[2024 Edition] 10 Emerging Social Media Platforms Gaining Popularity in the U.S. — Next-Gen Networks Still Under the Radar in Japan

Across digitally advanced markets, a new wave of social media platforms is reshaping the global online landscape. From Gen Z-focused communities to creator-first ecosystems, these innovative networks are rapidly gaining momentum — especially in the United States — each offering unique features and fresh opportunities for engagement.

In this article, The Digital X, a digital marketing consultancy with over 18 years of industry experience, introduces 10 next-generation social media platforms that are attracting global users and gaining strong traction in the U.S.

Whether you’re:

• Looking for emerging platforms still under the radar in Japan

• Exploring new avenues for Gen Z-focused social media marketing

• Or aiming to stay ahead of the latest global digital trends

This guide provides actionable insights into the platforms shaping the future of online engagement.

For marketers, strategists, and forward-thinking businesses seeking fresh digital channels, this is a must-read resource.

10 Emerging Social Media Platforms Gaining Popularity in the U.S.

Discover the next-generation social media platforms gaining global traction — and rising in popularity across the U.S. — but still relatively untapped in Japan.

These innovative platforms offer unique features not seen in conventional SNS and hold strong potential for application across a wide range of industries. If you’re looking to stay ahead of the digital curve, this list is worth exploring.

1. Partiful: The Invite-Only Social Platform for Hosting Events

Partiful is a next-generation, invitation-based social networking platform designed specifically for organizing private events, ranging from birthdays and anniversaries to casual happy hours.

Self-described as a “Facebook Event for hot people,” Partiful primarily targets Gen Z users with a focus on design-savvy, socially active communities.

What sets Partiful apart is its clean, hassle-free user experience. It eliminates the clunky interfaces often associated with legacy tools like Facebook Events or group chat function of messenger apps.

With just a few clicks, users can create visually engaging event pages, manage RSVPs, and share photos — all in one streamlined space.

Here’s a look at Partiful’s recent growth trajectory:

Since its founding in 2020, Partiful has experienced explosive growth — expanding by 99x over the past four years.

The platform gained significant attention after The New York Times dubbed it “the least cringe-worthy invite platform” in 2022. Since then, it has rapidly gained traction among young tech professionals across the U.S.

Today, its popularity has extended beyond the tech scene, attracting founders and creatives in the e-commerce space as well. While originally B2C-focused, Partiful is increasingly showing potential for B2B use cases as well.

Businesses can leverage the platform for promoting branded events, seminars, pop-ups, or exhibitions — making it a valuable tool for modern event-based marketing.

2. Quest: Scalable Skill-Building for the 21st-Century Workforce

Quest App is a digital learning platform launched in 2005 by the non-profit organization Quest Alliance.

Originally developed to address employment challenges in India, Quest focuses on equipping users with essential 21st-century employability skills — the capabilities needed to succeed in a dynamic job market, regardless of career changes or transitions.

“Employability” refers to more than just job readiness; it encompasses the knowledge, skills, and personal attributes that enable individuals to remain competitive and adaptable across roles and industries.

Targeting youth and young adults between the ages of 10 and 30, Quest provides learning programs designed to build both professional and life skills that are critical for long-term career success.

Quest has experienced explosive growth — a 645% increase over the past five years since 2020 —and now boasts a user base of over 500,000.

While Japan is home to several digital learning systems such as e-Learning platform and SAKU-SAKU Testing, many of these are primarily designed for PC use. In contrast, Quest is mobile-native, making it more accessible for today’s smartphone-first users.

Although widely used by individuals for self-improvement, Quest is also well-suited for corporate training, especially for companies looking to upskill foreign employees or implement scalable digital learning programs within a global workforce.

3. Threads: Meta's Fast-Rising Alternative to X (Formerly Twitter)

   
   

Threads is a text-centric social media platform launched in July 2023 by Meta, the company behind Instagram and Facebook.

The platform made headlines globally when it surpassed 100 million users in just five days — making it one of the fastest-growing apps in history.

Designed as a potential alternative to X (formerly Twitter), Threads has attracted attention not only in the U.S. but also in Japan, where users and marketers alike are exploring its potential.

Unlike X, Threads allows for longer-form text posts, along with the ability to share videos and images more seamlessly, opening up new possibilities for storytelling, branding, and community engagement.

Threads has shown a 160% growth rate since its launch in 2023. While user activity initially spiked and then dipped, the platform is now experiencing a steady upward trend.

As of now, Threads has approximately 10.71 million active users, with 1 in 6 Instagram users also engaging with the platform.

Its seamless integration with Instagram and low-barrier communication style make Threads particularly effective for promoting products or services, especially for brands already active on Instagram.

From leveraging rich media content to drive engagement, to redirecting traffic to e-commerce stores, Threads presents a range of marketing opportunities for businesses looking to diversify their digital strategy.

