Throughout the history of the internet (digital) social networks have been changing our lives. Today, it is unlikely to meet someone who does not have an account in at least one social network. And it is that, it is much easier to socialize from the comfort of your home or your mobile, right? But, they are not only useful for that, they are also a powerful tool for businesses to communicate with their potential users and thus provide them with a better experience. So don’t underestimate them, some of the new social networks on this list are not that new but they are becoming very popular.
Over the years, these platforms have been adapting to user preferences, as we have seen in the case of the ubiquitous story format. Others like OK or VK (do you remember what VK is?) are still very valid, but in specific markets (like Russia). In this evolutionary process, many die and others are born, and for this reason it is good to take a moment to talk about all those networks that are little known… but that you might be interested in trying.
New social networks (and others not so new) that you still do not use
Bumble
Founded by Whitney Wolfe, co-founder of Tinder, Bumble is a place where women are in charge , and that’s what sets it apart from other dating platforms. As core values, the platform respects others and for this reason it was designed as a social network, but it is also the first app of its kind where you can find a special someone, make friends or think about a career in your profession. The interface is very simple and intuitive , so it is very easy to use and allows you to take advantage of the various payment options that allow you to unlock different features and get in touch with the users you want.
Caffeine
This network promises so much that Fox decided to invest 100 million dollars in it. It is an ideal broadcast service for gamers and anyone else who generates content streams. Caffeine was created by former Apple employees who assure that in 15 seconds you will be able to start uploading your audiovisual material without thinking about complex configurations . Another added value is that it claims to be much more social than Twitch or YouTube gaming.
Clubhouse
The great protagonist of the voice chat boom in 2021. Currently, this functionality has been imitated by many other platforms and you might think that its star is fading, but Clubhouse still has numerous users around the world.
Clubhouse is a social network born in 2020 with a somewhat particular orientation, in this network you can only interact through voice chats. Voice chats are not something new or different, but the fact that they only speak through them offers a very interesting format. In this age of endless remakes in the cinema, we could say that this application is a more selective remake of the old home radio.
Now the question would be why is it on everyone’s lips? Very simple, in less than a year it already had 1 million users, which became 10 million during the month of May 2021. Even so, this number may not seem like a lot if we compare it with the big ones in technology, but we must keep in mind that for a long time it was an exclusive app for iOS mobiles (and access by invitation) .
Discord
As a quick and simple description, we can say that Discord is a platform designed to create groups on different specific topics in which users enter to chat.
But what makes Discord different from other chat platforms is that it allows you to have your own server, create different channels, such as having your own IRC, and invite the people you want. In fact, you can think of Discord as a Skype with different groups, however, it offers more advanced tools, which is why it has earned the nickname “the Slack of gamers”.
In Discord you can create servers and channels to talk about almost any topic, which has given rise to a broader community than the initial one, based on video games. For this reason, its founder Jason Citron announced in mid-2020 that the platform would face a change of focus. This includes making improvements, such as making it easier to create servers and expanding the focus already present towards an audience outside of video games: just as Twitch is no longer just a social network for gamers, Discord seeks to become a place where you can talk about anything. another subject. Its 100 million monthly active users make it a very powerful Clubhouse alternative.
Facecast
This social network is available as an app for Android and Apple. Its official launch was in May 2018, but it has been slow to catch on. You can create creative short videos from 15 to 60 seconds , go live or use the fun random video chat option.
Facecast is an ideal option for celebrities or web stars who share their experiences such as travel or parties as it allows your audience to follow them live in a very creative way. You can belong to different groups, create popular video lists, reach the leader board and create your circle of friends.
Mastodon
Although it really is not exactly new, Mastodon is so little known … that as if it were. It is a free and decentralized microblogging social network , similar to Twitter, and launched in October 2016. It is a social network made up of several instances or subnets, which allow your messages to be read only by members of those specific networks. or all those that make up the total Mastodon.
Each community or instance creates its own rules , but on the main website we can see some minimum rules of conduct to avoid sexist, racist, xenophobic messages, child pornography or excessive advertising. Mastodon instances are generally free, although each server can also implement its own funding rules if they wish. In addition, there are two ways to communicate, since you can send messages only to the instance where you are registered or to the general community that exists between all instances.
Nextdoor
Nextdoor is an app so you can find out everything that happens in your neighborhood, as well as from neighbor to neighbor, both at a commercial level. What do you need a ladder? Don’t know which is the nearest florist? Do you need a handyman urgently? At Nextdoor you can resolve these doubts with the help of your neighbors. A social network that can be especially useful for SMEs seeking to make themselves known in their immediate environment.
OnlyFans
OnlyFans was born back in 2016 as a social network that served as a meeting point between fashion influencers and followers . Its creator, the British Tim Stokely , initially raised it as a premium content platform, for which users paid to see the publications of their “idols”.
Influencers, musicians, actors, or well-known faces that use the social network manage to generate income with this content, which they receive directly from their followers or from the pay-per-view function. And perhaps for this reason, it is worth saying that during the months of the pandemic, OnlyFans went from 20 to 120 million registered users.
You must be of legal age to register on Onlyfans , both as a creator and as a fan. Fans can create their account for free to follow the people who publish on the social network, but in order to access the content itself they must subscribe and pay a monthly fee that the creator himself sets.
Steemit
Steemit is a social network where you get paid to create and curate content . It is based on the blockchain, so all the content that is uploaded is recorded forever. For payment, a cryptocurrency called Steem is used.
This network was born in 2016, it has become more popular in the last year… however, I think it is quite underrated. Personally, I have friends who make a living from generating and curating content there. Of course, getting to that is not an easy task, because, as in any social network, you must create a community to achieve followers. If you upload valuable content, spend time curating content and create a good community, you will surely do very well.
For this reason, I recommend it to you in this post, because although it is not new, it is not as popular as it should be.
Supernova
Supernova is an ethical alternative to social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter… With the particularity that most of the income obtained through advertising will be dedicated to different altruistic and social initiatives. The business model is based on moving 60% of its revenue from advertising to global initiatives.
Supernova’s functioning as a social network is very similar to Instagram . Users can share photos and videos, being able to add comments and send private messages. You can also set the user account to private to restrict unwanted interactions.
The big difference with other social networks, and forming part of the altruistic spirit that inspires Supernova, is that users establish in their profile the information of the initiative to which they want part of the profits to go, so that the likes work as a kind of votes that add support to the selected cause .
Swarm
This not so new social network, heir to Foursquare, allows you to win prizes by competing with your friends with the places you visit . In the new version of Swarm you can map and track all your outings, share photos, reviews, tips and more… the best thing is that you earn coins, the more you have, the higher you will reach in the weekly ranking. From what its founder said, in the future they could well come up with something related to cryptocurrencies. For now, they welcome any suggestions for coins.
So there are plenty of new social networks to try this year, don’t be left behind.
