Vero: The next Instagram?
If you’ve been on Twitter– or social media at all this week, you probably noticed the threads circling around the latest development in social media: Vero.
Vero is an app that essentially allows users to upload any form of media. This can be pictures, music, hyperlinks, a movie/tv show, or even a book or a location. Vero’s concept is an attempt to channel the workings of Instagram, Facebook, and Spotify in one social place.
Where did it come from?
What you might not know is Vero–True Social, has actually been around for almost three years, getting its legs in 2015. The app was launched by Ayman Hariri, a billionaire businessman, because he was personally frustrated with the existing social networks. Hariri must have done something right as Vero is now the top new social network, having added around 500,000 in the last week. However, the app and its developers are in for a fight, as their sudden expansion has caused some scaling issues and new users are learning all about the malfunctions first hand.
What sets it apart?
Posts on Vero are shown in chronological order–something that bothered the majority of Instagram users. Images also do not have to be cropped in order to be shared on Vero.
Following Instagram’s change in algorithm, ads started overtaking the app’s feed. Vero on the other hand has sworn they will not become advertisement heavy. To compensate, they will have to charge a fee, but they are offering free access for life to the first one million users. So even if you’re uneasy about switching from Instagram to Twitter, it might be in your best interest to install the app and sign up to see what all the buzz is about before the space for free access is gone.
Unlike Instagram, on Vero there is a difference between ‘friends’ and ‘followers’. At start-up, you can make the decision to simply have friends on the app or have followers as well. In the application’s friends’ settings, there are three tiers that consist of close friends, friends, and acquaintances. So when you accept a friend request, you can choose which tier they belong to (much like Facebook’s ability to create friend lists).
For the heavily followed users and companies, it might be of interest that users won’t have to pay to boost their posts or reach a wider audience.
So, is Vero the new Instagram?
It is still up for debate if Vero will outrank Instagram in the social media world. Maybe the community is afraid of missing out, much like during the world’s migration from Myspace to Facebook. Or maybe the fad will fade, especially if the app cannot recover from all the crashes. Only time will tell if Vero will remain at the top of the charts or join the other well-intentioned apps in the social media graveyard.
Blog by Hello Social Co.’s Katey Crean.