to learn, network, and share their expertise in real time.

When it comes to marketing, brands can use Clubhouse to host interactive sessions, panel discussions, and Q&A forums to engage with their audience in a more intimate and dynamic way. The platform’s live nature allows for real-time feedback and interaction, making it an excellent tool for market research, community building, and brand storytelling.

Here are some other features of Clubhouse:

• Rooms and Clubs: Users can create and join rooms dedicated to specific subjects, ranging from business and technology to arts and wellness. Within these rooms, users can listen as audience members or participate as speakers. Clubs serve as groups or communities where members can host recurring discussions.

• Spontaneous and Live: Conversations on Clubhouse are live and ephemeral, meaning they are not recorded or saved, which encourages real-time engagement and spontaneity. This live aspect adds a sense of urgency and exclusivity to the interactions.

• Invitational Growth: Initially, Clubhouse grew through an invite-only model, creating an aura of exclusivity and desirability. New users needed an invitation from an existing member to join, which helped build a community of engaged and active participants.

3. BeReal

Our third social media platform is BeReal, an app with a refreshingly simple concept: authenticity and spontaneity among its users. It was launched back in 2020 and aims to counter the often highly curated and filtered nature of other social media platforms by encouraging people to share genuine, unfiltered moments from their daily lives.

In other words, BeReal encourages people to present their true selves rather than a polished version. As you may have guessed, this approach aims to reduce social pressure and comparison, promoting a more genuine and relatable online experience.

In such a context, BeReal appeals to users who are weary of traditional social media’s performative aspects and seek a more authentic way to connect with friends. It particularly resonates with younger generations, who value transparency and realness in their digital interactions.

Brands can also leverage the platform to showcase behind-the-scenes content, highlight everyday moments, and create a more personal connection with their audience. This demonstration of transparency and realness allows brands to build trust and loyalty with their audience.

As different as it already is, BeReal has the following features:

• Daily Surprise Notification: Once a day, at a random time, BeReal sends a notification to all users that it’s “Time to BeReal.”
• Two-Minute Window: You have just two minutes to capture and share a simultaneous photo using both your front and back cameras. This captures what you’re doing and your surroundings at that exact moment.
• No Filters or Retakes: BeReal is all about raw, unedited snapshots. There are no filters or opportunities to retake the photo. What you see is what you get (and share).
• See Others After You Post: You can’t see other people’s BeReals until you’ve posted your own for the day. This encourages everyone to participate authentically rather than waiting to see what others share first.
• Dual Camera Photos: BeReal uses both the front and back cameras simultaneously, capturing the user’s actions and reactions simultaneously. This dual perspective provides a more holistic and authentic view of the user’s environment and mood.
• Friends-Only Sharing: Content shared on BeReal is visible only to the user’s friends, creating a more private and intimate social network compared to public platforms like X/Twitter or Instagram.

4. TikTok

TikTok has become a social media juggernaut, taking the world by storm thanks to its short-form video format. It has rapidly become one of the most influential social media networks worldwide.

Launched back in 2016 by the Chinese tech company ByteDance, TikTok allows users to create, share, and discover short videos set to music, sound bites, or original audio. These videos usually range from a few seconds to ten minutes, which makes them easily consumable. The app also has an engaging format, user-friendly interface, and powerful algorithm that have driven its explosive growth and widespread popularity.

TikTok is highly popular among Gen Z, who make the majority of its users. That is because this generation values creativity, authenticity, and short-form content, which aligns perfectly with TikTok. The platform also has a significant number of Millennial users who are drawn to it for its entertainment value, trends, and potential for discovering new content and communities.

Brands and marketers have quickly recognised TikTok’s potential for reaching younger audiences. The platform offers advertising solutions like in-feed ads, branded hashtags, and sponsored challenges, allowing brands to create immersive and interactive marketing campaigns. TikTok’s integration with e-commerce also enables seamless shopping experiences directly within the app.

By participating in viral trends, leveraging user-generated content, and collaborating with influencers, marketers can effectively increase brand visibility, foster community engagement, and drive consumer action. TikTok’s unique features and interactive nature enable brands to create memorable, impactful campaigns that resonate deeply with users.

Besides its short video format, TikTok’s key features include the following:

• For You Page (FYP): Powered by a sophisticated algorithm, the FYP curates a personalised feed of videos based on user preferences, behaviours, and interactions, making content discovery seamless and highly engaging.

• Editing Tools: TikTok offers a suite of editing tools, including filters, effects, transitions, and text overlays, enabling users to produce professional-looking videos with ease.

• Duets and Stitching: These features allow users to collaborate with or respond to other users’ videos, fostering a sense of community and interaction on the platform.

• Challenges and Trends: TikTok thrives on viral challenges and trends, where users create content based on specific themes, hashtags, or music tracks, contributing to a dynamic and ever-evolving content landscape.

• Emphasis on Music and Creativity: Music and sound effects are integral to the TikTok experience. Users can create videos with trending sounds, lip-sync to popular songs, or use music to enhance their comedic skits, educational content, or dance routines. This focus on creativity fosters a vibrant community where trends spread like wildfire.

