How to Build a Social Media App & Its Costing?

Social Media Apps Market Prospects

Is another social media app required for the general public? 

When the startup founders discussed the idea of creating one, this was one of the burning questions on their minds.

TikTok appears to have answered with a resounding yes. The rapidly expanding app has more than 800 million users worldwide and shows no signs of slowing down.

With more than 2.4 billion active users in 2020, Facebook continues to lead the pack, which also includes the following:

• Instagram
• Snapchat
• Linkedin
• Twitter

Naturally, high engagement levels lead to increased revenue from advertising and other sources. Facebook’s annual revenue in 2019 was $70.7 billion, a new high for the social media giant.

Judging by how profitable the social media industry can be, it’s only natural that more startups are jumping in. However, not all social media apps are a huge success. Many struggled to get even a sliver of Facebook’s traffic.

Often, social media apps fail to appeal to the general public because they lack clear points of differentiation from the established social media platforms.

Here are some ideas for how startups can create a better social media app from the ground up.

Types of Social Media Apps

People are always exploring new ways to communicate that are both innovative and enjoyable. The variety they seek can be found in social media apps, as there is always a new app to meet the needs of different users. Let’s learn about the various social media app categories-

• Media Sharing Networks

Social media apps such as YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat fall into this category because these networks are prone to providing various types of sharing content. These platforms enable millions of users to share their videos, photos, and live videos. There is now a thin line between media sharing and social networks, as the popular app Facebook has also added a media sharing feature.

• Content Sharing Networks

Social media app developers are highly demanding to create business-oriented content-sharing networks such as Flipboard and Pinterest. These are also known as bookmarking apps because they allow users to save and manage various links to various online resources or websites. 

Users can organize these links into multiple folders based on their preferred topic. There are also some fantastic social media app features. Pinterest, for example, allows users to post images to their feed and allow others to download them if they wish. It is well-known for the clarity and creativity of its images.

• Discussion Groups

Experts and professionals who want to learn about various topics prefer apps like Quora and Reddit. These forums assist them in their search for the necessary information. Users can ask questions, start discussions, and receive responses from other app users.

• Blogging and Publishing Networks

Blog publishing networks such as Medium and WordPress are used by experts in writing or who enjoys writing on various topics. After writing, bloggers require such apps that can edit their content and make it worth reading.

• Consumer Reviews Networks

Apps like TripAdvisor and Yelp are explicitly designed for users who enjoy sharing their opinions about various products, services, brands, or locations. These platforms help attract new customers to your business by providing positive feedback. Organizations and businesses can also improve their services based on client feedback. Some users also leave reviews about various places, hotels, and restaurants, helping visitors to learn more about them.

Read More: Top React Native App Ideas for Your Start-up

How Do Social Media Apps Make Money?

Have you ever thought – How do you intend to monetize a social media app? 

It is critical that you know the answer before you begin writing a product specification. Finally, your monetization strategy will be determined by the type of social media app development, user age, income, and other demographics.

The main social media monetization models are as follows:

• Promotions and Advertisements

The app is free for users, but you earn money by running ads per view or click. The ads are chosen based on the gender, age, and interests people reveal in their profiles.

The core key to making this model work is to keep advertisements from becoming too irritating or irrelevant. The broader your user base, the more money you can make from advertising. This type of monetization is used successfully by Facebook and YouTube.

• Virtual items

Consider introducing in-app purchases if you want to learn how to build a profitable social media app. Although the application is free to use, some features are not.

This model is best suited for gaming networks like Steam and Discord. You can charge for virtual goods, gifts, weapons, and avatars.

• Freemium model

The freemium model consists of free services for everyone and advanced options for those willing to pay. Flickr and LinkedIn are two examples.

You can also use a hybrid strategy, such as freemium and advertising models to make your social network profitable.

How to Create a Social Media App?

The process of social media application development for Android and iOS platforms must include the following important aspects:

Step 1: Market Research and Strategy Development

Market research and competitive analysis are required in the first step. You can assess current demand and create a picture of your target audiences and market. To achieve market success quickly, you can create performance metrics that you must meet within a certain time frame. All of these will assist you in working for a specific niche in addition to social media app development.

Understanding your weaknesses and strengths will enable you to confidently enter the market. You can also conduct a PESTLE or SWOT analysis to learn everything there is to know about your competitors.

Step 2: App Designing

Before you begin the app design process, you should be aware that it consists of several steps you must complete to create a masterpiece.

• Sketching- Determine the project’s logic, including the number of screens and app interaction.
• Wireframing- The structural framework of social media apps is included.
• Prototyping- It serves as a working model and provides developers and clients with a better understanding of the product.
• Final App Design- Using the most recent trends, wireframes will be transformed into a social media app’s final UI/UX design.

