What is Yik Yak? Well, it’s a one year old social network that allows you to talk to nearby people. You post anonymously and engage with people over a 10-mile radius or closer. This is tremendously powerful. You can leverage nearby people to solve a wide variety of problems. For example, you can ask local questions, figure out which are the best brands or places in real-time or make new friends in your area. So you can think of Yik Yak as a real-time craigslist. Getting on Yik Yak allows you to experience the future of social networks right now. While also exploring the mindset of a new generation that has different habits and priorities. All for free!!

This anonymous social media network is taking over college campuses (Time Magazine)

In a Times Magazine article, co-founder Tyler Droll said “You can think of it as a local, anonymous Twitter or a local virtual bulletin board,” a clear description of not only the app but of the future of social networks.  You see, the power of social networks increases dramatically with its relevance. And location is an incredibly powerful proxy for relevance. To compound the value of this network we have to add anonymity which is a proxy for openness and sincere conversations. When you add curation into the mix to filter inappropriate and irrelevant messages you get a powerful result: networked locations. Sadly, most web developers still don’t fully grasp the power of location.

While users can only post and vote on yaks in their current geographic area, anyone can “peek” at another location around the world.  In that way, the app functions a bit like a referendum on a specific area’s youth culture. What are the kids talking about?  – Slate Magazine

Are you in marketing and want to discover new trends? Get on YikYak. Are you a web developer who needs new ideas for products and services? Open your account and chat with teenagers. Forget about Snapchat. This is the new new thing. It’s not a new app, its a paradigm shift. After years of research in the hyperlocal space, I can tell you what I expect will change and why. And this app is the first of many that will change our digital habits forever:

– Marketers will gain real-time insights on preferences on a zipcode-by-zipcode basis

– Communities will soon reintegrate

– Locally generated coupons will be “a thing” in a handful of years

– Real-time offers will be “a thing” in a handful of years

– Yik Yak-like apps will redefine grassroots movements

– Due to their immediacy, smartwatch apps will be defined by hyperlocal ecosystems

A true revolution is upon us and a lot will change as a result of these new apps. Teens are starting to see what we need to wake up to: location matters, and nearby individuals can make a big difference on our life.