Did you notice how Parler’s social media was growing a few years ago? The Parler app gained popularity as one of the first alternative social media networks.
I was always told not to talk about politics in business and I’m going to try not to in this blog post. The reason for this review is that millions were fleeing other social networks to join this alternative social media network.
And since I first wrote about it, it had become the most talked-about social media network.
Table of Contents
Parler App Down In Transition
As Parler users tried to log in they were taken to a webpage that was the email sent out to all users on April 14, 2023. It explains (as you can see below) how the new Parler ownership will be taking over.
This is the 3rd time this social network has been offline since it began back in 2021. It still remains down in mid-May 2023. However, they are still sending out sponsorship emails to users of this alternative social media network.
New Parler Ownership – April 14, 2023
According to an email sent out to Parler users:
“Starboard (Formerly, Olympic Media) announced today that it has concluded the acquisition of Parler, the world’s pioneering uncancelable free speech platform.
No reasonable person believes that a Twitter clone just for conservatives is a viable business anymore. By refocusing on the cloud and IT infrastructure space George Farmer has done an exceptional job at successfully leading Parlement into a critically important industry where it has already begun to excel.
Starboard is the perfect home for the brand and its longtime loyal users. “Parler’s large user base and additional strategic assets represent an enormous opportunity for Starboard to continue to build aggressively in our media and publishing business. The team at Parler has built an exceptional audience and we look forward to integrating that audience across all of our existing platforms,” said Ryan Coyne, CEO of Starboard.
While the Parler app as it is currently constituted will be pulled down from operation to undergo a strategic assessment, we at Starboard see tremendous opportunities across multiple sectors to continue to serve marginalized or even outright censored communities – even extending beyond domestic politics.
Advancements in AI technology, along with the existing code base and other new features, provide an opportunity for Starboard to begin servicing unsupported online communities – building a home for them away from the ad-hoc regulatory hand of platforms that hate them.
The terms of the acquisition are not being disclosed although Starboard expects the deal to be accretive by the end of Q2 2023.”
Parler Was Growing
Parler was growing by the millions since January 8th, 2021, and during 2021. But you probably didn’t hear about that with censorship of the social media network in high gear.
In fact, Parler beat out Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok in app downloads over the November 7th, 2021 weekend. Yes, the Parler app was downloaded more than any other app in the world in early November.
Since I’m in the business of social media here at Inspire To Thrive I wanted to write about it and my experiences using it.
How The Social Media Network Emerged
Everyone was fighting on Facebook and Twitter over politics. It got ugly and many wanted to gather elsewhere to converse. Many over on Twitter were getting their accounts suspended for no clear violations of any Twitter policies.
It got even uglier on the evening of January 8th, 2021. So much so that Twitter’s stock price futures went way down. And then again on January 11th, it went down over 6% that day.
Newer reports show usage for Facebook was down for the first time – in January 2021. It has not come back up in 2021 but it still is the largest of the social networks by users.
So many people upset with all the censorship had no choice but to find alternative social media networks.
Did Parler Come Back Up?
Yes, Parler came back up on February 15, 2021. I was not able to log in that day but did again on the 16th on my mobile device. Then, I requested a new password and within minutes was back up on Parler. Then, on the 18th of February 2021, I was able to log in via the desktop and it was working well.
I had my 500+ followers still there and past posts finally came back. The company archived everything for its users.
Then in April 2021, the Parler app was back on the Apple store for downloads.
On March 31, @SenMikeLee and I sent a letter demanding answers about why Apple removed Parler from the App Store.
🚨Today, we received a response: Parler will be reinstated on the App Store. Huge win for free speech. pic.twitter.com/FQBDSSSFGk
— Congressman Ken Buck (@RepKenBuck) April 19, 2021
And then this:
JUST IN – Apple confirms #Parler is allowed to return to the app store.
— Disclose.tv 🚨 (@disclosetv) April 19, 2021
Can You Log Into Parler Now?
No, with the latest Parler ownership taking over in April of 2023, the social media network is down currently. (May 14, 2023.)
What Happened To Parler’s First CEO?
February 5th the original CEO was fired from the Parler Board. You can read more here on the story. The new interim CEO Is Mark Meckler.
Mark is a former attorney and political activist. Today George Farmer was the 2nd CEO of Parler.
Amazon’s Decision
Matze has characterized the Amazon decision as “an attempt to completely remove free speech off the internet.”
