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Social networks like Instagram have become increasingly shop-friendly, with many tools for advertisers, retailers, and creators rolling out over the last year.
This week, Instagram began its first ever ‘Creator Week.’ Held between June 8-10, this event includes a series of invitation-only livestreams that present new features for Instagram-based influencers, artists and retailers.
The event’s host is Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg – Facebook is the parent company of Instagram.
In a blog post accompanying the event, Instagram summarized some of the announcements made.
“We want Instagram and Facebook to serve as a home base for creators to tell their story, grow and make a living,” they wrote. “Today, we’re announcing new ways to help creators make a living as they build their personal brands across our platforms.”
Native Affiliate Tool
Instagram announced that it is testing a tool that allows accounts to become ‘affiliates’ – meaning they can earn a commission from sales that come from the products they promote.
Instagram explained the feature:
“When people come across an affiliate post from a creator featuring a tagged product, they will see ‘Eligible for commission’ at the top of the post, so it’s clear that their purchases help support that creator.”
For now, the feature will only be available to select creators and brands in the U.S.
Easier Shop Launches
Instagram says that more creators will be given the option to sell their own merchandise and include a shop page link in their Instagram bio.
This feature is currently only available in the U.S., but Instagram announced that it would launch by the end of the year.
Milestones and Stars
Instagram is launching a feature called ‘milestones.’ When users achieve them, they’ll be able to earn more money through the platform.
“Starting this week, creators on Instagram are eligible to earn an extra payout when they meet certain milestones while using badges in Live, such as going Live with another account,” Instagram explained. In other words, it’s a reward system for active users who make regular use of certain features.
Facebook has a similar new feature called ‘stars.’ Users can earn free stars by performing certain actions, like broadcasting a certain number of hours or earning stars in a short time period.
More announcements are expected to be made as Creator Week continues.
