Learn how to build a quality social media app and determine what you need to make your solution profitable.
How to Make a Social Media App: From Idea to Launch
Social networks play an important role in the daily lives of most people in the world. Many people use them in different ways: some just post and share their stories, others actively use them for business. Either way, life already seems impossible without getting online and spending your time on social media platforms. Considering the fact that a new software solution can become a profitable project, we decided to find out how to develop a social media app - list of top social application development companies.
This article is for (future) business owners to realize themselves in the app development area to the fullest and avoid mistakes. We will cover the phases in app development, required to build a quality solution, as well as the features, tech trends, prices, timing, launch, and other aspects related to this field.
Is It Challenging to Create a Social Network App?
Making a social media app is nothing easy. The procedure requires large investments and efforts from the idea creators and the team that will implement the product. After all, the whole process, from idea to app launch, and promotion strategy development requires enormous concentration and expertise in technical issues. However, another way can be found on the Internet, which is shorter and not so complicated. We're talking about clone scripts, which can be used to develop applications similar to those of media giants.
Nevertheless, many experts will tell you that clone app development is not the best idea, just creating a social network app via an app builder. Such solutions usually have limited functionality and security issues, which negatively affect their performance. Thus, if you intend to get a quality solution and make a profit in the future, you should approach this question with care.
How Social Media Apps Work and What Aspects Affect Success
Social media apps work according to a clear algorithm with a specific set of math rules for each option. How to design a social media app with its own unique algorithm? It all depends on the chosen concept. For instance, it's networking for LinkedIn and user engagement + content popularity for Instagram.
Exclusive opportunities are essential but not the most significant. A team of developers always plays a huge role along with preparatory measures taken, i.e. market research, tech stack, and many other things that affect the final outcome. Pre- and post-release promotion is also crucial, but first things first.
If you want to make a social media app like Facebook, you don't need to poach the audience of that app. However, working with a target audience, refusing to use the service, and identifying the reasons for refusal is the right idea. This way, you can create a similar project with an improved concept.
Why You Should Design a Social Media App?
We all realize how urgent social media apps are in today's world, especially with the ongoing pandemic. Even with severe competition in the market, you can still find your niche and introduce your thoughts. With that said, there are several reasons why to start making a social media app as follows:
No rules or limitations. Customized apps allow you to build direct connections without intermediaries. You are now not restricted by any rules - create your own;
Manage your data for your own purposes. When you have your own social media app, you will get valuable information about your potential and existing customers without having to pay extra for it. All you have to do is add the right functionality to your app, which will allow you to obtain the necessary customer data and track their behavior;
Implementing innovation. Once you make a social media platform, you can do anything. For example, allow users to post with no character limitations;
Unique features. With custom app development, you can add the necessary options to your solution that seem attractive and profitable;
Advance preparation. It is a process that requires attention and understanding of many aspects. As such, you will need to pick the right team of specialists, designers, and marketers to develop a quality product, promote it, and ensure its steady growth.
Types of Social Media Apps
Each social media network is designed for specific purposes as follows: Communication. The traditional format we use most often. Think of Facebook and its success that pushes business people to ask how to develop a successful social media app;
Media content sharing. More photos, videos, various filters, and effects make this type of solution attractive to the new generation;
Feedback and reviews. Help users make wise buying decisions, share their opinions about products, services, and firms. Surely you have searched for reviews about this or that product on a certain platform in the past, haven't you?
Discussion. These are also called "discussion forums" where users share their experiences and knowledge, which leads to discussions;
Notes. This is about microblogging where you can share both text and media content. Twitter can be a prime example of such a platform;
Bookmarking. To understand how it works and how you can build a social media app for bookmarking, you should study how Pinterest works;
Niche. You can find a social media platform for cat lovers or one for vegetarians.
The last type of platform has more chances to enter the market and succeed. This is due to the fact that there is less competition for such development types, and it's easier to attract and retain an audience.
