17 International Social Media Platforms That Weren’t Founded in the U.S.

Whether or not you’re fascinated with worldwide advertising, or simply wish to study extra about how audiences around the globe work together with the web, studying in regards to the top global platforms could be an eye-opening expertise.

Beneath, you’ll discover 17 of the most well-liked social media platforms across the globe, together with TikTok’s origin platform — Douyin.

The 17 Greatest International Social Media Platforms

1. QZone and QQ

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• Proprietor: Tencent
• Origin: China (Accessible globally, Chinese language language-only)
• Identify’s Origin: QZone and QQ had been shortened from the unique title, OICQ. The O stood for “open” whereas ICQ is an immediate message time period that appears like “I Search You” when mentioned allowed.
• Reported Customers: Over 600 million active users on QZone with 574.4 million monthly users on QQ.

QZone is a social media channel whereas QQ is a messaging app that hyperlinks to a QZone account. The 2 apps serve as an alternative to Facebook in international locations like China and South Korea, the place the U.S. platform is blocked.

The platform’s story started in 1999 when QQ launched as a desktop messaging website. QZone, a social media website and app, launched in 2005.

In 2019, as mobile-first mindsets grew, Tencent transformed the QQ website into a standalone app. QZone nonetheless serves as a social media platform whereas QQ is now just like the Fb Messenger app.

That will help you higher visualize how folks have used QQ and QZone, right here’s a fast analogy: When U.S. millennials had been youngsters, we raced dwelling from college to message our buddies on AIM.

Then, as we reached highschool, we ventured onto Fb, the place we might message folks, create a profile, and put up updates.

In the meantime, in China, folks in my age group might need messaged buddies on QQ’s messaging web site as an alternative of AIM. Now, QQ customers may use its sister app — QZone — for a social media expertise that’s akin to Fb. Then, to message buddies, they use QQ.

On QZone at the moment, customers are inspired to publish posts, movies, and even music. Like Fb, they’ll additionally join with buddies, see a feed of updates, remark, share or react to posts, and replace cowl or profile pictures.

The QQ and QZone are nice examples of social manufacturers that gained traction lengthy earlier than platforms owned by U.S. tech companies. QQ and QZone customers are so sturdy in China doubtless as a result of younger audiences adopted its messaging instrument and had been capable of get pleasure from its full social community in a while.

Though Facebook launched 2004, one 12 months earlier than QZone got here out, Tencent had already captured the millennial demographic with QQ, discovered learn how to develop its product competitively with QZone, and continued so as to add options to tug in Gen Z audiences.

Whereas QZone and QQ seem to be Fb options, their historical past of development is pretty parallel. And, as one of the biggest social media platforms globally, QQ is value realizing about if you happen to plan to market in Asian territories with heavy censorship.

2. WeChat/Weixin

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WeChat launched in 2011, earlier than opponents like Kik and WhatsApp. The messaging app was rolled out by Tencent, which additionally created QZone and QQ.

Equally to WhatsApp, WeChat permits free, text-based chats and voice calls. It additionally has a “Moments” function just like Instagram or Facebook Stories. Like many U.S. platforms, you may place enjoyable animated stickers on photos or movies despatched throughout the app.

To hitch WeChat, customers have to know somebody on the platform and have them scan an activation code {that a} person receives when logging in for the primary time. Then, they’ll entry WeChat’s messaging function, ship movies to buddies, and host digital cellphone calls.

Except for utilizing the platform for friend-to-friend communication, customers also can reap the benefits of extra entertaining options.

For instance, whereas one function permits folks to play in-app video games stay towards buddies, others embrace filters that can be utilized in chats or video calls.

WeChat additionally connects to various third-party or Tencent-owned apps so {that a} person can tackle a number of duties. You may hail a trip or pay buddies cash, immediately from WeChat.

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At this level, Fb, Snapchat, WhatsApp, and different main apps are utilizing an identical technique, pulling extra options into their platforms to maintain customers logged in longer.

