Instagram Adds New Ways For Users To Boost Income

Instagram has introduced new ways for creators to make money.

The Facebook-owned photo and video-sharing social network said it expects users will boost their earnings through Instagram Live, a feature that allows users to stream video and engage followers in real time, and IGTV, its standalone video app, the company said on its blog Wednesday (May 27).

“Creators have always been at the core of our community,” Instagram wrote. “Since the earliest days … they have inspired people around the world with their talents, shared their lives and built their personal brands from the ground up. We have always been committed to supporting creators as they turn their passion into livelihoods.”

The blog noted since the onset of COVID-19, Instagram has witnessed people supporting their favorite creators in Live with comments, likes and donations.

From February through March, the number of creators who have embraced Live has increased by 70 percent, Instagram said. The list of creators and businesses includes artists, chefs, dancers, fitness instructors who have used Live to stay connected to their followers and bring people together.

To give fans another way to demonstrate their love, Instagram has introduced “badges” viewers can purchase during a live video.

“With badges, creators can generate income from the content they’re already creating,” Instagram wrote.

Badges will appear next to a person’s name throughout the live video. Fans who have purchased them will stand out in the comments section and unlock additional features, such as placement on a creator’s list of badge holders and access to a special heart, the company said.

“Badges in Instagram couldn’t have come at a better time for fitness creators like me,” wrote @charleeatkins. “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.”

The blog also included feedback on IGTV, with one creator, @avani, saying, “IGTV has given me a place to show my fans more of my creativity and personality, which has helped grow my personal brand. Being able to earn money from the content I’m already creating gives me even more motivation to share more of myself with my followers on IGTV.”

Earlier this month, as reported here, Giphy, the search engine and online database for users to share videos, joined Facebook as part of the Instagram team.

“Giphy makes everyday conversations more entertaining, and so we plan to further integrate their GIF library into Instagram and our other apps so that people can find just the right way to express themselves,” Instagram VP of Product Vishal Shah said in the announcement.