Snapchat, like most other social platforms, looks to close the year with a bang. Betting on its latest subscription offer, Snapchat recently announced new Snapchat+ additions for the holidays; their 1.5 million subscribers now able to access three new options in the app. This is perhaps the closest we get to a Christmas gift basket from Snap, so take what you can and squeeze what’s possible out of the last days of 2022.
It’s A Snap
Let’s begin. Snapchat+ (S+) subscribers can now customize their Camera buttons, including the camera icon, in-app function displays, and more. While it doesn’t really add anything functionally new, it does give users more ways to make their Snapchat experience more their own – which, really, is the key value proposition of its whole Snapchat+ program, via alternative app icons, custom notification sounds, variable color options, and more.
Okay, maybe there are a few additional functional elements, like custom Story expiration times, but really the offer’s allure lies in its ability to provide users more ways to make Snapchat their own, which has apparently grown quite popular, just ask its 1.5 million (and counting) subs.
Snapchat+ users will now also be able to apply custom backgrounds to their in-app chats, while Snap’s also enabling users to gift an S+ subscription for Christmas, which does offer a simple way to increase take-up. It’s a bit difficult to imagine a world where subscription options become a major revenue driver for social apps, largely because we’ve gotten used to the fact that these platforms are available for free, with ads being the price you pay for access. Wow, nothing from that sounds particularly pleasing.
Meta has said that its apps will always be available for free, as it gleans more value from mass adoption than it could through access payments, which has since been the pervading view for all social apps over time. Former CEO Jack Dorsey had pledged that a version of Twitter would also be freely available, part, of course, of its business model. New, and possibly soon to be out, Chief Twit Elon Musk has sought to push this, though an $8 monthly verification subscription doesn’t sound like the most appealing option for so little a boon.
Snapchat+, and the previous iteration of Twitter Blue, history would suggest that only a fraction of users would actually end up paying. Should that be the case, then it seems unlikely that subscription programs will become a major thing. However, they’re at least worthy to experiment with, and maybe, if platforms can add more significantly beneficial elements, maybe then they can become more valuable considerations over time.
The Wrap
On that front, Snap is also considering a ‘Story Boost’ element, which would seemingly amplify subscriber Stories to more viewers. With Snapchat having been free for as long as its young audience can remember, would a $3.99 monthly S+ subscription really be worth it? Perhaps. Regardless, Snap’s bringing in close to $6 million annually just from the program. Nothing revolutionary, but again, worthy of trial.
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