For instance, many prime messengers enable group video calls, offer in-app games, or let customers send money.

3. Weibo (Sina Weibo)

Weibo, additionally referred to as Sina Weibo, is the largest Chinese microblogging and social media platform. The social channel made information in 2017 when it reached extra month-to-month energetic customers than Twitter.

Since then the app’s continued to develop. Stories recommend that greater than 30% of Chinese internet users now have an account on the platform.

Whenever you go to the web site, it’s routinely in Chinese language. Nonetheless, you should utilize Google Chrome’s translator to transform the textual content to completely different languages.

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Like Twitter, Weibo gives a central feed the place you may see the most recent or highest-performing posts. To toggle by way of various kinds of posts, you may click on a class on the listing within the left sidebar.

On the proper, you may see “Scorching Matters” just like Twitter’s “Trending Matters.” When you proceed to scroll down, you’ll additionally see a field that means that you can seek for folks.

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Whereas Weibo’s format and microblogging mission are just like Twitter’s, the Chinese language platform emphasizes movies, pictures, and trending content material, whereas Twitter nonetheless places an emphasis on the accounts sharing the content material.

Though Twitter additionally prioritizes trending content material, you may simply see which of your followers posted, appreciated, or retweeted it earlier than seeing the content material in a tweet.

This permits audiences to subconsciously deal with the one that tweeted one thing in addition to the tweet itself.

These barely completely different layouts may also recommend that the audiences of every platform desire to devour content material otherwise. Whereas Twitter’s viewers may desire the human connection, these on Weibo may wish to soar straight to the content material.

4. Douyin

• Proprietor: ByteDance
• Origin Nation: China (Accessible solely in China; TikTok is accessible globally)
• Identify’s Origin: Douyin loosely interprets to “shaking sound” or “vibrato.”
• Reported Variety of Customers: 613 million active users

Douyin is the Chinese language-only counterpart to TikTok, which is owned by the same company. TikTok particularly is a merger of Douyin and the Musical.ly lip-syncing app. Each social media apps focus on permitting customers to create, edit, and share short-form vertical video.

After Douyin launched in early 2018, it grew to 150 million active users in year one. ByteDance then bought an identical lip-syncing app referred to as Musical.ly and created TikTok, a worldwide app that merged the very best options from every platform.

Since launching in late 2018, TikTok’s additionally seen viral development by gaining roughly 1.2 billion active users. Like Douyin, TikTok additionally sees a lot of international influencers from countries like India.

Whereas Douyin and TikTok are very related short-video apps and are sometimes confused as the identical factor, they’ve a barely completely different units of options, are powered by completely different servers, and have completely different ranges of censorship as a result of laws around the globe.

Douyin isn’t accessible for us to preview within the U.S., however information shops describe it as being much more superior than TikTok — significantly on the subject of ecommerce.

For instance, whereas TikTok rolled out advertising options in 2020, Douyin already allowed customers to triple-tap a video with a product featured in it to go to a model’s ecommerce retailer. Customers also can use the app for virtual tours of hotels, stores, or travel locations.

Douyin additionally reportedly allows users to geotag themselves at a retailer or location. This might be useful for offering model consciousness to native manufacturers.

In relation to what Douyin and TikTok have in frequent, each are apps the place customers can share quick movies that may function musical overlays, enjoyable filters, and textual content.

From pictures I’ve dug up on-line, it seems to be just like the platform’s design could be very related with some slight design variations. The screenshots under present a video advert and the platform’s search function:

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As a comparability, right here’s what a video advert and the search function appear like on TikTok.

Each apps are additionally centered round a feed that algorithmically exhibits customers movies from followers or movies that they may get pleasure from based mostly on earlier content material they’ve considered.

When customers enter the app and see the feed, one video will start enjoying routinely. To see different movies, customers merely swipe up on that feed. Right here’s what this seems to be like on TikTok:

Except for the shared options, each fast-paced social media channels are favored by youthful generations. Whereas over 92.39% of TikTok’s audience is youthful than 34, it’s additionally been reported that Gen Z has flocked to Douyin.