Social Media App Value
The development of the architecture and design of a social media platform doesn't start with a set of tools and features, but with the definition of value. The latter will allow you to realize the concept of your platform and its options.
The value is established by identifying and studying your target audience. Once you have the information, you will understand the message of your product and what problems it will solve. Additionally, once the core value is defined, you will also know how to create a social media app, and hence move on to the next step - app features and development tools.
Social Media App Functions
Each mobile solution is designed for specific business objectives and audiences. Therefore, your set of functions should be carefully chosen considering the interests/needs of your TA and your business goals. This is, however, more about additional features - what's important is that each app should have a basic set of options.
Thus, a basic set of options usually covers the following points:
Registration/Login windows. You want to connect your app's login to email and phone number or other social networks to simplify the registration procedure;
Personal profile. Let those who will be using your service show their individuality by allowing them to customize their account the way they want, Brands will especially appreciate this;
Newsfeed. If the concept of making a social media app involves sharing photos, videos, and text messages, then you want to create a convenient and functional news feed for your app users;
Chat. This function is virtually the backbone of almost any app. Users will appreciate it if they can not only send text messages but also share videos, images, and voice messages. Moreover, you may create your own sticker packs and emojis;
Search. Finding content that you like will definitely be a good way to retain your existing users. Create a visible search box in your app that will be easy to find and use.
Apart from the above, when thinking about how to build a social network app, keep in mind that it should be handy for the administrator/owner (and his/her team of experts). Thus, you want to add administrative options like analytics (to track and collect data about app users), an administrative panel (to manage the app), and monetization (to make the app profitable).
Moreover, don't forget about push notifications to engage the target audience and bring back those who "forgot" about the service.
Additional Functionality
An app that only has a basic set of options is unlikely to attract the attention of many users. If your solution stands out in the marketplace with an attractive feature that is useful to your TA, there's every chance your solution will become and remain popular for years.
Companies that create strategies and work on how to make a social network website for brands, consider a number of features when setting goals and objectives. As a result, they can offer a lot of solutions that will become profitable. What could these be? Augmented reality, unique filters, AI-based chatbots, extraordinary design elements, etc. - it all depends on the type of the TA and its preferences.
Tech Stack
To launch an exceptional mobile app that stands out in the marketplace, choosing a technology stack is the #1 challenge. Companies and their experts, who know how to set up a social media app for Android or for iOS, will help in this matter.
The choice of technology is influenced by the structure, functions, and design of the app. The key components here are a programming language, a set of tools, frameworks, and combinations of software solutions. The right technologies form the best interface and server-side. Here are some of the components that developers use:
Phyton. A universal programming language;
Xcode. A toolkit that helps you build an app without writing code;
Ruby on Rails. A free framework that simplifies the process of creating complex apps.
Ways to Implement an Idea
You can take the easy way and implement your idea in several days via an app builder. An alternative option is to use the services of a professional app development agency, however, if your budget is limited, this might not seem so tempting.
App builders allow you to quickly create your product and launch it on the market. The availability of various templates also accelerates the process. In addition, the cost of services here is much lower compared to app development agencies. The drawback is that solutions created with the help of app builders often have poor performance, a limited number of functions, and an unattractive visual appearance.
Companies that offer unique solution development know how to create and launch a social media app with maximum business value. Such service providers offer both native and cross-platform solutions.
Native solutions include products that work on a specific platform, and the second option is more universal.
At app development organizations, teams of experts (marketers, developers, designers, SEO specialists, etc.) work on individual solutions. Their services are much more expensive, and the average implementation time is 3-4 months. However, in the end, the client gets a quality solution that is unique in every way and has great chances to succeed.
Social Media App Development Stages
Let's consider how to launch a social media app like Instagram step by step.
There are 7 main stages:
Research & Analysis;
Tech Requirements Spec Document;
Prototyping;
Testing;
Launch;
Tech Support.
Each step is crucial if you want to get the expected results. Excluding one can break the chain in the sequence, which will lead to the inefficiency of subsequent actions. For instance, the tech requirements spec document can never be written without proper analytics and research. Without information about the target audience, market, and competitors, the chance to obtain a quality product is reduced to zero.
