If you’re an avid Instagram scroller, you may have come across accounts offering the chance to “Subscribe” to exclusive content. There’s still a lot of mystery around this new feature, and if you haven’t clicked the Subscribe button and pulled out your credit card to get more from your favourite creators, we wanted to give you the scoop on what this new feature is all about.
Instagram's paid Subscribe feature is a potential game-changer for content creators and businesses alike. It’s currently still in the testing phase, and not yet available to all users. But when it is available, it will allow content creators to charge their followers a subscription fee in exchange for exclusive content and perks.
Instagram recently announced that the feature is being tested with a small group of creators, with plans to expand the feature to more creators over time. In order to be eligible, creators must meet certain criteria, including:
Have a business account
Have at least 10,000 followers
Be in good standing with IG’s community guidelines and terms of service
Have a valid payment method set up on their account
It's worth mentioning that even if your account meets the criteria above, it doesn't mean you’ll be automatically granted access to the paid Subscribe feature. If you don’t have access yet, you may have to wait for it to be more widely available. Keep an eye on Instagram's announcements, or follow @PublishPartners on IG where we’ll keep you posted.
Here are a few ways that different types of accounts might use this feature:
Trainers: A personal trainer could use the paid Subscribe feature to offer their followers access to exclusive workout plans, nutrition advice, and personalized training videos.
Artists: An artist could use the paid IG Subscribe feature to offer their followers access to exclusive art tutorials, behind-the-scenes looks at their creative process, and early access to new artwork.
Musicians: A musician could use IG’s paid Subscribe feature to offer followers access to exclusive concert videos, behind-the-scenes footage, and early access to new music.
Consultants: A business consultant could use the paid Subscribe feature to offer followers access to exclusive webinars, Q&A sessions, and personalized advice for growing their businesses.
Chefs: A chef could use the paid Subscribe feature to offer their followers access to exclusive recipes, cooking tips, and step-by-step tutorials, and also interactive live cooking sessions.
A new monetization opportunity for influencers & creators
The Subscribe feature is ideal for influencers and creators who want to monetize their content in a way that feels more authentic than sponsored ads or affiliate content that might not be 100% aligned. It allows them to focus on creating valuable content for their audiences—and perhaps even be able to make a living out of it—rather than trying to figure out how to constantly sell to their audience.
As the feature is not yet widely available, it's hard to say exactly how it will be used in practice, but we’re excited to see how this feature evolves.