Douyin and TikTok’s success story is a superb instance of how one distinctive worldwide platform can change the way in which we devour content material in different international locations. Previous to TikTok’s launch within the Western hemisphere, many Individuals hadn’t seen something just like it since Vine.

Not solely did Douyin and TikTok replace the need for Vine, however each apps additionally catered to Gen-Z and millennials, two mobile-first generations recognized for brief on-line consideration spans and heavy consumption of video content material.

5. Kuaishou

Kuaishou is a short-video app that competes with Douyin. This platform began as a GIF-sharing website referred to as Kuaishou GIF. It was like GIPHY within the sense that anybody might create, put up, and share GIFs on the community.

In 2012, Kuaishou dropped GIF from its title and pivoted to a brief video platform. Its interface is now similar to Instagram’s.

Kuaishou does not have a “Tales” function like Instagram, however it options equally trying profiles and feeds the place customers share quick vertical movies somewhat than pictures or different content material.

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Like Douyin or TikTok, the video options of Kuaishou appear pretty related in that customers can leverage sound bites and primary modifying instruments of their content material.

Like many social media platforms with movies, Kuaishou additionally permits customers to overlay textual content and stickers on photos or movies.

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From a wide range of movies which were uploaded to different websites from this platform, it looks like many customers have used this app to focus on their distinctive abilities and musical expertise.

A lot of customers have additionally shared movies that highlight and celebrate aspects of rural China.

In 2019, Apple distinguished Kuaishou as a worldwide app that was defining cellular video storytelling developments. This got here shortly after the app notably added ecommerce and monetization options that enabled creators in poverty-stricken rural China to make money from it.

Except for its quick movies, Kuaishou additionally permits customers to live stream content on the platform. Much like the quick video function, the stream has allowed customers to movie longer movies that spotlight their abilities.

6. VKontakte (VK)

• Proprietor: Mail.Ru Group
• Nation of Origin: Russia
• Identify’s English Translation: VKontakte loosely interprets to “involved with.”
• Reported Variety of Customers: 67 million users

VK, the biggest social channel in Russia, is sort of a combine between Fb, YouTube, and the 90s unlawful downloading service LimeWire. This platform permits customers to publish and share text-based posts, pictures, video information, and music information with their connections.

In relation to this platform’s person interface, it seems to be eerily just like Fb, with some slight tweaks to web page layouts.

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Except for permitting customers to share their very own content material, they’ll allegedly add and stream copyrighted materials, akin to music and films. This has allegedly been abundant on the platform since its launch, however authorized steps haven’t been taken towards it.

The social platform is owned by Mail.Ru Group, a tech firm that owns Russia’s main search engines and OK.RU, a social platform famous under. Reports also suggest that this firm has affiliations with the Russian authorities.

Surprisingly, the majority of VK users are between the ages of 25 and 34.

This reputation might be as a result of a number of causes, together with the platform’s capacity to permit customers to share audio and video information between buddies. The platform additionally encourages customers to broaden their social circles and never restrict themselves to those they’re already in.

7. Odnoklassniki (OK.RU)

• Proprietor: Mail.Ru Group
• Nation of Origin: Russia
• Identify’s English Translation: Odnoklassniki interprets to “classmate.”
• Reported Variety of Customers: 33.8 monthly active users

Odnoklassniki, or OK.RU, is a web site that focuses on connecting folks with their previous classmates. The social media platform is ready up like a weblog, just like Tumblr, the place customers can share life updates, photos, or movies, which then present up in different customers’ dwelling web page feeds.

Together with their classmates’ content material, a sidebar exhibits customers the most well-liked movies which were posted on the platform.

Beneath is a have a look at the feed. Whereas the location is in Russian, I’ve used Google Chrome to translate it so you will get a greater thought of what persons are posting.

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Like Tumblr, customers also can click on on the title or picture of one other person in a put up to seek out that particular person’s profile.

