Today marks the official launch of Bubblews (the combination of “bubbles” and “news”), a new social media website that pays its users for each view, like and comment. With a minimum of 400 characters per post, social media users are encouraged to use the new “global community” to share their interests, feelings and passions — all while being paid to do so.
Anyone can use Bubblews by following three steps:
- Register for free in under 60 seconds
- Customize your profile and check out your “bank”
- Write and submit your first post
Once a post contains a minimum of 400 characters (though many choose to continue writing), users then have the option to add a photo either by uploading their own, or by taking one from the picture-sharing website, Pixabay (which is partnering with Bubblews). Post topics have ranged from the World Cup to personal adventures to posting about one’s feelings on world peace.
As users browse other posts, they have the ability to “follow” other users, “star” a post or leave a comment. Users are then alerted with a notification and earn compensation (1 cent ) for every star, comment and view of their own posts.
Users collect their compensation in a “Bubblews bank,” and once a user reaches $50, he/she can cash out using PayPal.
Like Twitter and Facebook, Bubblews has developed its own language. Each post is called a bubble, hashtags are substituted with a plus sign (+), and users can tag others using an ampersand (&). Bubblews claims to be currently serving more than 20 million visitors per month in over 240 countries.
The real question is, are social network users looking for a new type of social networking site? According to a new study (also released today by Bubblews*), out of the 76% of Americans who use social media, 83% said they are more likely to discover meaningful news on social media than any other resource. And nearly 7 in 10 Americans (68%) have dislikes when it comes to the most popular social media websites, including too many advertisements, non-relevant content and more.
The study also found that 62% of Americans are willing to try a new social media platform. According to Arvind Dixit, CEO and co-founder of Bubblews: “Our research shows that American appetites for social media is still more than healthy: It’s also clear that the need for relevant content by online users is not yet truly being met in the social platforms available to them today.”
The concept is unique and interesting; but will the platform take off? In an age where shorter messaging services are growing rapidly, especially among millennials, can a social network focused on longer posts find success? What do you think – and can you see your brand using Bubblews?
*Bubblew’s study was conducted online in the United States using Harris Poll, from June 30-July 2, 2014 with 2,047 participants ages 18 and over.
