Exploring Social Media Alternative Platforms Beyond the Mainstream

Social media alternative platforms have become a strong rival to industry heavyweights as the use of the internet and digital platforms grows. Even though well-known social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have changed how we communicate online, many users are increasingly looking for more specialized, exclusive, or distinctive online experiences.

So, in this article, we will go over alternative social media networks and explore the digital landscape outside of popular platforms.

Key Takeaways

Alternative platforms are emerging to challenge mainstream social media giants, offering unique features and addressing user concerns about privacy, censorship, and data usage.
Different countries have their own popular social media ecosystems, such as LINE in Japan and Weibo in China, which brands should consider when expanding into new markets.
New platforms like Minds, Mastodon, and Locket offer unique user experiences, focusing on aspects like free speech, decentralization, and intimate sharing among close friends.
Alternative platforms can offer brands reduced competition, advantages in early adoption, and more targeted audience engagement.
Diversifying social media presence across alternative platforms can help brands reach new and diverse audiences globally.
TikTok is currently recognized as the fastest-growing social media platform globally, significantly impacting user engagement and content consumption patterns.

After careful analysis and research, here are the top 9 global social media platform alternatives. A ton of them may sound weird. Well, that’s because they are not platforms you’re used to hearing about in Nigeria.

#1. BlueSky

BlueSky, a decentralized social application with a user interface reminiscent of Twitter, was established by Jack Dorsey, the former CEO and co-founder of Twitter. It provides algorithmic choice, a federated design, and community moderation. This means, in simple terms, that the user can determine the content they view and that selecting between servers is effortless.

The application works similarly to X/Twitter, allowing users to generate 256-character posts that may include images by selecting the “plus” button. Posts may be replied to, retweeted, liked, reported, shared with other applications, or copied as text.

Currently, the beta version of the application is invitation-only, and there is a waiting list for participation. Nevertheless, receiving a BlueSky invitation is an extremely desirable experience. The application has been compared to X/Twitter, minus the unnecessary features.

It is currently a small platform with a user base of only 50,000, but it is one to monitor.

BlueSky's Marketing Opportunities: Presently, there are no marketing opportunities available due to the fact that the application is invite-only.

#2. Lemon8

Lemon 8, a new application that has gained popularity, was developed by the creators of TikTok. Lemon 8 is a content creation platform that prioritizes images over videos, combining the features of Pinterest and Instagram in a board-style format.

The app has been downloaded over 5 million times in the Google Play store and is one of the most popular lifestyle apps in the Apple App Store.

One of the distinguishing features of Lemon8 is the abundance of influencer advertisements and product recommendations, which can be difficult to distinguish from sponsored content. Additionally, there is a substantial amount of writing, as captions may contain recipes or instructions.

Lemon's Marketing Opportunities: Lemon8 is currently free of advertisements; however, its popularity may necessitate the inclusion of advertisements in the future. Currently, brands can leverage it to collaborate with creators in order to showcase their products.

#3. Locket

Locket is a straightforward photo application that Matt Moss developed as a personal side project for his girlfriend. After it gained such popularity among friends and family, Moss decided to release it on the Apple Store.

The application’s functionality is straightforward: it enables users to access live images from their family and friends from the home screen of their iPhone. Users can also invite and add contacts and subsequently install the app’s widget on their phones. The application will display the photographs of contacts as they upload them throughout the day.

Additionally, users have the ability to upload photos to a “locket,” which is subsequently automatically shared and refreshed on the screens of family and friends.

After its release on New Year’s Day in 2022, the application rapidly ascended to the summit of the App Store charts and has been downloaded 20 million times. Locket has been the subject of more than one billion photos being shared since its inception, as reported by TechCrunch.

Locket's Marketing Opportunities: Moss believes there is potential to develop features within the app as users share more photos over time, despite the fact that there is currently no focus on Locket generating revenue.

#4. True

True is advertised as the social networking application that will “secure your privacy.” It enables users to establish private threads and communicate with only the individuals they desire, as its messages are encrypted.

The app’s private threads are the primary draw despite public threads. The thread creator is limited to inviting individuals one at a time, so there is no possibility of mass uploading. However, the number of participants can range from two to hundreds. There is no private thread that can be located through an online search or by other app users.