These profiles are just like Fb’s format in that they present a canopy picture, a person’s prime followers (referred to as “individuals”), after which a feed of their very own content material.

Whereas this platform is just like each Tumblr and Fb, Russian residents don’t generally use these two platforms as a lot as OK.RU.

Moreover, with warnings that Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram might be banned in Russia, it’s not stunning that tech firms on this area have innovated to create related different platforms.

As we’ve seen with the Chinese language platforms above, many international platforms have been impressed by or created as a substitute for U.S.-based websites that had been censored or banned.

These continent-specific platforms might be a theme we proceed seeing in several areas of the world.

When you’re a global marketer, it may be useful to establish segments of your viewers that may not be capable of entry the platforms you utilize for social media advertising. Then, analysis any options that you would be able to entry to advertise your content material in these areas.

8. Telegram

• Proprietor: Telegram Group Inc.
• Origin: UAE
• Identify’s Origin: Named after the telegram system, coined by Charles Wheatstone in 1834.
• Reported Customers: 700 million monthly active users

Telegram is a cloud-based messaging platform based in 2013 by Nikolai and Pavel Durov, who additionally beforehand based VK. Identified for its end-to-end encryption and deal with privateness, Telegram tends to grow in popularity each time one other app experiences a safety breach.

The app was launched as a substitute for WhatsApp when the latter introduced it could share person data with its guardian firm, Meta. Because it serves as a safe different to WhatsApp, Telegram’s interface seems to be fairly just like the one we’re used to.

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At first look, you may not be capable of inform the distinction between WhatsApp and Telegram as a result of they appear very related of their primary textual content messaging capabilities.

However Telegram takes WhatsApp’s options up a notch with chat folders that assist you arrange conversations, open API that means that you can construct your personal Telegram shoppers, and no sim sign-up to guard your cellphone quantity from public view.

Open API additionally allows you to create Telegram Bots that automate duties and reply to person messages.

What’s additionally fascinating about Telegram is its “Secret Chat” function which permits customers to ship messages set to self-destruct after a sure interval and go away no hint on its servers.

The app additionally means that you can create chat channels with as much as 200,000 members, in comparison with WhatsApp’s present 1,024, and allows you to ship media with no limits on measurement or kind.

Beforehand utterly free, Telegram launched its Premium tier in 2022. Options akin to voice-to-text, doubled limits on channels, chat folders, chats, distinctive stickers and reactions can be found so that you can discover on Telegram Premium.

Telegram at present has 70 million active users in India, 24 million in Russia, 19 million in Indonesia, and 18 million in Brazil. The app additionally permits sponsored advertisements in some areas, so it’s value exploring if you happen to’re fascinated with increasing your presence in these international locations.

9. LIKEE

• Proprietor: JOYY Inc.
• Origin: China
• Identify’s Origin: Beforehand named Like, the founders modified the title in 2019 and added an additional “e” to convey the extra worth it provided after it was redesigned and rebranded.
• Reported Customers: 150 million monthly active users

TikTok’s rise to fame might have been meteoric, however it’s not the one video-sharing social media platform on the block. Singapore-based Bigo Applied sciences (owned by JOYY Inc.) launched LIKEE in 2017 as a competitor to TikTok.

LIKEE is a brief video-sharing platform that’s gained enormous traction since its launch. It focuses on content material from younger customers and celebrities who use the hashtag problem function to create viral movies for the app.

Like TikTok, the app options an AI-powered algorithm that recommends content material related to every person’s pursuits. LIKEE additionally has filters, particular results, and instruments to assist customers create content material.

In 2018, LIKEE was one of 59 Chinese apps banned in India because of the rising tensions between the 2 international locations. Earlier than this, India was the biggest market for LIKEE, the place it was available in 15 Indian languages, together with Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, and Telugu.

LIKEE appears fairly just like TikTok on the floor, however what units it aside is its creator monetization instruments.

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The LIKEE Official Creator program, for instance, provides creators entry to completely different advantages, akin to invitations to unique occasions and promotions on the LIKEE standard web page based mostly on their “crown” stage.

