What is this Vero app everyone’s talking about?

Well, here’s what we know: Vero, a new social media platform created by Lebanese billionaire Ayman Hariri, is striking chords with social media influencers everywhere by offering its application for free — for its first 1 million useres.

Why does it matter if it’s free, you ask? Well, unlike other platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., Vero is an ad-free, non-information mining, clean, self-regulated network. 

This means: a.) advertisements won’t clog your feed, and b.) your information is safe with you, not sold to Google. Weird, right?

Wanna know what’s weirder? This app was launched all the way back in 2015. So why is it getting big all of a sudden? Well, as we mentioned earlier, the app announced that it was going to be free for the first 1 million users to download it. And as of last week, the app hit 3.5 million users — prompting Vero to extend its “free for life” offer to all new users until further notice.

So what makes it different from every other social media platform? For starters, you have the opportunity to organize your friends list. That’s right: if Larry and Suzie are your best friends, they will be labeled as such. But if you only kind of know Joey, he can be labeled as an “acquaintance,” meaning his dirty laundry won’t clog up your feed.

Vero also includes many of the same posting aspects of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter combined — you can share status updates and photos, group chat, and more. PLUS it gives you the ability to share things like music, books, and movies with your friends. And — what we’ve been asking Facebook and Instagram for forever — Vero provides a real chronological feed. So, that’s pretty cool.

Vero has found its popularity in artist communities and influencers, who are looking for alternatives to the oversaturated platforms like Instagram and Facebook, where they’ve found a home so far.

Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Why aren’t we all hopping on the Vero train right now? Well… the app has seemed to find itself in a bit of a sticky situation.

Since the app has had SO many downloads in SO little time, users have been experiencing some serious bugs and lag time. So much so, that users are rushing to delete the app. Things have gotten pretty extreme on platforms like twitter, users are furious about the fact that the hype caused them to download an insufficient app.

What is Vero trying to do about this issue, you ask? Well, this is part of the reason why Vero announced that they’re extending their limit for free downloads to everyone. Once the app has been restored to its full, ad-free, regular running self, it will cost new users about as much annually as your Netflix subscription costs per month (or so they say…).

So what do you think? Could Vero really be the next big thing? Let us know in the comments below!

Metter Media LLC is a Boston-based social media management company that implements community-based, localized social engagement strategies small businesses and corporations alike. Need help with your social media? Email Lauren today.