BeReal Announces Ads in the US - 40M Users Targeted

BeReal Introduces Advertising to Boost Profitability

The social photo-sharing application, BeReal, is now implementing advertising strategies within the U.S. market. This move comes as the platform seeks sustainable revenue streams, given the challenges of monetizing a social app without relying on advertising or subscription models.

New Advertising Formats

BeReal’s initial advertising offerings include in-feed advertisements designed to mimic the app’s signature dual-camera post format. Additionally, the platform will offer full-day brand takeovers to advertisers.

Prior to this official launch, BeReal conducted advertising tests with prominent brands such as Levi’s, Nike, Netflix, and Amazon.

Leadership and User Base

To spearhead these advertising efforts, BeReal has appointed Ben Moore, formerly of TikTok, to lead a U.S.-based team focused on sales, partnerships, and overall growth.

The company reports an estimated 40 million monthly active users globally, with 5 million of those users located in the U.S. A significant 85% of BeReal’s user base is comprised of Gen Z.

BeReal also claims a high level of engagement in key markets, stating that 50% of users in the U.S., France, and Japan are active on the platform six days a week. However, these figures have not been independently verified by TechCrunch.

Navigating a Competitive Landscape

Maintaining relevance is a key challenge for BeReal, as the social media environment is known for its rapidly changing trends.

Growth and Initial Traction

Founded in 2019, BeReal experienced a surge in popularity in 2022, following a $30 million Series A funding round led by a16z and Accel. This rapid growth attracted attention from major players like Meta and TikTok.

By October 2022, Sensor Tower estimated that the app had been downloaded by 53 million users, although daily active usage among Android users was around 9%. The app’s cultural impact was further demonstrated by a parody on Saturday Night Live.

Download Trends and Current Status

According to Appfigures, BeReal has accumulated a total of 115 million downloads across iOS and Android, with the U.S. accounting for 33% of these downloads.