The main social media platforms of the moment – Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X – are starting to develop and test paid models on their platforms to remove advertising.
Social network X, formerly known as Twitter, has already started testing this billing model with X users in New Zealand and the Philippines. A fee of US$1 is charged to new users who want to access the platform.
According to Elon Musk, in a post published on his social media profile, there will be two types of new plans for Premium users, one with a lower cost with all the features but without ad reduction, and the other is more expensive but without ads.
Since purchasing Twitter last year, Musk has been looking for ways to increase the company's revenue directly or indirectly, whether by charging users a monthly fee or even generating revenue for content finland whatsapp data producers who pay for subscriptions to the platform.
These changes have been generating a lot of dissatisfaction among older users of the formerly known Twitter, since, according to the company's website, new users who choose not to subscribe to the Premium service will be subject to some restrictions, such as only reading publications, watching videos and following accounts.
Meanwhile, TikTok…
According to the Android Authority website, TikTok is also jumping on the bandwagon of adopting a paid version to remove ads for Premium subscribers of the social network, as the website suggests that the app's code reveals tests to adopt a subscription system.
This service would cost US$4.99 (around R$25.00 at the current conversion rate) and its only function would be to remove advertisements from the platform, without adding any extra features, apparently.
TikTok confirmed to TechCrunch that it is testing this product, but only in a single English-speaking market outside the US. According to the blog, the subscription will only cover ads served by TikTok and not influencer marketing campaigns.
A poll conducted by Android Authority shows that the idea of paying to not see ads on TikTok is still unpopular among its readers – with 59% of the votes claiming that readers “feel good” with the social network’s ads.
A report released by market research firm Cowen found that TikTok is being adopted even among cautious ad buyers, with 60% naming TikTok as their preferred place to buy short-form videos. This underscores the fact that the platform has been largely ad-driven to date, earning the majority of its revenue from it.
What remains to be seen is whether an ad-free subscription will be able to significantly replace a portion of that revenue, following in the footsteps of X and YouTube Premium, for example.
Focus on Monetization
And of course Meta wouldn't be left behind in this trend of monetizing social networks, right?
The company will offer people in the European Union and Switzerland the option to pay a monthly subscription to use Facebook and Instagram without ads. This measure will not harm those who choose not to pay for the platforms' monthly plans, who will be able to continue using these services for free while seeing ads relevant to them, as is the case today.
Meta says that to use social media without ads, people in these countries will be able to subscribe for a fee that can cost €9.99/month on the web version or €12.99/month on iOS and Android and until March 1, 2024, the initial subscription will include all profiles linked to a user's Account Center.
However, starting March 1, 2024, an additional fee of €6/month on web and €8/month on iOS and Android will apply for each additional account listed in the user's Account Center.
According to what was published on the company's blog:
“This initiative also enables small businesses to reach potential customers, expand their business and create new markets, driving growth in the European economy. And like other companies, we will continue to advocate for an ad-supported internet, even with our new subscription offering in the EU, the European Economic Area and Switzerland. But we respect the spirit and intent of the evolving European regulations and are committed to complying with them.”