Instagram remains more lucrative than TikTok
Despite TikTok’s growing popularity, creators can still generally make more money on Instagram, especially on Reels rather than in-feed posts, according to data from the report.
In fact, 44% of creators earned more than $200 per Reel compared to only 28% making a similar amount for a TikTok video. The report also draws on data from 29,000 Instagram posts and more than 2,200 TikToks from Mavrck’s platform.
A creator’s followers are worth more on Instagram because high follower counts are generally seen as harder to achieve on Instagram than on TikTok and therefore, could translate to a more attentive audience, Goldstein said.
“TikTok creators went through the boom of Covid where their audience grew quickly and significantly,” Goldstein said. “For a long time, it was harder to grow a loyal following on Instagram.”
Also, TikTok’s “For You” main feed is less likely to show users content from the people they follow than Instagram’s feed, meaning an Instagram creator’s post is more likely to actually be seen, said Lily Salley, director of account management at microinfluencer firm Social Studies.
As a result, Instagram is a more reliable place to drive conversions for brands, Nead said.
“We still see the most dollars going toward Instagram. It’s safer,” Nead said. “It converts the best for brands for whatever reason. TikTok is incredible for brand awareness.”
Complex criteria
Besides pricing based on platform, brands also look at criteria such as content consistency, cadence, brand safety, plus what percentage of a creator’s followers are interacting with their content and the particular niche or demographics of that creator, sources told Adweek.
Other important factors are how long a brand can use the content, whether the creator posts it on their own page, if the post can be used as paid media, how many sales the creator is driving, whether the brand can give feedback and exclusivity to prevent the creator from doing a deal with a competitor.
The complexities of setting a creator’s rate can help explain the lack of strict pay standards.