The app additionally focuses on stay streaming. LIKEE creates a extra immersive stay streaming expertise by permitting creators to create customized 3D avatars of themselves and permitting them to create and be part of on-line communities.

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Whereas TikTok continues to be main the cost as the most well-liked short-video-sharing platform, LIKEE is slowly gaining floor and may be the subsequent large factor.

10. LINE

If there’s a powerhouse app that appears to be doing the whole lot, it’s LINE.

The South Korean messaging app was launched as a response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami to assist customers talk with one another regardless of community outages.

It rapidly gained traction, changing into one of many biggest messaging tools in Asia.

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The messaging instrument integrates with a collection of companies starting from funds with LINE Pay, telemedicine with LINE Physician, and music streaming with LINE Music.

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The app’s stickers are their very own cultural phenomenon. They’re so standard that you would be able to really purchase real-life merchandise of them on the LINE Mates Retailer.

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The Creators Market additionally gives customers with a platform to monetize their sticker creations and promote them on the LINE Sticker Store, LINE Theme Store, and LINE STORE.

LINE’s main web site is in English. Lots of its subsidiary web sites, together with LINE for Enterprise and LINE Information, are in Japanese.

LINE’s integration with different elements of its ecosystem is an effective way for companies to succeed in new audiences and construct loyalty with present ones.

It additionally eliminates the necessity for customers to modify between an array of apps, making a streamlined expertise and lowering distractions.

11. Douban

• Proprietor: Beijing Douwang Expertise Co., Ltd.
• Origin: China
• Identify’s Origin: Named after a hutong, or slim lane, in Beijing. The literal translation of Douban is “an embryonic leaf.”
• Reported Customers: 300 million users

Douban is a well-liked social networking platform originating in China. It was created by Yang Bo in 2005 and has since grown to be one of many largest on-line social networks within the nation.

The platform permits customers to speak, share their pursuits, and fee movies, books, music, and different content material. On Douban, customers can observe one another, create a profile, put up and touch upon dialogue boards, uncover new content material, and get suggestions.

Douban is accessible in Chinese language, however right here’s a translated preview of its homepage.

Dubbed the “Chinese version of IMDb” as a result of its deal with films and movie opinions, Douban can also be recognized for being one of many few Chinese language social networks that permits political discussions, though censorship continues to be enforced.

The platform hosts many occasions and actions, akin to meetups, lectures, movie screenings, and festivals. It additionally has a web based radio station referred to as Radio Douban which permits customers to tune in and hearken to music from completely different sources.

Douban boasts a energetic on-line neighborhood for younger and educated Chinese language customers engaged in literary and movie discussions. It’s additionally confirmed standard amongst younger folks because it permits them to specific their views, keep related, and uncover new content material.

In 2022, the app tightened its policies and now requires abroad customers to register with a mainland cell phone quantity or official identification doc to proceed utilizing the platform. In brief, anybody who desires to make use of Douban should show their identification.

Beijing’s rising censorship could also be tough to navigate for manufacturers attempting to faucet into this educated and prosperous demographic, but it’s nonetheless doable to have success on Douban if completed proper.

12. Baidu Tieba

• Proprietor: Baidu
• Origin: China
• Identify’s Origin: Baidu Tieba — the phrase Tieba is solely the pronunciation of the Chinese language phrase “贴吧”, a made-up phrase that interprets to “Let’s Put up.” The phrase Tieba has its which means prolonged to the phrase “discussion board” or “group” as nicely.
• Reported Customers: 45 million monthly active users

Tieba is without doubt one of the largest Chinese language dialogue discussion board networks. The guardian firm, Baidu, additionally owns one of many greatest serps on the planet, with 3.3 billion searches per day. Established in 2003, Tieba is a forum-style interactive neighborhood the place customers can share content material and talk about subjects of frequent curiosity.

Tieba gives a variety of options for customers, akin to customizable avatars, particular results, and instruments that can assist you customise your posts. There are additionally an intensive array of filters that will let you seek for posts by key phrases or tags.

