TikTok's ban may have only lasted a few hours (at least for now), but Meta is still trying to capitalize on its competitor's shaky future. Meta released a new one“, which offers up to $5,000 to creators new to the company's apps.
According to Mehta, the bonus program is open to U.S. adults who “already have a presence on a third-party social app that you may link to or have already linked to during the application process.” Participants will also be required to create a professional Instagram account and Facebook page.
If accepted, creators will be able to earn up to $5,000 over a 90-day period in exchange for sharing “at least 20 Facebook Reels and 10 Instagram Reels posted on each app during each 30-day bonus period” and will share them. “A minimum of 10 separate days during each 30-day bonus period.” (Meta notes that individual creator payouts will be calculated based on “an assessment of your social media presence.”) Creators will also be able to participate in its “Facebook Content MonetizationA program that allows authors to earn money not only from video content, but also from text and photo publications.
While Meta doesn't specifically name TikTok, the timing of the rollout appears to be clearly aimed at TikTok creators who aren't active on Facebook and Instagram. It's also notable that the bonus program requires creators to post twice as many videos on Facebook as they do on Instagram, suggesting that Meta is committed to promoting original content on Facebook.
Breakthrough bonuses are just one of the ways Meta is trying to lure TikTok creators to its platforms. The company also offers select authors, including those participating in the Breakthrough Program, a free one-year trial subscription to Meta Verified, which provides and additional benefits such as protection against impersonation. The company also recently increased the length of Instagram videos from 90 seconds to and redesigned the Instagram grid.
Meta is also reportedly pursuing larger deals with specific, better-known creators. Information recently reported that Meta is offering some TikTok stars bonuses of up to in exchange for being the first to publish their content on Reels. A Meta spokesperson declined to comment on the specifics of these agreements, but said the company has “recently expanded our investments” in content deals “to support more creators.”