Unfold, the social media startup acquired by Squarespace last year, is launching a new tool for users to share all the links that are important to them.
\nThis is the first step Unfold has taken beyond its story-format authoring tools. Co-founder Andy McCune told me that the team has a bigger vision now \u2014 just as Squarespace has become \u201cthe all-in-one platform for your web presence,\u201d Unfold aims to become \u201cthe all-in-one platform for your social presence.\u201d
\n\u201cWe\u2019re both playing in very saturated spaces with a lot of competitors,\u201d McCune said. \u201cWe both stand out because we appeal to the person that cares about design. That\u2019s always been the North Star.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the case of the new Bio Sites, he said one of the goals is to help Unfold users \u2014 whether they\u2019re individuals or large brands \u2014 become less reliant on a single social media platform. After all, he noted that when you build a following on Instagram, you\u2019re building on \u201cborrowed territory,\u201d and \u201cyou don\u2019t really own your audience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Image Credits: Unfold<\/p>\n
By creating a simple profile that highlights the links of your choice, then by linking your Instagram and other social profiles to your Bio Site, you can then point audiences to other channels where you have more control \u2014 or at least diversify the platforms that you\u2019re relying on.
\nMcCune and his co-founder Alfonso Cobo aren\u2019t the first ones to think of this idea. For example, Linktree raised funding earlier this year, and there are other startups creating similar products. But Cobo said Bio Sites benefit from Unfold\u2019s design-centric approach, allowing users to create simple profiles that aren\u2019t just functional, but also look great and reflect their personality.
\nCobo also noted that Bio Sites are created from the Unfold native app \u2014 it\u2019s launching on Android today, with plans for iOS in January. The feature will be available to all Unfold users, including free users, but subscribers to the premium Unfold+ and Unfold for Brands tiers get additional features like custom URLs.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re really going to be expanding in the next few weeks with presence and expressibility tools to help users stand out in different ways,\u201d Cobo said. \u201cWe\u2019re also very interested in commerce and will be exploring that route in the future, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Squarespace acquires social media authoring startup Unfold<\/p>\n