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Do you want what is currently trending on TikTok?
We all know it, right? From live streams of Taylor Swift’s concerts to every DIY hack we know currently, all credits goes to TikTok. Today more than a billion people use TikTok every second and upload their content. Let’s see some quick stats around TikTok:
- In 2022, TikTok was the second most downloaded application right after its competitors Instagram.
- TikTok has 150 million active users in the United States only
- TikTokers use an application for an 1.5 hours daily
- 90% of TikTok users claim that the application keeps them engaged, happy, and there is new content every time they use it.
Source: Sensor Tower
If you are planning to develop an application like TikTok and wondering how to make app like TikTok, you are at the right place. In this comprehensive guide, I will walk you through all the important things you need to make an application like TikTok.
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Table of Content
How is TikTok So Famous
Despite having such a strong competition, what is it that makes TikTok stand out even today? The way our attention span is decreasing has shown us how creating short content is helping platforms reach the masses. One of the major reasons for TikTok’s success is having a strong algorithm game and providing its users with personalized recommendations. The game's strong algorithm has helped TikTok to reach the right target audience in no time and show them relevant content. Below are some of the reasons why TikTok stands out even today:
- Relevant content
- Designing user-centric product
- Leveraging AI/ML to develop strong algorithm
Next up, let’s see how to build an application like TikTok:
How to Create an app like TikTok
Research and Market Analysis
Research. Research. Research.
Investing your time, resources, and money in carrying thorough research and understanding of the market will help you to build a solid social media platform like TikTok. We all have seen various social media platforms fail, what's the real reason? Lack of research and market understanding.
The latest example of this is “Threads” by Instagram, though it started with a bang, but who even uses it still? Another example of it is “Clubhouse” during COVID days, every person you know was on Clubhouse, but uses it now? No one!!!
Though these applications made money, it's no longer relevant and people rarely use it.
It's time you carry out thorough research and understand users’ needs and build products accordingly. So, your first answer to how to build an app like TikTok is to start with research.
Competitive Analysis
To build an app like TikTok there is a tough competition in social media platforms and standing out means making plenty of efforts. Carrying out competitive analysis will help you to have a thorough understanding of your competitors, know their strengths, weaknesses and this information in turn will help you to have your USP.
In the game of social media platforms, it is essential to have unique selling points – it helps you to gain your users’ attention and have dedicated loyal customers. Below are some of the major competitors you might have as you work on your TikTok clone app development.
Features
Next up, let's discuss the features you should have in your application which can help you to have the perfect application:
This is an important feature to provide users with personalized recommendations and help them make the best out of your social media platform.
Users should be able to edit their profile efficiently in order to showcase more of who they are as people in real life. This will help their followers connect with them at a personal level.
Making platform engaging is the core of social media platforms and these 3 features are a must.
I know we all get thousands of notifications daily which becomes extremely bothersome after a time. So, you need to make sure that your notifications are unique, engaging, and worth a users’ time. Make sure to provide users with the correct CTA and bring them back to your platform.
Ability to record, edit, and upload video helps people to connect with each other efficiently.
Users should be able to share their live location with their friends in case of need. Moreover, they should also be able to share the location in their TikTok to help people find the place and visit it.
Your application should have the feature to allow users to live stream with their followers and connect with them.
Design and Develop
Design has a pivotal role to play when it comes to building strong and qualitative products which are user-centric and makes it easy to use for them. When assembling a team of UX designers remember they have experience under their belt. Additionally, you can also have a mixed team of senior and junior designers. This combination will help you to have a product built which is qualitative and also have a fresh perspective.
On the development side, you need to use the latest tech stack in order to ensure that your users are using the product which is technically strong and has equal to zero flaws in it. If you are struggling with lack of funds to hire the right resources, you can reach out to us. Our team of experienced designers and developers will help you to build a quality product which brings ease of use in your users’ life.
