There are many apps today that have become our lifelines. People learn new skills through them, watch videos, have fun, socialize, connect with friends & family, and even conduct their business. Basically, it is hard to imagine life without them now.  But, what if there were an app that has the potential to give it all. All those major apps combined into one mega app. Not only will people from all around the world flock over to it but the earning potential would be unprecedented. Although it sounds unrealistic, Instagram is on its way to do just that, and in this article, we are going to discuss how you can also create an app like Instagram that will give all other major apps a run for their money.

Reels = Tiktok

On the surface, it might seem that Tiktok and Reels offer the same thing. Both allow users to create engaging micro-videos and share it with their followers. But if you look more closely, there are a lot of differences between the two. When the Reels feature was initially announced, the experts were a bit skeptical about how Instagram users will receive it. But users gave an overwhelmingly positive response to the feature which resulted in an increase of Instagram users in Brazil by 4.34%. The time users are spending watching Reels every day is also constantly increasing. But does this mean that Reels could put Tiktok out of business? Not necessarily. Apart from the differences in the music library and video editing options on Reels and Tiktok, the main difference lies in the intent of those videos. Tiktok isn’t as popular for small businesses but Reels are doing wonders for them.  Small businesses and brands can now work with influencers to create branded content using 60-second videos. These short videos loaded with quality content can sometimes provide everything that is required to convert a user to a customer. Another important behavior to notice here is that many Instagram users are posting their Tiktok videos in Reels. This definitely shifts the scale in favor of Instagram. It remains to be seen whether there will be a clear winner or if this battle will end in a stalemate. However, one thing is clear. It will be very beneficial to add a Reel-like feature in your Instagram clone app.

IGTV = YouTube

Launched in June 2018, IGTV is Instagram’s direct response to YouTube. It is supposed to give mobile users a better experience of watching videos on their smartphones since it supports long-form vertical videos while YouTube is more focused on long-form videos comparable to TV broadcasts. Obviously, there are differences in how users search for a video and how the videos are ranked on both platforms. The difference also, just like in the case of Reels vs Tiktok, lies in the intent. On YouTube, users want their content to be viewed by a large number of people. In return, they make money through ads and affiliate marketing. Brands use influencers with a large number of subscribers to promote their products and increase their sales. On IGTVs, the case with views is the same. However, the method of earning money is different. According to a report, 71% of US businesses use Instagram and with more than a billion people using Instagram now, it gives them a huge opportunity to promote their product and service. Influencers get paid to promote products of businesses and most times it leads to a direct sale of the product. According to Hootsuite, 50% of users visit the company website to make a purchase after seeing a product or service on Instagram. But now, the face of IGTV is going to change for real. Instagram has now introduced ads in IGTVs which is going to be a game-changer. Creators can now earn money outside of promoting a product in their videos. Since monetization will depend on feed views, it will give creators more freedom to generate content. If you add this feature to your Instagram clone app and allow users to monetize their content, it could give a huge boost to your business.

Shop = Amazon

This feature has worked wonders for Instagram since its introduction in June 2020. Although it will not replace the eCommerce giant, Amazon, it will definitely give businesses a choice to choose a platform that suits their way of doing business and the content they want to produce. Also, according to a report of 2021, around 130 million users tap the shopping button every month. This fact alone proves how well this feature is working for businesses. This also creates a new revenue source for Instagram since it charges a small fee every time a user hits the “Shop” button. The success of this feature could also be attributed to the fact that Instagram leveraged Amazon’s weakness of not having the “Discover Shopping” option. This option allows the users to shop within the app on Instagram Adding this feature to your app like Instagram will give a huge boost to businesses, especially small businesses, and will allow you to earn a higher ROI.

Filters = Snapchat

Instagram tried to beat Snapchat at its own game by introducing fun filters so users will engage more within the app. Snapchat is more focused on private conversations between friends, and by providing filters, they make the conversations all the more fun. The option of filters on Instagram has allowed people to not only share unique stories with their friends but also gives creators more room to create quality content. This was also a way for Instagram to avoid users switching platforms and since Instagram’s user base has continued to increase, it is safe to say that it has been successful in its endeavor. Adding cool filters on your Instagram clone app is a sure-shot way of increasing engagement and making sure that users spend more time on the app.

Messenger = Whatsapp

Although both Instagram and Whatsapp are owned by Facebook, the company is putting its foot down on giving the best experience to users on Instagram. It is clear from the points above that people use Instagram for much more than just sharing photos and videos.  They are now conducting business over chat and customers now have a more direct way of connecting with businesses. For many people, Instagram is a way of earning their bread and butter. Although Instagram will not replace Whatsapp, it should match its quality if it doesn't want users to go over to Whatsapp for connecting with customers or brands. Keeping this in mind, Instagram has strived to improve the messaging feature and it has been quite successful at it. With regular updates, the Direct Messaging experience has got better with time. Having a smooth messaging experience is critical to your Instagram clone app. It will be an inconvenience if people have a business on Instagram, but they have to go over to Whatsapp to talk to their potential clients.  Additional features like voice and video call will certainly tip the scales in your favor. And if you add an option where people can even make payments through the app, you will become a force to reckon with.

In Conclusion

Building an app that gives everything a user and a business need in one place is bound to break the internet. But having all these features requires stellar technical expertise and relevant experience in this field. This is where we come in to help you.  Our Instagram clone app development company has worked with many clients from all over the world and is aware of what goes on in the app development process, no matter how complicated it is. So, if you bring your idea to us, we will definitely turn it into reality!