The IG blue check now comes with a price

Welcome to the last half of the last full week of February. Some social apps have taken a turn and could affect your campaigns—let’s dive into it.

BeReal’s Downloads Have Dropped 95%

Gen Z may not want to be as real as they previously claimed. BeReal has declined significantly in downloads—VC investor Sasha Kaletsky tweeted a Sensor Tower chart showing around a 95% drop in weekly U.S. downloads compared to the app’s 2022 peak. But in a subsequent tweet, Kaletsky noted the daily active users (DAUs) were “holding up, only downloads decreasing” and that the app is seasonal—“people prefer to share summer pics.”

It’s still a tricky app for brands to build a base with—accounts are only allowed up to 500 followers. Plus, as it reads in their community standards: “BeReal is not designed to promote any kind of goods or services. We want it to remain a safe place where you have fun. There, all promotional content is prohibited.” Whelp.

For marketers thinking of tactics to enter the platform and use it effectively, you may want to hold off—unless your target demographic is already there, and you’re looking to build community instead of purely promoting your product or offering. Comparatively, although TikTok numbers are slowing down in the U.S., TikTok is still growing abroad.

‘Meta Verified’ is rolling out this week

Mark Zuckerberg is taking a page out of Elon Musk’s book. Meta will start rolling out verifications on Facebook and Instagram—for a price. Businesses can’t partake, however, since it’ll be for individuals only. Meta claims this is to assert the identities of creators on the platforms.

Zuckerberg went into this more in-depth on his Instagram (only visible on mobile and if you follow him). He says verified accounts “get a blue badge, get extra impersonation protection against accounts claiming to be you, and get direct access to customer support.” This is all with aim of “increasing authenticity and security across [Meta’s] services.”

What does this mean for marketers? Right now, nothing—but it might prove detrimental to Instagram and Facebook rather than financially savvy if the user base sees a horde of Blue Checks being “cheugy” (at best) or downright abusive (at worst).

Around the Web

• The metaverse is teaching users about Black history.

• But Black influencers are still earning 35% less than white creators.

• A podcast slowdown could affect advertisers.

• Advertising agency Reset Digital launched a new programmatic marketplace to help Black-owned newspapers grow.

• For National Margarita Day, Patrón used AI to generate cocktail names.

Just Can’t Get Enough

“Midlife crossroads.” It’s what Annabel Rivkin, co-founder of the Midult, is calling the Millennial mid-life crisis. But why?

• Because Millennials “progressively tweak their lives rather than implode them.”

• Meanwhile, Gen Zs, queued up for their “quarter-life crises,” might need some tips.

• And Black women, historically overlooked on this front, have mid-life crises, too.

Are you a Millennial in your mid-life crossroads with some advice to share? Or do you simply think Gen Z dropping BeReal is part of their collective quarter-life crisis? Reply and let us know!

Thanks for joining us, and we’ll see you Friday!