Test and Deploy
This is the last stage of your product development life cycle. You need to provide your users with the product which is bug and error free. Carry out latest testing methods to help ensure that the product is bug-free. Once the testing is completed your next step is to deploy it, you can deploy it on App Store and Play Store or depending for which platform you have made this. If you are wondering about hows and whats of testing and deployment, we have got your back. Our team of experienced testers and support will help you from testing to deployment and in every stage of the development.
Business Model
Now is the time to talk about money and ways to generate revenue!
In-App Purchases
The first way is to introduce an in-app purchase method to your customers. In your TikTok clone app, you can provide users with certain features for which they need to pay. For example: taking inspiration from big companies: how Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) takes subscription charges from users or content creators who want the famous Blue Tick. This will help you to have a stable revenue stream of money in order to function your company as well.
Ads
The trick with the ads to crack is to make sure that you are running plenty of it on your platform, keep it less, but impactful. This is one of the major ways for competitor’s to earn money, have you seen the ads of various companies on Instagram? We all, right? If users click on it and follow the link from the Instgram, it helps Instagram and hopefully even the brands to earn some money. Additionally, it also helps businesses to earn some money if they want meaning overall a win-win situation for everyone involved.
Cross-brand Marketing
This is another quite common practice by big IT companies in order to earn some money. To do this, you can run ads of your TikTok clone app on different social media platforms and provide users with the direct link to your social media platforms. You can also provide users with the additional resources to connect with you.
What’s the point of having this product, if you can not market it, right? There are plenty of ways you can market this product, but it is always better to market it keeping your target audience in mind. Find a way you think your target audience will connect with you at an emotional level and then market your product. Remember, while marketing the aim is always to make sure that your aim is to make sure that your customers can remember your brand efficiently.
So, let’s see some of the common ways you should market your products:
Marketing Tips
App Store Optimization
Run ads in the App Store or Play Store depending on where you have launched your TikTok clone app. App store ads will help you to reach the right target audience in no time. Moreover, every year Apple announces App Store’s app of the year, meaning a chance to have more downloads and a wider target audience. However, in order to gain this you will have to follow the guidelines set by Apple, but it will work wonders for you.
Paid User Acquisition
This is another common way of acquiring users with money. If you think at the initial days you have a good budget to actually invest in paid user acquisition, go ahead with it as it will also help you to enhance your organic marketing efforts and help your team. One of the biggest benefits of this marketing style is that you are more likely to reach your target audience. If you are planning to include paid ads, you should begin with Google Ads. In addition, you should also promote your iOS or Android app on Google Search, YouTube, Google Play, and more.
Google Ads ad campaign enables you to drive both installs and in-app conversion actions. You can submit your campaign objective, create ad copy, add images or videos, and define the budget and you are set. Google Ads will then automatically start generating your ads and optimize them according to your target audience.
Additionally, you can also target loyal users of the application and motivate them to share your app’s information in their network. This will overall help you to build a strong community which can help you spread your brand’s details.
Search Engine Optimization
SEO is likely to have a huge role to play to help you gain the right target audience and reach a wider audience. Use the right SEO strategies and tactics which will help you to rank on various search engines. To begin with, you can start with investing in the right team of strategists which helps you to build a solid marketing plan.
If you are struggling with creating your marketing campaigns and don’t know where to begin with, you can reach out to us. Our strong team of marketers will help you build a strong marketing and content strategy which is curated according to your business need and plan. This in turn, will help you to have a loyal customer base.
Conclusion
Developing an app like TikTok requires a strategic blend of creativity, technical expertise, and a deep understanding of user preferences. By following the steps outlined in this guide and staying attuned to the evolving landscape of short-form video apps, you can invest in a unique and successful TikTok clone app development that captures the attention of users worldwide. Remember, continuous innovation, user engagement, and a commitment to quality are key factors in the long-term success of your app in this competitive space. If you are still struggling about how to make an app like TikTok and don’t know where to start, you are at the right place. Reach out to us and our team of strong developers, designers, testers, and marketers can help you to start with. With tons of experience and knowledge our team will be the perfect consultants to help you build your TikTok like app development.
