Facebook Brings Subscription Service To Groups

Facebook announced that it is testing out subscriptions with a small number of groups to support group admins who lead the communities.

“Group admins build safe and supportive communities that people come back to every day,” wrote Alex Deve, Product Director, Groups, at Facebook. “We know that admins invest their time and energy to maintain their groups, and some have told us that they would like tools to help them continue to invest in their community and offer more to members.”

The subscription groups pilot is testing with a small number of groups, including Grown and Flown Parents: College Admissions and Affordability, a dedicated college preparation group with access to college counselors to help prepare parents of high schoolers for the college application process; and Meal Planning Central Premium, a meal preparation group that includes weekly meal plans, shopping lists by preferred grocery store, and more.

The groups will then share input and feedback with the social media giant.

Back in 2016, Facebook briefly tested showing ads in Groups, but that service was never officially launched. With this new subscription service, reports say that the group admins will be allowed charge $4.99 to $29.99 per month for access to the special sub-Groups full of exclusive posts. While Facebook won’t be taking a cut (at least during the test), iOS and Android will still get their 30 percent of a user’s first year of a subscription and 15 percent after that.

Last month, PYMNTS reported that Facebook was launching an online dating service that would generate revenue through “an easy monthly subscription sell for singles on the platform who want a safer and more trusted intermediary to help them find their soulmate. Ten dollars a month times even 10 or 20 percent of the number of unmarried adults in the U.S. is an enormous number — and, if the experience is effective, it’s a number that will only grow.”