Social media is about to reward content creators this 2021. Instagram has confirmed that it’s experimenting with a feature that would allow popular users to publish content to their Stories that’s only available to paying fans. Dubbed “Exclusive Stories,” the feature is likely to benefit users that have a large following and whose Instagram Stories gather numerous views from the crowd.
How will Exclusive Stories work?
From the screenshots shared so far, the feature appears to be a rather simple one. Exclusive Stories are denoted by a purple circle, and tapping on one shows a message indicating that “only members” can see the content.
There is no specific indication that the Exclusive Stories feature is a paid offering, but Instagram has made it clear recently that the company wants to provide creators with more ways to make money on the platform. The question to ask, however, is whether Instagram will take on the likes of Onlyfans that allow users to post adult content for users to pay and watch.
Exclusive Stories also allows creators to save posts to their Highlights so members can view them any time.
Will everyone access the Exclusive Stories feature?
It’s not yet certain that Instagram will release Exclusive Stories publicly. However, with other similar social media platforms coming up with similar ideas, the feature could help Instagram compete. For now, almost every social media platform is now offering creators the opportunity to make money from their work.
Recently, Twitter recently began rolling out Super Follow, a product that allows popular users to charge for access to exclusive tweets. That tool is only available to users with at least 10,000 followers and who tweet regularly. Both Twitter and Facebook also offer paid newsletter products.
Instagram should be aware of the looming dangers of not providing creators with monetization tools. The app needs to give users a little more opportunity to make money. Otherwise, it could end up like the now-dead Vine.