Instagram Releases Creator Week, New Affiliate Features

New Instagram features continue to roll out as the platform tries to keep creators publishing content. 

As other companies like TikTok and YouTube introduce easy-to-profit monetization features, it’s becoming increasingly crucial for Instagram to keep up if they want to retain their massive user base. 

Instagram’s official creator news page, @Creators, is ramping up its efforts to keep users interested through “Creator Week,” an event dedicated to the platform’s big influencers. 

To kick things off, Instagram announced their program named “Affiliate.” Through affiliate, prominent creators can directly link their followers to products and earn commissions from any driven purchases. 

Through Instagram, commissions will be set by brands, and all analytics can be tracked through the posts themselves.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted an informative video about the importance of Instagram’s creator economy, noting that he wants Instagram to be the best platform for sustaining creators and allowing them to make a profit. 

Mark Zuckerberg also announced new shop expansions and updates to the platform’s badge system, allowing followers to “subscribe” to their creators on a live feed (similar to Twitch’s and Youtube’s subscriber/member system). 

As of now, most of the features are in beta testing, meaning that you probably won’t have access to them. Big platforms usually debut new updates gradually and progressively. Instagram’s unique verification form, for example, is only available to some users. 

To end the video, Mark Zuckerberg says that all creators should be given access to the tools they need to succeed and that Instagram wants to provide those because of the value that creators bring to the platform. 

Many creators are hoping for a more direct and view-based feature, such as the one on TikTok. TikTok pays out a certain amount of money per 1000 views, making it the most accessible platform to profit from if you’re accepted into the creator fund.