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Marketers are well aware that the social media landscape is constantly changing, especially with the rise of artificial intelligence.

According to Statista, the social networking market is expected to reach 5.4 billion users by 2025 and be valued at $183 billion by 2027. As social media continues to evolve, marketers are increasingly seeking new platforms to diversify their strategies.

From privacy-centric networks to niche hobby sites, let’s dive into the most promising alternative social media platforms heading into 2025.

We’ve organized these social platforms into seven key categories:

• Alternatives to X – Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon

• Alternatives to Facebook – Nextdoor

• Instant Messaging Apps – Telegram

• Hobby Apps – Strava, Letterboxd

• Image-based Apps – BeReal, Lemon8, Locket

• Audio Apps – Discord

• Membership Apps – Patreon, Vero

Pro Tip: Don’t miss out on our 4-part Social Media Playbook 2025 masterclass, starting in February. Sign up now!

Platforms like Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, and True are emerging as strong competitors to X, each bringing distinct features and filling the gaps left by the changes implemented under Elon Musk’s ownership of X.

Bluesky, created by X co-founder Jack Dorsey, launched as a text-based microblogging platform that brings back the simplicity and user control of X’s early days, with a modern, community-oriented twist.

Bluesky offers full transparency in its development and updates, operating independently from corporate control. This commitment has attracted a rapidly growing user base, which surged from 9 million in September 2024 to 14.5 million by mid-November, particularly after the U.S. elections.

The platform is gaining traction with influencers, including journalists and celebrities, especially following the mass “X exodus” after the U.S. elections, with high-profile exits like The Guardian’s departure from X.

Bluesky appeals to users who prioritize ad-free spaces, content control, and niche communities.

Its interface mirrors the classic X layout, allowing users to create 256-character posts, share photos, reply, and engage as they would on X. However, Bluesky goes a step further by offering customizable feeds, powerful content filters, and algorithmic choice.

For instance, The New York Times uses Bluesky to share news stories and promote engagement.

Marketing Opportunities – For marketers, Bluesky offers a unique opportunity to engage with niche audiences, establish thought leadership, and cultivate authentic connections within focused communities, all while remaining free from the distractions of traditional ads.

For those seeking an alternative to mainstream social networks, Nextdoor and MeWe provide a more intimate, community-focused experience. These platforms foster authentic, localized interactions, making them ideal for brands aiming to connect with audiences at a grassroots level.

Instant messaging apps have transformed, now providing not only secure communication but also a space to cultivate private, engaged communities. Telegram stands out as one of the top choices, thanks to its robust privacy features and wide-reaching capabilities.

Since its launch in 2013, Telegram has become a top choice for privacy-conscious users. Founded by Nikolai and Pavel Durov, the creators of VK, Telegram was designed as a more secure alternative to WhatsApp.

Despite facing controversies related to its handling of user data and illegal activities on its platform, Telegram has adapted its policies. Recent changes grant authorities access to some user data, though critics argue this may not meet European legal standards. Furthermore, CEO Pavel Durov has been arrested in France over allegations related to enabling criminal activity, while the app has also worked with Germany to remove hate speech channels.

Telegram attracts a tech-savvy, privacy-focused user base, which has grown to 950 million active users. Its audience values its flexible features and high level of control over personal data. As it continues to expand, Telegram is a go-to platform for secure, reliable communication.

The app offers end-to-end encryption for chats and calls, plus features like “Secret Chat,” self-destructing messages, and cloud-based storage, allowing users to access their chat history from any device.

Marketing Opportunities – Telegram has recently rolled out Telegram Ads, which let businesses send sponsored messages to channels with over 1,000 subscribers. Unlike other platforms, these ads are simple and direct, linking to a business’s Telegram channel or bot.

Launched in 2009 as a niche platform for cyclists to track mileage, Strava transformed during the pandemic into a popular mobile app that now serves over 125 million athletes across various sports, as lockdowns encouraged people to get outdoors.

Strava has capitalized on athletes’ need for connection by adding features like messaging and group chats, fostering communication within its active user community.

Strava collaborates with several brands, including Chipotle, Lululemon, and Brooks, creating valuable marketing opportunities. The platform’s fitness-focused, engaged community makes it ideal for brands to promote products through partnerships, sponsorships, and athlete-focused campaigns.

For example, Chipotle used Strava to connect with health-conscious consumers by launching challenges and segments that encouraged users to engage after workouts, offering the chance to win free “Lifestyle Bowls.”

The campaign resulted in 700 million impressions, both on and off the platform, and a 20% increase in Lifestyle Bowl sales.

Marketing Opportunities – Hobby apps provide marketers with access to highly-targeted, engaged audiences. As more users turn away from mainstream social networks, niche platforms like Strava and Letterboxd present valuable opportunities for community-driven promotions, sponsorships, and direct engagement.

With users drawn to these platforms for shared interests and passions, brands targeting specific communities can create marketing strategies that emphasize connection, authenticity, and shared enthusiasm.

Image-based apps leverage captivating and relevant visuals to capture attention, influence, and engage users. Platforms such as BeReal, Lemon8, and Locket center around photos to foster communities and connect like-minded individuals.

BeReal is a social media app that encourages users to share raw, unfiltered moments by taking a photo within two minutes of receiving a random notification. Using both the front and back cameras, it captures a dual perspective without any filters or edits. To view friends’ posts, users must share their own, ensuring mutual participation and fostering authenticity.

