Most Important Features For A Social Media App

There are currently more than 3.78 billion people worldwide who use social media. How would you like to win over just a small percentage of these people with your own social media app? If you want to attract users and make sure your social media app is a success, you need to ensure it includes the right features. Listed below are some of the most important features every social media app needs to have in 2021 and beyond.

User-Friendly Interface

For any app, the user interface (or UI for short) should be simple and easy to navigate. With social media apps, though, users must be able to log in quickly and find their way around without having to spend a lot of time locating different features.Think about your favorite social media apps. You can find what you need pretty quickly, can’t you? Their layout makes sense and the features you’re looking for are located in a place that makes sense, right?If it’s hard to navigate a particular app, most people aren’t going to stick around and take the time to familiarize themselves with it. This is especially true of social media apps.There are already several options out there for people to connect with their friends and family. Why would they struggle through a new, hard-to-use app when their old reliable apps are right there waiting for them?

Accessible, Eye-Catching Design

Social media apps need to be easy to navigate and have a user-friendly interface. However, they also need to look good and have an accessible, eye-catching design. What are the characteristics of a good social media app design? Here are some key elements to include and focus on when you start building your app:

Consistency

Your app should use the same colors, fonts, logos/icons, etc. across all pages.If the app’s layout and design changes dramatically from page to page, users are going to get overwhelmed. They might even wonder if they accidentally landed on a different app, which could lead them to exit altogether.

Simplicity

Your app design should be simple and streamlined, too. Don’t overload users with a bunch of random pictures or a slew of different fonts.Keep the design simple so that people can focus on the social aspects of the app, such as looking at their friend's pictures or reading a post from a family member.

Accessibility

Make sure your app design is accessible, too. All kinds of people should be able to use your app with ease.For example, make sure the font is large enough that people with poor vision can read posts and find their way around.Another good way to make your app accessible is to auto-generate captions for videos. That way, people who are deaf or hard of hearing can still know what’s being said.

Responsive Design

Responsive design ensures that web pages look good on a variety of devices, regardless of screen size, dimensions, etc.When you make responsive design a priority for your social media app, you can feel confident that people will be able to access it from anywhere, whether they’re on a laptop, a desktop, a smartphone, or a tablet.Making your social media app responsive will help you to reach more people and grow your audience faster. It can also boost your search engine rankings since Google rewards apps and websites that prioritize responsiveness and mobile-friendliness.

Security

The average web app was attacked 20,000 times just during January and February of 2020. Security is a serious issue for people using mobile apps of all kinds. However, it’s especially important for social media app users.Social media users want to feel confident that their personal information is protected while they’re using the app. If they can’t trust that their data won’t be stolen, they will abandon your app and go back to using other ones they were using before. When creating a social media app, be sure it includes the ability to create unique user accounts. These accounts should have personalized login settings and multi-step identification methods to make it harder for hackers to access the account and steal people’s personal information.If you take security features seriously right from the start, you’ll have a much easier time winning people over and convincing them that your app is legit. There’s also less of a chance that you’ll have to deal with an expensive data breach issue later (that’ll definitely eat into your profits).

Customizable Privacy Settings

Furthermore, your social media app should also have customizable privacy settings. It should be easy for them to tailor their profile and set limits on who can and cannot consume their content.For example, perhaps they only want people who are their “friends” or “followers” to see their posts and pictures. They might also want to place limits on the people who can comment on their content or share it.Customizable privacy settings help people to feel safer while using your app. This, in turn, increases the likelihood that they’ll continue using it and recommending it to their friends.If you want to expand your reach and maximize profits from your social media app, make sure it’s secure and customizable.

Customizable Profile Settings

Speaking of customization, make sure your social media app’s profile settings are customizable, too.For example, it should be easy for people to change elements like their profile picture and username. They should be able to add other details, too, such as a bio, their pronouns, or links to their personal blogs or websites.For most social media users, it’s important for them to have control over their profile and how much they personalize it. This helps them to share the most important details about themselves right off the bat. It also helps them to build their own brands.Profile personalization makes it easier for people to get to know others while using your app as well. If you want to create a place where users can form genuine connections and friendships, you should help them to quickly share key details with the people they’re thinking about following or adding to their network.