Step 3: Application Development

When it comes to ‘how to create a social media app,’ this is the most important step. A team of experts and skilled social media app developers will execute the process in this phase to provide you with a scalable social media solution. However, the app designing and development processes overlap throughout the development life cycle. Once the app code has been prototyped, developers can begin the backend process by configuring databases, servers, APIs, and ideal storage solutions.

Having an MVP app will benefit you during the trial phase so that you can gather user feedback. Despite the launch of the feature-rich social media mobile app, it is proving to be a smarter option for various businesses. The MVP version of the app requires less development time and money than the full-fledged mobile app.

Step 4: Quality Control

The QA team will review the app after it has been developed with the assistance of a top-tier social media app development company and includes the server, API, and base configuration. The quality assurance engineers will look for errors or problems with the app’s functionality. All errors will be fixed in this segment, and the MVP version will be ready to launch. The final solution will be tailored to the platform’s technical requirements, standards, and guidelines.

Step 5: App Launch and Marketing

The social media app is ready to launch on the platform after passing the testing phase. However, simply launching an app will not ensure success; it will also require a proper marketing strategy, campaigns, and branding. The team you choose for social media app development will also assist you with managing the publication process and creating all advertising elements such as videos, guides, images, etc. They will also make sure that the app is launched in the appropriate category of the app store.

Step 6: Support and Maintenance

The app launch is not the end of the app development process. Following publication, the app will require periodic updates and support from the development team. Support executives will be available to app users to help them with any problems they may be experiencing with the app. The technical team of the social media app development company will update the app regularly based on user feedback.

Must-Have Features for When You Create a Social Media App

While social media apps generally target the same demographics, each has its own value proposition and use cases. TikTok’s fan base, for example, is interested in amusing videos, whereas Instagram is popular among lifestyle influencers.

Regardless of the differences, here is the list of required social media app features:

Sign In & Tutorial: 

It allows users to sign up using various methods, including email and password, Facebook, and phone registration. Once a user has created a new social media account, an onboarding tutorial is usually included.

User Profile: 

In keeping with the app’s social nature, it should provide users with space and tools to create personalized profiles and how they consume content.

Chat: 

Regardless of the app’s focus, chat is essential. A chat messenger enables users to communicate via text, voice, photos, or videos.

Content Feed:

Typically, users are directed to the content feed, where they are presented with personalized content based on their interests.

Push Notifications:

With social media becoming more prevalent in everyone’s life, push notifications can notify users of events such as messages, reactions, and new content they may be interested in.

Search: 

The search function lets users quickly find groups, content, people, and other information on the app.

Content Creator: 

Social media apps are powered by content. Users must be given the tools to share their experiences in text, photos, or videos.

Third-Party Social Network Integration:

The user will likely be active in at least two social media apps. It allows the app to connect to a third-party social media network, allowing for easier content sharing and growth.

How Much Does It Cost to Develop Social Media App?

To estimate the social media app cost, social media apps can be classified into three types: 

Simple App:

A developer will need standard UI components, simple filters, a feed list, and map markers to create a simple app. A simple app may require less than 500 hours of work with the mobile app development cost of USD 15K-30K.

Medium-Level App:

A mid-level app requires custom UI elements, payment functionality, real-time chat, API integration, tablet and handset adaptation, and a simple backend server. Building such a mobile app can take between 1000 and 3000 hours, with prices starting at $30,000.

Complicated App:

Audio/video processing, custom animations, real-time synchronization, complex backends with various types of database relationships, integrations with third-party services, and other advanced features are available in highly complex applications. The estimated time frame for developing complex mobile applications is 3000+ man-hours, with a starting app development cost of $80,000.

Tech Stack & Team Required

Several factors influence the selection of technologies and tools:

• Project specifications
• Budget
• Social media channels

Still, here is a universal list of solutions that you can use while developing a new social media app with the help of a mobile application development company:

• Programming language: Swift, Kotlin, Node.js
• Networking: Alamofire
• Push notifications: FCM
• Framework: Express 4
• Search: Elasticsearch
• Database: MySQL, PostgreSQL
• Chat: Twilio, PubNub, Socket.io
• Storage: Amazon S3
• API: Swagger
• Geolocation: Google Maps

To create your own social media app, you’ll need a team of experts and professionals, but keep it simple. Only members with skills who can assist you with app development should be on the team of the on-demand app development company. The team structure consists of-

• Project or Requirement Manager
• UI/UX Designers
• Android App Developers
• iOS App Developers
• Backend Developers
• QA Engineers

How Can We Help in Developing a Social Media App?

Creating a social media app is one of the most popular things today, but understanding social media and your target audience is critical.

MultiQos is a highly regarded social media app development company with experience on all major mobile platforms, including Android and iOS. Our custom media development services include everything from custom social network and messaging apps to full-fledged video app development. Our experts have experience in mobile app development and have assisted clients from various industries with their social media apps. So what are you waiting for? Hire dedicated developers and create your social media app to rule over social media channels.