Each Tieba, or particular person neighborhood, has its main coordinator, normally known as the “administrator” or the “moderator” in English. This coordinator is liable for protecting the discussion board secure and orderly.

Tieba’s user-generated, content-driven nature makes it an excellent platform for companies to interact with their clients, construct relationships, and discover out what their clients assume.

The platform makes use of two elements — expertise factors and account stage — to evaluate the standard of its customers. The extra you have interaction on the platform and work together with different customers, the upper the account stage and the extra expertise factors you’ll achieve.

Baidu Tieba had collected over 300 million month-to-month energetic customers, and its registered customers skyrocketed to 1.5 billion by 2015.

By 2021, nevertheless, the Reddit-style platform lost 90% of its users as a result of points akin to lack of administration and extreme commercialization. With 45 million energetic customers, it nonetheless has appreciable potential to ascertain itself as a serious participant out there.

The web site is in Chinese language, and also you’ll have to make use of Google’s translate function to entry its content material.

The central feed shows scorching subjects and discussions. Customers can scroll by way of these subjects to seek out related data, take part on present conversations, or create new ones.

The feed additionally shows information on the prime, which you’ll be able to click on on to remain up to date with current occasions.

13. BeReal

• Proprietor: Alexis Barreyat and Kevin Perreau
• Origin: France
• Identify’s Origin: The title pertains to its deal with customers importing unpolished pictures.
• Reported Customers: 73.5 million monthly active users

BeReal, a French anti-influencer social media app launched in 2020, solely permits customers to put up footage and movies which might be unedited and unfiltered to advertise “authenticity.” The app discourages customers from curating a model of themselves that’s unimaginable to realize.

BeReal notifies customers to take an image in two minutes utilizing their back and front cameras concurrently with a location and non-obligatory caption.

Whereas different customers can’t like or dislike a put up, they’ll remark. You may as well react to posts with a “RealMoji,” which is an image of your personal face.

The app is most popular in the U.S., followed by France and the U.K. BeReal’s month-to-month energetic customers elevated by greater than 300% in 2022.

Gen Z, at present the biggest era on Earth, appears to have a liking for BeReal’s extra life like strategy.

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In a recent article, Meredith Mueller, a sophomore on the College of Kansas, highlights how, in contrast to Instagram or Snapchat, BeReal gives a pressure-free expertise.

“Snapchat is extra such as you’re sending this to at least one particular person, if you happen to put up in your story, you’re attempting to look good,” she mentioned. “Whereas that is like … wherever you’re at, no matter you’re doing, you cease within the second and all your folks can see it. It’s extra like a down-to-earth app. I might say it’s like a judgment-free zone.”

BeReal at present doesn’t supply any promoting or monetization alternatives for manufacturers. Manufacturers like e.l.f. Cosmetics and Chipotle launched model accounts final 12 months and constructed followings with low cost codes.

Nonetheless, with the app’s spontaneous nature and BeReal’s willpower to take care of its philosophy of authenticity, it could be fascinating to see how manufacturers undertake it.

What’s clear is that Gen Z loves this authenticity, and types have to be modern to create a presence on the platform.

14. Moj

• Proprietor: Mohalla Tech
• Origin: India
• Identify’s Origin: The title is a spin on the Hindi phrase “mauj,” which implies leisure.
• Reported Customers: 120 million monthly active users

Thirty hours after India banned 59 Chinese apps as a result of ongoing tensions with China on June 29, 2020, the Indian social media platform ShareChat launched Moj.

The app was designed to duplicate TikTok, thus providing an identical person expertise with options, akin to 15-second movies and particular results. Inside three days of its launch, Moj amassed 50,000 downloads.

India, the nation with the largest population on the planet, has 22 official languages. Moj helps over 15 languages, together with English, Bengali, Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, and Malayalam.

Like TikTok, customers can lip sync, create digital artwork, and use AI-powered results. The app additionally options interest-based content material suggestions and stay streaming.

