Social networks can be very powerful, and many fans will pay for exposure on them, as singer
Trey Songz is now finding out. The artist, who's had a number of big R&B hits, began his own private social network via a smartphone and tablet app called
Trey Songz - The Angel Network, and has been reaping the reward with as much as $50k of revenue per month since it was launched in December.
How? Well, it's not from app sales, which would only be a one-time fee a best. In fact, TS doesn't even charge for the app; it's all about what happens later.
In fact, fans pay for the privilege of being an "Instant VIP" to have a profile picture appear high on a board, pay to send TS an email, and pay for virtual goods. In fact, it's been estimated that some fans are paying as much as $32 per month during the course of their engagement.
The fans don't use actual cash in any of these transactions, instead purchasing 250 credits for $1.99. Bidding credits for higher profile picture position can go anywhere from 2,500 to 5,000 credits, while sending Trey a message goes for a mere 100 credits.
The irony is that TS doesn't even engage his fans on the app all that often, checking in briefly only a few times per week. That said, that doesn't seem to deter his primarily female audience, as more than 45,000 of his estimated 5 million followers have downloaded the app. That means there's still some obviously room for growth with his fan club, but it's a healthy start so far.
What this proves is that fans indeed crave engagement, even if it's with one another. Point them in the direction of a mutual cause or artist, and they thrive if the right environment is presented.
I'm not sure that the Trey Songz social app is directly transferrable to other artists as is (maybe for
Justin Bieber), but it is an interesting case study. More on this to come as the app matures.
----------------------------------
Apple Music may be lagging behind the other streaming networks in subscribers, but it's mobile app appears to be doing just fine. According to Nielsen, the Apple Music app is the 9th largest smartphone app with 54.5 million unique users.
