My friend and I recently started a passion project: creating a completely legal way for Facebook friends to play poker on a mobile phone. Two months ago, we were approved in the app store and are now in open beta (we are accepting users, but aren't promoting so we can debug/test/scale).
As of this writing, we have 275 users and are averaging 70,000 total events/month (over 2 months). This user base gives us no delusions of grandeur regarding an IPO, but we are very encouraged by the intense nature with which our initial audience is using the app.
Despite our awkward birthing stage, we have gleaned tremendous insights in terms of going to market with a social app. Below are five most important pieces of advice for app developers looking to create social growth
1. Be Innately Social
Many websites and apps ask the question “How do we get social?” The notion of getting social seems as nonsensical as a radio program asking “how do we become more television?”
Social is an entity in and of itself. Apps that are inherently social are typically far more likely to proliferate than their peers.
A truly social app is one that will rely heavily/entirely on a friend-connected experience in order to have a positive experience. It may seem subtle, but it requires a paradigm shift that can radically alter the nature and delivery of the application.
2. Foster In App Communication Between Friends
It’s becoming perfectly clear that Facebook and Twitter are going to be mega-platforms that will bridge connections with other smaller networks. It’s easy to overlook communication methods, but these niche networks have the power to transmogrify into large-scale interest-based hubs.
Create a more socialized experience by allowing friends to communicate in the following ways:
Active communication: Chat enabled, image sharing, sending playlists, like/thumbs-up/heart something.
Passive Communication: Receive activity updates using news feeds and push notifications.Read More
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