TECHNOLOGY
Instagram now has hidden posts that only paying users can see
Instagram has announced a new paid subscription model to attract content creators (Credits: Getty)
Instagram is launching a premium service that gives subscribers access to exclusive content.
Users can pay to view hidden messages and roles from certain content creators, and even participate in private chats with subscribers of up to 30 people.
Paying users also get access to a dedicated homepage for all accounts they are subscribed to, where all the different types of exclusive content an account offers are grouped together in one place.
It’s part of a lot larger project intended to give influencers and other content creators a more stable income from the platform.
Instagram competes with platforms like TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat for the attention and audience of content creators. Creators can already monetize subscribers regularly through platforms like OnlyFans, Patreon, and Substack.
It has already introduced several updates to try and win their time. Earlier this year, the company tweaked its algorithm to favor original content over material shared via TikTok, theoretically making it more attractive to create dedicated videos for Instagram.
The new plans will cost users anything from $0.99 to $99.99 per month, and it’s not clear when they’ll roll out outside the US.
The expansion builds on early “alpha” subscriber features such as special stories, live videos, and badges that were rolled out to a small group of creator accounts in January.
These have since been awarded to tens of thousands of content creators in the US, whose feedback has been used to produce this latest round of updates.
Announcement of the new subscription model on Instagram reelAdam Mosseri, the company’s CEO, said he wanted the platform to become the “best place” for content creators to make money online.
He said, ‘Ultimately, if you’re a maker, you’re a business. And a great way to generate a sustainable and predictable income is subscriptions.”
“This is just one step on a much larger journey to provide creators around the world with a whole host of tools to help them earn a living online. But we’re very excited about this one.’
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