An Ultimate Guide: TikTok like Social Media App Development?

• By Ashish
• 13-12-2023
• Mobile App Development

TikTok, the video-sharing app, has become one of the most widely used social media platforms globally, captivating audiences of all ages, from kids and teens to adults.

The platform's popularity extends beyond individuals, as businesses and brands have embraced TikTok. TikTok's initial market entry and remarkable organic reach have enabled even B2B enterprises to attain success on the platform when compared to other platforms.
TikTok's unique features are well-suited for delivering entertainment—humorous, engaging, user-friendly, and demands minimal time and investment.

TikTok's surprising and remarkable success has inspired many entrepreneurs to explore the idea of building a social media app like TikTok. You're in the right place if you find yourself in this category.

This comprehensive guide aims to assist you in understanding the fundamental and advanced TikTok features, provide a pre-estimated cost, and outline the tech stack required to create an app like TikTok. Let's dive in!

Why should you Invest in TikTok-like Social Media App Development? Time for Facts!

Here are some incredible stats and facts investing in TikTok-like social media app development is a great opportunity for business owners:

• TikTok’s revenue was approx. $9.4 billion in 2022, a 100% increment yearly
• TikTok reached 1.5 billion users in 2023, a 16% increase from the previous year.
• 76% of social media users have purchased something they saw on social media
• As of February 2023, TikTok users in the United States spent 32% of the time with the popular short-video platform
• The video-sharing app has been downloaded 1 billion times and has 500 million active users per month.
• On average, users spend 52 minutes daily on TikTok.
• The app is popular among teenagers and 41% of TikTok users are aged 16–24.
• TikTok's primary revenue source is in-app purchases that bring the video-sharing app $3.5 million per month.

Must-Have Features of TikTok-like Social Media App Development

Sign-in/Onboarding

The authorization page serves as the initial impression for users, akin to the significance of the first page in a book. It is crucial in influencing users' decisions to continue using the app. To enhance user experience, maintain a concise and user-friendly sign-in page, requesting only pertinent information necessary for a seamless sign-in process.

Here are the required components:

• Basic user information
• Authorization details, password setup
• Password recovery options available

Notably, TikTok offers the flexibility to skip the sign-up process, automatically assigning a profile name and password for users choosing this option. Users can later modify these details to align with their preferences and requirements.

Create & Edit Profile

This feature empowers users to craft and modify their profiles effortlessly, enhancing the overall user experience. Users can edit various profile elements, including their bio, contact information, password, profile picture, and other account settings.

This profile customization feature facilitates user connections on TikTok, enabling them to engage with preferred individuals and curate the content they wish to encounter.

Browsing Page

The TikTok video chat application is segmented into two main sections: one dedicated to the user's page (FYP) and another encompassing additional content. Within the FYP section, users can endlessly scroll through recommended and trending videos that have gained viral popularity.

Each video featured on FYP includes a hashtag, a caption, and a soundtrack that users can utilize as background music.

System design is both straightforward and inventive. It enables real-time content updates for users, with new posts regularly tagged with hashtags. Additionally, users can explore previously uploaded videos by navigating through specific hashtags.

Like, Comment & Share

TikTok's engagement rate is experiencing a surge, primarily attributed to its feature enabling active conversations with viewers. In essence, it likes to serve as a metric for gauging the popularity of your content.

On TikTok, likes function like those on Instagram or Facebook, facilitating enhanced interaction between users and their audience. They provide an immediate means for users to receive feedback on their content.

Furthermore, the architecture includes seamless third-party integration with other social media and video chat applications. This integration empowers users to share their TikTok content effortlessly on various social media platforms.

Push Notifications

TikTok employs push notifications to deliver timely updates to users, aiding them in monitoring the performance of their content. The addition of push notification features can be achieved through:

• Firebase Cloud Messaging solution for Android
• Apple Push Notifications service for iOS

TikTok offers user-configurable settings, allowing individuals to choose the frequency and specific types of notifications they wish to receive.

For example, users can turn off notifications other than those related to the recommendation of live videos. This customization enhances the video chat and social media application on user preferences, improving overall user experience.

Advanced Features of TikTok-Like Social Media App

Video Recording/ Editing/Posting

TikTok is an exhilarating option for users seeking a unique social media experience. Beyond its live videos, short-form content, and diverse offerings, the platform boasts a comprehensive video editor. This editor empowers users to enhance their recordings or incorporate high-quality effects seamlessly.

The built-in editors streamline tasks, expediting the editing process with fewer steps and minimal hassle.

Furthermore, augmented reality comes into play, allowing users to introduce various scenarios into their original videos. This innovative feature enables modifications like changing eye color, adjusting skin tones, and adding elements such as flowers, hats, and more to elevate the creative possibilities.

Geolocation

TikTok facilitates real-time location-based content through geolocation, allowing users to receive notifications when TikTok influencers they follow are nearby.

Live Streaming

Users on TikTok who have amassed more than 1,000 followers can activate the live streaming feature, allowing them to engage with their audience. It enables them to receive gifts as coins from their followers, which can later be exchanged for monetary value at their discretion.

Music Library

TikTok boasts an extensive music and sound library seamlessly integrated into the application. Users have the option to engage in lip-syncing and dancing to the latest popular songs, enjoying a diverse range of tracks from various artists.

Music can be incorporated into videos by either utilizing lyrics or recording it directly within the post. Both approaches empower users to craft captivating videos featuring a spectrum of content, ranging from original works to inventive remixes.

