A Complete Guide to Create a Social Media App in 2024

Want to create a social media app?

Well, social media is a concept that is changing the world, customers’ interest, a way of marketing, and a lot more.

The growing number of users on social media platforms is the greatest example of how apps are driving users and converting them into potential consumers. That’s where the social media app creation idea generates. There is a vast to know about how to create a social media app.

Let’s find it out together. Here you will get to know related to market statistics, its basics, and types of social media apps, its reasons, top social media apps, its features, app creation steps, and a lot more.

Statistics: All You Need to Know About Social Media App Market

We have included this section to help you know about what’s the actual state of the social media market. In-depth market research is helpful in getting you details related to its usage, total revenue generation, and about apps. Shall we proceed?

• The social media networking market is projected to reach US $129.60 billion in 2022.
• The total revenue is expected to display an annual growth rate of 7.30%. It is resulting in a projected market volume of US $189.50 billion by the year 2027.
• Paid app revenue in the social networking market is projected to reach US $0.03 billion in 2022.

• Facebook is the market leader in the social media market and was the first network to cross one billion registered accounts.
• The Meta platforms are among the four of the biggest social media platforms that have more than one billion monthly active users.
• According to Forbes, estimated social media users across the world are 4.9 billion people.
• In 2022, the social media market was valued at $49.9 billion.

• • The number of downloads within the social media market is projected to reach 11.19 billion in the year 2022.
  • The social media ad spending market stood at approximately 270 billion U.S. dollars.

Well, as you have got to know about the social media market statistics, are you aware of what a social media app is? Let’s check it out.

What is a Social Media App?

The social media apps concept is defined for those who are not aware of the same.

Social media can be defined as a variety of technologies that facilitate the sharing of ideas and information among their users. It is a platform that typically features user-generated content that lends itself to engagement via likes, shares, comments, and discussion.

Social media is not a media. The key is to listen, engage, and build relationships.- David Alston

Yes, social media is not just a media but it has become a tool to build relationships, to listen, and engage with the targeted users.

Social media is not a monologue, it’s a two-way conversation. – Brian Solis

The largest social media platforms worldwide are Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram and WeChat. Check out the next section focused on types of social media apps.

What are the Types of Social Media Apps?

How to build a social media app?

Well, wait, we will come to it, but before that learn another element in the process of app creation.

Do you want to know how many different types of social media apps are available in the market?

Let’s help you with it. Here is a list that you can check.

Type 1: Social Networking Platforms

These platforms also offer features including user profiles and news feeds along with the ability to connect with friends and family. Here users can share updates, photos, videos, and links and can successfully interact through likes, comments, and private messaging.

Type 2: Community-Based Social Networking Platforms

Community social media app holds discussions over specific topics or interests, which are organized into categories or subreddits. Under this platform, users can ask questions, share knowledge, and participate in conversations.

Type 3: Media Sharing Platforms

Media-sharing networks help people to share photos and related content. They offer a platform to start conversations, inspire creativity, make products that seem more appealing, and encourage customers to talk about your brand.

Type 4: Microblogging Platforms

Microblogging is a social media network that specializes in short-form content with character or time limits on posts. Such platforms provide you with a place to publish your thoughts on your job. Such platforms prioritize Real-time communication based on trending topics.

Type 5: Chat and Messaging App

This is a common type of social media app. Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram is a few examples of the same. These apps allow users to communicate with each other via text, voice, and video calls. Making such apps can provide you with social media solutions.

Type 6: Professional Networking Apps

The professional networking apps are built to facilitate connections as well as interactions among professionals, job seekers, recruiters, and businesses. These kinds of apps offer career development, industry-specific discussions, and networking.

Type 7: Social Shopping Networks

These networks help people to spot trends, share great finds, make purchases, and to follow their favorite brands. Such kinds of apps are created to focus on e-commerce, and social element that makes it engaging and entertaining.

Why Develop a Social Media App?

Now, as you got clarification over the types of apps, stats, and related areas and to address how to create a social networking app, we need to discuss why to invest in app development.

Wondering why? Well, you should know the reasons behind developing a social media app that can improve its presence in the competitive environment. Let’s get through it quickly.

• Meeting Market Demand

Social media usage continues to grow globally, with billions of people actively engaging on various platforms. Develop a social media app that allows you to tap into its vast user base and meet the demand for new as well as innovative platforms.

• Build a community

Social media apps help users to connect with like-minded people and build communities around shared interests. Such kind of apps is developed to foster engagement and interaction among community members through diversified features.

• Data Insights and Analytics

Social media apps are built to gather vast amounts of data on user behavior, preferences, and interactions. After analyzing this data, you can gather valuable insights into your target audience enhance user experience, and tailor content or features to meet their needs.

