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Why did you break the streak? 👀
We all have asked this to our friends as we all love Snapchat quite a lot.
Don’t we all have that one favorite filter on Snapchat in which we always click pictures and upload it everywhere.
Started in the bedroom by 2 friends to become a multinational company today, Snapchat has come a long way. Plenty of companies have tried to copy Snapchat and its features whereas some have tried to acquire Snapchat itself. But, none of them succeeded. Today more than billions of people are using Snapchat every minute and sharing a piece of their life with their friends, while they create memories.
In times like these, where everyone is trying to connect with their friends and family and share a piece of their life with their people, it's a great idea to create an app like Snapchat.
According to Statista, Snapchat is very popular among teenagers and only in quarter 4 of 2023 it has around 406 million daily active users.
Source: Statista
Table of Content
But, we all have one question i.e. what makes Snapchat so popular among teenagers even today and how to develop an app like Snapchat? So let’s try to understand that:
What Makes Snapchat Famous
Efficient Way of Communicating
For users sharing their everyday glimpses of life with their friends and families help them efficiently communicate. One of the examples is many users carry out streaks which helps them connect with their loved ones on a regular basis.
Strong Filter Game
Which is your favorite filter on Snapchat?
Snapchat has one of the strongest facial algorithm games which helps them to retain users and also get new ones. Additionally, Snapchat also allows people to create their own filters and share it with their user group increasing the sense of community amongst the users.
If you are wondering how to create an app like Snapchat, but don’t know where to start with, you can reach out to us. Our team of experienced business strategists can help you start building strong strategies and business models.
How to Develop an App Like Snapchat
Research and Market Analysis
By now you must have known how important a role does research plays. You need to start with building a strong team of researchers who can actually help you to carry out thorough research of your competitors and market.
One of the major reasons you should carry out research is to understand the market and users’ needs which can help you and your team to build user-centric solutions. Market analysis will also help you to stay ahead of your competitors as you will be exploring their business model, strengths, weaknesses and will help you answer how to make an app like Snapchat.
Competitive Analysis
Knowing your competitors as their features, business models, strengths, weaknesses, and other things will help you to build better and stronger products. When carrying out competitive analysis you need to focus on what things about your competitors are liked by users and what they don’t like.
When carrying out this analysis you can start with the usability of the application, its overall user-experience, tactics of retaining users, etc. these things will also give you a brief idea about features which users like and provide support while you make an app like Snapchat.
Feature Lists
Snapchat features are loved by almost everyone. Let’s explore some of the features which you should replicate in your Snapchat clone app.
There is no Snapchat clone app without this feature. One of the major USPs of Snapchat was and still has been providing disappearing messages and snaps which users have loved a lot. Make sure that your application has this feature as well.
Filters are another must have feature when you build an app like snapchat. For a decade now users have loved these filters which gives them a more personalized experience.
Can you imagine having a Snapchat clone app without streaks?
When was the last time you broke a streak and had a good fight with your friends? We all have been there.
Snapchat has relied on streaks just to retain its users. This element of gamification derived from games has helped a lot to Snapchat in retaining their users. So if you build an app like Snapchat remember to include this feature.
When you build an app like Snapchat this is one of the crucial features of a social media application which is helpful in connecting our users with their loved ones.
Sharing their location with their friends and families, be it to keep them in the know or just for fun, this feature is loved by plenty of people.
Memojis have helped Snapchat to provide users with more personalized experience on their platform. In fact people have shown immense love to feature wherein they can create their look-alike avatar.
Brands have collaborated with Snapchat and developed filters with the help of AR to promote their company. A great way to implement technology and also for marketing.
Want to get a complete set of features for your photo sharing app development? Connect with us.
Design your Snapchat Clone App
When designing your application, you need to follow the user-centric approach. This will help you to have a product which can be used by users. A good design will always work wonders for you and your business. It will help you to have a loyal customer base. Can’t believe my words? Look at the Apple – products built and designed by keeping users at the core of it. Today any person you know will always end up praising Apple, because of its usability and overall experience. Remember to have a team of experienced designers who actually understand their job role and help you build products which can help you retain your user base.
Snapchat Clone App Development and Testing
Developing using the right technology is essential in order to scale your products. There are so many new technologies which are coming in the market every year and helps developers to build better and qualitative products. You need to have a team of experienced developers who knows the latest tech-stack and can help you build strong and secure products. Below is to name a few of technology stack which we recommend:
| Database | MongoDB, PostgreSql, and Firebase |
|---|---|
| Framework | React Native and/or Flutter |
| Cloud Services (Hosting) | AWS, Google Cloud, and/or Azure |
Use the tech-stack which you and your team thinks is right for you and will help you in the long run.
