Good point. I'm a software dev by trade. Considering the opportunity costs, perhaps I should just use the app's success for brag rights.
That said, I think adding support for other social networks may be a fair unlock. How about a "Social Lite+"? A separate paid app that supports more social networks?
So do I add the photo upload feature (most requested feature/bug) to the existing app or put it in the paid only app???
Good guy me says put it in the free app, evil me says make em pay...
My suggestion would be to have a premium version, but charge a minimal amount for it (especially considering your demographic). Your goal should be a high conversion rate of your existing user base at a very low price. I would suggest waiting to launch until you have a more expanded feature set though (image upload probably isn't enough, but if it supported multiple new features and multiple social networks, that should be an easy sell).
Like some have said, you're not being evil by making all new FEATURES to only in the paid app. Alternatively, you could make this app as full-featured as possible, and make the new app for multiple platforms only. What do you think is the right thing to do, both for yourself (how much time and money do you have?) and your audience?
A way to promote the new app inside the old app:
- Add a button that says, "new features!" that you keep updated whenever you 1) release new bug fixes or features to either the regular or the beefed up version. This way, all users of the regular app will stay updated on whats going on in both the regular and the beefed up versions. Many of them will buy the beefed up version.
Give it for free to all your existing users. Going forward, any user who has the feature can also gift it (at zero cost) to new users. Otherwise paid purchase.
> Good guy me says put it in the free app, evil me says make em pay...
I'd say this is generously evil, or avariciously good ...
P.S. I'd suggest making the app produce use-once gift codes (say up to three at a time) that people could post.