ICYMI: Where Are We Hanging Out?

The alternative short-form apps you're testing

Feb 14, 2025

Happy Galentine’s, Happy Valentine’s and Happy Anniversary to YouTube which was founded 20 years ago today!

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⏰ 1-SECOND SUMMARY

TV is now the primary device for YouTube viewing in the U.S.
Shorts creators now have access to Veo 2 to generate standalone video clips
TikTok and CapCut are back in the App Store
Duolingo killed off their mascot. What happens next?
Voices: 11 content creators and social media managers share the emerging apps they’re experimenting with

💻 ROADMAP

📲 YouTube Updates

Shorts creators now have access to Veo 2, Google DeepMind's newest video generation model being integrated into Dream Screen. Veo 2 allows you to generate standalone video clips that can be added to any Shorts.

YouTube announced that the Shorts text-to-speech feature announced last year for Android is now available on iOS.

YouTube’s 2025 Priorities

This week, YouTube’s CEO Neal Mohan outlined the platform’s 2025 priorities:

1. Providing a platform for cultural trends

2. Supporting creators as Hollywood startups

3. Bringing the best of YouTube to TV

4. Investing in AI tools that empower creators

Numbers three and four stand out to me because that’s what I’ve been yapping about for years (here, here, and here).

For many, watching TV means watching YouTube. Mohan shared that TV is now the primary device for YouTube viewing in the U.S.

Creators are leading this shift, proving their IP can thrive across multiple platforms — whether they’re actively expanding themselves into video podcasts and scripted projects or working with companies that can get them there.

Brands need to start thinking of themselves like media companies, or risk being ignored. People don’t want ads, they want compelling, high-concept content that feels native to this new era of TV.

📲 Meta Updates

Meta announced it launched an educational curriculum to help protect students from online exploitation.
Instagram launched limited edition Valentine fonts, chat themes, Add Your template, Music feature and secret phrases in Notes.

📲 TikTok Updates

TikTok launched its Discover List with the 2025 TikTok Creators to Watch across five categories: Educators; Foodies; Icons; Innovators; and Originators.

TikTok hosted a briefing with legal, corporate leadership and creators this week. People weren’t allowed to record but several creators have posted their version of events on social (via The Luncheon Lawyer and Lee Justine). The tl;dr: Google and Apple are the bad guys who need to restore the app.
TikTok, Capcut and Lemon8 are back in the iOS app store and Google Play Store. The company was previously allowing Android users to bypass the Google Play store, offering a web download of TikTok.

📲 Snapchat Updates

Snapchat released Valentine’s Day tips for marketers and announced new features for Snapchat+ subscribers, including Gen AI Stickers, refreshed Bitmojis and a new AI lens.

📲 LinkedIn Updates

LinkedIn announced it’s now making it easier to share share posts across any platform with on- and off-platform options in the Send tab.

👥 WHERE ARE WE ALL HANGING OUT?

I asked a range of content creators and social media managers what emerging apps they’re experimenting with outside of the usual giants — TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat. Your answers reveal some key trends in the evolving social landscape:

Social app fatigue is real. People are exhausted — tired of learning new interfaces, juggling content across multiple platforms, and constantly checking in on new apps.
Threads’ staying power is surprising everyone. People may have expected Meta’s Twitter competitor to fade, but anecdotally it’s holding strong and (sometimes) outperforming Bluesky.
There’s no clear “next big thing.” Instead of one dominant platform, social media is fragmenting as users gravitate toward niche communities where they feel most comfortable. (I’ll list some of the apps mentioned below)

