Creators Break Down the Problems That Instagram Needs To Solve in Its Big Bet on Influencers

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.

Inaccessible features can demotivate creators from using Instagram because there are not equal tools for everyone.

In one example, Santos said that her account didn’t have the option to add 20 pictures to a carousel post—a feature Instagram rolled out in August—until January.

“It was the day the Tiktok ban happened—that’s when I got the ability to post 20 pictures on my carousel,” Santos said. Santos said she was frustrated about the slow rollout to her page because she has a large audience and consistently posts content on the platform.

Unpredictable algorithm

TikTok and Instagram’s algorithms are also starkly different.

Creators told ADWEEK that they tend to prefer the variety that TikTok’s algorithm offers compared to Instagram’s version. For instance, on TikTok’s “For You” page, users encounter a diverse range of videos from dancing to cooking. In contrast, Instagram’s algorithm does not provide the same level of variety and struggles to balance different interests, said lifestyle creator Sean O’Donnell.

“The algorithm is entrenched in Instagram,” O’Donnell said. “It makes it hard to expand—you have to go actively looking for other things, type them in the search bar, and make them pop up.”

Unlike Instagram, O’Donnell said the TikTok algorithm evenly shows content that represents his interests.

“If I pull up a video on Reels of a car, and I swipe to another one, it’ll be another car video,” he said. “On TikTok, it feels like every one of the interests that I have is at least evenly represented.”

Better payouts for creators

On Jan. 22, Meta announced a bonus program for creators, allowing them to apply for up to $5,000 in exchange for posting to Instagram and Facebook. The program specifically targets creators who are new to the platforms. According to the program’s description, creators can earn money from Reels, videos, photos, and text posts through Facebook’s invite-only Content Monetization program.

Despite the allure of cash, creators that ADWEEK spoke to were frustrated with the lack of clarity around the program. They said that it’s not clear on the exact amount of money that Meta is offering and what steps a creator must take to qualify for the bonus.

Renee said that Instagram’s payout program is not as clear as YouTube’s version, which provides specific dollar amounts based on the success of content.

“It needs to be more like YouTube, where I know if I’m getting X amount of views, I’m getting X amount of dollars,” said Renee. “If you are trying to push to be the No. 1 app, you need to make it worth it.”

Benjamin De Almeida, a comedy creator, believes that Instagram has the opportunity to become the new primary monetization platform for creators given TikTok’s uncertain future. But first, Instagram needs to address creators’ frustrations.

“I never really used Instagram other than for pictures, but since TikTok has been threatened to be banned, Instagram Reels does feel like a bit more of a viable place than TikTok,” he said.