• Innovation and Differentiation

Developing a social media app allows you to innovate and differentiate your brand in a crowded market. After introducing unique features, addressing unmet needs, or targeting niche audiences, you can stand out from the competitors and attract users.

• Communication and Engagement

Social media apps provide a platform for communication, engagement, and collaboration among users. Whether it’s’ connecting with friends or family or with individuals, social media apps are effective and facilitate meaningful interactions.

• Offers Monetization Opportunities

In the current era, social media app offers various monetization avenues that include advertising, subscriptions, sponsored content and in-app purchases. By attracting a large user base and by offering valuable features you can generate revenue.

Now, as you know well about the reasons to create social media apps, let’s take you through top social media apps.

Top Social Media Apps

Do you use Instagram or Facebook?

The increasing number of users over these platforms says it all. This is the impact social media platforms have on user interaction. To build social media networking apps, here’s a section included discussing top social media apps.

►Facebook

Facebook is one of the largest social networking sites, with over 3 billion people using it monthly. This is inferring that 3 billion people are using Facebook.

It is one of the Meta platforms, that helps the users who sign up for free profiles, to connect with friends, work colleagues, and people they don’t know online.

Key to Success– Community engagement that includes features like groups, events, and pages have made it a success.

►Instagram

Instagram is a free photo and video-sharing app that is available on iPhone and android. On this app, people can update their photos and videos to their service and can share them with their followers or with a selected group of friends.

To develop an app like Instagram, you should know the right process and features to update the app.

Key to Success– Creativity and reels including IGTV has made it commercialized and a success.

►YouTube

To make a social media app, you must understand your competitors. YouTube is one of the American online video-sharing platforms that were launched in February 2005.

With billions of users and hours of content uploaded every minute, the platform has revolutionized itself.

Key to Success– It became famous due to vlogging and a platform that shares experiences in the form of videos.

►Twitter

Twitter is an American social media company which is based in San Francisco. It has been rebranded as X. The main purpose of the company is to connect the users and allow them to share their thoughts with their followers and others with the help of hashtags.

To develop an app like Twitter, you should identify your target audience by conducting research.

Key to Success– Quoting a tweet in minimum words and updates related to news, the current environment has made it a success.

►Snapchat

Snapchat is another American multimedia instant messaging app and service developed by Snap Inc. This app is available on both iOS and Android platforms.

It allows its users to send text messages, pictures, and short videos to friends and family. The cost to develop an app like Snapchat can vary and depends on multiple factors including complexity, app design, and others.

Key to Success– Stories and editing filters for videos and photos have led the platform toward success.

Also Read: Best Alternatives to Snapchat

►WhatsApp

WhatsApp is a feature which is started as an alternative to SMS. This app also supports sending and receiving a variety of media that includes text, photos, location, videos, documents, and voice calls.

To make an app like WhatsApp, you should know its features well including WhatsApp payments, location sharing, audio calls, and automated messages.

Key to Success– The free cross-platform messaging service of the platform has helped users to connect across the world.

►TikTok

TikTok app has become the world’s leading destination for short-form mobile videos. The mission of the app is to capture the world’s creativity, moments that people like to share with their friends and family.

Apps like TikTok are designed to create, share, and discover short videos. It is used by young people as an outlet to express their talents and skills as singing, dancing, etc.

Key to Success– creating short videos has helped the users to display their talent in a minimum time limit.

Essential Features of Social Media Apps

We know that you are searching for the answer to how to create a social media app. Reasons, types of social media apps, top apps, and stats are being defined to help you with an idea for creating Instagram and Twitter alternatives.

Another element that can help you with app ideas is the features of social media apps. Do you want to know about it? Here’s a list to check.

1. Login Feature

When you are thinking of building a social media app from scratch then you should note that the login process to use the app should be simple and quick.

Social media is a platform that helps users connect with peers, friends, and family. This represents a major reason that the login process should be easy with few steps of authentication.

2. Attractive User Interface

Another important thing that you should consider is creating an attractive user interface for your app. The UI/UX design should be effective and should contain several elements that can include content, media layout, input controls, and others.

Visual consistent design elements that develop a sense of cohesiveness and make it easier for users to navigate should be preferred.

3. Networking Element

Features like connectivity with the mobile connect that also includes search for friends over the platform should be intact.

This feature is built to increase user visibility and reach towards a wider audience. The network may consist of friends, family, colleagues, and people with similar interests. It makes people close to each other.

4. Real-Time Notification

Real-time notifications as well as an activity feed are certain social media features that you should consider. It is a feature in software development that provides immediate information and updates to the users.

You can integrate this live notification feature in order to develop a social media app. These kinds of notifications help to bridge the gap between the digital and the real world.