Since Moj is a TikTok reproduction, its interface seems to be virtually the identical as TikTok. It has a house web page, which shows trending and up to date movies, and likewise permits customers to browse content material in several classes.

Customers can browse the app with out having to register. To begin creating and sharing content material, nevertheless, they have to join with their cellphone quantity or Fb account.

“Moj for Creators,” a program launched in April 2022, goals to assist creators earn Rs 3,500 crore by 2025 with new monetizable options.

These options embrace performance-based weekly rewards, model collaborations, creator programs, an unique creator membership, and a devoted creator supervisor to assist creators develop.

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Except for this, Moj Dwell additionally permits customers to earn cash and rewards by stay streaming their content material. Creators can have interaction with their viewers in real-time and ship digital items.

Regardless of its efforts, Indian creators think local alternatives like Moj come nowhere near the extent of recognition that TikTok provided.

However, Moj has gained immense reputation in India and gives international companies a gateway to a various and fast-growing market.

15. Xiaohongshu

• Proprietor: Xingyin Data Expertise
• Origin: China
• Identify’s Origin: Xiaohongshu interprets to “Little Crimson E book.”
• Reported Customers: 158 million monthly active users

The Chinese language reply to Instagram, Xiaohongshu (also referred to as Little Crimson E book or RED) is a content-driven, ecommerce platform that connects native and worldwide Chinese language shoppers to manufacturers.

Xiaohongshu was created by Miranda Qu and Charlwin Mao in 2013 and has since change into a pacesetter within the user-generated content material (UGC) house.

When it first launched, WeChat and Weibo dominated the Chinese language social media panorama. Xiaohongshu tapped into the younger Chinese language city ladies’s market by offering a platform for them to learn product opinions, share person experiences, and uncover new merchandise.

The app at present focuses on magnificence, style, way of life, and journey. In the present day, 70% of its person base are ladies.

RED’s deal with merchandise and procuring makes it standard among the many Chinese language elite. Chinese language buyers will make up 40% of all luxury consumers by 2030. The app faucets into the shopping for energy of prosperous Chinese language millennials and gives invaluable insights into their procuring habits.

Xiaohongshu’s most important feed has three tabs: Observe, Discover, and Close by. Although the app is just like Instagram, its “Close by” function is exclusive and permits customers to find new locations, merchandise, and developments round their location.

The app’s put up instrument additionally gives extra modifying options than Instagram, together with beautify.

The Discover tab contains classes akin to weight reduction, manicures, cosmetics, mother-baby, and emotion, exhibiting how RED makes use of historically female-focused subjects to create participating content material.

Xiaohongshu permits manufacturers to have their storefronts on the app, which customers can entry to seek out out extra in regards to the model and buy their merchandise.

RED’s deal with a distinct segment feminine demographic, ecommerce capabilities, and distinctive content material make it a invaluable platform for manufacturers trying to attain the Chinese language market.

Manufacturers can associate with native influencers to unfold consciousness, promote merchandise, and have interaction with the viewers.

16. Yubo

• Proprietor: TWELVE APP
• Origin: France
• Identify’s Origin: The app was beforehand named Yellow and it has since rebranded to Yubo.
• Reported Customers: 60 million users

One other French social media app that’s rising in reputation amongst Gen Z is Yubo. Launched in 2015 by Sacha Lazimi, Jérémie Aouate, and Arthur Patora, the app goals to create an area for younger folks to satisfy new buddies and discover their neighborhood.

Yubo, previously generally known as Yellow, was created with an emphasis on security, openness, and inclusiveness. The app is geared toward youngsters and encourages customers to create teams, share pictures and movies, chat with buddies, play video games, and even stay stream.

For a while, Yubo was generally known as the “Tinder for Teens” as a result of its swipe-based interface. Customers can select who they wish to join with based mostly on their pursuits and profiles.

The platform makes an attempt to maintain its youthful and older customers separate with two disconnected communities — one for younger folks aged 13 to 17 and an grownup neighborhood for folks aged 18 and above.