4. WeAre8: Ethical Engagement and Ad Revenue Sharing at Its Core

   
   

Founded in London, WeAre8 is a purpose-driven social media platform offering users a curated feed of content in digestible 8-minute sessions.

What sets WeAre8 apart is its opt-in advertising model. Users can choose whether or not to view ads — and when they do, a portion of the ad revenue is shared directly with them. This earned revenue can also be donated to charitable organizations, introducing a socially conscious dynamic to the platform.

Moreover, similar to Facebook, WeAre8 follows a real-name registration system, and its interface offers a user experience akin to both Facebook and Instagram.

Thanks to its fully opt-in, full-screen video ad model, the platform reports an exceptionally high click-through rate (CTR) of over 30%, making it highly attractive for brands seeking meaningful engagement.

In addition to personal use, WeAre8 serves as a new kind of social network that connects users, advertisers, and social good organizations, making it a compelling platform for CSR-focused campaigns and purpose-driven branding.

The app experienced 600% growth over the past five years, and although growth has now stabilized, it remains active, with over 500,000 downloads on Google Play.

5. Lemon8: ByteDance's Visual Lifestyle Platform for Gen Z Women

   
   

Lemon8 is a visual-first social media app launched in 2020 by ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. Designed as a photo-sharing platform, Lemon8 has quickly gained popularity — particularly in Japan and Thailand — with over 5 million downloads on Google Play to date.

Often compared to Instagram for its visual interface and content style, Lemon8 is also reminiscent of Japanese lifestyle platforms like Japan's LOCARI and LIMIA. However, while those platforms primarily attract a user base of women over 25, particularly homemakers, Lemon8 caters to a younger Gen Z demographic, particularly women in their teens and early twenties.

The platform centers around lifestyle-driven content such as beauty, fashion, food, and daily tips, offering an ideal environment for aspirational, image-heavy marketing.

With a staggering 4,500% growth rate over the past five years, Lemon8 experienced a sharp spike in Google search interest starting in 2022, and continues to show an upward trend.

For brands targeting young female consumers — especially in the beauty, fashion, and wellness sectors — Lemon8 offers a promising alternative to saturated platforms like Instagram, with the added advantage of early-mover positioning in emerging markets.

6. Made With Friends: A Social Platform Redefining Digital Identity Through Real Connections

   
   

Made With Friends is a next-generation social networking app that challenges the traditional self-curated model of social media. Founded in 2015 by Los Angeles–based company TTYL Inc., the app currently has a niche but growing user base of around 2,500 users.

Positioned with the tagline: “An app to discover your real self through your real friends,” Made With Friends offers a fresh approach to digital identity.

Instead of allowing users to post directly to their own profiles, the platform encourages collaborative identity building by letting friends tag or contribute content that reflects how they perceive the user. In short, it’s your profile, as seen by your friends.

This concept departs significantly from the self-promotional nature of conventional platforms like Instagram or Facebook, offering a human-centered and community-driven social experience that’s currently unmatched in the global SNS landscape.

For brands and marketers, Made With Friends represents an experimental but promising space — particularly for campaigns centered around authentic peer validation, UGC (user-generated content), and micro-community influence.

While Made With Friends remains a relatively small and closed platform—with user interactions limited to existing friend circles — its potential marketing utility is still uncertain at this stage.

However, the app has shown a steady 217% growth over the past five years, signaling a promising trajectory. As digital consumers continue to seek more authentic and intimate social experiences, Made With Friends is a platform to watch in the evolving landscape of trust-based, peer-driven social media.

7. Supernova: A Social Platform Built on Purpose and Giving Back

   
   

First launched in 2012, Supernova is a social networking platform centered on social contribution. With the concept of an “SNS for giving back,” Supernova enables users to indirectly support charitable causes — a portion of advertising revenue generated through the app is donated to nonprofit organizations.

In a notable example from March 2022, the platform donated 60% of its ad revenue to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, demonstrating a clear commitment to real-world impact.

Controlled, Safe, and Familiar User Experience

Supernova operates under the mission of “creating a positive world”, and its core audience includes users who feel overwhelmed by the negativity, pressure, and polarization often found on traditional social platforms.

Instead of conventional “likes,” Supernova features a “Thank You” button to react to posts. The feed is carefully curated to display only positive content, creating a stress-free, feel-good user experience.

Users can also filter and select the types of ads and content they want to engage with—offering a rare degree of control in the social media ecosystem. To maintain a calm and inclusive environment, hate speech and political content are strictly prohibited.

While the interface and media-centric layout resemble Instagram, Supernova sets itself apart through its positive tone and values-based approach to social interaction.

Supernova has achieved a steady 81% growth over five years, reflecting strong interest and gradual adoption among digital users.

