There was a time when we all asked ‘What’s an app?’–and now, in 2016, using an app is pretty standard for everything from social networking, buying movie tickets, and even finding new jobs. Apps create an instant connection between businesses and their clients, they connect friends, and are much easier to use than a web browser on your cell phone.
For many businesses, it makes sense to create and market an app as a way for your customers to shop or request services in a quick, easy way. It even makes sense if you’re a personality like Kim Kardashian and want to capitalize on your fan base.
But when it comes to social networking do we really need another app? There’s already Facebook, Snapchat, Vine, and Instagram.
ARE WE ENTERING THE ERA OF APP OVERLOAD?
This year a new wave of social networking apps hit the iOS and android market. Among them was Peach, an app that encourages you to “Share what you feel, think, see, hear, and do–vividly.” There was also Yik Yak, an app designed to get people out and about with shared posts about what’s happening locally.
Like with every release of a new product, the apps are heralded by some as nothing new. Some are declared dead before they’ve even been tested on the market. But there are always people who will flock to the latest thing. Teenagers shying away from Facebook because their parents use it. Artists look for an interesting way to share their work. Or just someone who prefers the aesthetic or unique features of something different.
IT’S HARD TO STAND OUT IN A CROWD.
The obstacles a new app faces are the same as any new product or business. How do you stand out in a sea of hundreds, thousands, or millions of others? It’s difficult to tell whether Peach or Yik Yak will survive the brutal crucible of social networks. Only time will tell. We can only be remind
ed of a time when it seemed impossible for a Facebook to replace a MySpace.
Have you tried Peach or Yik Yak—or have you come across another app that you can’t stop using? Let us know in the comments below