The big tech companies were preventing you from downloading the app from their stores.
This is another great lesson in having your own self-hosted website and knowing who is behind your servers and hosting. Today, doing your research is more imperative than ever before!
If you are looking for other alternative social media networks, I made a video on how to use Gab for you. There are others like MeWe, Minds, Locals, and CloutHub to name just a few that have been cropping up.
What Does The Word “Parler” Mean?
Parler Means to Converse. To have conversations with others.
The word Parler in French means to converse and speak up!
Parler is a United States-based microblogging and social networking service launched in August 2018. The Parler app has a significant user base of conservatives.
Sadly, it became impossible for conservatives to converse on social media without constant fighting and being censored or banned totally.
Social media was meant to have conversations and to be social, not to be silenced.
Parler App Was Growing Rapidly
A while back Fox News host Maria Bartiromo collected more than 700,000 followers on the conservative social media platform, Parler, after saying last week that she would soon be leaving Twitter. But then Elon Musk came along and that changed her mind.
Just like Twitter had the old “fail whale” Parler has been going down in brief interludes over the past several days that weekend with so many joining the network.
How Does Parler Work?
The social networking site is similar to Twitter. You write “parleys” vs. “tweets” and you share others’ posts by “echos” vs. “re-tweets.” You can vote up each parley as you see fit just as you would on Twitter or Facebook with a like button.
One thing that is different is that Parler uses a Chronically order of parleys vs. the “algorithm” that Twitter uses. Many users like that. Many folks are getting tired of fighting algorithms.
I did a special how-to-use Parler video over on Rumble. What’s Rumble you ask? Another video social networking site that competes with YouTube.
Yes, social media is changing rapidly in the 2020s.
Similar to the other social networking sites, you can direct message people on Parler. I have not seen any spammy sales pitches on the network to date.
Of course, you may download the Parler app for your phone and use it on your desktop.
Similar to the other social networking sites, you can direct message people on Parler. #parler Share on XGetting Verified On Parler
Getting verified on Parler is easy once you show you are a real person. The Parler community is built on trust. The verification process helps to keep the bots and encourages civil discourse as Parler is growing.
Take the next step in pursuing these important values by becoming a Verified Parler Citizen. You can submit your license image to become verified today. Hence, other users will know you are real. Now, you can see my verification badge at @lisapats
Once you are verified you can send others on the Parler network direct messages. Otherwise, you can only receive them. (Thanks to my friend @Justbrenlee over on Parler.) The verification process may take a little longer with the influx of new users, be patient!
The Difference Between The Red And Gold Badges
The red badge is for verified users as described above. However, they have gold badges that are for public figures with a large following on Parler.
What’s The Difference Between Follow Or Subscribe?
On the Parler app, you can follow people just like on Twitter or Facebook. But you can also subscribe to them and just see them in the “subscribe” feed. It is similar to a Twitter list. My long-time readers here know how much I’ve loved Twitter lists.
If you hover over a user’s parley, on the upper right-hand side is a down arrow. There you will see the option to mute, block, unfollow, report, or subscribe. I’ve just discovered this feature and love it.
What Is The Character Count For A Parley?
Unlike Twitter with its 280-character count, on Parler, you can write 1,000-character count parleys. You may include images, GIFS, and memes.
You may also upload videos but there is not a live feature yet, stay tuned! Recently, I uploaded videos via the Parler app and on the desktop.
How Will Parler Make Money As It Grows?
Parler does not accept ads on their platform at the moment. Their plan is to use influencers to bring in money as opposed to using ads on their platform.
Now, I went through the process and found you will have to spend over $500 a month to qualify to run ads on the Parler app. (However, that may make it harder for smaller businesses to compete with Facebook ads and Twitter ads.)
It will be interesting to see with an interim CEO if Parler will change their advertising policies and rates going forward in 2021. Stay tuned!
Did you know Parler ads are coming? In 9 days!
— Lisapats Lisapats Tuesday, December 1, 2020
Is There An Opportunity For Marketing On Parler?
Parler ads now start out at $500. I hope they drop those entry rates for small businesses. Facebook allows you to boost posts for as little as $1.
I think once the political stuff dies down there will be some opportunity for marketing and influencers with Parler. Many other non-political types will join to see what Parler is all about as I’ve seen that happen recently.
