Future Trends: Alternative Promotion Services in Russia

The sanctions policy against Russia has resulted in limited access to popular advertising resources, which has impacted most advertisers. These include platforms like Instagram*, Facebook* (owned by Meta**), TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn, and partly YouTube. In addition, access to Google Ads managers has been completely blocked.

While many Russian users continue to access these services through VPN, it is not sufficient to conduct a full-fledged advertising campaign. This is because most of the Russian audience has already stopped using these blocked services. According to Online Market Intelligence (OMi), the usage of Facebook*, Instagram*, Twitter, and other blocked services has decreased by at least 50%.

The changing digital landscape in Russia has prompted a need for a reevaluation of community engagement strategies and alternative approaches to advertising. As popular platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter are no longer accessible due to sanctions, Russian advertisers have shifted their focus to platforms like Telegram, VKontakte, OK, and Yandex Direct for contextual advertising. However, the industry is constantly evolving, and it is important to explore new digital products and underutilized platforms that may offer effective promotional opportunities.

To assist clients in navigating this changing marketing landscape, QB Agency‘s experts stay up-to-date on the latest trends and provide innovative solutions for effective promotions in Russia. As part of our ongoing research, we have identified several alternative services that may prove to be valuable tools for advertising campaigns in Russia in the near future.

Yappy! and Likee Instead of TikTok

As a result of the limitations placed on Russian content on TikTok, the Yappy! video platform, developed by Rhythm Media in 2021, has experienced a significant surge in popularity. According to representatives of the service in an interview with Sostav.ru, the number of bloggers doubled between January and March 2022, while the total number of videos uploaded reached 700,000. Additionally, in March, Yappy! analysts noted a new record with a 68% increase in daily activity compared to February, along with a rise in the number of videos published on the platform.

Yappy!, a video platform developed by Rhythm Media in 2021, has gained a significant following due to the restrictions on Russian content on TikTok. According to representatives of the service in an interview with Sostav.ru, the number of bloggers on the platform has doubled from January to March 2022, with a total of 700 thousand videos. In March, analysts at Yappy! recorded a new maximum in daily activity, with an increase of 68% compared to February, as well as an increase in published videos.

The design and algorithm of Yappy! are quite similar to TikTok, allowing users to create vertical videos up to 60 seconds in length. Additionally, users have the ability to collaborate with other bloggers and work together on joint video projects with their idols. Popular Russian bloggers such as Anna Khilkevich, Gluk’ Oza, Jony, and Klava Koka have accounts on the platform. The developers have named this function “collaba,” derived from “collaboration,” which involves a base video created by one or more participants, as well as complementary videos. For instance, Jony’s Yappy! profile showcases collabas with other users to support young performers.

The Yappy! application developers plan to introduce monetization features for bloggers in the near future. This will transform the Yappy! platform into a comprehensive promotional tool in the Russian market, with a consistently growing user base, viral content, and possibilities for commercial collaboration with influential figures. The app’s statistics testify to its increasing monthly active users.

What benefits does the service offer for advertising?

Advantages of using Yappy! for promotion include low brand competition, the opportunity to launch campaigns early and gain attention, low advertising costs from bloggers, and the ability to create challenges with unique tags to promote the brand.

Likee, a short video platform launched by a Singaporean team in 2017, has become one of the most downloaded apps in Russia in 2020 but has not been as popular among advertisers as TikTok. However, Likee offers all the necessary conditions for promoting products and has a large percentage of loyal audiences worldwide.

Furthermore, the application is constantly upgrading its influencer marketing features. In 2021, Likee introduced the SuperLike feature, which monetizes the most popular content on the platform. In February 2022, developers started testing the paid subscription function (Super Subscription) in Russia. This enables bloggers to share exclusive content in a special section and provides another way of earning a stable income on the platform. By subscribing, the user supports their favorite blogger directly, and the blogger receives all the income from exclusive content every month. All of these innovations aim to attract bloggers and opinion leaders as creators of unique content, including advertising. Thus, while Yappy! focuses solely on implementing monetization functions, Likee has the potential to fully replace TikTok in the Russian market.

What benefits does the service offer for promotion?

• The platform has an engaged audience that is quick to pick up on trends and information.
• Brands can create hashtag challenges using custom stickers and effects.
• Advertising campaigns can be carried out with the support of popular users (i.e. influencers) on the platform.
• Likee has an integrated marketplace.
• Advertisers can add banner ads to the Likee homepage with a link to their landing page.

