Instagram To Let Influencers Earn Directly From IGTV Videos, Will TikTok Follow Suit?

Instagram is set to introduce some features that will help influencers earn directly from the platform. Will this push TikTok to come up with its own monetisation strategy?

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New Delhi: Popular social networking platform Instagram is working on making its IGTV and live streaming content monetisable. Creators will soon be able to earn from the ads being run before their videos on the Facebook-owned app. The ad will be displayed when a viewer clicks on the IGTV preview of a video. Initially, the ads will of 15 seconds in duration and in a vertical format. So far, much like another viral video platform TikTok, Instagram has not had a direct option for influencers to be able to earn from their content. Most of them earn by striking deals with brands and other channels for their posts. Both apps have not had the direct monetisation option all this time, while other social media giants have enabled ad revenue for their respective platforms for several years now. Now, Instagram will share a 55% ad revenue to give an incentive for popular creators to make IGTV videos. "Starting next week, we are introducing ads in IGTV, our long-form video destination. We want to support creators' investment in IGTV by sharing advertising revenue with them," Instagram said in a statement on Wednesday. In a separate development, the Facebook-own app will introduce 'badges' in next month which will also help influencers earn more through Instagram live. People can purchase badges from the account of their favourite creators/influencers. The badge-holder fans will be highlighted when they comment during live sessions, among other exclusive features. "Fans who have purchased badges in Live will stand out in the comments and unlock additional features, including placement on a creator's list of badge holders and access to a special heart," said the company. This feature will be rolled out in a select few countries, to begin with. The list includes the US, the UK, Brazil, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, Spain and Mexico. Now with Instagram going the direct monetisation route, will TikTok also bring in similar features to encourage active users? (With Agency Inputs) WATCH: What Makes Zoom App An 'Unsafe' Video Calling Platform?