It’s not just about politics folks, it’s about censorship, algorithms, and monetization that changes rapidly on the mainstream social media networks today. That is why Parler and other alternative social media networks are growing today.
As a matter of fact, a new one was announced by former President Trump called TRUTH Social. It has become one of the top social media alternatives in 2023.
But I find this all sad, how will people unite if they all go their own way and do not openly discuss things?
Is The Parler App Free To Use?
Some of you may be wondering if the Parler app is free, the answer is yes. It is FREE to use. You can download it from the app store or the Google play store. (Once the new Parler ownership takes over.)
Archives and Share Buttons
The parleys came down when the network was shut down. With the archives coming back I believe you will be able to see them once again soon. Interestingly, I don’t seem to lose any followers there and I haven’t been active in months. With Twitter, you gain and lose followers daily.
There is also a new Parley share button from Shareaholic or Sassy Social Shares that you can use in your share buttons. I’ve used them from time to time here on the blog.
Parler Updates
Parler now features dark mode. To turn it on or off, visit Settings > Display. Then toggle the feature on or off.
Finally, the new edit feature – you can now edit your parleys. Many Twitter users have been asking Twitter for years for an edit button and it is still not available on that social network.
And lastly, they have released the official Parler Store.
The new edit feature - you can now edit your parley's. #Parler Share on XIn Conclusion of Parler
Now, are you ready to parley with the growing millions of users over on Parler? I’d love to know your thoughts on this social media network and the Parler app that is growing in the comments below.
Furthermore, if you want a FREE Parler terms quick guide you can download a pdf here.
*For more quick tips on using Parler and other alternative social media networks, I have a Rumble channel for you. It will soon be updated once the new platform comes back online.
She has 30+ years of experience in marketing/advertising with 11 years of experience in content marketing, social media, blogging, and SEO.
You can purchase her eBook about Twitter on Amazon.
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Hello Lisa,
Thanks for this.
This is my first time of hearing about this social media platform.
Seems like they are suppressing the reach.
I will read more about it online.
Stay safe.
– Emmanuel
Hi Emmanuel. Welcome to Inspire To Thrive. Really? Parler has s been quite controversial and on the news a lot over the past several months. I’m waiting to see how many users they now have since they have come back online. Thanks for coming by and have a great day!
I logged into the new Parler with my old credentials. So far, so good. I have a question though. I can see that others have commented on posts, but when I select the comment icon, it wants me to Parley. How can I see others’ comments without having to Parley or if I want to Parley based on those comments?
Hi Mason, welcome to Inspire To Thrive. Are you on mobile or desktop? I know it works differently on each. I find it easier on the desktop. I believe if you click one more time you should see it. Let me know if that works or not. Have a great day Mason.
Hey Lisa,
Thanks for keeping us up to date Lisa. Nice to see the social media landscape is changing. I was able to log in to my Parler account yesterday. It was a little glitchy at first but appears to be working well now. My allergic reaction to centralized control is calming down, too. Most may discuss politics but more may talk blogging, kinda like a little niche that morphs.
Hi John, you are most welcome. Yes, it will be interesting to see if other niches can grow over on Parler. I heard a few accounts were censored so I’m not sure how well their return will do. Only time will tell. And there are so many more alternative social media networks out there now. I have a list of at least 12. Stay tuned as they say! Thanks for coming by and have a great day 🙂
Hi Lisa,
Good news on this front. I do not follow politics but am a keen fan of free speech. Humans should be able to say as they please because doing so is a basic human right. How people respond, react or flat out ignore to a free speaking human is THEIR intimate decision.
People who wish to speak freely continue to flock to the site. People continue to quit censored sites. Free speech 101.
Ryan
Thanks for keeping us up to date Lisa. Nice to see the social media landscape is changing. I was able to log in to my Parler account yesterday. It was a little glitchy at first but appears to be working well now. My allergic reaction to centralized control is calming down, too.
Hi Eric, nice! I could not yesterday but did early this am and could see it was pretty active. It will be interesting to see what happens to all the channels now in the coming weeks and months. I think MeWe will be the Facebook replacement and Parler the Twitter replacement, maybe? I still like Minds and Gab is pretty cool too. There are so many now. Will have to decide and limit them. Thanks for coming by Eric and make it a great day!
A great day to you as well Lisa! So far, MeWe is looking good to me to replace Facebook. Minds has matured nicely so I am back with them. Looking forward to seeing how Gab and Parler turn out. Regardless I love the diversity! More choices for all!
