Lately I feel like Instagram is on a path of self destruction with its algorithm and the endless amount of ads. Focus has also shifted more towards random reels and sponsored content instead of posts from your connections. I don't enjoy scrolling through the feed as much now since its just a waste of time. Vero, another social media platform that has been around since 2015 has recently started picking up steam and I decided to give it a try.
The good
You can share photos, videos, music, links among many other things on Vero. It is a great platform for sharing photos because unlike Instagram, they don't compress images(below 3000px) or restrict you into using specific dimensions. I think this is great for photographers who wants to show their work in best quality possible.
There are no algorithms or ads either, so you see all the posts from your connections in chronological order. You can even filter the feed based on what type of content you want to see. Unlike Instagram, they also have apps for iPad and desktop which makes it easy to share photos quickly.
The not so good
I feel like we share glimpses of our day to day activities with stories and more important, memorable things with individual posts. Vero does not have a way to share stories at the moment and to me this seems like a missed opportunity.
Something I also like about Instagram is that you can discover photos at a specific location either by searching or using location tags in posts. This has been useful for me to virtually scout the area before I go to photograph locations. I am definitely missing that on Vero.
Conclusion
I have to admit that its nice not having to waste my time on ads and to see only the content I want to see. There are few missing features but the overall UI and UX is great.
Vero is a free service for now but their business model is to have paid subscriptions in future. I think they present a good alternative but I am not sure how many people would actually pay to use a social media service. Good thing is, anyone who joins now will have a lifetime free account. So even if you think its useless now, it might pay off in future if everyone jumps ship to Vero.