Instagram to help creators with tools aimed to monetise their audience

Till now, creators on Instagram had to sign brand deals on their own to make money and thrive as content creators or social media influencers. No more.

In a blog post on May 27, 2020, the Facebook-owned photo-sharing app said it will provide a mix of monetisation tools to creators on the platform monetise their audience.

Buy the badges

Instagram Live is a popular method, especially during the lockdown, for creators to connect with their audience and they reciprocate their love and support through likes and comments.

Now, you the audience can purchase a badge during a live video. Throughout the video, badges will appear next to a person's name and fans who buy these badges will stand out in the comments and unlock special features such as access to a special heart and inclusion on a creator's list of badge holders.

This feature will go live next month with a select group of creators and businesses.

Charlee Atkins, an NYC-based fitness instructor with 122k followers said, “Badges in Instagram couldn’t have come at a better time for fitness creators like me. It’s an easy way to channel the love we already see in our Live feeds so we can continue building and creating for our fans.”

IGTV Ads

Another monetisation feature from Instagram resembles the one from YouTube – ads before videos. Starting next week, you should expect to see ads before IGTV (Instagram's long-form video offering). The app said it will share advertising revenue with the creators.

The ads will appear when people will click to watch an IGTV video from previews in their feed. Instagram says the ads are built for mobile and will last for 15-seconds and that it's testing various experiences such as the ability to skip an ad; this to ensure the final result works for everyone.

IGTV ads will begin in the US with a small group of creators and advertisers.

Shopping galore

Another area Instagram has its eyes on is shopping and branded content. Its recent 'Live Shopping' feature lets creators and brands tag products during live videos. The app will now expand the access to more creators who look to sell their merchandise. Adding to this, Instagram will expand access to 'Brands Collabs Manager' which helps creators find brand partners.