Once the application is developed, your next step is to test it in order to make sure that it is free from errors and bugs. There are plenty of different methods of testing your application like manual and automation testing. Try to use either or both of it in order to build and launch qualitative products. You need to make sure that users are able to use your Snapchat clone app to its full potential and without any errors or bugs.
Deploy or Launching
This is the final stage! Herein you need to consider the hosting platform to launch your application and reach a wider audience. This also completely depends on which platform you have built it, is it Android or iOS? You can either launch it on Play Store or App Store and then start marketing it. You might need to pay a certain amount of money to both or either platform in order to launch your app. Once you have submitted it, your application will be reviewed and it then can be approved or rejected.
If you are struggling at any stage and don’t know how to get started with it, you can reach out to us. Our team will help you with Snapchat clone app development
Business Model
Now let's talk about money as you start working on photo sharing app development.
If you study the business model of Snapchat, you will have a clear understanding of where the target audience of Snapchat is. The below given picture, showcases the breakdown of its users.
This data in turn will provide you with a better idea of where you are likely to find your target audience and accordingly you will design and develop your application. In fact, based on this, you will also understand your competitors and what features you should have in order to stand out from them. One of the major key takeaways is to diversify your business model just like Snapchat. Below are some of the ways Snapchat earns money, I hope this helps you to have a better understanding of each model and gives you an idea of how you can implement one in your photo sharing app development.
In-App Purchase
Most common way for companies to earn money and have a stable revenue stream. You can provide users with certain features for in-app purchases. For example: recently Snapchat launched features like an ability to restore streaks or change wallpapers, etc. with Snapchat+. Allowing users to spend some money inside the app too.
This strategy seems like it is helping Snapchat too as they have earned a certain amount of money with the decent amount of Snapchat+ users.
Ads
Collaborate with other brands and provide them ad space on your platform. Each link clicked via your application helps you earn some money and provides a good user base to the respective company. When running ads the trick is always to make sure that you don’t run plenty of it and bug the user such that you lose them. Run ads in your Snapchat clone app so when engaged with it, it will help you to earn some money.
Freemium Model
Users get limited access to your Snapchat clone app features, if they are on the free model. To access the application with all the features, users will have to pay some amount. Initially, people might not agree to pay to use a social media platform, but over time looking at the USP that your platform has, they would.
Spectacles
For a long time, Snapchat has been investing quite a lot of money in Spectacles and is trying very hard to innovate. In turn, Spectacles might not have seen similar success like Snapchat, but it is still slowly trying to make its mark. Recently, Snapchat even collaborated with Rayban to make the next generation sunglasses whose impact we are yet to see. The ambitious project of Snapchat Spectacles is trying to create next-gen glasses and providing users with camera to speaker at their fingertips. Visit Snapchat Spectacles to learn the nitty-gritty of the product.
If this project becomes a success for Snapchat, you can try your luck too in the long run. Less competition and more demand will help you as well to build the next gen glasses.
Marketing
App Store Optimization
If you have started out with building an exclusive iOS application and are in the midst of launching it, you need to consider app store optimization. Focus on the app store marketing and the algorithm in order to expand your reach. Every year, the App Store also comes with editor’s choice awards, if by any chance you are selected for the same, it will help you reach a wider audience and gain new users. So, try to innovate in your marketing strategies and focus on building a product which stands ahead of your competitors.
Content Marketing
Content marketing and distribution has quite a good role to play in order to reach a wider audience. You can start by writing blogs, creating content for socials, cross brand marketing, emails, newsletters, etc.
Having a strong content game which helps you to reach a wider audience will work wonders for you. You can do plenty of things with content marketing, try to make a strong marketing strategy which helps you to stand ahead of your competitors and helps you to build a community of loyal users.
Search Engine Optimization
Relying on various SEO practices will help you to rank on various search engines which in turn again helps you to reach a wider audience. There are various methods to carry our SEO and rank on these search engines. Remember, you don’t need to do all the practices at the same time. You can start by focusing on how one practices and run it on various search engines. Furthermore, based on this data, you can focus on which method is working for you and which is not.
If you are struggling with defining the marketing strategies and put a plan in place, you can reach out to us. Our team of successful marketers will help you to stay ahead of the game and help you reach the right audience which in turn can help you have a loyal customer base.
Over to You
Creating an app like Snapchat requires careful planning, technical expertise, and a deep understanding of user behavior. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can develop a unique and engaging messaging app that captures the attention of your target audience. Keep in mind that user feedback and market trends should guide the ongoing evolution of your app, ensuring its continued success in a competitive landscape.
Developing a social media platform can become tricky at times. Make sure your platform is inclusive, diverse, and welcoming. You also need to invest in content moderation in order to keep your platform safe for your users. I know it might sound scary or confusing, but you have us. Reach out to us and our experienced senior team will help you at every stage of development.
