Facebook is testing subscriptions for groups, allowing admins to charge for exclusive content

Photo: Facebook Press

Realizing the time and effort that it takes users to maintain and grow Groups, Facebook is looking to support Group administrators in a similar way that they are doing with video creators. 

"Subscription groups align with the experience that we made available to support video creators earlier this year, and is part of our overall approach to helping creators and leaders to financially support the work they do to engage their fans and communities," Alex Deve, Product Director, Groups, stated in a recent blog post.

Starting with a selected number of Groups including Declutter My Home, Grown and Flown Parents, and Cooking On A Budget: Recipes & Meal Planning, which focus on parenting, cooking, and "organize my home," the platform is giving admins the opportunity to monetize their content through monthly subscriptions. Admins have the ability to charge their communities anywhere from $4.99 to $29.99 per a month for access to exclusive content such as video tutorials, and lists of tips. 

Since this is currently in testing, Facebook won't take any share of revenue generated, however, Apple and Google will take a percentage of subscription fees via iOS and Android as part of standard App Store and PlayStore policies. At the moment, Facebook doesn't seem too concern with making money off subscriptions. Instead, it wants to figure out what additional content admins could create that Group members deem valuable and would be willing to pay for. 

SOURCE: Facebook Press