5. Content-Sharing Method

This is one of the methods that make social media platforms effective. You should include this feature as it facilitates communication between people and the app users in the process of making the social media app succeed.

To make a chat app, content sharing plays a prominent role. It includes the ability to post and send photos as well as videos.

6. Customizable Privacy Settings

Privacy is the top concern of many people using social media apps. Thus, you should consider this issue and create a feature of customizable privacy settings.

This feature can help the users to keep the content restricted to only a few users they know. You can allow the users to continue with their privacy settings and provide them full control over their content.

Also Read: Best Chatting Apps

How to Create a Social Media App?

The wait to find an answer to how to develop a social media app is over.

We have discussed here a whole app development process. You will find a solution with a complete guide to the social media app development process. So, let’s get started.

Step 1: Clear Your Concept and Idea for the Target Audience

In this phase, you should know about the target audience with a clear idea about the app that you want to discover. Here you should start by identifying the main purpose of the app with the target audience and unique value proposition.

To build a social media app, you should be clear about the aim of creating it. This step is one of the foremost steps that include an idea for the target audience.

Step 2: Perform Market Research

Building a social media app can be effective due to conducting market research. An app without in-depth research can fail. If you do not complete this research, the result can be selling to the wrong people or misunderstanding your marketplace.

You should perform market research to know and understand the present market scenario. Here you can research and use the information such as free government data or your own networks.

Step 3: Outline Features

Here you should outline the features and should know the core functionality that you want to include in the app. Here you can consider diversified features including user profiles; news feeds interactivity and discovery mechanisms.

You should be logical regarding deciding on the features of your app. Features should be creative and should be based on the target audience.

Step 4: Design User Interface

Here you should create wireframes, mockups, and prototypes to visualize the user interface and experience of your app. Here you should design the intuitive navigation, visually appealing layouts, and engaging interactions that align with your brand and target audience.

The process designers use to build interfaces in software or computerized devices, focuses on looks or style.

Step 5: Develop Backend Infrastructure

Here you should develop frontend components along with the interfaces for your app by using programming languages, frameworks, and tools that are suited to your platform of choice.

Here you should implement user interfaces, features, and interactions according to your design specifications. It is the data and infrastructure that make your application work. You should be effective in learning the tech stack.

Step 6: Build Frontend Components

In this phase, you should build frontend components and interfaces for your app by using programming languages, frameworks as well as tools that are suited to your platform of choice.

It is one of the common terms which are used to refer to the UI elements. Here UX design principles can guide you with the elements of interface design. Here you should implement the user interfaces, features, and interactions based on your design specifications.

Step 7: Testing

An app launched without testing can lead to failure. Here you should conduct thorough testing and debugging to identify as well as to resolve the issues as well as bugs in your app.

App Testing function, performance, usability, and compatibility across diversified devices, operating systems, and screen sizes. Without testing in real user conditions, your app can malfunction in key areas and can result in a bad user experience.

Step 8: Launch and Deployment

This can be the last phase among the steps to develop a social media app. Under this step, you should be aware of platforms where the app can be launched. Under this step, you should know the different types of platforms and their deployment index.

To make an app, you should prepare your app for launch by setting up app store accounts, creating app listings, and preparing marketing materials. You should deploy your app to the relevant app stores.

Step 9: App Maintenance

After building a social media app, you should focus on the maintenance of an app. When you understand the importance of app maintenance, you will evaluate that app maintenance is a crucial factor as its absence can result in the failure of an app.

You should evaluate the app maintenance cost and need to take action accordingly. It refers to continuous monitoring, bug fixing, performance improvements, and updates to enhance the user experience.

With identifying a comprehensive guide to social media app development, the next question that can come to your mind is its cost.

How Much Does it Cost to Make a Social Media App?

After considering a step-by-step guide to social media app development, its development reasons, types of social media apps, and other details, let’s head you on How much mobile app development costs.

Well, if you are eager to know the cost to develop a social media app then you should identify the features that you are including in the app.

Social media app development costs can vary somewhere from $30,000 to $350,000. Moreover, there are different factors that you should consider before deciding on the cost of making your app. These factors comprise complexity, app design, platform, tech stack, and development team.

App Monetization Models for Social Media Apps

Well, till now, we have discussed app stats, their types, costs, and development steps within the social media app development guide. Now, as you are aware of the cost that you will invest in app development. Let’s discuss certain points relevant to app monetization behavior.

Learning about social media app monetization strategies can help you to make money from the cost that you have incurred here. Shall we begin?

• Advertisement

You can adopt this method as an important criterion because the majority of social media apps earn their income from this medium. It is one of the popular methods among different money-making ways for social media apps.

