- Meta is offering creators thousands to post exclusive short-form videos on Instagram reels.
- The deals require creators to post a certain number of reels on Instagram each month.
- Read the terms in the contracts Instagram sent creators.
Instagram wants to be the first place creators go to post short-form videos.
And it's attempting to do so with piles of cash.
With TikTok's US future in limbo, Meta has been contacting creators and their teams with deals offering thousands of dollars in exchange for exclusive video content on Instagram reels. The payouts described to Business Insider ranged from $2,500 to $50,000 a month and required the content to be exclusive to Instagram for three months. The Information first reported on the program last week.
BI viewed contracts and spoke with several talent managers whose clients have received these offers. The managers requested anonymity to protect business relationships. Their identities are known to BI.
Typically, the deals are being sent to creators with more than 1 million followers on TikTok.
Not every contract is the same. One manager told BI they couldn't see a clear pattern as to why some creators were offered more money than others.
The payouts described to BI were grouped into tiers:
- Tier 1: $50,000 a month.
- Tier 2: $25,000 a month.
- Tier 3: $15,000 a month.
- Tier 4: $5,000 a month.
- Tier 5: $2,500 a month.
But even the promise of a big payday hasn't been enough to lure in some TikTok creators. This underscores the challenges Meta may face in usurping TikTok's short-form dominance.
"To try and change consumer behavior, or at least the perceived acceptance of consumer behavior, by stemming down another platform, I just don't think is the right way of handling it," a second manager said.
Instagram is offering deals worth up to $300,000 over 6 months
Here's a glimpse into an offer that has been sent to several creators for a total of $300,000 over six months:
- Creators would be required to post new, never-before-seen short-form video content to Instagram as reels.
- Over the course of six months, creators would post at least 10 new reels on their Instagram accounts each month.
- This content must be exclusive to Instagram for three months.
- Videos must be at least 15 seconds and no longer than three minutes.
- Creators must post 25% more on Instagram reels than on their next-largest short-form-video platform.
- They must share two of the reels a month as an IG story.
- Once a day, they need to engage with fans via comments, shares, or replies.
- They must post twice a month on their primary platform (TikTok or YouTube), promoting their content on Instagram and encouraging their fans to follow them on Instagram via the link in their bio.
- Instagram may promote the creator's content through paid ads on TikTok, Google, and app stores.
- If creators meet these requirements, they will earn $50,000 each month for the duration of the six-month deal.
The second talent manager with knowledge of these deals said some of their clients turned down the offer, citing reasons like exclusivity and overall frustration with Meta. Some said posting multiple reels a day felt "cheugy," a Gen Z term for out of touch.
"It's not a good deal," the second manager said. "Having to track that you're posting 25% more to reels than TikTok makes this untenable."
The manager added: "Some clients are taking it because the money is good for them, and I've seen some clients pass."
Here are the terms for a second offer that has been sent to several creators for a total of $90,000 over six months:
- Creators would be required to post new, never-before-seen short-form video content to Instagram as reels.
- Over the course of six months, creators would post at least eight new reels on their Instagram accounts each month, totaling 48 videos.
- This content must be exclusive to Instagram for three months.
- Videos must be at least 15 seconds and no longer than three minutes.
- Creators must post more short-form video content overall on Instagram during this period than on any other platform, such as TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, or X.
- If creators meet these requirements, they will earn $15,000 each month for the duration of the six-month deal.
Meta is also offering bonuses to lure TikTok creators
Word is getting around about Meta's offers in the influencer industry, two talent managers told BI.
"Meta is being really bullish on locking these in," a third talent manager who has seen similar offers from Meta said.
This isn't the only trick Meta has up its sleeve to woo TikTok creators amid a still looming ban or sale.
Meta launched a "Breakthrough Bonus" program last week. The program pays "eligible TikTok creators to help jump-start their growth on our apps," a spokesperson told BI. The compensation is up to $5,000 within a three-month period for posting reels on Instagram and Facebook.
Meta declined to comment on the specifics of these deals.
