Yes, Instagram has discontinued the reel bonus program that was paying creators for posting popular reels. This bonus program was launched in 2020 to incentivize creators to make more reels, but as reels have grown exponentially in popularity on their own, Instagram decided the program was no longer necessary.
What was the Instagram reel bonus program?
The Instagram reel bonus program was announced in August 2020 as a way to encourage creators to start making more reels. With short-form video taking off on other platforms like TikTok, Instagram wanted to promote adoption of their new Reels feature.
The program offered financial incentives based on the performance of creators’ reels. Bonuses were calculated based on the number of views, accounts reached, shares, and other engagement metrics. The more views and engagement a reel received, the higher the bonus paid out to the creator.
Bonuses started at $100 for accounts that posted reels with hundreds of thousands of views up to $10,000 for reels that reached millions of views and accounts. The bonuses were paid out through bank transfers.
The program was seen as a way to entice creators to not only start using Reels but to incentivize them to create high-quality reels that would get lots of engagement. For many creators, especially smaller ones, these bonuses became an important revenue stream.
Why did Instagram discontinue the reel bonus program?
The reason given was that Reels had grown and evolved significantly over that time and was no longer in need of financial incentives.
When Reels first launched, it was competing heavily with TikTok and needed to convince creators to try out the new product. But within two years, Reels had been widely adopted by creators and users alike. Data showed it was accounting for a huge portion of time spent on Instagram globally.
Instagram likely felt that with Reels clearly established as a pillar of the app, the bonus program was no longer necessary to incentivize creators. In essence, Reels had gotten big enough on its own merits that creators were highly motivated to use the feature without needing bonuses.
For Instagram’s bottom line, discontinuing the program also meant saving on significant payouts to creators. With bonuses that could reach $10,000 for top reels, the program represented a major expense as Reels exploded in popularity.
How creators have reacted to the change
The discontinuation of the Instagram reel bonus program has been met with mixed feelings from the creator community.
On the positive side, many creators see the sunsetting of bonuses as a validation of Reels’ success. The fact that Instagram feels confident enough in Reels to drop the incentives is a sign that short-form video is here to stay within the app and brings creators new opportunities to reach big audiences.
But many creators who came to rely on the bonuses as a significant income stream are understandably disappointed. Smaller creators and influencers who benefited the most from the program lost what was for some a helpful revenue source. For those just getting started and trying to monetize, the loss of potential bonus payouts makes it tougher.
Some feel Instagram pulled the rug out from under them after they had invested significant time and effort into tailoring content for Reels based on the promise of bonuses. The sudden end to the program with relatively short notice left them scrambling.
The disappointment has led some creators to threaten taking their content more often to TikTok. But overall, most feel Reels is too big a part of Instagram now to abandon completely. And other monetization features like Instagram shopping and paid partnerships still provide income potential.
How can you earn money from Instagram without bonuses?
While the reliability of reel bonus payouts is gone, creators can utilize other Instagram monetization features:
- Instagram Shopping – Add shoppable tags to your posts and reels allowing followers to purchase items directly within the app. Instagram takes a commission from each transaction.
- Sponsored Posts – Brand sponsorship deals to create branded content and advertise products. Rates are negotiated with each brand.
- Affiliate Links – Add affiliate links to your bio and posts to earn commissions when followers purchase through them.
- Instagram Badges – Fans can purchase badges during your live videos to show support. You earn money from each badge purchased.
- IGTV Ads – Enable advertising in your longer IGTV videos to monetize that content.
- Consulting/Coaching – Offer your expertise to other creators for a fee on growth strategy, content creation, etc.
- Selling Own Products – Use Instagram to advertise and sell physical or digital products you create.
The key for creators now is diversifying income streams. While bonuses made it easy to earn directly from Instagram, building a sustainable creator business requires multiple monetization avenues both within Instagram and outside of it.
Should discontinuing the bonus impact your Reels strategy?
With bonuses gone, it’s natural to question whether creators should rethink their approach to Reels. But in most cases, there’s no reason to fundamentally change course.
Reels remains the future of Instagram. It’s the primary way the app’s algorithms surface new content and accounts now. To maintain reach and visibility for your brand as a creator, staying active on Reels is crucial.
Rather than focusing on bonuses, the mindset now shifts to using Reels as a core way to engage your audience, grow followers, and build your brand authority. Those should still incentivize putting time into creating quality Reels.
Some best practices include:
- Posting on Reels consistently – At least 1-2x per day ideally.
- Experimenting with different Reels formats – Trends, tutorials, shorts, etc.
- Optimizing video content for mobile
- Using relevant hashtags and captions to maximize discoverability
- Monitoring performance data to assess what content resonates best
The fundamentals of identifying your niche, understanding your audience, and creating engaging content remain more relevant than ever in the Reels era.
Could Instagram bring back bonuses in the future?
Instagram hasn’t indicated any plans to reinstate a Reels bonus program in the immediate future. They seem confident that Reels has enough momentum now to not need direct financial incentives.
However, there are scenarios where Instagram may consider reviving bonuses again down the road:
- If TikTok or another competing platform introduces a similar incentive program to lure creators, Instagram may reimplement bonuses to stay competitive.
- If Reels engagement starts to decline significantly, bonuses could be a way to reinvigorate creator interest.
- Major changes to how Reels content is distributed that disrupt creators may require bonuses to smooth things over.
- Testing bonuses as a limited-time summer promotion could make sense seasonally.
But for now, creators should operate under the assumption that Instagram reel bonuses are gone for the foreseeable future. Focus should be on adapting monetization approaches, diversifying income streams, and staying laser-focused on your audience.
Conclusion
The Instagram reel bonus program succeeded in its goal of quickly driving adoption of Reels and establishing short-form video as a core part of the app. With that mission accomplished and Reels engagement thriving, Instagram decided bonuses were no longer needed.
Creators who benefited from the payments will need to seek out other monetization sources like Instagram Shopping, brand sponsorships, affiliate programs, and consulting services. Reels remain vital for reach, but bonuses are unlikely to return anytime soon.
In the evolving social media landscape, adapting quickly is key for creators. By focusing on their audiences, identifying multiple revenue streams, and fully utilizing all features on a platform, creators can build sustainable and thriving business models.