Introduction

Ancient people traveled miles and miles to meet and communicate with others in various parts of the world. But, with the advent of technology and social media apps, individuals began to find it easier to socialize through social media apps. No wonder people use social media apps more than any other mobile app. 

Recently, the entire world was affected and forced to take safety measures by staying at home. Evidently, that means no schools and no work. Even so, numerous schooling institutions and companies continued their progression by using online means and social media apps. 

Remarkably, the core family product of Facebook has more than 3.5 billion active monthly users. Therefore, it makes much more than billions of dollars in revenue. Outsmarting social media apps like Facebook is not a piece of cake. However, a compelling social app idea and clever costing might turn the table for you. 

Moreover, you can avail the opportunity in this article if you have the best idea for a social app and wondering about its cost and creation. 

What people expect from social media apps

Social media apps like Facebook have the most users among all other mobile apps. Firstly, to create such an app, you need to attract users as much as possible. 

Consider the following practices before starting to create a social app:

• Purpose and objectives of the social app from the user’s perspective
• Determine why they should use your app
• What problem will it solve?
• What content, functionality will it have?
• How easy will it be to use

Furthermore, people expect to communicate, share, like, and discover from a social media app. It can also be a tool to attract customers, for self-affirmation, nourishment of their personality, and even to socialize online with random people around the globe. In fact, there exist numerous incentives to utilize a social app. 

Above all, the following core features of a social media app are:

• Communication
• Self-expression and self-realization
• Ease of use

How to make a social media app like Instagram

In fact, it’s possible to make a social media app like Instagram. Being the number 1 social media app in the photo segment with fewer competitors gives you an opportunity to make a social media app like Instagram.

Most influencers like Instagram because of its filters from hipstamantic (an app that copies vintage photo effects) and the Facebook feed. Initially, the developers and app owners wanted to make an app just for processing and sharing photos. However, they upgraded as per user eases. 

In addition, statistics have shown that:

• More than 500 million users visit Instagram.
• More than 100 million photos and videos are published per day on Instagram.
• Likes per day on Instagram is more than 4 billion.
• Instagram has produced more than $19 billion in ad revenue in 2019.
• The potential advertising reach on Instagram is more than 849 million users.

Instagram feature analysis and monetization models

Before you decide to renovate your idea into an app, first, you should figure out your competitor’s application and try to come up with an even better feature to outrun them. Although, make up an idea for a social media app that will last. Always think in a long-term style. 

Instagram stays on top because of its incessant improvement in the following features: 

• Location tagging.
• Image editing.
• Private messaging.
• Push notifications.
• Group messaging.
• Hashtags.
• Filters.

A decent social media app must have the following to last longer and attract users:

• Have post and share photos and videos.
• It should be easy to use. Set a goal to make your app from simpler to simplest otherwise, people won’t be interested in your app. The main reason for Instagram’s success, it makes things done in less than three clicks. 
• It should also give the user access to customize their profiles and display themselves as they like.
• Ensure easy usage for the user to find the user’s friends on a single search.
• Provide high privacy and security to the user. Also, make him feel safe about his data being secured. 
• Give user notification and feeds for his interest. That way, the user will engage on your app for a longer amount of time.
• Allow users to post comments and send private messages.

Some use advertising techniques to attract users to install their apps. So, your better come up with a brainy technique to attract your user. In either case, improve its front-end or backend more. 

UI/UX design of a social media app

It’s a psychological fact that beauty attracts every individual. Therefore, many people choose to use things just because of their designs. Instagram has a vibrant UX. While freezing the user’s eyes into its magical illusion of colors and light.

UI/UX designs deliver users an all-in-one and graceful user experience. Most of the time, a User requires an attractive, interactive app. Therefore, front-end developer also has a high margin of hiring in app development companies. Front-end developers ensure users of easy interaction with websites and apps.

Apparently, using too much of anything, either colors or designing, may distract the users from doing so. However, coloring and page designing should be maintained to some extent to engage a user more.

Social media app development cost & time

It’s easy to get clones of the Instagram app and save money. But unfortunately, their security and privacy can easily be breached. Therefore, you should develop a backend for your social media app. What makes Facebook and Instagram so trustworthy to use? 

You are right. Truthfully, having a secure backend can get very costly. It depends on how much you are willing to invest. 

Social media app development costs

Seemingly, more money, more quality. The more you spend on your social media application, the more appealing and better quality your application will have. For social media app development, you have 3 main options:

• Freelancer, from $10/hour.
• In-house development team, from $80/hour.
• Outsourced development team, from $35/hour.

In freelancing, you might face some coordination issues with your developer. Plus, it’s hard to notice your freelancer expertise.

Apparently, local development teams are way more expensive. Also, these local development teams possibly develop the desired social media app you desired.

Outsourced development teams also come in handy at in-house teams at a lesser cost than local development teams.

The costs for an Instagram like the app, you can find approximate costs below:

• Application Development: Android/iOS – more than $23100.
• Server-side app development: $25200.
• Client-side app development: $13475.
• UI/UX Design: $8400.

Approximated total cost: $70175.

For updating your app features, further costs may apply.

Conclusion

Today, not only IT graduating students shape their idea into an app but also many people hire in-house developers to build their app. However, to actually create your idea into an app, Cubix, a Mobile App Development in Florida, ensures to transform your app idea into digital reality.

After all, turning your idea into a reality is one of the utmost creativity a person can show. This article might have held your attention. To know more, there are several ways you can use to know the basic development of a social media app. For instance, you can check YouTube tutorials. Your generation is for generating innovating. So, gear up!