What Is MeWe?

With the push to Parler, it’s no surprise that other conservative-centric social media sites are cropping up fill the void left by increasingly stringent rules on larger platforms. Following Twitter’s labeling of Trump’s tweets as “misleading” and Snapchat’s decree that they would no longer promote the POTUS’ content, folks started searching out alternatives that valued the right to freedom of speech. MeWe, the self-proclaimed “Social Network Built on Trust, Control, and Love,” is emerging as a major contender in the bid for people who are displaced and disillusioned by the standard networking sites. Along with the exodus comes new opportunities for marketers, politicians, and campaign workers to show their content to brand new groups of highly specific demographics. When it comes to targeted marketing, it doesn’t get much better than that.

MeWe as a Concept

MeWe was founded by Mark Weinstein, who “dreamed of the next generation in online communications, envisioning a social and chat app that would give people everywhere the most exciting and helpful sharing technology with privacy built into the design– where members would feel safe and respected.” After its initial launch in 2016 at the SXSW conference, it was named as one of the Startup of the Year Finalists. It has gone on to be named a Best Entrepreneurial Company in America and a 2020 Most Innovative Social Media Company.

It’s not hard to see why MeWe is catching the attention of industry leaders and general audiences alike. Built on tenets that fly in the face of standard social media practices, it offers a refreshing reprieve from the constant onslaught of privacy infringements and almost creepily tailored advertising we are usually bombarded with. MeWe does this by offering back what the behemoth social media platforms have wrested away from us. From their homepage, they affirm the following business values:

• Trust: MeWe has an honorable business model where members are customers to serve and respect, not data to be shared or stored.
• Control: You have full control over your newsfeeds and the order of how posts appear. We do not manipulate, filter, or change the order of your newsfeeds.
• Safety: MeWe is committed to creating a safe place for all walks of life to communicate and connect without fear of intimidation or bullying.
• Positive Connections: MeWe empowers you and enriches your world. It’s the fun, uplifting social media experience in the spirit of trust, control, and love.

Additionally, they promote a user experience that includes “No ads. No spyware. No BS.” As a concept, MeWe offers a user experience that lets the app do exactly what we expected all social media platforms to offer: a genuine place to connect with our loved ones and the world around us.

If It’s Ad Free, What’s the Point?

Traditional social media platforms have tricked us into thinking that the only way to make connections with our intended audiences is by putting together digital advertisements that crop up on the feeds of people who we are attempting to target. While there’s nothing wrong with that approach, necessarily, it does lead to a phenomenon called “marketing fatigue,” which is the idea that consumers receive so many promotions, ads, and marketing attempts that they are starting to tune out our efforts. Even worse, they are actively turning away from brands that they feel are contributing to the problem.

The good news is that emerging sites like Parler and MeWe offer a whole new world of targeted marketing that doesn’t involve creating ads, and in fact, actively disallows it. Instead, it stokes the fires of efficacy for genuine, sincere content marketing that seeks to not only promote your brand, but to offer real solutions, information, and insights about product or service to people who are actually interested in what you have to say.

To put it a different way, it’s like the difference between rubbing elbows at a business conference with 1,000 people versus an intimate dinner and drinks with a few choice people. In the former situation, there’s too much going on to build relationships that mean more than exchanging business cards. In the latter, you have the opportunity to have conversations with depth with people who have an authentic interest in being around you.

The Benefits of Content Marketing

Content marketing is tough. It requires time, research, and writing prowess that goes beyond the work of creating more traditional digital advertising. But, the benefits of making that investment are astounding. The 2019 Salesforce consumer engagement report supports this idea with raw data: In 80% of customers, they feel that the experience a company can provide is as important as its products and services. An astounding 95% say they are more likely to be loyal to a company they trust, and 67% say that their standards for what constitutes a “good experience” are higher than they’ve ever been.

Create Emotional Connections

The value of content marketing comes from the fact that it’s so much more personal. Sure, a Snickers ad can make you crave that nouget-y goodness, and watching someone zip around curves in a brand new car can spark up envy, but there’s a reason why organic, emotional connections forge the strongest business to consumer relationships. In a world that is increasingly isolated, especially amidst the COVID-19 crisis, we want reminders that we are part of something. We want to feel understood, heard, and respected. We want to know that there are people who share our likes, dislikes, and experiences. Most importantly, we want to know that our consumer choices validate who we are as individuals, not as numbers contributing to profit statements. If a brand is able to create that feeling, you’ve got a great shot at building a steadfast, loyal base of customers who actively seek out and promote your business.

Demonstrate Your Expertise

Content marketing also creates a space for you to show off why you are a leader in your industry. When people turn to a brand for a product or service, they are doing so because they know that you can do whatever it is you do better, more efficiently, or more easily than they can. We don’t call electricians because we’re lazy. We call them because the investment in their expertise is worth more than trying to save a buck and do it ourselves. Social media advertising certainly has its place, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down, but content marketing offers a deeper, more rich, and more connected experience for our customers. Sure, more people might see your ads on Facebook and Twitter, but, like most things in life, there’s something to be said about quality over quantity.

Market to People Who Want to Hear Your Message

Casting a wide net is not always the solution for converting customers, especially when it comes to content marketing. In order for a customer to make time in their busy days to sit and consume long-form content, they have to actively desire the information that you’re offering. Taking the time to gather and present that information is a waste of time if it’s only hitting your targets a small percentage of the time. And while social media platforms are becoming increasingly able to hone in on dedicated demographics, nothing is going to beat the personalized experience that sites like MeWe can offer businesses and consumers alike.

Despite all of its benefits, content marketing isn’t easy… But NATIV3 can help you create a strategy for success. We’ve created both long- and short-form content for our clients that stands out and gets the attention of audiences who want to hear what you have to say. Get in touch to see how we can help you make your brand known on MeWe, Parler, and beyond.