How to Make a Social Media App? Must-have Features & Costs

Social media app development has already taken over a large portion of our lives and the app market, and their number continues to rise. In 2020, the global social penetration rate reached 49 percent, with East Asia and North America having the highest penetration rate at 71 and 69 percent respectively, followed by Northern Europe at 67 percent With the growing number of smartphone users worldwide, new opportunities for social media app development with more advanced features have emerged. With the growing number of smartphone users worldwide, new opportunities for social media app development, featuring more advanced functionalities, have emerged.

To say that social media is a global phenomenon is almost an understatement, as the number of worldwide social network users is expected to grow from 3.6 billion in 2020 to around 4.4 billion in 2025, around a third of the entire global population.

As a result, many entrepreneurs can’t pass up the opportunity to participate in the booming market and are considering social media app development for new platforms. Follow us as we will show you how to make a social media app in this article.

1. Understanding Social Media & Social Media Apps Market

“Social media are interactive technologies that allow the creation or sharing/exchange of information, ideas, career interests, and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks.” While challenges to the definition of social media app development arise due to the broad variety of stand-alone and built-in social media services currently available, there are some common features:

• Interactive Web 2.0 Internet-based applications.
• User-generated content—such as text posts or comments, digital photos or videos, and data generated through all online interactions—is the lifeblood of social media app development.
• Users create service-specific profiles for the website or app that are designed and maintained by the social media organization.
• Social media app development helps the development of online social networks by connecting a user’s profile with those of other individuals or groups.” – Wikipedia

The term “social media app development” refers to how people interact in virtual communities and networks by creating, sharing, and/or exchanging information and ideas.

With a user base of 4.48 billion social media users worldwide in 2021, social media app development has become one of the largest industries. You can definitely find your niche with such a large user base. The most exciting aspect is that the number of users grows year after year, with a steady 13.1 percent increase in the user base. If the percentages don’t impress you, consider this: 16 new social media users are added every second.

This industry can also boast of audience retention. Users spend an average of two and a half hours per day on social media, and 99 percent of this time is spent using social media apps (Source: Digital Information World, Average Time Spent on Social Media). This is a rapidly expanding sector with a large user base, and the trend is unlikely to reverse in the coming years.

2. Types of Social Media Apps

Let’s start by defining the different types of social media apps. This will assist you in determining which niche to enter and what major competitors await you there. The following are the most common types of social media apps to be aware of:

• Social Network Apps: Used to connect and communicate with others (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn).

• Media Sharing Networks: Apps like Instagram and Snapchat allow users to share media files (photos, videos, etc.).

• Consumer Review Networks: These social media apps help customers find and review businesses (e.g., Yelp).

• Community and Discussion Forums: Platforms like Quora and Reddit are great for posing questions and sharing ideas.

• Bookmarking and Content Curation Networks: Users can discover and save content (Pinterest, Flipboard).

• Blogging and Publishing Platforms: Allow users to create blogs and post content (Tumblr, Medium).

• Interest-Based Networks: Connect people with similar interests (Goodreads, Last.fm).

• Anonymous Social Networks: Platforms like Whisper allow users to communicate anonymously.

As you can see, social media app development comes in various forms. Understanding these categories is important for establishing the key features that your app should possess.

3. Social Media App Development – Basic Features to focus on

To calculate the app development cost of social media app development, you need to consider the necessary features, as they significantly affect the price. Two main types of features exist: Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and advanced features.

MVP features are basic functions that fulfill user expectations and provide an appropriate user experience. Launching an MVP version of the social media app allows you to gather feedback before further investment. This understanding is crucial for identifying which features need improvement.

3.1. Sign up

You should offer users several registration options. For example, you can integrate such options as email and password, phone number, and password. Adding the ‘Forgot password’ feature is necessary to make a social media app more user-friendly. In the case of technologies, developers can use Facebook or Google SDK. It’s also possible to choose between signup via phone number or SMS verification.

3.2. User profile

Depending on a social app type, you should let users create various profiles. This screen should have such options as contacting other users and viewing their media files or posts. A thoughtful profile can make customers subscribe, so you need to consider user experience and page layout.

3.3. Search

Users need a comfortable search bar to find friends or bloggers to follow. For example, make it possible to search by tags, user names, and location.

3.4. Newsfeed

This feature helps users stay tuned. All updates and new information from friends and communities are located here. It’s possible to integrate this feature as Instagram did. In this case, the news feed becomes a home screen of the social media app.

3.5. Chat

How to create a social media app and not fail? It’s required to add a convenient chat feature. Sending messages, photos, or video files is vital for any social network. It’s possible to integrate group chats and channels to let users chat with two users. It’s common to use socket.io to develop scalable chats.

3.6. Add post

Such social media apps as Instagram or Facebook offer to create posts with different content (photo, video, or text). So, users need to have an opportunity to add photos or videos from the gallery or take pictures with a smartphone camera. After that, they can create a short description and post it on social media.

3.7. Push notifications

There are various push notifications users can get like a new pоst from the community they are subscribed to, a new message, a reaction or comment to their post, etc. Push notifications are suitable for user engagement, and developers choose FCM to develop push notifications.

4. Social Media App Development

4.1. Social Networking App Basic Guidelines

Nowadays, all social media apps should follow these simple guidelines:

• Use blue shades because this color isn’t considered obnoxious.
• On every screen where they are required, use the same navigation bar with search functions, notifications, and a profile icon.
• For users to feel comfortable using the app on their device, the entire design of the app should be adapted to a specific platform (there are design guidelines for iOS and Android). At the same time, your app’s key features should be consistent across all platforms. If a user switches from iOS to Android or vice versa, it is necessary to ensure a consistent user experience and feel.
• To make the user experience similar on any device, a smooth transition from a web app design to a mobile app design is required.
• Round profile images help to focus on a user’s face, making it easier to remember or distinguish them from the crowd.
• Posts can be scrolled indefinitely.
• Simplicity in design and a focus on user content
• Possibility of expressing oneself through design (custom opportunities like changing a profile picture, cover image, or even profile colors)
• Users and relevant content can be found easily.
• Quick sign in or app entry without registration in the early stages to allow users to learn more about your product.

4.2 Features of Social Media App Development

Even though every case is different and every social media app should have at least one unique feature to set itself apart from its competitors, there are a few essential functions that every social media app must-have. The following is a list of features that are recommended for creating a basic social media app:

5. How Much Does It Cost To Build A Social Media App

When considering how much it costs to build a social media app, keep in mind that these are just estimates. Trying a lean approach, creating an MVP, can save significant money. Seeking professional advice from mobile app development companies is recommended for tailored insights into your social media app development.

6. Social Media App Development Company

Even if you have a clear vision for your social media app development, the process will not be quick or easy. Major social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook took time to grow and thrive. Our team specializes in social media app development, offering expertise from concepts to execution.

Among our projects is Wanna Train, a fitness platform designed for tracking workouts and connecting with trainers. Available on both Android and iOS, Wanna Train presents core features and a user-friendly experience. Check our case study on Behance and explore links to download the app on Google Play or App Store.

By concentrating on social media app development, you position yourself to thrive in a dynamic and ever-growing industry. Adapting to user needs and trends is crucial for success in this competitive arena. If you consider adding features like Location Based App Development, it can lead to innovative opportunities to enhance user engagement further.

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