Next come prototyping and design. Before creating a social media app, specialists work on the visual part and think through the interaction between the elements. The prototyping stage helps identify inconsistencies before the development process and eliminate them.
Testing is the procedure for finding bugs in the app. This also includes the Stabilization sub-stage, which involves bug fixing.
Once launched, the app needs professional tech support to ensure its optimal performance. Post-release assistance will be relevant when the project begins to evolve and new features need to be added.
Do You Need to Create an MVP?
Experience shows that many startups who wanted to create a social network and skipped doing research turned out to be useless due to the lack of market demand.
MVP refers to a strategically important tool that helps test working hypotheses and get feedback from potential customers.
The main purpose of an MVP is to reduce the time and effort spent on testing the idea before getting to full-fledged product development. The order of creating a minimum viable product is as follows:
Problem definition. Every product must solve a specific problem. Therefore, you want to answer the following question: "Why should people download my app?";
Narrow target audience. An MVP for a wide audience is a difficult task since in most cases, the business will get a lot of contradictory feedback. Hence, you want to narrow your target audience by creating a profile of your perfect user before showing the prototype to anyone;
Competitive market analysis. Research the market for competitors, identify their strengths and weaknesses, determine opportunities and risks;
Customer map should be constructed according to the "short, simple, convenient" principle;
Key features. You should not overload your solution with a large number of options - simply highlight the main functions of your app, which will solve the main problem.
After passing all the phases, the development method is chosen. Your products are tested by QA specialists and if everything is fine, the app is launched for a narrow group of consumers.
Once a few weeks pass, you will have to collect feedback and analyze it to understand how to create a quality social media app in a full-fledged format.
Do You Need a Website for a Social Media App?
A website allows you to reach more users. Popular apps all have web versions. The exception may be a solution designed for people who will exclusively use its mobile version.
A website can be launched even before social networking app development starts, to prepare and introduce potential users to the future product. This is where collecting user emails will be a good idea for further email marketing campaigns.
With the help of a website, projects are tested to estimate the possible demand via Google Analytics to understand where the client comes from and how he/she interacts with the resource.
To make your website bring positive results, its development should also be taken seriously. Make sure it’s optimized for all devices, its navigation is user-friendly, and all the buttons function properly.
How to Monetize a Ready-to-Use Solution
In well-known app stores, you can download various services for free. Developers get paid for their solutions through monetization.
There are several ways to make your product profitable. When considering the options, keep in mind that not each of them will suit you.
When it comes to social media apps, we can take a shortcut and consider monetizing on similar solutions as follows:
Paid subscriptions;
Physical/virtual product sales;
Advertising or paid sponsorship;
Notifications;
Paid events & activities.
How to Develop a Social Media App and Promote It
Without a proper marketing strategy, the work of programmers, designers, and other specialists will be in vain. Promotion is a costly part of any project but it helps make the solution popular in the market among the right people.
Inexpensive tools of promotion include banner advertising on the website and brochures with QR codes. You can also notify people about your new service via posts on social networks.
A relevant and effective method after starting a social media app is email marketing. Provided you already have a base of users who are interested in the app. In this case, marketers recommend launching a weekly newsletter with a message about the main features and special offers of the service.
Content marketing fits those who have a website. Here, promotion can be done by SEO experts. They can optimize website content, including text, images, videos, and more.
Tools with a large advertising budget include media and contextual advertising, which will help attract an audience that does not yet know about the app.
Targeted advertising can be run on existing social networks. Its effectiveness lies in maximum personalization and adapting to a specific audience. This category of tools includes posting promotional posts by famous bloggers, which allows you to build credibility with your audience.
The Cost of Launching a Social Media App
In Europe, development services are estimated at $80-100 per hour. In the U.S., the figure can exceed $250 per hour, in India - up to $80 per hour. The entire project may cost a business anywhere from $7,000 to $100,000.
