The way to create value for users is to engage and re-engage through content optimization.

No one gets lifetime value on a user if they spent $20. But nongaming companies just can’t afford to do that.

WILSON KRIEGEL: There are apps out there, mainly games, that went from spending $1 per acquisition to around $20 per acquisition. “We’re promoting interactive usability.”ĪdExchanger: How do you approach user acquisition? “It’s not people just posting a picture or following an account,” Kriegel said. In some cases, PicsArt develops branded photo frames and clip art, like it recently did for pet food brand Nutrish. Others, like PopSugar, use PicsArt to run contests, like one over the winter that solicited cool travel photo edits. Some advertisers, like Dior, sponsor sticker packs on the platform. Gold members get access to additional features, like more premium editing tools and unlimited access to thousands of stickers, frames and fonts.Įven so, why would anyone shell out for a photo app when others are available for free?īecause it’s about creation rather than pure consumption, Kriegel said – and that passion extends to branded content. PicsArt Gold, which rolled out in mid-March, costs $8 per month, although that price drops by half for users who commit to an annual subscription. “But with subscriptions,” he said, “we’re able to reduce exposure to regular ads.” “We’re looking to monetize experiences,” said Wilson Kriegel, chief business officer at PicsArt, which hit the 100-million monthly active user mark in 2017, the year after snagging $20 million in Series B funding. Think of PicsArt as the love child of Instagram and Photoshop in app form.Īdvertising and in-app purchases make up the bulk of its revenue, but the photo-sharing and sticker creation app is branching out with an ad-free subscription model. “ The Sell Sider ” is a column written for the sell side of the digital media community.

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