High-level Expert Content Tenchat

A new social network, TenChat, was launched in Russia in October 2021 with a focus on building a business community and facilitating business connections and contracts. The app classifies users into three groups: entrepreneurs, employees, and freelancers, and adjusts the news feed algorithm based on the user’s profile content and role. While direct advertising is not allowed, the platform provides useful services for entrepreneurs and can be a promising platform for PR campaigns and improving brand image. Future plans for the app include adding lists of bloggers and experts, as well as allowing authorized companies to promote their products and services, which can be an effective marketing tool for financial and business services. This targeted approach ensures that the right audience will see the content, making it a valuable platform for business-related promotions.

Now let’s talk about the numbers. Since its launch, TenChat has gained significant traction. In just five months, it amassed 160,000 users and experienced a surge of 80,000 loyal subscribers in early 2022, as reported by Semyon Tenyaev, one of the project’s founders. Furthermore, according to data.ai, on March 7, 2022, the application ranked among the top 10 most downloaded social networking apps in Russia on the iOS platform, and by March 10, it had climbed to the second position.

So, how can this service be beneficial for promotion? There are several key advantages:

1. PR and image enhancement within the platform: TenChat provides an ideal environment to showcase your brand and improve its reputation among the targeted business community.
2. High level of trust in content: Users of TenChat place a high level of confidence in the content they encounter on the platform, making it an excellent channel for delivering your promotional messages effectively.
3. Potential integration with opinion leaders: As TenChat expands its functionality, there is a prospect of integrating with influential opinion leaders within the business community, allowing you to leverage their reach and credibility for greater exposure and impact.
4. Opportunity to reach an interested audience: With TenChat, you have the advantage of delivering information about your product and unique offers exclusively to an audience that is genuinely interested and relevant to your business, maximizing the chances of generating meaningful engagement and conversions.

In summary, TenChat presents a promising platform for promotion, offering PR opportunities, a trusted environment, the potential for collaboration with opinion leaders, and access to an interested audience.

Yandex Zen: A Resource with Promising Prospects

Yandex Zen, a Russian platform founded in 2015, initially struggled to gain traction among users. However, in recent years, developers have made significant upgrades to the service. They have improved algorithms for content distribution, implemented monetization for Zen channel authors, and added various types of publications, resulting in successful outcomes.

According to the Yandex Zen Media Kit, the platform’s active users are mostly women (52%) who reside in Moscow or St. Petersburg. Additionally, a substantial portion of the platform’s traffic comes from smartphones, with an average of about 20 million daily users in 2022.

Yandex Zen is currently regarded as one of the most convenient and promising resources in terms of marketing tools. The platform allows for the publication of various types of content, including articles (with the option to integrate with popular authors), posts, and short videos for the feed, as well as live streams up to 5 hours. Additionally, marketers can launch targeted campaigns, define specific audience parameters, and incorporate surveys, tests, and feedback forms to engage users. The advertising cabinet algorithms in Zen provide analytics based on promotional results.

One of the key attractions of Yandex Zen is its monetization opportunities for content creators, which in turn helps to draw in the audience. With the additional tools available in Ads Managers, Yandex Zen has emerged as a promising social platform for promotion in Russia. An added advantage for advertisers is the relatively low level of competition compared to platforms like VKontakte, although some market leaders have already established their presence on Yandex Zen.

How can the service be beneficial for promotion?

• Utilization of various publication formats
• Integration with popular Zen channels and opinion leaders as effective marketing tools
• Full-fledged advertising campaign setup within the advertising manager, targeting specific audience interests
• Potential for selling products through advertisements
• Built-in analytics function for evaluating campaign performance
• Limited competition among companies (for now)

Major Transformations

The beginning of 2022 marked significant changes in all sectors of the Russian market, including the advertising industry. These changes posed challenges for advertisers, but also presented an opportunity to approach audience engagement from new perspectives and explore more effective channels of communication.

In response to the blocking of popular foreign social resources, advertisers have shifted their focus to promotion channels available in the region, such as Telegram, VKontakte, and OK. Additionally, new services for audience engagement, like Yappy! and TenChat, have emerged on the market. Less popular social platforms, such as Yandex Zen and Likee, have also seen a surge in Russian user growth, providing promising new directions for advertising and marketing.

Therefore, successful promotion in Russia requires a competent and strategic approach. QB Agency experts are available to assist advertisers at every stage of a marketing campaign, taking into account the unique characteristics of the Russian market and selecting the most promising and effective promotion channels, whether they are established tools or new and popular services.