Networking Opportunities

Lots of people join social media because they want to build a network and feel connected to others.To satisfy these needs, your app must make it easy for people to engage with one another. In other words, there needs to be a strong “social” component to your social media app.Make sure it’s easy for people to “add” or “follow” others when using your social media app. Think of an app like Instagram, for example. All you have to do is hit the “follow” button and you’re either automatically following the person or have sent a request to follow them if their account is private.This makes it easy for users to build a network and start curating their feed so that it’s full of the kind of content they like to see and engage with. How can you replicate this easy networking when building your own app?

Content-Sharing Opportunities

The best social media apps make it easy for users to create and share content.People shouldn’t have to jump through a bunch of hoops to post a picture, upload a video, or share a link to an article they read on another site. The easier it is to create and share content, the more inclined people will be to download and use your app regularly.Think about the types of content that your audience is most likely to post on their social media news feeds. Then, be sure to include tools that make the sharing process simple and straightforward.Add features for content sharing within the platform, too. For example, if someone shares a meme and another user likes it, they should be able to share it on their own feed without putting in a lot of time or effort.

Messaging Options

It should be easy for your social media app users to message each other privately, too. Not everything has to take place on the made news feed.By including private messaging options, you create opportunities for deeper social connections and bonds to form.Most social media apps have a private chat option. However, some have also expanded to offer video and voice messaging as well.In the beginning, it may be sufficient to just offer chat. Eventually, though, you ought to look into voice and video calling, too.It’s often easier for people to have more in-depth conversations using these methods, so offering them creates more opportunities for people to build stronger connections while using your app.

Forum or Group Options

Social media apps like Facebook and LinkedIn allow users to create smaller groups or forums within the platform. This is a great way for users who have particular interests or concerns to create a safe space within the app to discuss them with other, like-minded individuals.If you want to foster more opportunities for connection and friendship building, a feature in your social media app that allows users to create separate groups is a great option.In addition to the benefits mentioned above, this kind of feature encourages people to spend more time on the app. It also increases the likelihood that users will recommend it to their friends and family.

Video Streaming

For a long time, users have had the ability to “Go Live” on social media apps like Facebook and Instagram. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, though, people started going live more than ever before.Now, even though the pandemic is more under control, video live streams are still going strong. This means that it’s a good idea to include a feature for video streaming in your social media app. The ability to go live creates more opportunities for connection and relationship building within the app. It gives users a platform to talk about things they’re passionate about and give their followers real-time updates about what’s going on in their lives.

Real-Time Push Notifications

If you want people to be active on your social media app, make sure you include real-time push notifications.Real-time notifications alert people right away when someone comments on a post, shares it, and more. They prompt users to open the app and see what’s going on.That being said, it’s also important to allow people to customize their notifications. For example, some people don’t want to receive a notification every time someone comments on a post, or they might not want to receive notifications when their friends or family members share content on their own news feeds.As with other aspects of social media apps, increased customization options help users to feel more in control. These options allow them to create the kind of experience they want to have on social media, which encourages them to keep coming back for more.

Integration with Other Platforms

Finally, it’s best if your social media app can integrate with other platforms.When you make it easy for your app to connect with popular apps like LinkedIn and Facebook, you’ll be able to grow your app faster and bring in more users. These connections allow users to share content across various platforms, and they also validate your app and give it credibility.Integrating your app with other social media apps can also make it easier for people to make connections. For example, if they have access to their Facebook friends list, they can easily invite friends to join your app and start using it.

Create a Great Social Media App Today

Now that you know more about the top features every social media app ought to have, do you feel more prepared to create your own?Keep this list of essential features in mind and you’ll have an easier time developing an app that people will actually want to use.Do you need a professional’s help turning your vision for a social media app into a reality? If so, we can help. Contact us today to learn more about our iOS and Android app development services.