Creating a Facebook App, What's in it for me?

A great idea

First thought, "Wow, if I can turn this idea into a Facebook App, I can make a lot of money."  The second thought is a question, "So, what can I build on the Facebook platform?  What is a Facebook App."

This is how Scott Varland, CEO of SocialBomb, put it, "successful apps offer either value, utility or pleasure to users."

Facebook, through the licensing terms and conditions, brings it home (to their home), "Facebook Platform is an extension of Facebook, whose mission is to make the world more open and connected."  [Therefore,] "If you offer a service for a user that integrates user data into a physical product (such as a scrapbook or calendar), you must only create a physical product that for that user's personal and non-commercial use."

Any valuable mobile application consists of three architectural pieces: first and most recognizable, a user experience.  Second, interactive content and third a platform to connect the user experience to the useful data.  If the platform offers a way to socialize the experience and data, then is is a pleasure to use that has both value and utility.

There are several popular and reasonable platforms for creating a mobile application.  Any one of them can offer the principles expressed by SocialBomb's Scott Varland or Facebook's legal team, however, this post is focused on Facebook.

Facebook as a platform

Choosing Facebook to host your mobile application has the advantage of simple integration with your social community.  Once you establish a foundation for the application, Facebook offers SDKs for building a native application on iOS and Android.  There is even a Web SDK to drive social traffic to your website.

The type of application that is meaningful, is something that can leverage the timeline of content or drives your novel content to the timeline to "socialize" your content.    The FB developer toolkit includes authentication, a query language (FQL), payment system if you can monetize your application, advertisement and of course the social channel itself; complete with social media, social plug-ins, a chat API all in a familiar social design.

Ready, set, go ...

Games are a specialty "idea" that is beyond the scope of this post, but here are the big steps to get you excited to start the creative process of building a socialized mobile application for Facebook.

• Organize your idea

Identify your hobby, gather up snips from your newsletter, take interesting photos in your attic or garden.  The content must be interesting and something that benefits from socializing -- the possibilities are limitless.  Media content, or textual with a media (e.g., picture, video or audio) help to "bring home" the content.

• Give it a title

Recall, back in third grade, your teacher taught you that a title must sell your story, so make in interesting.  Don't worry too much about being unique as that is nearly impossible among the thousands of application titles.  Just make certain that your content entices the users who you want in your social community.

• Generate your APP-ID

Facebook's Developer Guides and other supporting documentation will take you through the steps to create your application.  The application requires a registered application identifier which is associated to the developer's registration license.  Stay within the guidelines and refer to the sample code often.

• Create delightful content - be the first user

It is always a good idea to get someone else to critique your content.  Especially if you consider yourself more of a technical thinker.  Solicit help from a creative friend or organization.

• Publish & Promote

Facebook provides all of the tools and documentation on how to publish your mobile application.  Again, review the material with the creative partner.  You want the title, description and content to sell your application.

• Analyze and improve

Most applications do not get it "right" the first version.  With any luck it will be "close enough" to get some adopters.  What you do not want are installer-uninstallers.  Stay close to the analytics reports and identify the adoption (return visitors) and concentrate on improvements that bring them back on a regular basis.

In conclusion

Publishing an application should be a proud and fruitful moment.  Once you have achieved that goal, share your experience here and with others.  Like-minded applications are good for the continued success and adoption of any mobile application.  Embrace competition and do not be complacent with your results.  Congratulations and start planning your next release.