Separate communities stop customers in a single neighborhood from interacting with customers within the different neighborhood.

Up to now, Yubo faced backlash due to its security issues, together with the power of adults to create and use pretend accounts.

Nonetheless, Yubo has since carried out measures akin to partnering with digital identity provider Yoti to assist vet suspicious customers and handle ID verification. In 2022, Yubo additionally rolled out age “estimating” technology to higher establish minors.

Customers can use the in-app forex, YuBucks, to make purchases, akin to including an additional variety of new buddies or boosting their profile to get extra visibility. Yubo additionally options advertisements, which customers can choose to skip or watch in alternate for YuBucks.

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Yubo has a partnership with Snapchat revolving across the Snapchat Camera Kit, which permits the platform and its creators to make use of Snapchat’s filter system and options. Yubo additionally creates sport filters you may play with, like on Snapchat.

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17. Rakuten Viber

Viber is a free messaging and calling app created in 2010 by two Israeli brothers, Talmon Marco and Igor Megzinik.

Viber rapidly gained reputation as a result of its intuitive interface, seamless syncing throughout units, encryption, HD audio and video calls, and an intensive array of stickers.

In 2014, Rakuten, the world’s third-largest ecommerce firm acquired Viber for $900 million.

Since then, the app has made important enhancements, akin to introducing video and voice messaging, funds, video games, and even its personal forex referred to as “Vibes.”

The platform has customers in 190 countries, and its registered customers have surpassed 260 million month-to-month energetic customers. Right here’s a preview of Viber’s feed.

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As you may see, you even have a “My Notes” tab that means that you can write notes and memos.

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Viber additionally has an intensive array of options that make it nice for enterprise use. It gives collaboration instruments akin to polls, surveys, and doc sharing, amongst others.

Viber Enterprise gives a spread of instruments to assist firms attain their clients, akin to permitting transactions, providing real-time buyer help, and sending related messages and promotions.

In January 2023, Viber launched a Business Inbox, which lets you arrange and filter messages from business companies akin to supply companies, shops, and banks.

The app’s mobile-focused options, akin to a fast registration course of, straightforward contact updates, one-tap calling, and built-in mission companies, make it a wonderful possibility for companies trying to have interaction with clients on the go.

The Similarities of International Social Platforms

Regardless of their essential variations, social media industries around the globe have some fascinating similarities to that of the U.S.

For instance, whereas lots of North America’s most outstanding social media apps are owned by Fb or had been created in Silicon Valley, most outstanding international platforms had been created by Tencent or different main tech companies based mostly in China. Equally, the 2 greatest Russian platforms are owned by the identical firm.

Though most of the apps above had been created and launched in extremely censored areas, they don’t appear to be falling behind on innovation as a result of these laws.

As a result of worldwide social platforms have advanced on an identical timeline as many frequent U.S. platforms, it looks like these geographies are constructing their very own parallel social media industries, somewhat than simply racing to create options to our personal platforms.

One factor main distinction is that most of the examples on this listing emphasize direct communication greater than content material.

In the meantime, our personal platforms emphasize content material and person expertise. Whereas each social media platform we use at the moment does have messenger with varied options, only some of them are or had been ever standalone messengers.

For instance, QZone and WeChat constructed their preliminary audiences as messenger apps and broadened their options from there. In the meantime, Snapchat and WhatsApp are the one prime platforms that began as direct messengers.

Whereas Fb Messenger is without doubt one of the most outstanding textual content messaging platforms, it’s an enlargement of Fb’s unique Information Feed-centered platform.

Going International

When you’re fascinated with reaching worldwide audiences, it is best to take note of the social media platforms they mostly use, and what they use them for.

This offers you perception on what kinds of content material these teams have interaction with, what motivates them, and what methods might persuade shopping for selections.

If you wish to faucet into a global viewers, however can’t entry among the platforms on this listing, you may alternatively take into account testing out a marketing campaign on a globally accessible platform like WhatsApp and WeChat.