Growth often slows for more established subscription apps from acquisition channels mature and conversion funnels are optimized. So how do you continue to scale?
The next stage of growth doesn’t come from finding more users, it comes from creating more value for the users you already have (and monetizing that value, of course).
Expanding product value helps in two key ways:
- Retention: by solving more problems and staying relevant in your user’s daily life, you reduce churn and increase subscriber lifetime value (LTV)
- ARPU: once new value is proven and desired, it can be tiered, bundled, or monetized — increasing average revenue per users (ARPU)
In practice, the line between retention and ARPU is thin. Value expansion often starts as a retention initiative, then evolves into a revenue driver once engagement and perceived value grow.
Before we dive into identifying opportunities to expand value for your existing subscribers, let’s take a look at examples from five leading subscription apps whose added value paid off.
5 app examples for expanding core product value
These mini case studies show how mature brands have extended their core product to unlock both retention and revenue growth, primarily through:
- Capitalizing on adjacent use cases and jobs-to-be-done
- Finding new audiences through new use cases
- Expanding frequency of relevance in users’ daily lives
- Adding new core value that can be monetized as premium
Read on for more detail, and some inspiration!
1. Headspace: from meditation to whole-person wellbeing
Headspace began as a meditation app but gradually broadened its focus to include sleepcasts, focus music, workouts, and therapy content. This shift positioned the brand as an entire, holistic wellbeing platform rather than a single-purpose meditation tool.
The expansion worked by extending Headspace’s relevance (and potentially deepened engagement) across more daily moments: sleep, exercise, focus, and stress management.
Over time, the company also introduced higher-priced tiers and enterprise partnerships, reflecting how a wider value proposition can support stronger monetization. For example, Headspace’s blog and press releases indicate that by 2023-24 the company was offering enterprise clients a single app integrating mindfulness, coaching, therapy and psychiatry, as well as launching direct-to-consumer mental health coaching.
Lesson: expanding into enterprise and higher-value, direct-to-consumer tiers is a clear route to widen value proposition, and can create the justification for stronger monetization.
2. ClassPass: from fitness access to lifestyle membership
ClassPass initially grew its subscriber base with access to boutique fitness-studios and classes. Today, the platform has shifted into selling far more than workouts; offering a broader lifestyle subscription covering wellness and self-care.
On its website, ClassPass now