A Social Media App Is Great, But Why Do Brands Need To Create One?

Entrepreneur, Technology Evangelist, Business Strategist. CEO & Co-Founder of Visartech Inc., Software Product Development Agency.

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People need networking and interaction with others by nature. However, the pandemic has brought a lack of social engagement. Therefore, a thirst for joining a community still remains relevant.

To fill in this social gap and meet fundamental human needs, brands can provide customers with their own communities: social networking apps.

What Type Of Social App Can Work For Your Brand Best?

The choice of social media app for your business shouldn’t rely solely on the popularity of a particular app (e.g., social networking like Facebook or media sharing like Instagram). Rather, it has to fully align with your business goals and your customers’ needs.

Before getting down to app development, answer a question: Does your target audience need to post media, write stories or just share thoughts?

Let’s consider the main ones to get a bigger picture of how different social media apps can work for your business.

• Social networking app: Your service or product can be a reason for people to make new friends or join a community with the same interests. That’s actually the way Nike uses its own social networking app. A sports brand’s application allows users to join different running groups, take on challenges and get motivation from like-minded people. Thus, a company brings value to the existing customers and increases the number of new ones.

• Blogging platform: It’s no secret that sharing great content with customers allows businesses to build up good relationships. Therefore, a blogging app can come in handy. For example, Kraft offers its customers different recipes in the iFood Assistant app based on Kraft groceries. This, in turn, provides customers with useful content and helps the food company increase the level of trust and loyalty.

• Media-sharing application: This is a good solution for brands that engage customers through useful media content. People can use an application to post pictures of your product, write reviews or share each other’s opinions. As a case in point, home furnishings company Ikea created an app allowing users to place 3D models of furniture and check whether it’s a good fit in their home.

What Is The Potential Business Value In Developing Your Own Social Networking App?

In creating a space like a social networking app, you interact solely with your target audience. Thereby, you uncover new ways to find out more information about customers, their wishes and desires.

So the main advantages social apps offer to businesses include:

• Better customer understanding: A brand can use its own social media app to conduct polls and ask for customer feedback or suggestions. Meanwhile, app analytics give a comprehensive view of their needs and desires. This way a company also keeps abreast of the most discussed topics by users and gets insights for further product improvements.

• Improved marketing campaigns: The more personalized marketing approaches a brand uses, the more likely it gets loyal customers. According to an Adobe report, 62% of people claim that content personalization greatly increases their trust in brands. So by having branded social networking apps, businesses have all the opportunities to get to know their customers better and then adjust marketing campaigns to the specific needs of every customer.

• Community-powered brand: In essence, by building a social media app for your business, you organically create a community around your brand. That leads to customers participating in your company’s growth. Namely, they constantly leave their feedback, pointing out the things they would like to change or get. And business has the opportunity to collect this information and make improvements. Basically, customers will feel they are contributing to something while a brand simultaneously gains their loyalty.

• Increased customer retention: Social networking apps allow businesses to keep ongoing communication with customers, which positively reflects on the company’s outcomes. Your customers get value by being an integral part of your brand’s life; meanwhile, you have more information about things that make them satisfied, thus boosting the retention rate.

Three Essential Elements Of A Great Social Networking App

News feed, user information, messages, updates … all of these require a smart back-end structure of a social media application. Then it processes big data fast and efficiently.

That’s why there are several aspects you should take into account when building a social networking app for your brand:

1. Strong security system and data protection: Users consider security to be an important issue. So make sure your social networking app provides solid attack protection and privacy features (e.g., multiple-layer security and sensitive data encryption). This will eliminate the possibility of experiencing unpleasant situations with data leakage. A good rule of thumb is to give people an option on whether or not to share their personal data—for instance, with other users or your app system.

2. Efficient database design: A social media application deals with lots of information—that’s why it’s crucial to implement a good database setup. Pay lots of attention to certain features such as backup, fault tolerance and operability. Having these allows you to provide a good experience for users.

3. Constant app maintenance: To keep user engagement at a high level, work on providing constant updates with your social app. Gather users’ feedback and then fix bugs or add new features. Stay informed about up-to-date technology and implement them in your app.

Wrapping Up

Social media apps are gaining momentum these days, so businesses can take great advantage of it by offering customers what they want: community and networking. But it’s crucial to define what will unite your target audience.

No less important is using a smart approach to personal data protection since it results in a trustworthy relationship with a brand.

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