Meta offers some creators thousands of dollars if they go viral on Threads. The payouts are part of a new invite-only bonus program that rewards creators for using Meta's latest app.
An Instagram support page offers some details about the bonus program, which Meta has not officially announced. It says creators can earn money “based on the performance of your Threads posts” or “the number of posts you create.” It appears that the specific bonus conditions are individualized for each creator. “Bonus program details may vary among participants,” the company notes.
The program appears to be a small-scale effort for now – the company calls it a “test” – but it offers a glimpse into how Meta might look to scale up its efforts to use creators to boost engagement on the service. Meta has already offered bonuses for post reels on Facebook and Instagram, but this is the first time the company has paid for posts on Threads. The Threads bonus program was the first reported by Business Insider earlier this month.
Some creators are already being offered thousands of dollars for high-performing posts. According to a screenshot Looking around Threads, at least one creator was offered “up to $5,000” for Threads posts or replies with 10,000 views or more. This is not as high as the $10,000 bonuses that Reels creators could get. once won on Instagram, but is still quite generous given that posting to Threads requires much less effort than filming and editing a compelling video.
Meta isn't the only platform attempting to lure creators with promises of potential earnings. X also offers creators Payments based on their commitment, but this program is a revenue sharing agreement for users who pay premium subscriptions.
Threads has been growing steadily since its launch last year and has over 150 million monthly users, Mark Zuckerberg revealed last week. The Facebook founder speculated that the app could one day become the company's next billion-user platform, although it will likely take several years to reach that milestone. Either way, integrating popular Instagram creators would be an important step in boosting engagement on Threads. The company also recently partnered with Taylor Swift team to bring the pop star to the app to promote her latest album. Meta didn't share what terms, if any, were associated with this arrangement, but the effort involved custom animations and other “Easter eggs” for Swift fans.
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