Social Media Apps to Watch in 2021

Whether you’re a casual or avid social media user, you’ve probably noticed some new apps everyone is talking about lately. As someone who works in digital marketing and is always trying to be up on the latest trends in social media, it feels like 2021 has brought with it the rise of several previously new to me platforms. From a user perspective, it’s scary to make the leap to a new platform and tough to learn a new format for creating and sharing content. (Remember when you were convinced to sign up for Facebook?) As a creator, there’s a lot of pressure to be omnipresent on social media. For small business owners, it’s all of the above and more. Time and money are limited resources. And I feel like I’m having weekly conversations with creator/small business owner friends on where they should be focusing their efforts and ad budgets.

My general rule of thumb is, I will give anything a shot once. I also think from a content creator or business perspective. It is 100% in your favor to jump on new platforms and test them out. The reason for this is, established players such as Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube are SO saturated at this point. It can be really hard to cut through the “noise” and it oftentimes feels like the algorithm is working against you. New platforms are generally more focused on customer acquisition (vs. continued engagement/retention/optimizing for ad dollars). So it can be much easier for your content to break through and go viral. Below are my favorite new social media apps to watch in 2021 – whether you’re a casual user, content creator, or small business.

Social Media Apps to Watch in 2021

Clubhouse

A cool concept – audio only (hello, Zoom fatigue) social media that elevates raw, in the moment, and authentic conversations. I’ve heard people get really vulnerable and transparent on Clubhouse in a way they don’t on any other medium. Maybe it’s because it’s still growing. Maybe because there’s no recording or monetization mechanism (yet). I’ve also heard that some of the rooms are full of… a lot of words and not a lot of substance. Anyway, your experience and mileage may vary. I feel like Clubhouse is all anyone talks about right now. But I haven’t been able to get into it personally.

I think if I spend a little more time looking for rooms that interest me and put them on in the background while cooking, cleaning, or taking a walk, I might get more sucked in. Give me a few weeks on this one… and in the meantime, does anyone need an invite?

TikTok

Technically not new, but hear me out. I feel like millennials and older have flooded the app over the past year. And the content is becoming more information and tutorial oriented. But in a very fun way – TikTok feels a lot more organic and authentic than Instagram, which can feel highly curated at times. TikTok feels a little chaotic and messy, but in a good way. The algorithm is on point (somehow mine figured out my age, relationship status, dog mom status, profession, and interests within a week), which is probably a little more creepy than it feels in execution. So far I’ve been mostly a lurker on TikTok. But I’m really interested in pushing my creativity and learning more about content distribution and virality in a new (and scary) to me medium: video. Luckily, your iPhone makes it insanely easy to be a creator now.

Dispo

My personal new favorite, Dispo is social media that doesn’t feel anything like social media. The premise of the app is based on a disposable camera. You take photos through the lens, and the next day they are “developed” at 9am. You can then add them to albums and even create shared albums with your friends. By taking away the instant gratification of posting, the anxiety over having a perfectly curated feed, and the immediate response of getting likes and comments, it feels casual and unedited (in a good way). I can’t wait for a post-COVID world where I can use this on a group trip with friends.

Instagram Reels

Instagram is pushing reels, hard. Right now, one of the easiest ways to grow on Instagram is to post reels consistently (they recommend 3-4x a week, however I have seen a lot of success stories from creators who post daily). It’s meant to compete directly with TikTok, but I’m sure any avid TikTok user will tell you, the experiences feel completely different. Reels still feels more edited and polished, but that may just be because of my personal demographics and interests. Either way, it will be interesting to see how this surface evolves over the year.

What are your favorite social platforms at the moment?