A well know fact is that social media runs the world. It can break or make the brand. If you’re looking to build a startup in the world of overcrowding social media apps, it can feel almost impossible to make it. Still, there are new successful social media startups every day.
You just have to follow a few rules, understand the market, and most important of all, find the right niche. In the first part of this article, you will find 9 different categories of social media apps.
We will explore the characteristics of each and everyone to help you decide which ones are best for you. After that, you’ll get insight into some cool features you can add to your app to make it more attractive and user-friendly. Let’s get your startup started!
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9 Social Media App Ideas That Will Inspire You
Reports show that more than 90% of millennials are social network users, and 80% of companies use social networks for marketing. With the market growing and expanding rapidly, there is only one thing you can do.
Niche down. Instead of following all the current trends, focus on your ideal customer. Once you do, you’ll know what kind of content and platform you should pay attention to. Discover some of the different categories of social media and how to use them to your advantage.
Social Network Apps
One of the first and (still) most popular apps out there. It’s no surprise. People love to connect, on any level. While apps like Facebook and Twitter are intended for more personal connections, LinkedIn is used to connect professionals all over the world. It’s all about the people, or as Zuckerberg said: “In general, we’re a social network. I prefer that because I think it is focused on the people part of it – as opposed to some people call it social media, which I think focuses more on the content.”
Media Sharing Networks
Media sharing networks took the world by storm. They owe their popularity to one basic fact; younger users prefer media over written content. More importantly, they love to share it. Most importantly, they love to do it as fast and conveniently as possible. Some of the most popular media-sharing networks that allow them to do so include Instagram, Tiktok, and Youtube.
Community and Discussion Forums
If you think that forums where the internet community discusses different issues and shares experiences are dead, you’re hugely mistaken. Just take a look at the huge variety of topics on Reddit or Quora. These platforms are a great way to interact with your users and give them a sense of community.
Networks for Consumer Reviews
If you’re in a restaurant business or own a shop, you’re well familiar with networks for consumers reviews such as Yelp od Trip Advisor. It will do you good to check out these networks regularly if you don’t already. By implementing the feedback from the customers, you’ll create a better and more profitable business.
Blogging Platforms
Oh, the blogs. What used to be a journal-like basic page has turned out to a quite popular and trustworthy media. Bloggs these days came in a form of well-respected and popular platforms such as Medium and Tumblr. There you can find a whole range of topics. The users that read them make one honest and devoted crowd. Well, that can definitely benefit your startup.
Anonymous Social Networks
There’s something that people just love about being anonymous. And what better place to do than on anonymous social networks. These networks are popular among younger people. If your target audience is teens, definitely check out networks like Ask.fm, Whisper, and After School. It will help you make more compelling content for that target group.
Relationship Networks
Nowadays, people are more likely to find a partner on some kind of relationship network than in real life. If you want a startup that will connect people, preferably romantically, look no further. Inspire yourself with successful relationship networks like Tinder, Grindr, and Badoo.
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Messenger Apps
Messanger apps were and always will be popular. Unlike their ancestors, today’s apps offer a mixture of communication, from s simple text messages, voice calls, to media file sharing. There are thousands of them. Some of the popular ones are WhatsApp, Facebook Messanger, and Telegram.
News Apps
To attract the younger generations that hardly ever watch tv or open that sort of website, the news has switched to an app form. This way, everyone stays informed about the current events. Look into the content that Lifehack or Flipboard creates to see what’s relevant and popular.
Best Trending Feature Ideas to Add to Your Social Media App
It’s not enough to just make a simple app. For it to be a success, you need to add some trending features. Have a look at some of the currently popular features that are a must in the social media world.
AR and Face Filters
Filters are everywhere. There must be thousands of them integrated into some popular apps. On Instagram, new filters appear weekly, and Snapchat is an app exclusively devoted to AR and face filters.
Transient Content
Transient content has quickly become a very popular form of content sharing. It’s content that lasts 24 hours and then disappears forever. This feature is used quite often in Instagram stories, as well as Snapchat.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Chatbots
AI and chatbots are still popular on many websites and apps. Many of the popular have the integrated for user support or simply for fun.
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Live Video Streaming
Like we said before, users prefer media files over written consent. All of the popular social media apps use primarily video to communicate with their users.
Multi-Language Support
On Twitter, up to 49% of users don’t use English as their preferred language. Explore the market, find which languages dominate, and make sure you set up the language support your users want and need.
The Virtual Reality (VR) Shift
This feature is relatively new, but it will surely be just as popular as the others. Almost certainly now that Facebook announced Oculus, their new VR technology. Some even claim this feature is the future of social media so be sure the jump on the bandwagon.
Tips and Tricks for a Unique & Good Social Media App Idea
Now that you’ve learned different types of social media and some cool features to add to them, it’s time for the little tips and tricks that will make your app unique and popular. By applying these strategies, you’ll notice the numbers rising rapidly.
Explore market and yourself – every app developer must look into their strengths and weaknesses. And not only theirs, but their competitors also. Most important of all, explore your audience. Include techniques like user retention and monetization to make your app stand out.
Make a good design – you can make the best app ever, but without a good design it will never succeed. Consult with your graphic design team about trending features and UI/UX to make the app as appealing as possible.
Correctly market the app – when putting your app on the Apple store or Play market, it’s essential to use the right tags so you get pushed to the top. At that time, also create a lot of promotional material, in form of videos, articles…
Share relevant content – once you get to know the audience on your social media, you’ll know what they like. If you stumble upon content (video, article, picture…) that you think is relevant absolutely post it.
Run a giveaway – An easy and quick way to gain more followers. All you have to do is post a product and explain the rules. Plus, this way you’re closer to achieving your daily content goals.
Create a daily, weekly or monthly series – this is a great way for your followers to have something consistent to look forward to every so often. Also, this way you don’t have to create completely new content every time.
Introduce your team members – by introducing the people behind the scenes you show humanity and humbleness. Followers respond to that because it brings them closer to you.
Repurpose your own content – if you have a successful blog, why not use it? Extract some quotes from your post and make them into cute pictures. Or, make a short video about some of your posts.
Now that you know all the types of platforms you can use, features to insert in your app and tips, and tricks to make it unique and popular, what are you waiting for? Implement our ideas and make your app the best possible it can be. If you need more inspiration, we have created a list of 35 app ideas for beginners, which can help you with the innovation process.
Enter into Shoutem app builder and start creating your app!
FAQs About Social Media App Ideas
Some fun social apps are:
- Snapchat
- Tiktok
- Youtube
There are a few things you can do to make your social media app unique:
- Know your brand and your audience
- Have a beautiful design
- Share relevant content
- Repurpose your own content
- Introduce your team members
A few things make a good social media app:
- Unique content
- Easily connects with the audience
- Uses the right platform for the target audience
- Active presence and authority
- Explore the market and your target audience.
- Choose your niche.
- Advertise your app.
- Share relevant content.
- Choose the right platform.
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