Is the era of free social media coming to an end? Across the industry, apps are starting to charge users. In June 2022, Snapchat launched its fee-based Snapchat Plus service. Twitter followed suit in November 2022 and in February 2023 Meta (Facebook and Instagram) test-marketed a subscription bundle for their services. The price points for the subscriptions currently vary from $3.99 to $14.99, with Snapchat being at the low end and the bundle of Facebook/Instagram being at the high end, ranging from $11.99 to $14.99 depending on if a user opts for a web subscription or an IOS or Android subscription. What also varies is the users’ expectations, perceived quality of features, recognition of the value offered, potential satisfaction, and the likelihood of opting in for fee-based subscription services.
Research: How People Feel About Paying for Social Media
A survey of U.S. residents asks whether new subscription services from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat meet their expectations.
April 05, 2023
John Scott/Getty Images
Summary.
Social media services such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat have implemented pay-for-subscription services (Twitter Blue, Snapchat Plus, and Meta’s bundled Facebook and Instagram Blue Badges). The buzz from users, long inundated with a large number of advertisements but now also facing subscription fees, is passionate and increasing. We asked a nationwide sample of 1,056 users for their opinions of these subscriptions (with a sampling margin of error of less than 3 percent). We analyzed 1) what users expect, 2) the quality of features, 3) prices given the quality, 4) ideal social media services, and 5) how likely the users are to subscribe.
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Marketing Essentials Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Marketing Essentials. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Learn how to communicate with your customers—strategically.