Discover Popular and Alternative Social Media for SMM Strategies in Russia

In today's digital landscape, where competition is fierce on popular online platforms, it's crucial to have flexible and adaptable advertising strategies. This means considering not only large digital platforms but also more specific or specialized resources. These can offer unique opportunities for narrower targeting and direct interaction with the target audience as well as provide low competition.

In 2024, when well-known social networks are already maxed out, less traditional channels of promotion will be the new frontier for successful campaigns. And they'll save you money on your marketing budget.

TOP Social Media in Russia

As of 2024, several major platforms continue to lead the Russian Internet space, each with its own unique characteristics and audience. Social networks account for almost 47% of users' time on the Internet. 
 

YouTube

It is the most popular video service in Russia today. This format is the ideal way for companies to demonstrate products and services in the most visual format, tell stories, share expert opinions, organize live broadcasts of events, and even hold webinars. In addition, there are also shorts — incredibly popular short vertical videos.
 

Genshin Impact advertising collaboration with YouTube blogger FixEye (11.1M subscribers), by RMAA

One of the main advantages of YouTube on the Russian Internet is its wide audience, covering various age groups and interests. Although promotion opportunities through the platform itself are now limited, brands advertise in videos on other channels. This is the main and most effective method of marketing their products and services.

Service coverage - 96.1 million people (79% of the population)

VKontakte

It is the most popular platform in Russia with a wide range of functionality. It's the most convenient one for developing both personal profiles and communities, which you can promote using the built-in marketing instruments. VK offers the best set of tools for promotion, including paid social, groups, and video advertising.
 

The official VC community of the Ascensia Diabetes Care brand, by RMAA

Telegram

The messenger with ever-expanding features that is taking over the market. It's as simple as the app itself. While paid social is expensive, it is an effective and affordable strategy when placed through agencies. The use of integrations with bloggers and channels as well as bots remains a popular approach.

 

Roadlike brand advertising in the Gdetamhotel telegram channel  (28,890 subscribers)

 

The service reaches 85.3 million people, which is 70% of the population. On average, 74% of users read Telegram channels, and more than half of them cover news and politics.

TikTok

The video platform that young audiences love. It was one of the first to offer viral content to users and creative advertising formats to advertisers. Marketers use it to reach even the narrowest audience.

The service reaches 67.2 million people (55% of the population).

Odnoklassniki

It is the go-to platform for a more mature audience looking to socialize and connect with like-minded individuals in themed communities. It offers unparalleled opportunities for video, text content, and paid social.
 

A post in Kia Russia OK Community

Service coverage - 50.9 million people (42% of the population)

Instagram*

Despite the limitations imposed by restrictions and sanctions, Instagram* remains a popular platform. Its visual focus is particularly well-suited to brands with a strong external component. Furthermore, the platform's most significant genre, reels, can facilitate reaching a vast audience (if the video creation process is approached in an optimal manner).
 

 

 

 

 

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Публикация от Ирена Понарошку (@irenaponaroshku)

OPU brand advertising on @irena_ponaroshky Instagram profile

At the end of 2023, the average monthly audience of the service in Russia was 25.1 million people.

Twitch

One of the leading video game streaming platforms, has a long-standing and significant presence in Russia. However, it is now attracting not only gamers but also viewers with an interest in entertainment and educational content. Moreover, an increasing number of businesses are utilizing Twitch as a promotional platform, engaging in sponsorship, channel creation, and video ad insertion. These businesses are primarily in the gaming, gambling, food, tech devices, e-commerce, online services, and other technology sectors.
 

Twitch account of Russian gamer Nix (798K subscribers)

As evidenced by data from March 2024, the platform has facilitated the placement of over 500 advertising publications. Russian companies employed over 300 influencers for promotional purposes, with advertising reaching 35 million unique viewers.

We have previously published a separate article on the distinctive features of promotion on the leading social networks in Russia. However, in some cases, these platforms may not be the optimal choice for reaching the entire consumer base of a brand. There are alternative avenues where it is possible to connect with consumers, both existing and prospective.

Alternative Social Networks in Russia

While these services may be less well-known, they present valuable opportunities for promotional activities.

Dzen

This service has a lengthy and commendable history. While not a newcomer to the market, Dzen has only recently begun to gain traction with a broader audience.

The platform was previously owned by Yandex, but the new owner of the site, VK Group, has been able to implement a new strategy for the service. VK's proprietary algorithms are leveraged to promote articles and videos.

As of the end of 2023, Zen held an impressive 8th place in the ranking of Russian Internet leaders, a notable achievement for a service that originated as a text blog. Dzen currently boasts an audience of over 80.6 million users.

The platform enables users to reach their target audience through a range of content formats, convenient thematic selections, and a recommendation system based on user interests. This is particularly beneficial for creators of high-quality textual and video content. Paid social in Zen can be launched via VK Ads.
 

Advertising of a platform for running ads in the articles feed on Zen

The largest proportion of Zen's audience is comprised of individuals aged 25 and above. Sixty percent of users indicate an interest in articles, while 40 percent prefer videos. The most popular topics among the audience are cooking recipes, science, sports, beauty and style, travel, gaming, and IT.

VK Clips

This channel has been successfully integrated into VKontakte's main platform. The service for viewing short clips allows you to attract the audience already existing in this social network. The popular format is simple and useful for creating fast and relevant advertising. It should be noted that the platform itself provides this functionality. Campaigns can be easily launched from the VK Advertising personal cabinet, which offers a wide range of tools for working with creatives and statistics.
 

Marketplace OZON’s VK Clip with a catalog of goods for the home

This is an effective platform for brands seeking to utilize vibrant video content on the most popular Russian social network. Please refer to our feature story for further information on the mechanics of launching content in VK Clips.

