There are often new social media platforms that emerge, but rarely do we see one have the impact that the most recent social media phenomenon BeReal has had. So, what is it and where did it come from? Well, BeReal has been around since 2020 but only recently has it emerged as a popular social media platform, being installed over 53 million times as of October 2022.

So, how does BeReal work? Well, once a day every user gets a notification at the same random time. Once you open the app you have two minutes to take your photo, both using the front camera and back camera showing both what you are doing and your surroundings, however one photo is taken at a time. The app automatically flips the camera around to capture both angles. Essentially, it is where users post unfiltered photos once a day, in an attempt to move away from the heavily filtered feeds from other sites such as Instagram, resulting in BeReal now being labelled as the Anti-Instagram.

Check out the La La teams first EVER BeReal, we know we look great… if you want even more behind the scenes content add La La for a guaranteed daily laugh (add us here).

According to Social Media Today downloads have risen by 315% since the beginning of the year. But why? We are all guilty of trying to show the best parts of our lives on social media, whether that be when we are out with friends or trying a new cool experience, but BeReal has kickstarted a shift away from filters and unrealistic lifestyles showcased across other sites.

With multiple unique in-app features – you cannot see your friends ‘BeReals’ without having posted your own and lasts until the next notification to post your daily picture – BeReal is true to their goal – a platform to see your friends for real – still with us?

As soon as you click on the app, the two minute timer begins – there is no time to sort out your hair, add a filter or get to a better location, where you are and what you look like in that moment is how the post is captured. Yes, don’t judge us, we are in the exact same spot as our previous BeReal…

We’ll be honest at first the team wasn’t convinced of the app, we thought it’s just another social media site – just another reason to spend even more time on our phones. But after a few weeks of hearing from our friends, and seeing it all over our TikTok ‘for you’ feeds we caved and downloaded the app. Well, after approximately 3 days we were all hooked. There we were waiting for that ping and the notification ‘it’s time to be real’! Cue the photos of us with yet another cup of coffee, Abbie playing with Humphrey or even Cat in her funny hats, but that’s us just showing our real La La team lives.

Will there be BeReal for business?

BeReal is arguably the ‘easiest’ social media platform to use, with 10 million daily users, this app really is going nowhere anytime soon! There are multiple ways BeReal can be used by businesses from behind the scenes of photoshoots to sneak peaks, or even a snapshot of daily office life. The possibilities of creativity are paving the way for BeReal to only continue to grow. With no signs of losing its surge in popularity, it is time to consider how BeReal can support, and grow your business.

Conversations have emerged about BeReal’s impact for smaller businesses, as content can be creative in a relatively unsaturated platform as is. It is now possible to publicly share your BeReals to more than your friends, providing brands with an opportunity to grow and connect with new audiences. Now is the perfect time to jump on the bandwagon and start getting BeReal with your colleagues.

BeReal isn’t just for smaller businesses either, recently several big beauty brands Rare Beauty and L’Oreal recently signed up with profiles on the site; citing the ethos behind the brand as a perfect way to engage in a two-way conversation with users. If you too are an avid social media user it’s not going to be long before you to give in – be prepared to find yourself waiting for the time to ‘be real’!

Overall, labelled as the Anti-Instagram, BeReal removes the endless hours of scrolling through social media, or the hours thinking of an aesthetic Instagram post or story. Instead BeReal offers a snapshot of our real, day-to-day lives. This is engaging for both the everyday user and companies as it creates a more realistic and informal two-way conversation. Between consumer and company, as well as friend to friend. So, what are you waiting for join BeReal we don’t think it’s going away anytime soon!