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Following the 75-day extension for a possible TikTok ban in the U.S., Instagram is aggressively courting top creators.
Over the past couple of weeks, Instagram has rolled out a flurry of updates aimed at creators. Instagram’s short-form Reel videos now last up to three minutes, a revamped profile layout looks similar to TikTok’s 4:5 ratio, and Instagram is offering cash bonuses to incentivize creators to make Reels. Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri has also actively been sharing insights and updates for creators through his account on how to make effective videos native to Instagram and how often to post to Instagram.
Despite Instagram’s efforts to become a new hub for creators coming from TikTok, creators told ADWEEK that they still face challenges that the platform must address before they’re willing to go all-in on Instagram. It’s also not clear how long Instagram’s courtship with creators will last.
“It is tough because it does feel like a back-and-forth game, and it can get discouraging,” said fashion creator Tayla Santos.
A spokesperson for Instagram said that the company is providing creators with one-to-one help from members of its partnership team. Instagram will also use Mosseri’s account and a dedicated creators account to provide education resources to creators about its platform.
Meta is also offering a free year’s trial of Meta Verified, a subscription product that helps with account support and protection.
Inconsistent product rollout
Instagram often tests new features with small user groups before broadly rolling out products. For example, Instagram recently introduced a tall grid format.
However, creators did not get enough time to prepare for the update, Mosseri acknowledged in a post. Plus, the feature is not available to all creators.
Creators told ADWEEK that the tall grid update isn’t the only feature rollout that Instagram has botched. Some creators said that it’s frustrating that updates don’t roll out out to everyone at once.
“It puts people at an unfair advantage or disadvantage when the app isn’t the same for everybody,” said Santos.
