Snapchat’s trying out another way to promote its Snapchat+ subscription offering, with the addition of new “Buddy Passes” for Snapchat+ members, which will enable subscribers to gift a free week of Snapchat+ access to their friends, at no additional cost.
Which could be a powerful way to drive take-up, and add to the program’s growing membership.
As explained by Snap:
“If you’re a Snapchat+ subscriber, you can give your friends free access to Snapchat+ using a buddy pass. On the first day of each month (on an annual plan) or the first day of each billing cycle (on a monthly plan), you’ll get three Buddy Passes to give to friends that will allow them to use Snapchat+ for free for 7 days.”
So Snapchat’s looking to use its existing Snapchat+ audience to promote the option, and with over 15 million Snap users already paying for the add-on package, that could lead to significant exposure, and a heap more sign-ups for Snap’s paid package.
Because, presumably, a lot of Snapchat+ users are going to try this out, and encourage their friends to sign-up and get access to all the extra features that they have already. Three passes per 15 million members is, potentially, an extra 45 million users checking out Snapchat+ every month, and while not all users will utilize all of their Buddy Passes, you can imagine that this will be a significant promotion for the option among Snap users.
And Snapchat needs the extra cash right now. Snap’s revenue result was below expectation in Q2, and with costs rising, as it pushes to develop new AI and AR elements, the company’s looking to boost its revenue intake in any way that it can.
Snapchat+ remains a smaller contributor to its overall revenue, in comparison to its intake from ads. But even so, at 15 million subscribers, it’s been the most successful of the new wave of social subscription offerings, beating out X Premium and Meta Verified for relative audience take-up.
Which also spells opportunity. Given that so many Snapchat users are already on its paid package, it stands to reason that many more will also be interested, which is why using existing subscribers to promote the offering is a smart move.
Snapchat has also launched Snapchat+ gift cards, which can be purchased from retail stores, while it also recently partnered with McDonald’s on a promotion that enabled its customers to exchange their McDonald’s points for a Snapchat+ membership.
It’s another opportunity for Snap, and another means to further embed itself within youth communities, using its add-on enhancements to drive more interest.
Snapchat’s Buddy Passes are not available in all regions as yet, but where they are available, Snapchat+ subscribers will be able to send Buddy Passes via their Snapchat+ management page.
Snapchat also notes that once you’ve sent a Buddy Pass, you won’t be able to take it back.