If we look at the price from the complexity perspective, then the pricing will be as follows:
Basic solution. Features: a few basic tools, simple design, development up to 2 months. Price: from $3,000;
Medium solution. Features: more functions, more complicated design, requires more experience from specialists, development time from 3 months. Price: from $5,000;
Complex solution. Features: more teams working on the project, sometimes, the parallel programming method is used, development time from 5 months. Price: from $10 000.
The cost of development is calculated individually, considering the platform, app logic, design, speed of operation, innovation of solutions, the number of people in the team, and much more.
Social Network App: Additional Costs
When it comes to app development, additional expenses usually include admin panel development, as well as design elements, and post-launch promotion activities.
An admin panel is the control center of the app. With its help, the owner or administrator manages the functions and features. Moreover, the tool allows tracking user behavior in the app.
The success of the app is also tracked through the admin panel. For example, you can see how often users download your app via the CPI indicator and calculate the cost of attracting a customer (CAC). What is more, you can also see how many active users are in the app, their level of engagement, etc.
Design also requires impressive investments, as its quality determines how successful the product will be in the first place. If the visual part of the service does not satisfy your TA, most likely, users will stop using it. Therefore, it's crucial to turn to experienced specialists who will consider all the details of your TA and the needs of your business.
After the release, the app has to be promoted to increase the audience. The more competent the marketing strategy, the faster the project will pay off.
How to Start a Social Media App and Avoid Mistakes
The desire to become the owner of a powerful, unique, and popular project appears in most entrepreneurs’ minds. But very few talk about their mistakes. Some people do not see the value of their product or don't spend enough time studying the market and the audience. Some try to create and promote the product on their own without having any expertise. Some have poor design or create an application for a single platform. They don't test hypotheses, ignore optimization, and have no idea how to develop proper promotional strategies.
To avoid mistakes, consider everything in advance and create an implementation plan. Then turn to the right agency that really knows how to build a social media app to reach the market and make a profit. To get more benefits - follow hot trends.
Social Media App Trends
It's the duty of every business owner to follow trends. If the business works in conjunction with technology, you need to always be "in the know." Every year, popular social networks showcase new features and capabilities that engage and attract more audiences.
To keep up and successfully build a social media app/website like Facebook, let's look at what has recently become relevant and affordable:
Video. Short videos (e.g., YouTube Shorts) have become especially relevant these days. If less than 1 minute, then they are more likely to be viewed in full. Live streaming is also relevant;
E-commerce. Social media should be suitable for sales, as users in the last few years have become active in making purchases through e-commerce apps;
VR. You might want to pay attention to metaverses. Some media giants are trying to capture the market in this direction and allow users to create their own new and amazing worlds;
AI. such technologies include chatbots, in-app recommendations, improved searches, forecast marketing, and top-notch data-centric services.
Conclusion
Making a social media app can be a troublesome project, especially for those who have never developed any product before. It requires knowledge of marketing, promotion, psychology, programming, design, and more. Probably, it will be difficult to keep so much knowledge in one head. That's why we recommend you to hire a team of experts that will be able to implement your idea fast and efficiently, stage by stage.
We hope that this article was useful for you. The only thing that remains is to wish you good luck in realizing your plans and ideas. With that said, we wish you to find the best company that will deliver an outstanding solution in every sense.
FAQ
How much do you need to know before starting a social network app?
For an owner who plans to monitor the development process - how to choose a team, understand basic principles of creating an app, as well as marketing and business planning basics.
How much does it cost to create a social media app?
Prices of specialized companies depend a lot on the region of the agency, its experience, as well as the required app features and overall complexity of the project. On average, the prices range from $10,000 to $100,000.
How to create your own social media network?
You can hire a team of specialists who will help you with the concept and its implementation. There are also app builders, which you can use to create your own app.
How to make money with social media networks?
You want to implement monetization to make your application generate income. An equally important aspect of making a profit is promotion, which will help attract more potential customers.
