Launching a successful social networking site involves much more than a good design. To compete with today’s leading social media applications, you will need functionality that keeps users engaged, an advanced community, and the ability to scale the app. The right plugin software is the key. In this blog, we will explore 10 important plugins that will enhance your social network software, improve user experience, and increase growth.
1. User Profile Plugin
The heart of all social networking sites is the user profile. This plugin allows you to create several types of profiles with custom fields to represent the various roles and interests in your community. It offers profile images, cover images, and a level of privacy for user activity – all critical features of social media websites today.
Key Features
- Custom profile types with conditional fields
- Editable profile and cover images
- In-site member privacy controls
- Followers/blockers/reporters
Enhance user personalization on your platform with our powerful User Profile Plugin.
2. Music Plugin
This plugin is a music lover’s paradise, offering a perfect platform for music creators to share their work with the community. Members can upload, organize, and share audio track resources with albums, playlists, and the ability to listen on the go while discovering new music shared by the community.
Key Features
- Upload your MP3 files, group them into albums
- Streaming audio player + playlist controls
- Privacy and genre options
- Likes, comments, and searches for music
Let members share and stream their favorite tracks using our Music Plugin.
3. Groups Plugin
The groups plugin gives your members the ability to create and join groups based on any interest, profession, or hobby (the sky’s the limit!). Each group will also provide its mini-community for a member’s interests, complete with its own forums, media albums, and event management. The groups plugin is a great way to create focused interactions within your social network software on a particular niche.
Key Features
- Public, private, and hidden groups
- Group forums and discussions
- Group-specific photos/videos
- Admin and moderator memberships in groups
Let your users build their communities using our flexible Groups Plugin.
4. Events Plugin
Once the Events plugin is added to your community platform, it can be the hub of your online meetups, webinars, and in-person events. Members can create their events, invite others, keep track of RSVPs, and add maps, as well as a video link for their event, so that it is all in one spot.
Key Features
- The ability to create an event with RSVP and guest list features
- Calendar integration and view of upcoming events
- Ability to add Google Maps and virtual meeting links to events
- Members can create events at any membership level
Make organizing and joining events seamless with our feature-rich Events Plugin.
5. Polls Plugin
The Polls plugin allows users to create and vote on questions in an easy-to-use and fun way. It is a great way to collect opinions, conduct surveys, or improve post exposure across the feed.
Key Features
- Create single or multiple-choice polls
- Create conditions on who can vote, as well as how long a poll will last
- Access results immediately after voting
- Embed a poll in a feed, group, or blog
Spark conversations and gather opinions with our intuitive Polls Plugin.
6. Video and Media Sharing Plugin
This plugin allows users to upload videos, create media albums, and embed videos from popular platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo, etc.. The plugin includes user-level privacy settings, content moderation, and ways of discovering content on your site, all adding to add visually appealing, engaging components of social media to your social site.
Key Features
- Upload or embed videos
- Create and manage photo/video albums
- Privacy settings for media visibility
- Likes, comments, and tagging on media items
Empower users to create and share rich content using our advanced Video & Media Plugin.
7. Monetization & Subscription Plugin
With monetization options built into the software, you can offer premium memberships, restrict access to content, and process payments. This plugin can create subscription tiers, one-time purchases, and offer members upgrades, making it a great option if you want your social networking website to become a revenue-generating business.
Key Features
- Create and manage subscription plans
- Control content access based on a membership plan
- Integrate with payment gateways (Stripe/PayPal)
- Offer an upgrade, paid groups, or VIP badges
Start generating revenue with ease using our all-in-one Authorize.net Payment Gateway Plugin.
8. Notification Plugin
User retention is increased with smart notifications. A notification might be in the form of a new friend request, event invite, or comment reply, and users receive updated notifications in-app and via email or push notifications.
Key Features
- Email, in-site, and push notification
- Notifications for interaction messages or mentions
- Allows users to customize notifications
- Weekly digest or instant notifications.
Improve engagement and retention through smart alerts with our Notification Plugin.
9. Blogs Plugin
The Blogs plugin provides members a way to publish articles, stories, and updates, creating a rich content destination from your social media site. Users can create blogs using text, images, video, links, and much more. Users can like and comment on any articles and stories they read, supporting creativity and creating organic long-form SEO content.
Key Features
- Create, edit, and publish blog posts
- Rich text editor empowers media embedding
- Tagging, categorizing, and searching SEO fields
- Commenting and reacting system
Encourage content creation with our customizable Blogs Plugin.
10. Classifieds Plugin
With a Classifieds plugin, your social networking site can offer local buying, selling, and trading of goods. Members can post an ad, search for ads, and message sellers directly from your site. This is an awesome feature for specialty networks like student networks, hobby groups, or local networks.
Key Features
- Ad postings organized by categories with filters
- Add photos, details about the item, as well as contact information
- Options for buyers/sellers to comment and message each other
- Settings for featured ads and expiration
Enable users to post listings with ease through our Classifieds Plugin.
Conclusion
Having the right set of plugins can dramatically change your social network from a social platform to a feature-heavy experience for your users. Beyond the basics, being able to add extra features like additional modules for user-generated content like blogs, classifieds, polls, and donations allows users to engage and contribute, and allows you to monetize your community with niche tools.
By adding your social network software, you add so much more value, create interactions between different users in your community, and create a self-sustaining community, whether that be connecting local communities, supporting creators, or creating the next big social media network.