Desktop is now working. Linux and Firefox. Think I had the wrong password. Haha.
That’s good to know Eric. I had tried on Chrome and Brave. I haven’t used Firefox in years but will check it out. Thank you for sharing that here Eric 🙂
Hi Lisa,
Thanks so much especially for that video you have shared. You made it so user friendly to join Parler. I had joined it just before they tore it down. Now that it is back up, I’ll see you around there too.
-Donna
You are most welcome Donna. A nice surprise to see it back. Glad you had joined so you can log in today. It looks pretty active on mobile. I’ll be updating more as I learn when the desktop will be available, etc. Thanks for coming by on this one Donna! Have a good day 🙂
Hi Lisa,
this is the first time I hear of Parler, will have to check it out. I see value in becoming an early adopter on any platform.
Cheers!
Hi Nikola, I’m surprised. Parler has been in the news more and more every day now. Some call users extremists 🙂 (The same could be said for some on Twitter too) There is a lot of political discussions there now but it’s not ALL political. I am seeing a few more bloggers signing up and echoing posts. I’m Lisapats if you want to follow me. Have a great day and thanks for coming by on this one Nikola.
PS: You are right about becoming an early adopter, wish I had joined earlier to get that badge!
Thanks for the article! I joined Parler three days ago and have a goal of one hundred followers by the end of next week. Getting my account verified took one day on their end so now my profile has the red badge. Imagine the possibilities of being an early adopter of Twitter. Use hashtags with reckless abandon here to get views and engagement. There is not much going on blogging or business wise, yet. You will be a big fish in an explosively expanding pond. I highly recommend ignoring any ugly politics on there and running with it. If right leaning politics is your thing then you will love it. I am @MoreIncomeBetterLifestyle on Parler.
Hi Paul, welcome to Inspire To Thrive. To gain more followers engage in the network – comment on other posts. I’ve noticed that happened fast there this past week. Paul, I do share info about social media and tips, etc. with Parler tips mixed in with other content.
I have followed you on the Parler network. Thanks for coming by and did you notice the Parler share buttons here? One company so far offers them, more to come on that! Stay tuned and make it a great day.
Hi Lisa,
I tried Parler and found that it is not my cup of tea. There wasn’t any content there that interests me that I don’t already see on all the other social platforms I use. The first day I was there, someone said something that I found offensive (not going into any detail on that) so I decided that it wasn’t worth my time.
I hope you end up having a better experience and I look forward to hearing how things go for you.
Hi Ileane, I hear you, there is a lot of political discussions on there. But I do see other bloggers and some photographers with beautiful nature pictures on the Parler network. You can choose how to follow and which content to see. I find a lot of offensive stuff over on Twitter but I just ignore it. I refer to the lists and I’m a happy camper 🙂 So far I am and it will be interesting to see how it all plays out with all the different social media networks out there for us to choose from. I appreciate your feedback on this Ileane, you have always been one of my mentors. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day!
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for the information. I have not been to Parler. I heard unsavory things that kept me away. I heard Parler does not censor hateful content. I don’t want to read “hate speech,” so I keep away. As you and the other commenters have said, perhaps when the political rhetoric dies down, I can try Parler and enjoy the site.
Janice
Hi Janice, I respect your opinion but not everything you read about Parler is true at all. Matter of fact AOC is on Parler. So, it’s not all one-sided as I’m sure you hear.
Parker censors porn, violence, etc. I do see hateful speech everywhere on Twitter and Facebook. But everyone has a right to read everything without all this censorship being slapped on tweets and Facebook posts.
Thanks for coming by to express your opinion Janice, I appreciate that.
I do not censor comments here 🙂 Have a great day.
Hi Lisa,
I was not aware Parler censors anything, so it’s good to hear it censors porn and violence.
Janice
Hey Lisa,
First time hearing about Parler. I’m a little curious now, so I may check it out.
I don’t spend much time on social media as it is, but it’s always cool to discover new things – especially if the tone is positive (and drama-free) 🙂
Shared. Hope you are doing well and enjoying the fall weather!
Hi Dana, really? I’ve seen others come out and write about it on the same day as I as it was getting millions of new followers. Brenda encouraged me to write on it. I try to stay neutral in business but boy it’s been really tough! I do like the more positive tone there and it will be interesting to see once things die down how the Platform will evolve. I like that it is a privately-owned United States company that runs it by 2 gentlemen. Stay tuned! Thanks for coming and taking the time to comment Dana. Make it a fabulous day and I hope the storm doesn’t head your way down there!