BeReal reached a peak of 73.5 million active users in August 2022, but as of 2024, it maintains around 23 million active monthly users. Despite some fluctuations, daily active users have significantly grown, with over 25 million in April 2024. The app has firmly established itself as a go-to platform for real-time, authentic sharing.

Marketing Opportunities – BeReal’s focus on genuine, unfiltered content presents a unique opportunity for brands to connect with audiences authentically. Without paid ads or influencer culture, marketers need to tap into creativity and real engagement. The app’s strong emphasis on mental health and authenticity appeals particularly to Gen Z, making it a great platform for building trust and loyalty.

Brands can thrive on BeReal by aligning with its ethos of raw authenticity. Regular posting, engaging with the community, and offering exclusive promotions or contests can help capture and retain followers.

Launched in 2020 by TikTok creators, Lemon8 quickly gained attention as a visually-driven platform that combines elements of Instagram and Pinterest. With a focus on photos over videos, Lemon8’s board-style layout makes it a perfect space for content creation and curation.

Lemon8 organizes its content into seven lifestyle-focused tabs — Fashion, Beauty, Food, Wellness, Travel, Home, and All — allowing users to easily navigate the topics that interest them. Unlike TikTok’s video-heavy feed, Lemon8 emphasizes images and longer captions, offering users more space for detailed product recommendations, instructions, or even recipes.

The platform’s unique blend of content has led to comparisons with traditional social networks but with a twist: it features a mix of influencer ads and product recommendations. This combination of sponsored and organic content is resonating with users who enjoy its editorial, lifestyle-centric vibe.

TikTok recently announced that users can log into both TikTok and Lemon8 with a single account, enabling seamless cross-sharing between the two platforms. This integration allows creators to expand their reach and gives users additional ways to interact with their favorite influencers and discover trending products across both apps.

Marketing Opportunities – While currently ad-free, Lemon8 presents significant marketing potential. Brands are already partnering with influencers to feature their products in posts, capitalizing on its creator-focused environment. If the platform continues to grow in popularity, ads may be introduced in the future, offering even more marketing opportunities.

Locket is a photo-sharing app that lets users send real-time images directly to the home screens of their closest friends and family. Originally created by Matt Moss as a sweet side project for his girlfriend, Locket quickly gained popularity, leading Moss to release it on the App Store in early 2022. Since then, the app has been downloaded over 20 million times, with users sharing more than a billion photos.

The concept of Locket is simple: users invite contacts who can then add a widget to their iPhone’s home screen. This widget displays live photos as friends and family upload them throughout the day, creating a real-time stream of personal moments, free from the noise of public feeds. The experience is entirely private, offering a more intimate alternative to traditional social media platforms, allowing users to stay connected with the people who matter most.

Locket appeals strongly to younger users and close-knit groups of friends, offering a straightforward and private way to share candid moments without an audience.

Marketing Opportunities – Locket currently focuses on intimate sharing and does not feature ads or paid content. However, as the app continues to grow, there could be opportunities for lifestyle brands, especially those centered around family or personal connections, to explore non-intrusive ways of engaging with users in this private, close-knit environment.

Discord has evolved from a platform primarily used by gamers into a dynamic community hub, catering to a wide range of interests. It enables marketers to host interactive events, nurture engaged communities, and connect with audiences in a more personal, direct manner.

Discord is a versatile communication platform that combines voice, video, and text chat, designed for communities and friends to connect.

The app uses private, invite-only servers where users can engage with smaller groups or larger, public communities focused on specific interests, like popular games such as Minecraft and Fortnite. It’s also compatible with other platforms like Zapier, YouTube, and Twitch, further enhancing its connectivity.

Launched in 2015 by Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy, Discord’s mission is to provide people with a space to build meaningful relationships and find a sense of belonging, whether locally or globally.

With over 200 million active monthly users and 563 million registered accounts, Discord appeals particularly to individuals aged 25 to 34, who make up more than half of its user base, followed by younger users between 16 and 24.

Marketing Opportunities – Discord offers unique marketing opportunities for brands to engage with specific communities by creating tailored servers based on topics related to their business. These servers come with customizable roles, avatars, and access to video and voice chats. Visual elements such as stickers, GIFs, and images are key to enhancing the experience. Additionally, brands can take advantage of Discord’s Partner Program and leverage live events for direct interaction.

Patreon is a monetization platform that enables creators—such as videographers, artists, writers, podcasters, musicians, and more—to earn direct funding from their fans, known as patrons. This support is offered on a recurring basis or per piece of work.

Designed as a membership platform, Patreon allows creators to run a subscription service for their content. Instead of building a website and payment system, creators can simply launch a personalized Patreon page to connect with their audience.

Patrons on the platform pay a subscription fee to access exclusive content, with new features like video creation recently rolled out. As of now, Patreon has 8 million monthly active patrons, 250,000 creators, and has paid out a total of $3.5 billion to creators.

Marketing Opportunities – While Patreon is primarily focused on helping creators monetize their work, brands can still engage with the platform by partnering with creators for influencer marketing campaigns. These campaigns might include offering exclusive discounts or sneak peeks of products to a creator’s Patreon audience.

There you have it – 13 fantastic social apps you might not have explored yet as part of your social media strategy.

Before diving into a new platform, take the time to review your social media strategy. This will help you determine if the platform aligns with your target audience and business goals.

And remember, it’s always a good idea to personally test out a platform before establishing your brand presence on it.