Power users of most social networks might have to pay to have access to some of their services

2022 was the last year when we got to use social media apps for free. Starting in June 2022, a number of social media platforms began offering subscription bundles to its customers, which means some people may have to pay to utilize more features on these platforms. Snapchat was the first one to take the initiative and launch this, followed by Twitter, and Meta (Instagram and Facebook) in 2023.

Some people viewed this trend as helpful for marketers, influencers, or content producers, while others were opposed to it. In order to find out that people are optimistic about this or not, a research was carried out and 1,056 respondents were questioned extensively so they could express their opinions. Each question was graded on a scale of 1 to 10. Additionally, it was discovered that, in contrast to Facebook, Instagram is used more frequently by teenagers and individuals under the age of 40, while Facebook is the opposite of it. Meta-owned Facebook is most likely to be used by people who are above the age of 40. The bulk of users on Twitter and Snapchat are, respectively, between the ages of 18 and 19 and 35 to 65.

Before diving into the research’s conclusion and findings, you have to know what these bundles are offering. Twitter, a major player in technology, appears to benefit its users by giving them a blue verified badge, priority rankings for their replies mentions, less adverts, and you could even upload longer video to your feed. While Instagram and Facebook provide features like straight access to customer service, user authentication, high reach of your content, and the ability of protection against account impersonation, all of these might be advantageous to users and make this platform more easy-to-use. Snapchat isn't lagging behind any other platform since it also offers options like the ability to alter the app icon, user verification, and people could know who has re-watched their story.

According to the poll, what counts most is whether or not these features meet the demands of the users. Instagram users appear to be the most satisfied with these services, scoring 7.41 out of a possible 10, while Facebook was left behind with 7.31. To add to it, there wasn't much of a difference in the responses given by those with and without college degrees because both groups consider these traits to be of high caliber.

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The survey's second question focused on how respondents felt about the costs associated with subscription services. In addition to Snapchat who is offering 3.99 dollars, Twitter is providing subscriptions for 8.00 dollars. In Australia and New Zealand, Meta decided on a pricing of 11.99 for a web membership and 14.99 for an Android or iOS one. However, given the outcome of the question, Snapchat’s scores were 7.38, whilst Twitter scored 7.37 in the survey beating out Meta which scored the total of 7.25.

Moreover, the respondents were inquired with the question that is, how much they are willing to buy these platforms’ subscriptions. Snap's package received the highest rating from the respondents (7.27), indicating that users were highly pleased with it. Twitter came in after Snapchat with a total score of 7.14, followed by Instagram and Facebook with 7.21 and 7.16, respectively. Additionally, college graduates (7.41) are more likely to choose these subscriptions than those who are not included in the group of those with a college education (5.85).

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World