Duet/ Stitches

The Duet feature permits users to showcase another person alongside their own. Conversely, Stitches empower users to clip and seamlessly integrate distinct scenes from another video into their content.

AI-based Recommendation

Exploring videos on the TikTok-like app is accessible even without subscribing to it. The application utilizes its artificial intelligence system to analyze the type of content a user frequently watches, making personalized suggestions on the For You page based on their preferences.

Engaging a leading mobile app development company can assist you in creating a TikTok clone distinguished by unparalleled functionality, design, and user experience. This approach positions you advantageously in the market.

Step-by-Step Guide to Develop Social Media Like TikTok

Research the Market and Competitors

Initiate the process of building any social media app, especially when uncertain where to commence, by thoroughly understanding your audience. This approach will give you a comprehensive understanding of market dynamics, competitors, effective marketing strategies, and noteworthy trends.

Answering these questions and documenting the summarized results can offer valuable guidance toward achieving your goal of creating an app akin to TikTok.

For further insights into your audience, consider conducting research by:

Demographics Profile:

Gain insights into your target audience's stage, geographical location, and preferred device to discern their visitation frequency to your content and the type of content they will likely like watching.

Behavioral Trends:

While each app maintains its uniqueness, it is possible to recognize certain trends that can be incorporated into your forthcoming application. These trends encompass a diminishing user inclination to download applications, a swift decline in tolerance for extended loading times, a minimal acceptance of security lapses, and a heightened appreciation for robust app functionality.

Know Your Audience

Now, it's crucial to connect with the audience for your app. TikTok has garnered an audience from over 150 countries, conversing in over 75 languages. Yet, addressing such a vast audience at the initial stages of app development could be more practical.

Experts suggest segmenting your target audience and commencing with a specific group. For instance, TikTok initially launched in the Chinese market before progressively expanding its audience base.

Create an Impressive UI/UX

The app's user interface is crucial to attracting and engaging users. The onboarding process for new clients is a determining factor in the quality. With its straightforward UX/UI design, TikTok minimizes distractions for its audience, simplifying the sign-up process, profile data completion, and seamless entry into the platform.

Experts recommend adopting a similar principle when crafting your application's UI/UX design. Incorporating features such as an infinite autoplay feed and seamless integration of user profiles with other social media platforms facilitates easy content promotion.

Hire a Professional Team

Creating an app without a team of skilled professionals is a formidable task. It is prudent to enlist experts knowledgeable about market strategies, understand the user's journey, and excel in implementing top-notch design concepts. This approach is pivotal for securing the success of your application.

A team required to make an app like TikTok is;

• Frontend Developer
• Backend Developers
• UI/UX Designer
• QA Engineer

Considering your time and budget constraints, you can assemble an in-house developer team or outsource the development team. Our recommendation is to choose outsourcing for the development of your TikTok-like app. It offers a cost-effective and time-saving solution, eliminating the need for maintaining full-time employees.

Develop an Effective TikTok like app

It is advisable to engage your software development team at the earliest stages to aid in the creation of a TikTok clone. Commencing with the design phase, they can offer insights into requirements, establish timelines for developing core functionalities, determine the necessary technology stack, provide cost estimates, devise project deployment strategies, plan for future app upgrades, and more.

Release & Advertise the App

In crafting a comprehensive marketing strategy, it's essential to pre-plan the promotion of your app to ensure awareness among your target audience. Consider incorporating standard advertising methods or seeking the expertise of a marketing specialist.

Common avenues for promoting your mobile app include:

• Running paid advertisements.
• Partnering with bloggers and social media influencers.
• Utilizing platforms like Google Play and Apple Store for app promotion.

How Much Does It Cost to Build Social Media Like TikTok?

The expense of developing an app like TikTok is contingent on the selected features and functionality for your application. Furthermore, it varies based on the chosen platform for app deployment and the geographical location of your product development partner.

For a preliminary understanding, you can analyze the figures and approximate the cost of developing an app like TikTok.

The hourly rate of the development team varies depending on their geographic location. But the table below gives a rough idea of the hourly rate of developers depending on the region:

Region

Avg. Hourly Rates

North America: $150

UK/Europe: $80

India: $45

Considering hourly rates, building a social media app like TikTok from the ground up in North America would necessitate a budget of approximately ~$316,000. Conversely, the cost is significantly more economical if you opt for development in Asia, particularly in India. Here, you could obtain an app with most features for approximately ~$95,000.

It is important to note that these estimations are approximations, and there may be a variance of ±15% for Android and iOS development.

What are the Monetization Models for TikTok-like Social Media App Development?

Monetization models for TikTok-like social media app development include in-app advertising, sponsored content, and branded challenges. In-app advertising involves displaying targeted ads to users and generating revenue based on ad views and clicks.

Sponsored content entails partnering with brands or influencers to create and promote content within the app, often through paid partnerships. Branded challenges involve companies creating and sponsoring unique challenges for users, increasing brand visibility.

Additionally, virtual gifts and in-app purchases, where users buy digital goods or features, contribute to revenue. A subscription-based model, offering premium features or an ad-free experience for a fee, is another viable option. These monetization strategies leverage the app's engaging content and user base, providing diverse revenue streams for sustained profitability.

The Bottom Line!

Developing an alternative to TikTok is more achievable than it might appear when you adhere to the correct guidance. Devoting time to contemplate the desired features and comprehending the development process assists in establishing realistic goals for budget and timeframe.

Identifying proficient video chat app developers gives confidence that any technical challenges will be handled well. With your vision aligned with the technical expertise of the developers, you can craft an app that resonates with and is adored by your audience.