Instagram reigns supreme in the realm of social networking. It is one of the most used and highest-grossing apps that enjoys unlimited popularity. If you are on the mission of creating an app like Instagram, you have landed at the right place.
Whether you are an upcoming developer or an entrepreneur with unique social networking app ideas, the right vision and guidance are important. We aim to help you with the same. Here’s your detailed roadmap to developing an app like Instagram in 2024.
The article covers the popularity and scope of the Instagram app, the key features required to create the app, and the steps required to build an app like Instagram. Follow it and build your own Instagram-like app.
In this blog
- Benefits of creating a social networking app like Instagram
- What makes Instagram and TikTok successful?
- Key features of a social media app like Instagram
- How to make a social media app like Instagram?
- Popular apps similar to Instagram and TikTok
- Frequently asked questions
Benefits of creating a social networking app like Instagram
It is the age of social media and apps, and Instagram brings the best of both worlds together. It enables users to explore the world at their fingertips. From revolutionizing communication to advancing as a business and content creation tool, the platform has evolved in leaps and bounds.
We know that the Instagram app is more useful and popular than the web version. This goes on to show that turning your social networking website into an app can be highly beneficial. If you are still skeptical about it, you must explore the trends and statistics related to Instagram.
Let us give you a clearer picture of the advantages of creating an app like Instagram. Here are the most obvious benefits:
Wide user base and audience
As of January 2022, Instagram was the fourth most popular social media platform in the world. In 2021, there were around 1.21 billion monthly Instagram active users (MAU), comprising over 28 percent of the world’s internet users. It has been forecasted that this number will reach 1.44 billion by 2025, and the Instagram community will make up for 31.2 percent of global internet users. Creating an app like Instagram can help you tap into this huge potential user base and divert the traffic to your app.
Colossal revenue potential
From selling goods and services to earning through ads, an app like Instagram comes with immense monetization and revenue potential. In 2023, Instagram’s ad revenues grew by 16.9 percent. The revenue is expected to hit 59.6 billion US dollars in 2024. This goes on to show that an app like Instagram also has excellent revenue and monetization prospects. Launching a social media app like Instagram can contribute to your monetary growth and revenue.
Collaboration and community-building
It is true that Instagram already exists. However, running your business on a third-party platform comes with several risks. There is no autonomy, and the owners can control how one operates. On the other hand, a platform of your own allows you to realize your full potential. Launching your own social media app will enable you to build a huge community and open several avenues of brand collaboration and promotion.
What makes Instagram and TikTok successful?
If you’re trying to build a social media app like Instagram or TikTok, you must understand what makes these platforms successful. While there are obvious points of distinction between Instagram and TikTok, there are some common themes you can adopt to make your social media app a success –
- Seamless user experience – Instagram and TikTok offer a simple and smooth experience to users logging on to the app. There’s no learning curve required as the apps are easy to use and navigate through. While the concept of your social media app can be different, it should emulate the simplicity and speed of Instagram and TikTok.
- Emphasis on visual content – Both these platforms exclusively allow visual posts, whether it’s images or videos. Given the natural preference among mobile users for visual content (images and videos), these platforms facilitate the easy viewing and sharing of such content.
- Content curation system – By understanding user preferences, Instagram and TikTok can serve curated feeds that cover all content users may find engaging. This is ultimately the main reason people keep coming back to use these apps – they’re able to engage users with the right content.
Key features of a social media app like Instagram
Instagram is part of the huge Meta universe. It is more than just a social media and networking community. For instance, it has the following applications:
- Photo-sharing app
- Photo-editing app
- Messenger app
- eCommerce app
It has TikTok’s content streaming abilities and Facebook’s business potential. If you are a content creator, you can use Instagram as a video streaming app.
Now most eCommerce businesses think of WooCommerce apps and WooCommerce app builders when they want to go mobile. However, you can also use your networking and community app as an aggregator platform for eCommerce businesses. The possibilities are endless.
In fact, the ensemble of endless advanced features together creates a robust and mind-blowing experience. It allows you to build an ecosystem that allows for all kinds of networking and brand building.
Here’s a list of the most notable features that can be incorporated into the app:
- Easy registration, sign up & login (including login via Email, Google, etc.)
- Social profile creation and management
- Business account creation and management
- Add, remove, and categorize friends/followers
- Create and join broadcast groups
- Edit photos and videos for posts and stories
- Photo and video posting and sharing
- Share stories that disappear within a time frame
- Share short-from (reels) and long-form videos
- Stream live content and add audience
- React to stories and posts
- Direct messaging and media sharing
- Search feature for finding relevant content
- Exploring relevant and trending content
- Mentioning and tagging other users
- Managing followers and collecting data
- Share location and life events
- Get real-time notifications and updates
- In-app advertisement and targeted ads support
- Multilingual & localization support
- Push notification support
This is the list of some of the most popular features of Instagram. As you proceed to create a similar app, you can take inspiration from the list above. Avoid clutter and pick the features that align with your personalized business goals.
How to make a social media app like Instagram?