5. Discord

Launched in 2015, Discord is a communication platform that started primarily as a voice, video, and text chat service to facilitate seamless communication among gamers during gameplay through private servers equipped with various channels for different types of interaction. Since then, Discord has evolved significantly into a versatile platform that hosts a wide variety of communities beyond gaming.

The shift began as users started creating servers for a variety of other interests, including education, hobbies, fandoms, professional groups, and social causes. Discord responded to this growing demand by introducing features that cater to these diverse communities, such as enhanced moderation tools, improved server customisation, and integrations with other productivity and social media apps.

The platform also launched initiatives like “Community Servers” and “Stage Channels” to support larger, more organised community interactions and live events. Today, Discord is a hub where people gather to discuss shared interests, collaborate on projects, and socialise, making it a vibrant ecosystem for all kinds of online communities.

Like TikTok, the majority of Discord users fall within Gen Z and Millennial demographics, typically between 18 and 34 years old. There’s also a tilt towards male users, although the gender gap is narrowing.

As for marketing, Discord presents significant opportunities by tapping into its engaged user base and community-focused environment. Exclusive content, promotions, and giveaways can incentivise engagement and attract new followers while leveraging Discord’s capabilities for hosting virtual events and integrating with other platforms to enhance outreach and efficiency.

By observing community discussions and conducting market research, marketers gain valuable insights that inform strategies and product development, ultimately fostering strong brand relationships and driving conversions in a dynamic digital space.

6. Patreon

Launched in May 2013 by musician and artist Jack Conte along with developer Sam Yam, Patreon is a membership platform specifically designed to empower creators of all kinds. Think of it as a way for artists, musicians, YouTubers, podcasters, writers, and even adult content creators to earn a recurring income directly from their fans and supporters, often referred to as “patrons.”

The initial idea came into existence when Conte, the musician, faced frustrations with the unpredictability of income from streaming and digital music sales. Conte realised that relying solely on these revenue streams made it difficult to sustain his creative work and lifestyle.

That’s when Conte conceived the idea of Patreon as a solution to this problem. He envisioned a platform where creators like himself could receive ongoing financial support directly from their fans rather than relying solely on sporadic income from traditional channels. Inspired by the historical concept of patronage, where artists were supported by wealthy benefactors, Conte and Yam created Patreon to democratise this support mechanism for the digital age.

Although the early days were marked by slow but steady growth, the key turning point for Patreon came in 2014 with the acquisition of Subbable, a similar platform created by the Green brothers, known for their popular educational YouTube channels CrashCourse and SciShow. This merger brought a significant influx of creators and users to Patreon, solidifying its position as a leading platform for creator monetisation.

More elaborately, here is how Patreon serves as a monetisation platform for creators:

• Subscription Model: Creators on Patreon can offer various membership tiers, each with different benefits, such as exclusive content, behind-the-scenes updates, early access to new work, and personalised interactions. Patrons pledge a monthly amount to support the creator, providing a stable and predictable income stream.

• Diverse Content Types: Patreon supports a wide range of creators across different fields, including artists, musicians, writers, podcasters, YouTubers, and more. This diversity allows creators to monetise their content directly to their most dedicated fans, who appreciate and value their work.

• Flexibility in Offerings: Creators have flexibility in designing their Patreon pages and offerings. They can customise membership tiers, set goals, offer one-time rewards, and run special campaigns or promotions to attract and retain patrons.

• Creator Control: Patreon provides creators with tools to manage their membership, communicate with patrons, and track earnings. Creators retain ownership and control over their original content and the terms of their membership offerings.

• Revenue Diversification: For many creators, Patreon serves as a supplemental income stream alongside other revenue sources like ad revenue, merchandise sales, and sponsorships. This diversification helps stabilise income and reduce dependency on volatile revenue sources.

• Support for Creative Freedom: Patreon emphasises creative freedom, allowing creators to explore and produce content that may not be commercially viable on mainstream platforms. This encourages innovation and experimentation in creative expression.

7. Substack

Last but not least, we have Substack.

Launched in 2017, Substack is another online platform that lets writers and content creators publish newsletters and build a subscriber base. It provides tools for writing, editing, and distributing content via email, as well as options for monetisation through paid subscriptions.

Substack aims to empower independent writers by giving them control over their content and audience, and it has gained a huge popularity for its user-friendly interface and support for both free and paid newsletters. Many journalists, bloggers, and authors use Substack to reach their readers directly and generate income from their work.

Creators on Substack have the freedom to write about topics from a wide range of genres and subjects, including politics, technology, culture, and personal development, without editorial interference. Such independence and diversity appeal to writers looking to maintain creative control and autonomy over their work and allow them to cater to niche audiences and explore specialised topics.

Conclusion

The platforms explored in this article offer a glimpse into the future of online engagement. From the ephemeral authenticity of BeReal to the in-depth discussions on Clubhouse, each platform presents exclusive opportunities to communicate with your target audience in meaningful ways. Don’t be afraid to experiment, explore these new frontiers, and discover where your brand can thrive in the ever-changing social media ecosystem. 

Yet, always remember that the key to success is in understanding your target audience and tailoring your approach to the specific platform you choose. So, dive in, be creative, and get ready to engage with the next generation of social media users!