How to make a social media app

Every one of us has at least once imagined being Mark Zuckerberg, the owner of Facebook, or owning a share of TikTok or Instagram. Back in the day, when these platforms were created, they were not popular, and it was hard to predict that they would have billions of followers. Now, let's get back to us. Isn't it worth investing in social media app development today and being successful tomorrow?
What are you missing right now? 4.8 billion users worldwide use social channels daily for hours.
Of course, investing in social media apps is a brilliant idea, but before diving into another reality, you should understand whether the public needs another social media app, what are the gaps in the industry, where you can make your value proposition, who are your users, and millions of other questions. Let’s leave these questions to business analysts and decide how to make a social media app.

The benefits of creating a social media app

The average smartphone user has 6,6 social media platforms. Today, users are open to experiments, meaning your new social media app will have followers after it is launched. Besides being one of the most leading and profitable industries (the global social media market is valued at $231.1 billion in 2023), having your own mobile applications has some other benefits.

• Enhanced Connectivity: Establish direct and meaningful connections with your target audience, fostering a sense of community and loyalty.
• Amplified Brand Exposure: Leverage the viral nature of social media to expand your brand's reach and increase visibility.
• Unparalleled Customer Insights: Gain valuable data and insights into customer behavior, preferences, and trends, enabling targeted marketing campaigns and personalized experiences.
• Monetization Opportunities: Generate revenue through advertising, in-app purchases, sponsored content, or subscription models.

Must-have features for your social media app

Modern social media apps that have had a long journey and already gained millions of followers have updated their applications many times, and this process is continuous. The bar is too high. It means your application should have all the features users are already used to and include some unique ones as a selling point for the app. The MVP for social media applications can be pretty complicated, so stick to these must-have features to test the market.
User profiles and authentication: Everything starts with a user profile. Enable creating personalized profiles and securely authenticating identities.
News feed and content sharing: Facilitate seamless sharing of text, images, videos, and other multimedia content to engage users and keep them interacting with the app as much as possible.
Social interactions: No one likes to be alone. Implement commenting, liking, sharing, and tagging to foster engagement and virality. The more users communicate, the faster the network will grow.
Real-time messaging: Enable users to connect and communicate with each other through private messaging or group chats.
Notifications: Keep users engaged and informed with push notifications for updates, new content, and social interactions. Don’t overdo it with notifications, and give a user a feature to customize push notifications.
Advanced search: Enhance the user experience by providing robust search features for discovering relevant content and users. Add voice search for additional functionality, or leave it for the next iteration.
File uploads: Depending on your social media app type, it can have a file upload feature to upload photos, videos, or any other file and share it within its network.
Privacy settings and data protection: Prioritize user privacy and data security by implementing privacy settings and complying with regulatory standards.
3rd-party social network integration: To give more flexibility and connection to the users, the app can have the feature to increase content sharing.
These are all client-side features. Of course, you will need an admin panel, analytics, moderation tools, and more for a fully functioning application.

How to make a social media app: a step-by-step guide

To ensure your app's success, it's crucial to follow a well-defined step-by-step guide to developing an app. Of course, this is just a rough guide to the process an application goes through. It takes months of teamwork to take a project from ideation to implementation.

Step 1: Identify your app's purpose and target audience
Any product or service is created for a purpose. Before stepping into a complicated and resource-consuming development process, define product use cases, reveal user personas' problems and ways your app can solve them. The more detailed the use cases, the higher the chances are to define the problems and create solutions with your app. Also, clearly articulate your app's unique selling proposition that will differentiate your product in the niche market.

Step 2: Craft a solid app strategy
Your strategy can be based on product use cases, market research, or target audience objectives. If you allocate and focus on any of these strategies, the result will be incomplete. A solid app strategy means a diversified and complex approach to strategy development, starting with identifying users and their needs, competitor analysis, and monetization strategy development. You may know your product best, but only a team of marketers can help you identify product-market fit.

Step 3: Choose a revenue model
Consider these options:

• Advertising: Offer advertising opportunities within your app, leveraging targeted user data.
• In-App Purchases: Give users the option to purchase virtual goods, premium features, or additional content.
• Subscription Plans: Offer different tiers of subscriptions, granting users access to exclusive features or content.

Step 4: Decide on Social Media App Type
This is probably the first step, or Step 0, that comes before everything. The type of application should be aligned with your objectives and target audience. Some common types include:

• Networking platforms
• Media sharing apps
• Community forums
• Consumer review networks
• Microblogging
• Dating apps
• Interest-based networks

Step 5: Identify Mobile App Features
We have already discussed must-have features to be included in your MVP. Even if we say that an MVP should be simple to market faster, it still needs to bring value to the users. The features are identified based on the previous steps, such as target audience needs, application type, and revenue model.

Step 6: Choose Development Options and Tech Stack
To develop a mobile app, you have several options.

• Freelance developers: To handle the project, you will have to hire about 20 freelance specialists (not only developers). This is time-consuming and has lots of communication challenges.
• Custom app builder: This may be a cheaper option, but don’t expect to get a unique product.
• In-house team: If you already have a team, this is the best option, but if you have to hire one, be ready to pay the bill.
• Outsourcing the project: So far, the most effective way is to find a team with the expertise and skills to handle the project.

Additionally, select the appropriate tech stack that aligns with your app's requirements, scalability, and future growth.

Step 7: Design, Develop, and Test
This stage involves transforming your ideas into a tangible product. Follow these steps:

• Design: Create an appealing and intuitive user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design.
• Prototyping: Develop interactive prototypes to test and refine your app's functionality and flow.
• Development: Build the back-end infrastructure and front-end components.
• Testing: Conduct testing to ensure your app is bug-free, stable, and delivers a seamless user experience.

Step 8: Market Your Application
With the final testing complete, it's time to spread the word and attract users. Consider these marketing strategies:

• App Store Optimization: Optimize your app's listing with relevant keywords, compelling descriptions, and eye-catching visuals.
• Content Marketing: Create engaging content, such as blog posts or videos, to promote your app and educate potential users.
• Influencer Marketing: Collaborate with influencers or industry experts to showcase your app and gain exposure.
• Social Media Advertising: Utilize targeted ads on popular social media platforms to reach your desired audience.

Step 9: Measure, Analyze, Improve
You are never done with application development. After launching your social media app, gather feedback, measure key metrics, and continuously improve the user experience. Monitor user engagement, retention rates, and user feedback to identify areas for enhancement and implement updates regularly.

How much does it cost to make a social media app?

The answer to this question is hidden in each of the steps and aspects we have discussed so far. The cost to develop a social media app may vary from $30.000 to $250.000 based on numerous factors: app complexity, features, platforms, and development approach. Also, decide on the app platform: iOS, Android, or both. Remember that each new decision brings cost changes.

How to Make a Social Media App: Conclusion

Investing in social media app development is a strategic decision that can propel your business to new heights. If you start by understanding the benefits of having a similar app, decide on must-have features, create a solid strategy, follow the step-by-step guide, and consider the cost factors, you're well-positioned to embark on this transformative journey.