Creating an app like Instagram is certainly not a cakewalk. However, when you break down the process into parts and take a stepwise approach, it becomes doable. Refer to the guide below and learn how to make an Instagram-like app of your own:
Step 1: Conduct thorough research
Research and planning constitute the most important part of any development process. It sets the tone for the journey and allows you to chalk it out in detail. Moreover, thorough research allows you to propel in the right direction and avoid wasting resources, time, and effort.
Start the process by conducting extensive research. Now, there already exists an app like Instagram. So, first and foremost, work on establishing the USP (Unique Selling Proposition) for your app. What is your app’s purpose? How will it stand out amongst the competition? What user problem will the app solve? How will it make the users’ lives better?
Study the social media app market and find answers to questions like these. Go on to define your exact audience and user base. Create user personas to study your targeted demography. Analyze the existing apps’ strengths and weaknesses and aim to fill in the potential gaps with your app.
Once you have enough market data, it will become easier for you to create a blueprint for your app. Ascertain a definite model of business, operation, monetization, and revenue. Learn about the trends of the social media industry and move ahead accordingly.
Step 2: Prototype your app idea
Creating an outline of the app can help you win half the battle. Before starting to design your mobile app, create mockups and layouts that define the app architecture. Create a list of the potential features and design elements to streamline your app development journey.
Create wireframes, prototypes, or mockups to establish the skeletal structure of your app. You can refer to our guide on prototyping to create the framework. It can be used to share the idea with your stakeholders and get feedback on the same.
Implementing any change or update at this stage will be easier. Once the basic structure is approved, you can proceed to create interactive demos or scale up to the development stage. This will reduce the chances of errors and flaws and give a complete visual overview of the project.
Step 3: Develop and deploy
Once you have clearly defined the app architecture, you can start developing your app. The exact process of app development will depend on your choice of development method and approach. Here are the best options that you can explore:
- Build your own app with AppMySite’s no-code social media app creator.
- Learn to code and build with low-code app development frameworks.
- Hire an app development team or agency and get the app built for you.
No-code app builders are more democratized, easy, fast, and affordable development options. For instance, AppMySite enables you to design your app from scratch and put it together in minutes. You can also turn your website into an app single-handedly and save the time and effort required to add all the content manually.
The following steps briefly explain how to create an app like Instagram and Tiktok:
- Set up an AppMySite account and give your app a name.
- Personalize your social media with customizable templates and premium graphics, elements, fonts, etc.
- Configure your app settings to ensure your app works as per your preferences.
- Preview how your app looks and works on real-time app simulators.
- Download your app files and publish on Google Play and the Apple App Store.
Once your app is live, you can start promoting your app across different marketing channels.
Alternatively, you can code and program your own app or get experts to do it. This is the traditional approach that demands extensive effort, resources, time, and money. Moreover, it requires a huge team of experts to manage the various aspects of development. Assess your budget, resources, and requirements and plan your developmental journey accordingly.
Need more details? Here is our elaborate guide that you can refer to and learn how to make an app of your own: How to create an app? Make an app in ten simple steps.
Popular apps similar to Instagram and TikTok
Ready to build a social media app? Besides Instagram and TikTok, there are many other similar and successful social media apps you can use as references. We have listed some of them below –
- X (formely Twitter)
- Threads
- SnapChat
- Douyin
- Kuaishou
Conclusion
Making an app like Instagram can have many advantages. It is more than just a platform for connecting people and has immense business and revenue potential. You can emulate the exact app and revenue model of the platform or add your own twist to it. The choice is yours.
Put your coding skills to the test and start building an app that is loaded with captive features and aesthetics. For those of you who are not familiar with programming, hire an agency or freelance developers who are capable of delivering high-quality apps without breaking the bank.
Else, simply sign up for AppMySite’s no-code mobile app builder software and build your own app in minutes without coding. Manage everything from design to development under one roof. Pick a suitable plan from a range of affordable options and start creating your app instantly. Watch your app idea come to life and go live faster.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to build a social network app like Instagram?
Instagram has evolved to become more than just a social media platform. It is used by individuals, creators, businesses, and all kinds of entities. People share posts and life updates, send photos, sell goods and services, and so on. Building such a detailed and complex app requires advanced coding skills. While professional coders can build such apps using technological frameworks, others can outsource development to an agency or freelancers. Else, you can also sign up for a no-code platform like AppMySite and create your own social media app without coding. Such platforms democratize app development and enable anyone to create feature-rich apps.
How much does it cost to build an app like Instagram?
The actual cost of developing any app depends on several factors like the complexity of design and features, targeted platform and operating system, development method, timeline, etc. Creating a feature-rich app like Instagram is obviously not pocket-friendly. It requires hefty investments, and the costs increase when you integrate advanced features. It can cost you anywhere between USD 100,000 to 400,000. However, if you are looking for an affordable solution, you can go with a DIY app builder like AppMySite.
How long does it take to build an Instagram-like app?
Instagram is an app with advanced features and complex functionalities. It works as a photo-sharing app, business-consumer interaction app, content streaming app, and so on. Creating an app so densely populated with features takes time. From designing the UI/UX to putting together the huge ensemble of features, it is a lengthy and time-consuming process. Creating such an app traditionally can take more than six months. However, a solution like AppMySite can also fast-track the process and allow you to create your app in record time. It depends on your approach and choice of the development platform.