What you need to know
- Instagram has started rolling out new features for creators to interact with their subscribers.
- Creators will be able to use “Subscriber Chats,” post exclusive posts and Reels, and give subscribers easy access to content with an Exclusive tab.
- These new features are designed to assist creators in their communities and earn a stable income.
Instagram seems to have its creators at the top of the list. Today, the social media platform has come with new ways creators can use Instagram to connect with their subscribers.
Following the subscription service Instagram began testing earlier in the year for creators, a Meta blog post (opens in new tab) on Thursday highlights three new ways the company is looking to improve their creators’ connection with their subscribers. The feature that’s slowly rolling out is “Subscriber Chats.” Instagram has seen how subscribers care about the content coming from whatever form of media they’re following. This new chatting feature will allow a creator to start a chat with “up to 30 people.” Instagram is looking at this feature as a way for creators to discuss topics with their subscribers as well as build a stronger community.
Its new Subscriber Chats feature will be powered by Messenger. A creator can go into their inbox and start one there, or they can attach it to an Instagram Story. Subscribers can join the chat, if there is room, by tapping on the sticker that says “join chat.” The social media company does say that creators can attach this chat sticker to a subscriber-only story or a regular one.
Its next feature looks to be one where creators can continue to create subscriber-focused content with exclusive posts and Reels. The company’s new feature will see reels and posts clearly labeled “exclusive” with a purple banner and white crown for subscribers. This is content only subscribers can see as a way creators can continuously provide something enjoyable for their fans.
The final new feature is Instagram’s new Exclusive tab. The social media platform aims to help creators “deliver instant value” for their subscribers with a new tab on a creator’s profile, otherwise known as “Subscriber Home.” This will allow them to “create a world of exclusive content, from saving subscriber lives to sharing feed posts and reels.” This is made for subscribers to pop in and see every bit of exclusive content made just for them.
While these new features can be seen as a welcome sight for creators, this is a part of Instagram’s efforts to help them earn a stable income. Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri said in a tweeted video (opens in new tab) that, “at the end of the day, if you’re a creator, you’re a business.”
