As the world of social media progresses, Instagram realizes the importance of paying creators. The company’s head, Adam Mosseri, mentioned last year that “creators do what they do to make a living and it’s important that it is predictable.” Since then, they continue to launch new features like the Broadcast Channels and Gifts Feature which enable creators to make money on Instagram. While affiliate marketing and branded content have been around for a long time, Instagram has launched newer features through which creators can monetize their accounts.
Profile ads
Profile Ads are one of the most recent features that Instagram has launched. Although Instagram has now started adding profile ads on every Creator and Business profile, they are only currently paying within the US. So, this feature is only available to those located in the US. But hopefully, it will soon be available in other countries.
Profile Ads work similarly to ads on YouTube. When someone scrolls through the posts on the profile, they will see ads in between the posts. The creator will gain revenue from the number of views. You can choose up to three content categories to exclude from profile ads.
Badges
Badges allow creators to earn through live streams. When a creator goes live, the viewers can purchase badges, and the revenue goes to the creator. These badges are available at $0.99, $1.99, and $4.99.
Of course, the viewer benefits too. They get a heart next to their name throughout the live stream, the creator sees their questions separately, and their name is added to a list visible to the creator 90 days after the live stream. To earn through Badges, it’s really important to have a community of fans and supporters who want you to notice them and engage with them.
https://twitter.com/instagram/status/1460740946396549121
Subscriptions
Subscriptions are my personal favorite. It’s like Patreon but on Instagram. Mosseri describes this feature as “one of the best ways to have predictable income – a way that’s not attached to how much reach you get on any given post, which is inevitably going to go up and down over time.”
Instagram users can subscribe to a creator and gain access to exclusive posts, stories, and live streams. They will also get a subscriber badge next to their name, which is visible to creators. There are 8 levels to choose from when setting monthly subscription prices, starting at 99 cents and going all the way up to $99.99.
🎉 Subscriptions 🎉
Subscriptions allow creators to monetize and become closer to their followers through exclusive experiences:
– Subscriber Lives
– Subscriber Stories
– Subscriber BadgesWe hope to add more creators to this test in the coming months. More to come. ✌🏼 pic.twitter.com/SbFhN2QWMX
— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) January 19, 2022
Eligibility
To be eligible for monetizing your Instagram, you should have a Creator or Business account. You should also be 18 years of age. You must also be compliant with Instagram’s Partner Monetization Policies, Content Monetization Policies, and Community Guidelines. For badges and subscriptions, you must have over 10,000 followers. With that said, it’s important that you build a community of engaged followers and fans if you want to start earning on Instagram.
Considering how heavily Meta is investing in the creator economy, we can expect more features like these or advancements within the same ones. So, if you haven’t been on Instagram for a while, now may be the perfect time to go back.
Photo credit: The feature image is symbolic and has been done by Christopher Isak with Midjourney for TechAcute.
