2021 Social Platforms to Watch

We can all agree that social media is that one person who’s always on the run, yet no one will ever be able to catch them despite all the public moves they make. Every year, we see a new social platform or app emerge for the public to ingest and obsess over. 

Here are the latest social platforms taking the digital world by storm. 

Clubhouse

Photo by Erin Kwon on Unsplash

So by now, you’ve heard of Clubhouse – but what is it? Clubhouse is an exclusive, invite-only app that boasts audio-only networking through voice-chatting capabilities (for iPhone only). When it was first introduced, the app was readily available to influencers and celebrities, who then took to social media to discuss the new platform. In turns, this sparked curiosity amongst their followers who don’t have a special social status to access the app to wonder, “what is this app and how do I get an invite?” 

Clubhouse features drop-in audio chat “rooms” where listeners can join in on speakers who host these rooms to discuss any topics, ranging from entrepreneurship and marketing trends to gardening and yoga. This feature can be comparable to live podcasts or a big conference, where moderators have the ability to allow people to speak so that not everyone interrupts each other.

Another feature is joining a “club”. A club is a group you can join that alerts you when new events are happening. While not many beauty brands have leveraged clubs, there have been influencers who have started general clubs (i.e., Beauty & Lifestyle) and made it a rule for users to “follow” their personal profiles before being let in to join the club – thus, gaining an extra following.

Hive Social

Hive Social has risen in popularity seemingly overnight, but what differentiates Hive Social from other social platforms? This social app allows users to share personal content and explore trending topics. Upon first inspection, the platform feels like a mash-up of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and surprisingly – Myspace. It boasts the ability to share text statuses, photos, and even music. Something different is that users can repost a friend’s picture onto their feed, similar to retweeting on Twitter.

Your personal profile on Hive gets split into two sections: a gallery (Instagram grid style) and a (text statuses, picture reposts). Another pointer is that you’re able to select a song to live on your profile, like back in the Myspace days!

While not many active users are on Hive yet, there are small beauty businesses on the platform using it to showcase their products. Few influencers have also migrated over (but still link their Instagram’s in bios), but photos are just copied over from Instagram and haven’t shown any difference in content for the Hive platform. 

As both platforms are on the rise, what can beauty brands do to take a handle on it? Setting up an account is the first step, but building a presence is the next. With the freshness of both platforms, beauty brands can take a grip by pioneering the way the industry utilizes these platforms and make them what they want them to be. 

So, what’s your business going to do?

Looking to stay updated in all things social media? Check out our Social Media category to read more!