What You Need To Know About Parler and MeWe

Every year, a few new social media platforms vie for the attention of the general public. Some of these, like Snapchat and Tik Tok, actually become competition for the social media giants like Facebook and Instagram.

And while new social networks pop up often, few have been as politically charged as Parler and MeWe. Today we’re breaking down the main features of these two social platforms. Then, we’ll investigate who they’re for and whether they could be an asset as you build your brand or business.

An introduction to Parler

Although Parler launched in 2018, it has received the most attention around the 2020 election. Parler was created to be a non-biased, free speech social media, and microblogging platform. The main idea behind this platform is to protect the rights and opinions of its users. That means there are no fact-checkers on the platform, which has been a recent frustration for many users of Twitter and Facebook.

Like Twitter, Parler allows you to post short messages (up to 1,000 characters), links, videos, and photos. These posts are called ‘parleys’. Parler users can also follow each other, use hashtag search, and send direct messages. There is also a ‘Discover News’ section that recommends headlines from predominantly far-rights blogs and news aggregators.

This is Parler’s biggest differentiator. Parler’s main draw is the ability to post without censorship. And for most users, this means censorship that could be deemed political.

Are you thinking about signing up for Parler as a part of your brand or business strategy?

Currently, the signup process for Parler is personal, so there’s no way to distinguish yourself as a brand or business. But Parler may be a good choice if you want to build a personal brand without censorship. Advertisements on the platform are run by an ‘Influence Network’. So to advertise anything, you’ll need to contact influencers who are a good match for what you offer or do.

If you’re building a personal brand, and your ideal audience is conservative or politically right-leaning, it may be smart to invest in this platform while it grows in popularity. 

What exactly is MeWe?

Unlike Parler, MeWe has a much longer history online. Founded in 2012 by Mark Weinstein, MeWe was created to be a social platform like Facebook, but without censorship. According to MeWe’s founder, the main premise of the platform can be summarized in one sentence…

“No Ads, No Targeting, No Political Bias, No News Feed Manipulation, and No BS!”

There are no specific policies that ban misinformation on MeWe. All posts are simply considered to be ‘opinions’ instead. There is also a big focus on data privacy and providing an ad-free experience for all users.

While the interface is like Facebook with user profiles, likes, shares, live video, and news feeds, some extra features may be worth looking into. A few of these unique features include a cloud storage option, voice integration for pictures, videos, and documents, and what are called MeWe Journals.

MeWe was made for anyone who wants to share their opinion freely. Yet it has become popular most recently with conservatives, right-wingers, and members of the anti-vaccine movement. 

While there are no business accounts on MeWe, there may be benefits to being on the platform if your ideal customers are there as well. According to their FAQ page, MeWe lets brands, artists and musicians connect with their fans in real-time. They promise no interfering advertisements, news feed manipulation, or algorithms. One hundred percent of your page followers will see all your posts in chronological order. They also allow brands to have full ownership of their content, which means you can promote to and monetize your followers in whatever way you choose.

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While neither platform was created for branded content, they may be a good option for building up a personal brand. The most important part? Make sure that whatever social platform you use, your ideal customers are already present and active there.

Not sure who your ideal target audience is? Read this blog to find out!

Have you tried out Parler or MeWe? What are your takeaways from trying out these platforms? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!