Why don’t companies allow customers to gift software?
Today, B2C software is more personal than ever before. People are using some of these tools on a daily basis to earn, learn, create, plan, and play. So why is there no option for them to be gifted?
For some reason referral programs have become common practice and one of the optimal ways of boosting advocacy. But I’d argue that a gift goes a step further because they’re more useful in multiple situations. Picture this:
It could be the mentor who offers a 12-month Figma pro subscription as a gift to their mentee that is just getting started with product design. Or the friend who buys a 12-month Notion subscription for another friend that is starting out with freelancing and enjoys planning. Or the event host who offers a 12-month Cursor subscription as a prize to one of the guests in attendance. The list goes on. Each a much welcomed gifting option that shows you’ve considered the interests or even aspirations of the receiver.
This isn’t a new concept. When I was growing up, Apple gift cards were highly appreciated gifts because it meant that you could use those credits to add something personal and useful to your device, be it an app or song. Fast forward to today and Apple are still investing in gift cards – going beyond the previous realm of apps and songs and into being able to use your credits to buy anything on the Apple Store.
Whether this manifests physically as a small beautifully packaged gift or digitally as an interactive experience, that’s up to you and your finance team. But the returns are huge either way:
- Upfront cash for lengthy subscriptions.
- Potential of establishing or re-establishing a relationship with a user, who after the gifted subscription ends, is more likely to go onto purchasing a subscription themselves.
- A new expressive channel to bring your brand identity to life in a human yet creatively exciting way.
The third point highlights another important aspect of this strategy which is to own your own experience if feasible. Your own storytelling, design, and aesthetic. I’d avoid using a 3rd party gift card marketplace because the utility isn’t the only thing people are buying, but also the experience and feeling it offers.
Don’t believe this is something people actually would utilise? 10 minutes of searching online will tell you otherwise:
