Subscriptions on Instagram
Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, took to his socials January 2022 to announce a new feature on the platform - subscriptions.
What are subscriptions?
The subscriptions feature is a tool for content creators on Instagram to ensure a stable income from the platform. It currently only exists for 10 creators on Instagram - quite the exclusive list! These 10 US creators have 3 integrations of the subscription feature available.
Firstly, they can create subscription-only Stories. These simply provide subscribers exclusive access to Stories posted by the creators.
Secondly, creators will be able to host subscriber-only Lives. This feature is like the first – subscribers have exclusive access to Instagram Live sessions from the content creator.
Lastly, a subscriber badge is added to a subscriber’s account so that the creator can identify subscribers when interacting with them in comments or DM’s.
As previously stated, the subscription feature is currently being tested in the US. Instagram is undoubtedly planning to roll out the feature to more creators and other countries in time.
Adam Mosseri stated in his video that Instagram believes it’s important for creators to own their relationship with followers, so the platform is exploring ways for the creator to take their subscriber list off Instagram, to other platforms and apps. They are also working on ways to expand the feature across the whole Instagram experience.
What are the benefits?
First and foremost, the subscription feature provides creators with the ability to monetise their Instagram content. As it currently stands, creators best monetisation option on Instagram is collaboration with brands. This is often done on a project basis, meaning income can fluctuate drastically.
On top of this, the subscription feature aims to establish a better connection between creators and their followers. Large creators with millions of followers do not have the time to engage with all their fans, however with the subscription feature, they will be able to engage more directly with subscribers and establish a greater connection.
What are the drawbacks?
As the feature is currently in a testing phase, there will undoubtedly be several missing elements. Most notably in its current form, there’s no analytics built into the feature.
It will also be interesting to see how Instagram users respond to and engage with the feature. Instagram content has been free for users to consume since the platform launched.
What does the future hold?
The subscription service has the potential to make a massive difference for smaller creators in particular, allowing them to make money from their content in the future. Smaller companies could use a subscription service to provide new information to their clients in the form of Instagram Stories or Lives. The feature may also be used to engage directly with clients using the subscriber badge.