Yappy

A Russian-based alternative to TikTok, designed for the creation and sharing of short video content. The platform is targeted at a younger demographic, with a focus on creating compelling and memorable content to drive engagement. 

The most common method of promotion within the service is through collaborations with other bloggers, which allow for the dissemination of content to a larger audience.

There are currently no official statistics available regarding the service. It is, however, commonly understood that Yappy is used by young people, including those under the age of 18.

Yappy is an ideal platform for brands that are willing to explore the potential of short-form videos and aim to connect with an engaged youth audience. Another advantage of the service is the lack of significant competition, which allows for the ability to capture audience attention with minimal effort.
 

Sharme brand video by Yappy-author @tatiana_greenway

Likee

Another video platform with a focus on short-form content is Likee. It provides a range of features to assist creators in developing engaging content that appeals to a diverse audience. The platform is renowned for its distinctive filters and sophisticated video editing capabilities.

As of 2024, the social network had approximately 150 million users globally. Of these users, 58% are male and 41.74% are female. The majority of Likee users are between the ages of 25 and 34 (33.27%), while a significant portion are between 18 and 24 (29.46%). In 2022, the Russian audience accounted for approximately 31% of the total user base. 

The platform has an internal promotion algorithm, but for an account to be approved by the system, it must meet a number of criteria. For instance, the author is required to provide comprehensive information about themselves, publish a minimum of three posts, and maintain a consistent output of original, high-quality content. Additionally, the service offers author support programs. 

Likee offers four main formats for publishing content: Video, slideshow, chat room, and broadcast. These digital genres are convenient for maintaining audience engagement and communicating with subscribers.

The service presents itself as an active web community. To illustrate, Likee facilitates a variety of themed events and encourages active users to participate. This can be leveraged to enhance the visibility and reputation of your brand. 
 

Likee cosplay event in Moscow

Like is an effective platform for companies seeking to engage with an audience (predominantly young people) active in visual media.

Tenchat

A relatively new social network that combines elements of traditional professional networks with communication functions.

Recently, Tenchat has been increasingly claiming to be a full-fledged advertising platform: advertising services on the platform are developing and, although they receive mixed reviews, their effect has already been noticed. Many consumer goods manufacturers, media outlets, gaming brands, financial institutions, and insurance companies opt to utilize this service for promotional purposes.
 

A publication of the X5 Group community in the TenChat feed

Russia is currently Tenchat's primary source of user traffic. It represents 89% of users. In 51% of cases, the users are women. Thirty percent of the audience is comprised of individuals between the ages of 25 and 34, representing the largest share. The categories with the highest level of engagement are technology, IT, news, and publications. The most popular content formats are expert publications, case studies, in-depth articles, and videos.

Tenchat employs its own recommendation algorithms. They are demanding, and there are ongoing discussions about their effectiveness. For example, even a link to an external resource can reduce the reach of a publication by dozens of times. However, user trust can be leveraged to enhance promotion efforts. This can be achieved by completing profile information accurately, maintaining transparency in published content, and adopting an open communication approach. The audience here is comprised of individuals seeking valuable business insights and information. It is this content that will be most highly regarded and appreciated.

All of this makes Tenchat an excellent and promising platform for B2B promotion in an expert environment. Furthermore, this social network is an effective tool for brand development, both at the individual and corporate level.

Linkedin

It has become a pivotal business and social platform for the global business community. Russia, despite being blocked, has not been exempt from this trend.

Statistical data indicates that this resource is utilized more frequently by male users (57.2%). As of 2023, 31% of users are millennials aged 30-39, and 23% are people aged 40-49. LinkedIn has the largest user base in the United States, but it also has a significant presence in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
 

Video post on Sberbank's LinkedIn page with a company employee

The platform offers a range of features to facilitate professional networking, corporate content sharing, individual specialist promotion, and company-wide collaboration through employee profiles.

This is primarily an image-focused platform. Companies utilize standard content for promotional purposes, including articles, news items, and discussions.

Discord

A service that was originally developed for and by gamers. Users are able to post a variety of content, including voice, text, and video, on this platform. It can be stated that Discord is a comprehensive aggregation of forums on a diverse range of topics. 

In recent years, the platform has gained significant traction, becoming popular not only among gamers but also among professional communities and educational projects. It is worth noting that the latter are currently developing at a rapid pace. Other popular server areas include music, entertainment, science, and technology.
 

Server feed in the Games tab on Discord

While there is a limited number of users who select this platform for promotional purposes, it offers some distinctive capabilities. For instance, a brand can establish its own server to engage with and communicate with the target audience. Furthermore, the platform offers a robust system for creating custom bots, which is an invaluable asset for automating user interactions. It will be essential to engage in activity and interactivity, which are highly valued by Discord users.
 

Options for creating a server on Discord

Discord can be an effective tool for brands seeking to cultivate an engaged and loyal customer base, particularly in contexts where a digitally savvy audience and an IT-centric environment are present. 

Fast Insights

To successfully promote on alternative platforms, it is essential to have experience and a deep understanding of their unique characteristics. This presents a valuable chance to differentiate oneself from competitors by acquiring a distinctive, engaged audience. It is possible that the level of coverage here will be minimal. Nevertheless, the opportunity to reach a more targeted consumer base is significantly enhanced.

RMAA specialists are available to assist you at every stage of your marketing campaign, taking into account the unique characteristics of the Russian market. We will provide you with the most promising and effective channels of promotion, including both time-tested tools and new services. To contact our manager, please complete the form in the Contacts section. 

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*Meta's activities are banned on the territory of the Russian Federation.