The success of Threads was not because Meta launched it, but it was all about the time. It provided a safer and well-moderated microblogging platform for users. It was an attack at a time of weakness Twitter was experiencing due to leadership challenges. Currently, Threads has over 190 million users and is rocking the show. Among the top apps on PlayStore, in Dec 2023, Threads was ranked fourth, just above YouTube.
If you have a brilliant and innovative idea similar to Threads, you must know what it takes to build one. As an entrepreneur, when you dive into experimenting with new things in social media app development, you must understand that text-based apps are simple yet need complex strategies to appeal to users.
So, while you plan to venture into social media app development, we want you to quickly read through the following points that are crucial to know at the onset of the planning stage.
What is Threads App and How Does it Work?
Threads is a phenomenal social media app that resembles Twitter. Created by Meta, it allows you to share your thoughts and multimedia with an online social media network in the form of threads. What is different with Threads is that you can join it only if you have an Instagram account. If you delete your Instagram account, you are disabled from Threads’ account as well.
You can divert your Instagram connections to your Threads account with a single click. So, the good news is you do not need to build your network from scratch. You already have a user base that is connected with you on Threads.
Threads works on a standalone basis and permits users to share thoughts and messages with their connections and participate in various public discussions. Normal Twitter account holders can Tweet text limited to 280 characters. Blue tick accounts can write upto 1000 characters, post longer videos, and get privileges on their social media actions. On the contrary, Threads provides 500 characters length to all normal account users. Moreover, they can attach links, ten photos, and 5-minute videos. So, every user is provided an equal platform to share their thoughts. While posting your thoughts, you can select the type of audience you want to share your updates with.
What Are The Advantages Of Developing a Social Media App Like Threads?
If you think the market is already saturated with top-ruling apps like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Threads, know that there is a wider scope available. Here are some valid reasons why you can consider developing a social media app like Threads.
- Threads have a unique user base that is concentrated on sharing thoughts, participating in public discussions and debates, and helping the community improve.
- When a new app gets introduced with innovative features and appealing UI, Threads may lose the market.
- By offering exclusive benefits to users, you can create your own space in the market. For monetization benefits, you can try sponsored content, in-app purchases, advertising, etc.
- Just like Threads, you can create an app that unlocks more opportunities for users to live better lives. This can even help you acquire valuable partnerships or acquisitions that will help you financially enhance your app and thereafter seek business expansion.
Top Features That Make Threads Unique From Twitter
Although Threads is considered a replica of Twitter, it has several unique features that Twitter doesn’t have. This gives it an upper hand over Twitter and allows it to show itself as unique and better for social media enthusiasts.
Integration Seamless With Instagram App
The words ‘threads’ come out through this feature. So, when a user installs Threads on a mobile device, it asks for a user account existing on Instagram. Everything on the Instagram account gets derived here, and hence, it is easy to onboard the Threads app with an already existing community of users who are connected with you.
Connecting Instagram Network to Threads
The next screen after you connect with your Threads account through Instagram is an option to follow your Insta followers. All the Instagram connections are also brought into Threads. Well, you can easily use Threads as it gives you many users already in your network.
More Coverage in Sharing Thoughts
Unlike Twitter, Threads gives you extended coverage for writing in 500 characters, including text, pictures, 5-minute videos, links, etc. Threads does not have a hashtag system, so the thoughts you write matter a lot here.
Conversation Flexibility Within Threads
Similar to Twitter, this feature allows users to continue sharing their thoughts on Threads. This allows users to expand their threads and have serialized conversations, allowing users to explore the entire conversation on a particular thread.
Gaining Control Over Your Threads Account
Threads offers you complete privacy control over who you allow to mention their threads. You can hide your default and custom offensive words and phrases. With this privacy, Threads is made unique and more appealing than Twitter.
Other Important Features That You Must Consider While Creating Social Media App Like Threads
- Real-time messaging
- Group chats
- Notifications and alerts
- Multimedia sharing
- Seamless Integration
- Privacy Control and Settings
- Use of Emojis and Stickers
- Message Search
How To Develop a Social Media App Like Threads?
Analyze Your Requirements
Having an app concept in your mind is not enough. You must decide upon what kind of app you want to build. Another important aspect is knowing what kind of features and functionalities your app will have. Since it will be a social media app, you can always consider offering unique features to attract users to create an account. In addition, you must find out your target audience, monetization techniques, etc.
Do Market Research
In this phase, you must conduct rigorous market research. Here, you need professional guidance regarding the process of doing research and finding the untapped market space that can be captured. Partnering with a well-established software development company will help you find similar app concepts available in the market. Understand the market landscape of competitors and how they created demand for their apps in the market. It is better to identify the concept and then refine it to build your unique brand reputation.
Hire Mobile App Development Company
After the research phase, you must find experienced developers who can create a robust social media application. They will provide full service from design to development, including maintenance and support. To hire developers, you can choose the best mobile app development company from any region worldwide. Make sure they provide app development services using the latest technologies.
UI/UX Design
At this stage, you need dedicated UI/UX designers who can help you create a visually appealing UI for your social media app. They will conduct comprehensive design research, perform UI/UX mockups, and create wireframes. After finalizing the most suitable design, you can implement it on your mobile app. The UI should be easy to understand and navigate.
Choose Technology Stack
Choosing the right technology stack for your social media app development is crucial. There are various considerations at this stage. To build a social media app like Threads, you must choose a reliable tech stack that has all modern technologies, frameworks, libraries, and tools to use. The technology stack used by Threads was as follows:
Social Media App Development
After you finalize the technology stack, you must hire dedicated developers or find a social media app development team that will work on developing your app at full speed. At this stage, you must implement all your UI/UX strategy, APIs, and other components needed for linking to the backend. You will also need to integrate third-party APIs. Once the implementation and integration process is over, you must send your app for higher responsiveness and other UX settings.
App Testing and Quality Analysis
It is one of the most crucial stages in conducting basic app testing and quality analysis. You can hire a dedicated QA engineer onboard or approach a testing team of your mobile app development company. They will manually test your social media app from various aspects and find any tiny bugs that may have been hidden inside your app code. This process will ensure your app is top-notch, bug-free, and crash-free.
Deployment and Maintenance
Considered the last stage of your app development process, this stage does not involve deploying your app to various app stores to make it available to all users. Once your app goes live, you will have to continuously monitor its performance. You also need to track user behavior and other factors that ensure your app is well maintained and performing as per social media standards.
What is The Cost To Build An App Like Threads?
Determining the exact cost of building an app like Threads is a challenge. Unless you have considered the below factors:
- Social media development company
- The location of the company
- Number of talents you hire
- Skillsets of the dedicated development team
- Engagement model
- Project complexity
- UI/UX design
- App development platform
- Tech-stack
- Features and Functionality
- App testing and quality assurance
- App store optimization
- Maintenance and support
Conclusion
Developing a social media app like Threads can revolutionize the market. All you need is some very unique and innovative idea that can be practically implemented on the ground and has a reliable profit-making strategy. When you develop such an app with enough clarity, adequate market research, and planning backed by solid execution, you can win the game. At Whitelotus Corporation, we have a team of developers, designers, researchers, and analysts who will work as one team to help you create a stunning social media app. We use the best technologies and tools to support your app development idea from day one until the app launch. So, let us get connected! Share your dream project with us.
