Instagram’s got a new pitch for creators: Get paid for bringing people to the app.
The Meta-owned app has been quietly testing a program that pays creators for driving people to the app, the company confirmed to Business Insider.
The program, called “Referrals,” is an invite-only, limited test that pays US-based creators when people visit Instagram or sign up for a new Instagram account from links shared by the creator.
There are two ways creators can earn money, capped at $20,000, from Instagram’s referrals:
Some creators will be able to earn $100 for every eligible new user who signs up for an Instagram account.Other creators can earn $100 for every 1,000 “eligible visits” to the Instagram app.
For instance, Courtney Canfield, a creator who runs an Instagram page for her dog Rambo, was offered the latter.
Instagram’s referral program is set to run for six weeks from May through June. Meta is working with a third-party partner called Glimmer to handle the payments, according to an Instagram help center page for the program.
The app is telling creators to share links — such as to their profile, reels, posts, stories, and channels — “off Instagram,” on other websites and apps like TikTok, YouTube, Discord, and Substack, according to a screenshot viewed by Business Insider.
Instagram has faced fierce competition from other apps like TikTok and YouTube. The new monetization test also comes as Meta’s broader competition with other social media platforms takes center stage during the Federal Trade Commission’s landmark antitrust case against the company.
Instagram has recently been testing a few new ways to incentivize creators to post to the app as it continues to compete for people’s attention. Earlier this year, in January, when TikTok was on the brink of a potential ban, Instagram rolled out a “Breakthrough Bonus” for creators coming over from TikTok. Instagram also inked deals with some creators for exclusive-to-Instagram reels content that ranged from $2,500 to $50,000 a month over the course of three months.
Over the past few years, Instagram has also tested several creator monetization programs.
Instagram’s not the only social-media platform to incentivize people to bring over new users. Last year, TikTok rolled out a referral program that rewarded people with shopping discounts and other financial incentives for inviting friends to the app, according to The Information.
