As the number of social media creators and influencers continues growing at an exponential rate, platforms are increasingly focused on developing tools and features that allow influencers to effectively monetize large and engaged audiences. With so many creators competing for limited advertising dollars, monetization features have become a key area of development and differentiation among platforms.
Existing Monetization Options
Most social platforms currently offer a few core ways for creators to generate revenue, including:
- Advertising & Sponsorships – Traditional in-feed and story ads remain the primary revenue source for most influencers. However, ad fill rates and CPMs vary widely.
- Affiliate Marketing – Links and codes that allow followers to directly purchase products the creator recommends in exchange for a commission.
- Subscriptions & Paid Membership – Monthly fees users pay for exclusive and bonus content from certain creators.
New & Upcoming Tools
However, platforms continue rolling out new monetization tools geared specifically for creators:
- Merchandising – Allowing creators to design and sell branded clothing and merchandise to their followers.
- In-stream shopping – Options to tag and link products shown in videos for easy viewer purchases.
- Subscription Features – Beyond monthly subscriptions, tiered plans and access to bonus content and benefits.
- NFT Marketplaces – Integrated non-fungible token (NFT) platforms to tokenize and sell digital assets like images, GIFs and videos.
- Livestream Monetization – Tips, subscriptions and product sales directly within live videos.
- Creator Funds – Direct payout programs to compensate creators for generating engaging content and growing audiences.
Leveling the Playing Field
While top influencers likely benefit most from new monetization tools currently, as platforms:
- Lower minimum creator requirements to access features.
- Implement tiered payout structures favoring smaller creators.
- Introduce promotional programs based on engagement, not size of following.
Monetization features have the potential to “level the playing field” by also benefiting mid-size and aspiring creators.
In summary, as social platforms continue vying for influencers, roll out of thoughtful monetization tools and programs remains essential for creators of all sizes to make a sustainable living and living.