📣 INDUSTRY VOICES

AJ Feuerman, Publicist and Social Strategist : “I tested a Chrome extension to auto-DM all of my Twitter followers with a link to my Bluesky and Threads accounts, but it didn't work. To be honest, I'm battling some 'data fatigue' right now and can't say I've missed having another platform to monitor anyway... Right now if a client has to choose, I'm steering them toward Threads where I'm presently seeing better engagement from consumers.”
Dana Alyss, Creator: “I started a Patreon because I was tired of building platforms up for free. I ran a poll between Patreon, Substack and one other and the majority said Patreon. Now, I’m up to 130 supporters in a week and a half.”
Erin Duncan, Digital Marketer: “I'm in a networking group that uses Circle. The group is broken up regionally, so moderators from each city run their specific areas. As a first time user, I am really enjoying Circle. I think it's really easy to use — it's almost like Slack or Discord without some of the bells and whistles. For work, we got a [Bluesky] handle but haven't started using it. It's such a new platform that it's hard to see how brands would fit on the platform. Since people curate their feeds, will they see your content? Also, it's not clear how or even if companies will be able to run ads on the platform. So currently, that's up in the air for us.”
Chris Ryan, Creator Talent Manager: “My client Aiden Kellehar, who runs the NextWeekNews channels, is testing out Scoopz. He told me ‘It’s been a great experience! With the direct feed from TikTok it’s been very easy to add that as an additional platform for my videos.’ He's been on it less than a month or so and has already got his first payout.”
Joshua Weidling, Creator and Influencer Marketing Consultant: “There’s more depth to the short-form ecosystem than just TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts. I’ve personally tested: Clapper, Likee, LinkedIn Video, ShareChat, Scoopz, VK, Josh, Mastodon, Moj, Lemon8, Tumblr, and Triller... I’m actively posting daily across all of them except VK — some with more success than others. I'm currently generating 5-10 million views per month across primary short-form platforms. On the other platforms, I bring in an additional ~1 million monthly views, though analytics tools on these platforms are still underdeveloped, making exact numbers harder to track.”
Cindy Qiu, Fractional CMO: “The only new platform I see my clients sticking with is Bluesky, because everyone’s feeling X fatigue and diminishing returns on their tweets. Anecdotally though among my peers, it seems like we’re all surprised that Threads is still going strong despite Meta’s iffy brand health.”
Kyle Barber, Creator: “I’m feeling the social media fatigue setting in. Plus, some of these apps are just as likely (or more likely) to go away as TikTok. For example, Lemon8 is owned by the same company as TikTok, so it also risks getting banned if a new ownership deal isn’t made soon. And Xiahongshu is owned by the CCP, so once our politicians find that out, they’ll work to ban it. I don’t want to spend too much time on platforms that could go away soon because that’s basically wasted time for me.”
Jesse Nowlin, Creator and Tech Consultant: “I’m getting more into Bluesky as there is a large tech presence there. I am 100% sticking with YouTube; however, I am also experimenting with uploading natively on other platforms.”
Faaju AlFatah, Market Growth and Audience Analyst: “Substack is quality. Real and authentic voices. It started weekly, now I pop by everyday. That’s where I get a lot of tech news now since they launched their feature tab (feed). I don’t go on Medium or X since the majority of them are on Substack.”
Vanessa Vice, Content Creator and Social Media Manager: “I’m on PI.FYI Perfectly Imperfect. It’s like Tumblr and MySpace’s baby but I hardly remember to log in. If something catches my eye in their newsletter I’ll open the app but I haven’t posted anything since May 2024. My go-to apps are already ingrained in my daily routine and unless a new platform offers something drastically different or becomes a place where my community is hanging out, I don’t feel a strong pull to check in. BUT!! I will download any new app I hear about because as a creator and social media manager, I have to stay in the loop — even if I don’t always have the time to fully engage with it.”
Jordan Shalhoub, Content Creator and Supervising Producer: “I’m not sure Bluesky will ever take off or stick the way Twitter did. I’m on that too and just don’t check it. It feels like a lot of effort to curate a whole new feed. Find all the people I like, etc., especially because I don’t necessarily want to follow the same people on each platform — they all serve different purposes. Work wise we’re seeing more traction on Threads right now than Bluesky.”

[If you want to participate in future polls, just hit reply and send me an email!]

🗂️ TikTok Alternatives

These are listed in alphabetical order and are a sampling of what people said they were testing:

Bluesky: a decentralized social media platform, they’re launching a custom feed for vertical videos
Circle: an all-in-one community platform for creators and brands, similar to Patreon with an emphasis on courses and events
Clapper: A short-form video app with no ads. Creators monetize by receiving gifts during livestreams, group chats, and through direct messages
Communia: a social networking app for women and marginalized genders with an emphasis on mental health
Daylyy: a photo sharing app without filters, camera roll uploads, algorithms or vanity metrics
Diem: a social search platform that replicates group chats with close girlfriends
Fanbase: a social app that allows creators to monetize their video, images, live, audio and more. Founded by Isaac Hayes III, son of musician Isaac Hayes
Favorited: a livestream app that’s similar to TikTok Live, it allows creators to monetize their audiences through gifting features
Flashes: a photo-sharing app built on top of Bluesky that’s in beta mode
Hive Social: 17+ social media app allowing users to post text, image and video to a chronological feed
Likee: a TikTok-style clone from Singapore
Noplace: a social platform for Gen Z that looks to recapture the early social networks like MySpace
Patreon: a creator platform to run subscriptions and sell digital products
PI.FYI by Perfectly Imperfect: a social networking app where users can share and ask for recommendations on various topics
RedNote (Xiahongshu): the Chinese social app reached number one in the app store, but is probably doomed to fail
Scoopz: a short-form video app for Android — it seems to have been removed from the iOS app store
Scroll Happy: still in beta, this app’s algorithm prioritizes feel-good content
Spill: the Twitter alternative launched in 2023 was built for diverse communities
Substack: the newsletter platform recently rolled out live video, in addition to podcasts and newsletter capabilities
Threads: a Twitter competitor app from Meta
Triller: a short-form video app similar to TikTok with an emphasis on music fans
Weare8: a social impact app that shares its ad revenue back with users, communities, and charities.

🦉 DUO’S DEAD, LONG LIVE DUO?

Thread from KSteinCreations. Reads: Duolingo didn’t spend $7 million for a Super Bowl ad but the diabolical social media campaign they’re doing this week is getting them much more attention. I even did my lesson yesterday.

Duolingo dropped a brand handbook this week; announced its infamous owl mascot was dead; and the head of the talent brand marketing team Jocelyn Lai shared the team’s LinkedIn strategy with me. Busy week! I’ll have that interview on Tuesday morning.

👀 ICYMI: JUST THE HEADLINES

Fox is investing in podcasts, acquiring the right-leaning company Red Seat Ventures -The Hollywood Reporter
BuzzFeed has opened the waitlist to join its new social app -TechCrunch
How to nail Man on the Street interviews -Passionfruit
Rachel Karten’s explanation of the Poppi backlash due to the visible cost of experiential gifting is a must-read -Link In Bio
Meet the Redditors who spend hours snarking on influencers -The Cut
Report: How Gen Z feels about politics, finance, relationships and more -Day One Agency
Yahoo News launched a new creator program with a rev share model -Bloomberg
REACH and Shine Talent Group launched a free creator learning curriculum -Next Generation of Creators