Hi Lisa,
Excellent How To Video you have done. It sure helped me a lot because just a few days ago I joined Parler. I wanted to see what it was about as an alternative to other social media sites. I do have a good feeling about it because it is fairly new. Once all the political stuff dies down, I do feel that there will be more and more people joining.
Its pretty easy to navigate if one is used to Twitter because it is very similar. What I like about it the best is that I can choose what I want to see. If I don’t want any political “noise” I can chose friends or other interests. Feels like there is more control for the users here. I’m having fun with it already.
-Donna
Thank you Donna, I had to learn Rumble in a blink of an eye! 🙂 I agree, once all the stuff dies down somewhat it will be an alternative place for many to use. I love how it is similar to Twitter vs. Facebook. It’s quick and easy to parley and echo. I’ve been changing my notifications and colors up there to maneuver easier. I’ve already updated this post a few times as things are rapidly changing and improving on Parler. Thanks for coming by and make it a fabulous day!
Hi Lisa,
I wanted to join but they do not let me in because I do not have a mobile no. where they can text me. I did write the support, no answer yet. Many of my friends and my son are already there. I hope it will be a good place for bloggers as well. Thank you for your post with information about Parler. It will help many who want to change or explore a new platform without censorship.
Erika
Hi Erika, I’m sorry to hear that! I’m sure they will take a look at it. They grew by the millions over the weekend and yesterday thousands by the minute! So that’s probably why you haven’t heard back yet. They are working on their servers all the time and came out with updates to the app yesterday too. So be patient. If I hear a change in that I will let you know Erika. Thanks for coming by on this one and make it a great day. I appreciate your shares of the article as well. 🙂
Not to intrude on the conversation but many have had that issue. However, Parler does give the option to sign up via email as well. Lisa, you may want to Fact Check me. 😉
Hi Brenda, sorry I have to fact check you 🙂 You do need a mobile number for verification purposes on Parler.
This is the first time I hear about Parler, thank you for the concise overview! But even though this was about Parler, you’ve raised many thought provoking points, Lisa. For example that large platforms like Facebook have started to push their agenda on its users, which opens up the market to new platforms for users who want more freedom in how to express themselves.
Also it’s very interesting to see that Parler doesn’t have an algorithm in place to filter out the content for you. Me too, I would prefer a historical feed when I think about it.
I’m going to have to pay attention to these new platforms. At the very least, we could recycle our content for new social media platforms – if it takes off, we’re part of it. If not, we were able to minimize our time investment.
Hi James, you are most welcome! The mainstream media and mainstream social media folks are not talking about Parler. SO I decided it was time someone did 🙂 I think many are getting feed up on Facebook and Twitter with their agendas for sure. On November 13th there is a movement to leave those networks for Parler. I will remain for business but I’m not on them as much. Too much political bashing and foul language (that doesn’t seem to be censored!) I’m glad we have a new choice. It will be interesting to see where it all goes in 2021. Did you also notice the video was done on Rumble vs. YouTube? Thank you James for coming by and sharing over on social media too. Have a great day!
I am definitely thinking about joining Parler Lisa because as Renard said, even though the network users focus more on politics I bet ya more bloggers will join. Most may discuss politics but more may talk blogging, kinda like a little niche that morphs. We shall see. Super review. People prefer free speech on social platforms versus adhering to a specific narrative established by the heavies on Facebook and Twitter.
Ryan
Hi Ryan, it would be nice to have more bloggers over there 🙂 I like that, a super niche – that’s how it all starts. Thanks for coming by and liking the review. (and for sharing it on Twitter!) Have a great evening.
🙂 I joined Parler back in July 2020. I wanted to start a trend; one where bloggers interacted with each other and “Echoed” each other’s “Parleys”.”
At the moment, Parler is heavily saturated with politically-minded people.
I feel like the only blogger who uses Parler to promote their blog (Hopefully, that should change when marketers and bloggers decide to jump on the Parler bandwagon).
Hi Renard, I didn’t know that. I’ll have to look for you. I’m @lisapats on Parler. I’d like to see more bloggers over there. I’ve posted a few of mine the past few months too 🙂 We can start a trend, Renard. Thanks for coming by on this one and have a great rest of the day 🙂