While exact user numbers remain undisclosed, Supernova is regarded as a forward-thinking platform aligned with modern values — particularly attractive to businesses and organizations seeking brand-safe, socially responsible engagement.

8. Airchat: A Voice-Only Social Network Gaining Explosive Momentum in the U.S.

   
   

Airchat, a voice-based social networking platform born in Silicon Valley, officially launched in April 2024. As a brand-new entrant to the global SNS landscape, it’s already making waves — especially in the U.S. market.

While awareness in Japan remains low, Airchat is experiencing explosive growth in the United States, where its user base expanded by 1,200% in just two months.

Due to overwhelming demand, which at one point made the app temporarily inaccessible, Airchat has implemented an invite-only system for users outside the U.S. and Europe to manage capacity and maintain service quality.

A Unique, Voice-Only Communication Platform

Unlike traditional text-based social networks, Airchat offers a voice-only communication experience. There is no text input option — instead, all voice messages are automatically transcribed by AI, enabling smooth content discovery and accessibility.

This voice-only format not only distinguishes Airchat from competitors but also contributes to greater inclusivity and accessibility, particularly for users who may find text interfaces challenging.

If compared to existing platforms, Airchat can be described as a hybrid between X (formerly Twitter) and Clubhouse, enhanced with real-time AI transcription.

A New Channel for Influencer Marketing

Currently, Airchat is home to a growing community of influencers, journalists, and early adopters, with its user base already exceeding 50,000. For brands seeking new ways to engage audiences in the U.S. and Europe, Airchat presents a promising channel for influencer-driven marketing and authentic voice-based communication.

9. BAND: A Korea-Born Closed Social Network for Group Communication

   
   

   

Originating in South Korea, BAND is a closed social networking platform designed specifically for communication within private groups.

Developed to facilitate smoother interaction between teams and team leaders, BAND also functions like a familiar messenger app such as LINE, which is widely used in Japan.

BAND is particularly effective for small group chats and communications, and notably, there is no need to exchange user IDs, making it simple and secure to join.

The platform also features a “Public BAND” function — a bulletin board–style space that enables users to connect through shared interests and hobbies. This structure makes it easier for marketers to target specific audiences based on group interests and activities.

The service is especially popular among users in their 30s and above, and it is also widely used as a business communication tool.

Although BAND’s growth rate remains steady at around 10%, it continues to maintain a strong user base of over 50 million, with the majority located in South Korea and other Asian markets.

Given this concentrated user distribution, BAND can be a valuable channel for executing localized marketing strategies in South Korea and neighboring Asian countries.

10. eToro

    
    

Founded in 2007, eToro is a financial services–based social networking platform originating from Israel.

As of 2014, the platform had over 2.75 million active traders, and today, the user base has grown to more than 3 million registered users. However, access from Japan is currently restricted.

A Unique Social Trading Model

What sets eToro apart is its distinctive trading model, which allows users to invest in global stocks, currency indices, and commodity indices based on their own decisions.

In addition to individual trading, users can also copy the strategies of top-performing traders — a feature that democratizes access to high-level investment strategies.

Furthermore, if other users replicate your trading activities, you may be eligible to receive incentives, depending on the platform’s performance criteria.

eToro’s growth rate stands at 18%, and while its expansion has stabilized in recent years, it remains a well-regarded platform within the global fintech and social trading space.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Digital Marketing in the U.S.

Looking to strengthen your digital marketing efforts in the United States? Below are some frequently asked questions and related articles to help guide your strategy. Be sure to check them out for deeper insights.

What are the most popular social media platforms for marketing in the U.S.?

For a detailed breakdown of the top-performing platforms in the U.S. market, refer to the article below:

Top 5 Most Popular Social Media Platforms in the U.S. — A Guide for Japanese Brands to Succeed in SNS Marketing

What are the key success factors in U.S. advertising?

Stay on top of the latest trends and best practices in American advertising by reading this article:

U.S. Advertising Landscape in 2024: Key Trends and Best Practices for Effective Campaigns

Which search engines are effective for customer acquisition in the U.S.?

For a comparison between search engine usage in the U.S. and Japan — along with SEO optimization tips — see the article below:

Top 4 Search Engines in the U.S. in 2024 — A Japan vs. U.S. SEO Comparison Guide

Looking to Grow Your Brand on Social Media in the U.S.? Talk to Us Today.

The digital marketing landscape in the United States is fast-paced and ever-changing. Keeping up with trends while managing your own content and services can be a major challenge.

This is especially true when exploring new markets — choosing the right social media platforms for your products or services requires local insight and strategic planning.

At The Digital X, our team of seasoned digital marketing professionals will help you craft a tailored social media strategy designed to fit your brand and objectives.

If you’re considering social media marketing in the U.S. or other international markets, reach out to us today for a consultation. Let us help you unlock global growth through data-driven, localized strategies.