According to reports, the application has over 10,000 users and was granted $15 million in funding in 2023 by Microsoft veteran Paul Maritz.

True's Marketing Opportunities—True has assured users that there will be no tracking or advertisements. Bret Cox, the app's founder, stated that private threads will never support ads. However, ads are present in public threads based on the areas of interest that a user has indicated, according to Inc.com. Cox has observed that creators and bloggers utilize public threads to promote their courses, and he anticipates that this will generate revenue for True in the future.

#5. Mastodon

The platform experienced a significant increase in sign-ups following the acquisition of X/Twitter by billionaire Elon Musk, despite its existence since 2016.

As a decentralized social network, Mastodon is composed of independent servers organized around specific themes, topics, or interests, similar to Bluesky. It offers a multitude of features comparable to those of Twitter, including the ability to contribute to conversations, create posts, and upload images.

The major difference is that you have the option to join a server that hosts your account, as it is composed of numerous servers.

Mastodon Marketing Opportunities - The developers of Mastodon have declared that there will be no advertisements, so it is uncertain whether sponsored content or paid media will be permitted. Nevertheless, it has the potential to be employed for market research, affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and user-generated content. Emphasize privacy.

#6. Telegram

Telegram is an instant messaging application that operates on numerous platforms and is cloud-based. It is gaining popularity due to its ability to provide end-to-end encryption during video phone calls and chats. Additionally, it supports group chats, self-destructing messages, and a ‘Secret Chat’ message feature.

Nikolai and Pavel Durov, who also established the Russian social media platform VK, established it in 2013. The objective was to compete with WhatsApp, which is distinguished by its security and privacy features.

In 2021, Telegram had 430 million downloads and 500 million monthly active users, with 153 million downloads in the first half of 2022.

The app’s benefits include the ability to use it even if the other individual’s phone number is forgotten. Additionally, other messaging applications do not currently provide the capability to store user histories or chat histories in the cloud, which is advantageous for community development.

Telegram Marketing Opportunities: Telegram Ads enable businesses to advertise their products or services to users by utilizing sponsored messages on Telegram Channels with 1000+ subscribers. Telegram Ads are composed of only a few elements, such as an ad title, ad message, and an ad URL that is connected to the business's Telegram Channel or bot. However, external links are prohibited.

#7. Threads

Meta introduced ‘Threads,’ an application that competes with X/Twitter and Elon Musk. Threads, introduced to the market in July 2023, is a text-based conversation app branded as “Instagram’s” and has a similar aesthetic to Twitter. Screenshots indicate that users can sign up using their existing Instagram login details. Despite its record-breaking initial launch, it is still in the process of establishing its own identity within the social media application landscape.

Meta’s Chief Product Officer, Chris Cox, stated, “We have been receiving inquiries from public figures and creators who are interested in a platform that is managed responsibly and that they are confident in for distribution.” According to Cox, the company’s objective for the application is to ensure that creators have a “stable place to build and grow their audiences” and that it is “safe, easy to use, and reliable.”

It is already generating excitement; however, due to the more stringent privacy regulations, it will not be accessible in the EU for the foreseeable future.

Threads' Marketing Opportunities - Although no specifics regarding the marketing opportunities have been disclosed, the app's affiliation with Instagram and ownership by Meta suggest that advertising capabilities may be implemented in the near future.

#8. Patreon

Patreon is a membership platform that enables creators to operate a subscription service for their content. Therefore, creators may establish a personal Patreon page rather than establishing their own website and payment platform.

Patrons are the term used to refer to paying subscribers on the app. Each patron is required to pay a fee to access exclusive content from creators. Recently, the app has implemented video creation. Patreon has reported 8 million monthly active patrons, 250,000 creators, and $3.5 billion paid out to creators.

Patreon's Marketing Opportunities - Patreon is designed to enable creators to generate revenue rather than brands. Nevertheless, brands are collaborating with Patreon creators to launch a campaign that includes the creator's Patreon audience through influencer marketing, such as exclusive discounts or product sneak peeks.

#9. Discord

Discord is a chat application that enables users to communicate and socialize with their friends and communities through voice, video, and text.

