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From Free to Fee: What is the Future for Social Media ?

A Close Look at YouTube, Snapchat, Twitter, and Meta

In 2014, YouTube was the first to take this step, with its then-CEO Susan Wojcicki introducing the Music Key service, which offered ad-free music video streaming for a fee. The service has since been rebranded as YouTube Music and YouTube Premium, with 80 million subscribers worldwide as of 2022, paying €11.99 for access to ad-free music and video content, as well as the ability to download content and share live experiences and reactions with friends and family while watching together.

In June 2022, Snapchat launched its Snapchat Plus service, which allows access to exclusive experimental features for a subscription fee of €3.99. These features include pinned conversations with Best Friends, custom icons, and a special badge. However, it should be noted that users are unable to turn off ads with this service. In a statement released in January 2023, Snapchat revealed that more than 2 million users are currently utilizing Snapchat Plus.

As social media platforms increasingly introduce premium features, the days of free social media may be numbered

Twitter joined the trend in November 2022, shortly after its acquisition by Elon Musk, with its “Twitter Blue” paid service. Subscribers can pay between €9.60 and €11.00 in Europe (depending on whether they opt for a desktop or mobile subscription) for a blue badge, the ability to upload longer videos, tweet up to 4,000 characters, and an approximately 50% reduction in ads. Based on the data provided by The Information, it appears that 290,000 individuals have subscribed to Twitter Blue since its launch.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, took longer to introduce a paid subscription service. Still, in February 2023, it began testing a subscription bundle called “Meta Verified” in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. The subscription costs $14.99/month (iOS/Android) or $11.99/month on the web (Facebook only), making it the most expensive premium platform. The service offers a verified badge, customer service, increased visibility and reach, and exclusive features. However, Meta has not changed its business model regarding advertising, so Meta Verified subscribers will still be interrupted by multiple ads.

As the popularity of paid social media services grows, it seems that paying for ad-free experiences or certification may become the norm for social media users.

User Preferences and Satisfaction with Social Media Subscription Services

A recent Harvard Business Review research on social media users showed that Instagram and Snapchat’s paid subscription services are perceived as the closest to the ideal social media service, with high user satisfaction and loyalty. Twitter and Snapchat, however, lead in perceived value for their subscription services.

College-educated, conservative, younger, male, and high-income users are more likely to see potential value and quality in the fee-based services of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat and are more likely to subscribe.

Instagram’s paid subscription service has the highest user expectations, followed closely by Snapchat, while Twitter and Facebook’s paid services fall behind.

Meta’s bundling of Facebook and Instagram’s paid services does not significantly impact user perceptions. The differences in opinions between low- and high-income groups and between males and females are minor and less practically significant than age, education, and income differences.

Instagram has the best features and user focus for fee-based subscription services. At the same time, Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat need to realign their quality features and target market focus for their paid subscription services.

The trend of social media platforms introducing premium features and subscription services is here to stay. As the world of social media continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how these platforms adapt and innovate to stay ahead of the curve.

Future for Social Media
Future for Social Media

An Ad-Free Premium Social Media World on the Horizon?

The future of social media is heading towards a more monetized model, with an increasing number of platforms introducing paid features and subscription options. While this shift may be disconcerting to some users accustomed to free access, it may also offer benefits such as improved user experience, better content quality, and increased privacy and security measures.

To retake a famous quote, would you prefer to be the product or decide on the kind of product you will have and pay for? This rhetorical question is on the edge of today’s social media world.

Ultimately, the success of these pays changes will depend on the willingness of users to pay for social media services, as well as the ability of platforms to strike a balance between profitability and user satisfaction.

In my opinion, if Meta sticks to the advertisement system it had, this paying option would seem useless, and I am hoping that Meta’s Verify will soon offer an add-free formula wish will be worth paying $14,99 per month.

Earlier this month, Twitter unveiled a reduced ad load in Blue subscribers’ timelines. As we eagerly anticipate the full implementation of this update, it’s worth pondering whether other titans of the social media sphere, such as Meta, will follow Twitter’s -and before Youtube’s- lead and offer their users premium ad-free subscription options. In the rapidly evolving world of social media, only time will reveal whether this innovative new approach will become the industry standard.

Gabriel Robert, a digital journalist passionate about innovation, start-ups, art and social media. With a keen eye for emerging trends and an insatiable curiosity, Gabriel brings a fresh perspective to the world of tech news and media. Whether exploring the latest advancements in AI and machine learning or uncovering the stories behind the world's most innovative textile start-up, Gabriel is always on the cutting edge of the industry. Follow along for a front-row seat to the latest developments in the ever-evolving tech landscape.