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Twitter Announces Price Hike for Twitter Blue Subscriptions

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Twitter Announces Price Hike for Twitter Blue Subscriptions

Hey, how do you increase the take-up of an already unpopular feature, without overextending your already stretched resources?

If you answered ‘increase the price by 67%, without improving the offering in any way’, you may be qualified for Twitter’s product dev team.

This week, Twitter has begun informing Twitter Blue subscribers that they’ll soon have to pay a lot more for their monthly subscription.

As you can see in this notification, the monthly charge for Twitter Blue access is jumping from $2.99 to $4.99 in the US, with all other regions also seeing the same relative increase.

Twitter Blue

Current Blue subscribers will be spared the additional charges for a couple of months, but from October, everyone will be copping a 67% jump in costs – with no additional features, no change in process. Nothing.

Which, as noted, seems particularly odd given that Twitter Blue isn’t doing so well as it is.

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As part of Twitter’s latest performance update, posted last week, the company reported that its revenue from ‘subscriptions and other’ sources totaled $100 million in Q2 2022 – which is actually a decrease of 36% for this element, year-over-year.

Twitter other revenue stats

That would suggest that Twitter Blue isn’t really gaining any traction at all, while Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal also noted back in May that the company ‘has not hit intermediate milestones that enable confidence’ with its new revenue and growth projects, including Blue.

Twitter hasn’t shared any official numbers, but independent insight, based on payments made via app stores, has also indicated that Twitter really isn’t taking in much revenue from subscription payments.

So why up the price?

It seems like a negative move, which will result in more users who’ve signed up to try it out dumping the additional cost. And amid a broader economic downturn, which has seen the cost of living rise overall, will many people really be willing to pay $5 per month for NFT profile pictures and a couple of custom icons?

I’m guessing not. But Twitter needs to make money somehow, and as various commentators have noted, the company is also about to see a significant jump in legal costs due its coming court battle with Elon Musk.

Maybe that’s why it’s upping the price, but it does seem like Twitter should at least be looking to sweeten the deal somehow, if it’s going to ask for more money.

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I mean, Snapchat+, which is similar to Twitter Blue, is already reportedly outpacing Blue subscriptions, only a month after launch. Snapchat has also added in new features, like access to a desktop version of the app, exclusively to S+ users.

It seems that there are ways to make subscription offerings like this work – though I’m not sure that boosting the price, seemingly at random, is the growth hack Twitter might think.



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Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?

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Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?

In a recent announcement, Snapchat revealed a groundbreaking update that challenges its traditional design ethos. The platform is experimenting with an option that allows users to defy the 24-hour auto-delete rule, a feature synonymous with Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging model.

The proposed change aims to introduce a “Never delete” option in messaging retention settings, aligning Snapchat more closely with conventional messaging apps. While this move may blur Snapchat’s distinctive selling point, Snap appears convinced of its necessity.

According to Snap, the decision stems from user feedback and a commitment to innovation based on user needs. The company aims to provide greater flexibility and control over conversations, catering to the preferences of its community.

Currently undergoing trials in select markets, the new feature empowers users to adjust retention settings on a conversation-by-conversation basis. Flexibility remains paramount, with participants able to modify settings within chats and receive in-chat notifications to ensure transparency.

Snapchat underscores that the default auto-delete feature will persist, reinforcing its design philosophy centered on ephemerality. However, with the app gaining traction as a primary messaging platform, the option offers users a means to preserve longer chat histories.

The update marks a pivotal moment for Snapchat, renowned for its disappearing message premise, especially popular among younger demographics. Retaining this focus has been pivotal to Snapchat’s identity, but the shift suggests a broader strategy aimed at diversifying its user base.

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This strategy may appeal particularly to older demographics, potentially extending Snapchat’s relevance as users age. By emulating features of conventional messaging platforms, Snapchat seeks to enhance its appeal and broaden its reach.

Yet, the introduction of message retention poses questions about Snapchat’s uniqueness. While addressing user demands, the risk of diluting Snapchat’s distinctiveness looms large.

As Snapchat ventures into uncharted territory, the outcome of this experiment remains uncertain. Will message retention propel Snapchat to new heights, or will it compromise the platform’s uniqueness?

Only time will tell.

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Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach

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Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach

While it is tempting to try to appeal to a broad audience, the founder of alcohol-free coaching service Just the Tonic, Sandra Parker, believes the best thing you can do for your business is focus on your niche. Here’s how she did just that.

When running a business, reaching out to as many clients as possible can be tempting. But it also risks making your marketing “too generic,” warns Sandra Parker, the founder of Just The Tonic Coaching.

“From the very start of my business, I knew exactly who I could help and who I couldn’t,” Parker told My Biggest Lessons.

Parker struggled with alcohol dependence as a young professional. Today, her business targets high-achieving individuals who face challenges similar to those she had early in her career.

“I understand their frustrations, I understand their fears, and I understand their coping mechanisms and the stories they’re telling themselves,” Parker said. “Because of that, I’m able to market very effectively, to speak in a language that they understand, and am able to reach them.” 

“I believe that it’s really important that you know exactly who your customer or your client is, and you target them, and you resist the temptation to make your marketing too generic to try and reach everyone,” she explained.

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“If you speak specifically to your target clients, you will reach them, and I believe that’s the way that you’re going to be more successful.

Watch the video for more of Sandra Parker’s biggest lessons.

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Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement

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Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement

Instagram’s testing out some new options to help spice up your live-streams in the app, with some live broadcasters now able to select a game that they can play with viewers in-stream.

As you can see in these example screens, posted by Ahmed Ghanem, some creators now have the option to play either “This or That”, a question and answer prompt that you can share with your viewers, or “Trivia”, to generate more engagement within your IG live-streams.

That could be a simple way to spark more conversation and interaction, which could then lead into further engagement opportunities from your live audience.

Meta’s been exploring more ways to make live-streaming a bigger consideration for IG creators, with a view to live-streams potentially catching on with more users.

That includes the gradual expansion of its “Stars” live-stream donation program, giving more creators in more regions a means to accept donations from live-stream viewers, while back in December, Instagram also added some new options to make it easier to go live using third-party tools via desktop PCs.

Live streaming has been a major shift in China, where shopping live-streams, in particular, have led to massive opportunities for streaming platforms. They haven’t caught on in the same way in Western regions, but as TikTok and YouTube look to push live-stream adoption, there is still a chance that they will become a much bigger element in future.

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Which is why IG is also trying to stay in touch, and add more ways for its creators to engage via streams. Live-stream games is another element within this, which could make this a better community-building, and potentially sales-driving option.

We’ve asked Instagram for more information on this test, and we’ll update this post if/when we hear back.

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