The application employs private, invite-only servers that facilitate the interaction of friends and communities. There are also larger, more open communities that are focused on specific topics, such as popular games like Fortnite and Minecraft. This is undoubtedly the reason for its nickname, “Slack for gamers.” Integrating it with other popular platforms, such as Twitch, YouTube, and Zapier, is also possible.

The app, which was established in 2015 by Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy, was designed to “empower individuals to establish a sense of belonging in their lives and establish authentic relationships with friends and communities, whether they are located locally or globally.”

According to the founder, the app boasts 4 billion server conversation minutes daily and 150 million monthly active users.

Discord's Marketing Opportunities: Discord enables marketers to advertise their products within communities. The primary objective is to establish a Discord server community relevant to or associated with your brand. These spaces are equipped with their own user roles, avatars, and access to video and voice chat. Stickers, GIFs, and images are crucial; therefore, they should be implemented. There is also a Partner Program that you may utilize, and live events are available.

#10. Polywork

Polywork is a professional network that enables users to upload a free personal webpage, share news and updates, and submit collaboration requests. It seeks to operate in the same market as LinkedIn as an application.

The app’s modus operandi is described on the website as “your platform for identifying opportunities to collaborate with other professionals.” Collaborate on side projects, participate in podcasts, beta test new applications, and more. You will never experience boredom again.

Polywork secured $28 million in Series B funding in 2022, jointly led by Caffeinated Capital and former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman. Instacart, Stripe, Lyft, and Clubhouse are among the other investors.

Peter Johnston, the CEO and Founder of Polywork, stated, “If LinkedIn is a network for full-time opportunities, we are something of a network for collaboration opportunities.”

Polywork's Marketing Opportunities - The social network is not currently developing any revenue strategies; instead, it is prioritizing product development and expansion. The platform may be monetized by customizing user templates or implementing advanced search capabilities similar to LinkedIn Premium.

_ Engagement Strategy Checklist for Niche Platforms Download

Engagement Strategy Checklist for Niche Platforms.pdf

Download Now

It’s crucial to realize that alternative social media platforms have far more influence and reach than the mainstream ones we are accustomed to. If brands wish to expand into a certain market segment, they must use these platforms.

#1. Reduce Rivalry

There can be less competition on some alternative platforms, giving brands a chance to stand out in less crowded regions. More significantly, compared to well-known international platforms, advertising expenses on these platforms might be lower, enabling firms to run more economical marketing campaigns.

#2. Early Acceptance

Smaller platforms might be more flexible and willing to try out new features, giving advertisers more room to develop original and creative marketing campaigns. By having a presence on developing platforms, brands can obtain an early adopter advantage and build a footprint before their mainstream counterparts.

#3. Preferred Platform

Individuals using various platforms could have varied tastes when it comes to interacting with and consuming material. Taking these preferences into account helps improve user interaction. Content can be made more appealing by accommodating platform variations that enable particular features or content formats that are exclusive to that area.

#4. Place-Based

Because native platforms are frequently more aware of regional cultural trends, brands can produce content that appeals to the target market. Because local platforms are typically familiar with complying with local regulations, working with them facilitates negotiating complicated regulatory situations.

#5. ‍The Act of Diversification

Beyond the conventional channels, marketers may reach new and varied audiences worldwide by utilizing alternative platforms. These native platforms address particular cultural quirks and inclinations, facilitating more genuine and pertinent brand-local audience connections.

Social media has a lot of alternatives, such as niche apps, smaller platforms, and other hobbies.

Compared to larger platforms, it might be more intimate and facilitate more personal connections. Among the instances are:

Lemon8: A lifestyle app with brief films and carefully chosen images
Locket: A widget application to share fleeting moments with companions
Ello: A platform without ads that puts content before clicks
Mastodon: A decentralized network featuring an interface for text and photo sharing

Since its introduction in 2017, TikTok has grown to become the fastest-growing social network, making it one of the fastest-growing social media platforms globally. More than 113 million people use the short-form video-sharing app in the US alone, and 25% of US users under 30 rely on it as their primary news source. TikTok is a platform with a strong potential for quick follower growth due to its viral nature and engagement-driven algorithm.

Conclusion

To sum up, the realm of social media is ever-changing and provides a wide range of choices outside of the popular platforms. By investigating these alternative social media platforms, users may select the one that best suits their needs—whether it be for privacy, free expression, or special features—and have a more customized online experience.