3 Underrated apps to use instead of doom scrolling
Three free platforms for creators and users to communicate, monetize themselves, and put an end to doom scrolling
Hi, there!
Harshini here, and in this week’s newsletter, I'm going to tell you about three of my favorite apps that are like social media apps but get very little recognition than they deserve. These apps/websites are free and are different from platforms like YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter. The apps that we’re going to discover are peaceful and have kind communities. If you are like me and want to get a break from the chaos emitted by the bigger social media apps, I recommend you check out these three apps.
Substack:
First off, we got Substack. Substack is bigger than the other two apps that I'm going to mention, but I included it in this list because it deserves more recognition. I know many of you know how Substack works. But in case you’re one of my family members or if you’re new to Substack,
Substack is an email newsletter platform for writers, readers, and creators. You can subscribe to existing newsletters that you like or if you have a keyboard and have things you want to share, you can start a newsletter of your own.
Substack is not only for newsletters. Creators can also put out podcasts, monetize their social media accounts, and build their following by writing newsletters on Substack. Your newsletter can also be used as a public journal where you can share your thoughts and ideas with your family and friends.
If you're looking to build your audience, YouTube can be a great option. But many people (like me) don't feel comfortable being on camera. If you like to write, type, or jot down your thoughts, starting a newsletter on Substack is the best way to grow your audience.
You own your audience on substack and you can take them to any platform you like. Now, what do I mean by that? If you have an audience on YouTube, they are YouTube’s audience and you're a creator on the platform. In theory, If you get kicked out of YouTube you lose your audience and you can’t get your subscribers back. But Substack doesn’t kick you out (unless you violate the community guidelines). They are a newsletter service provider and you completely own your audience.
If you already have an audience on other newsletter or blogging platforms like MailChimp or Hubspot, you can import your existing audience to Substack instead of starting from scratch. Or you can export your audience if you decide to leave.
Invitation.app:
Invitation.app is a web app for people to share their referral links and promo codes with others. You can find sign-up bonuses, coupons, promo codes, cashback apps, and earning apps listed by people just like you.
A lot of apps have referral programs for users to get rewards by inviting people. The referral programs reward both the person who invites others and the person who accepts the invite.
If you join an app using a referral link, you can get a sign-up bonus that you wouldn’t have gotten if you signed up without a referral link. Invitation.app also has links to invite-only apps that people cannot join unless they have a joining link.
Who doesn’t like cashbacks and discounts? Invitation has a lot of promo codes that you can apply to your favorite online shopping apps to get coupons. It's a nice way to save up some money when shopping online.
Invitation.app has an option called “discussion” or “blog” where people can communicate, promote themselves, discuss about apps, and share their experiences with other users.
Invitation.app has little tasks that you can complete to get “coins”. You can spend your coins to repost your existing posts to maximize visibility and get more views.
Benable:
Benable is a platform where you can create and share lists of anything. I mean anything, lists of your favorite apps, products, TV shows, movies, books, restaurants, and anything you’d like you recommend others to try.
Benable lists are full of aesthetically pleasing photos and are nice to look at. The lists are created and shared by people just like you. Creating lists on this app is very easy and takes no more than a few minutes.
You can share these lists with your friends, and family members or you can post them online. The person opening your link won’t be asked to sign up. They can view your list as soon as they click the link.
Benable is kind of like doing small-scale affiliate marketing. Users can also earn by sharing lists of their favorite things. If you’re making a list of apps or websites, Benable will automatically add affiliate links to your list. That way, whenever someone clicks on your link and makes a purchase, you a little commission. Benable takes no cut, You get to keep the full commission yourself.
If you’d like to keep track of your favorite things in private, Benable has an option to keep your lists private too.
This app is currently invite-only. So use my invite code “8RBBE” on www.benable.com or click this link to join: https://benable.com/i/8RBBE
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed reading this post and hope it was helpful. Come again next week on Friday for a ✨new post✨