• Partnerships and Sponsorships

This is one of the mediums that can be adopted by you to improve collaboration among people. Here you can help other brands to grow their product and services. You can adopt sponsorship as a model to secure them for events, conferences, and webinars.

• Data Monetization

This is an essential strategy that can result in increasing your overall revenue. Here you will analyze the data that you have collected through your app. Social media apps can collect a vast amount of data that can be used for brands to gain users’ insights.

• Affiliate Marketing

It is a marketing model where a company can compensate third-party publishers to generate traffic or leads to the company’s products as well as services. This is a marketing arrangement, where the affiliates receive commissions for each visit.

• Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is one of the powerful ways to raise funds for projects, causes, and ventures by soliciting contributions from a large number of people. This strategy is crucial for the success of a crowdfunding campaign.

What are the Major Challenges in Creating Social Media Apps?

After understanding the major strategies to build a social media app along with sources to earn money from it, the next thing that comes to mind is issues. Let’s make you aware of the app development mistakes to avoid while making a social network app.

This section will be helpful to you to know the mistakes to avoid in the social media app development Process. Here’s a list.

1] Scalability

One of the important challenges that can be observed among people is scalability. They are well able to handle many users along with a high volume of data. Thus, if the platform is not scalable it can face issues to retain targeted users.

2] Lack of Market Research

Only idea-driven apps can’t get success. No market research and only ideas can lead to failure. You should be well aware of what’s actually happening in the current market scenario. To overcome such an issue ensures to perform in-depth market research.

3] Ignoring the Target Audience

Avoiding the understanding of the target audience can also impact your app’s growth. The solution to this issue is to understand your audience as it can help you to connect with them successfully.

4] Platform Compatibility

One of the important factors that you may avoid is to check the device compatibility with the app. You should check the platform compatibility well so that can comply with the rules and regulations of the diversified platforms that can assist you in building an app.

5] Scope Creep

This issue takes place when the aim of developing an app is not clear. You cannot build an app until the foundation of your app is strong. Hence, you should avoid adding features to the app again and again it can impact your overall project aim.

6] Overloading the App

One of the common mistakes that should be considered is overloading the app. You can add multiple features in the app that can even result in losing the expected users. A key solution for this issue can be planning for the app prior.

Best Practices for Creating Social Media Apps

Now, as you are aware of the challenges, it’s time for the tips to create a social network app. This section is one of the elements in the social media app development guide to help you note the strategies to succeed in the social media industry.

Here you can find the social media app development trends that can enable you to go with the recent and current market updates. Let’s count them below.

1. User-Centric Design

The design you have decided to build for your app should be user-centric. Here you should understand the concerned user well and then decide to make a social media app accordingly.

2. Consider Quality over Quantity

If you overload your app with lots of features, it will make your app’s users confused regarding the features and its navigation feature. People will always trust the app that they think will add value to their personality.

3. Ensure Cross-Platform Compatibility

Consider developing your app for multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, and the web, so that you can reach a broader audience to maximize the app’s potential impact. Here you need to ensure consistent functionality, design as well as user experience.

4. Analytics and Insights

Here you should integrate analytics tools for tracking user behavior, engagement metrics as well as performance indicators. You can gather actionable insights from the user data to identify trends, to optimize your app’s features as well as content.

5. Implement Current Technologies

You should be aware of the market trends and should adopt features accordingly. Here you can implement AI in social media. Implementation of the current technologies can assist you in enhancing the app and keeping going with the competitors.

How Nimble AppGenie Can Help You to Create a Social Media App?

As you get the answer to how to get started building a social media app, you must have identified that you need a complete team to perform this process, right?

Partner with Nimble AppGenie, a trusted social media app development company. We have already done it before which makes a way for you to choose us as your next app development partner.

What are you waiting for? We are just a click away. Check out our work to get a detailed idea.

MM Arcade is one of the wonderful apps made by our panel of experienced experts. Let us know your idea of a social media app and we will make it a successful reality.

Conclusion

Social media app development is a gateway to innovation and connectivity, shaping the way we communicate and interact. With billions of users and billions in revenue, the market is dynamic and full of potential.

Understanding user needs and market trends is crucial, as is creating intuitive interfaces and embracing cross-platform compatibility. Challenges like scalability and platform compatibility exist but can be overcome with strategic planning and execution.

There are different steps that you can undertake during developing a social media app such as market research, identifying the target audience, focusing the core features, etc. With a right practice you can achieve success in this relevant area.

FAQs

Niketan Sharma

Niketan Sharma is the CTO of Nimble AppGenie, a prominent website and mobile app development company in the USA that is delivering excellence with a commitment to boosting business growth & maximizing customer satisfaction. He is a highly motivated individual who helps SMEs and startups grow in this dynamic market with the latest technology and innovation.