Facebook and Instagram influencers will no longer receive attractive payouts for video content published on the platforms. This is an interesting development given that the program has previously paid creators as much as $35,000 in bonuses (per month) for netting more than 58 million views through Reels videos. Many successful creators on Instagram could get anywhere between $600 and $1,000 for a few million views over the past year when the program has been active.
According to Business Insider, the company decided to suspend the lucrative creator rewarding incentive for creating short-form reels on Facebook and Instagram. The program was available to Facebook creators from all over the world but only restricted to Instagram creators based in the U.S. A Meta spokesperson however clarified that anyone who already signed up for a creator bonus over the last 30 days would still receive their payment.
This move comes after a flurry of changes that have put the social media giant in opposing paths with the competition. While the majority of social media and eCommerce platforms in the U.S. have been investing big in social commerce, Meta has been keen to kill it. Many analysts argue that Meta is trying to re-align to new goals but it’s not clear how that is going to happen if it keeps abandoning shopping features and the bounty-for-views programs that have appeared to work so well. Before this announcement, Meta influencers have had a number of ways for monetizing content. One of the top ways to earn money has been through overlay ads that show on Reels. Creators have also been able to generate income through paid online events, subscriptions, badges, and branded content.
