Facebook Offers Content Creators New Ways To Earn Income

Facebook has unveiled three new ways content creators can monetize the work they share on the social media platform.

“Content creators — digipubs, video creators, gaming creators, media companies, cultural institutions, businesses of all sizes and more — build vibrant communities on Facebook,” the company said in a blog post on Thursday (March 11). “We want them to have the tools and support they need to earn money and thrive, whether creating and sharing content is a primary business, one of many revenue streams, or a lifeline that’s kept their business afloat during the pandemic.”

To that end, Facebook will now let content creators earn money in new ways. Content creators can generate revenue from all types of video, including short-form. Monetization is now open to more creators, as Facebook has updated its in-stream ad eligibility, opening the program to more creators and offering access to in-stream ads for Live and expanding paid online events and fan subscriptions to new countries. In addition, Facebook is making it simpler for content creators to access fan support while boosting consumer adoption through free Stars giveaways for viewers.

In the next few weeks, Facebook will test the ability for content creators to monetize Facebook Stories with ads that look like stickers, giving the creators a cut of the revenue. The initial test grouping will be small but hopefully expanded to more creators and to short-form videos.

Thursday’s announcement follows the news this week that Instagram would allow some video creators in India to share Instagram Reels on their Facebook pages in a section that would now be called “Reels on Facebook.”

This isn’t the first time Facebook has tried to sweeten the pot for its content creators. Last year, the platform added monthly paid fan subscriptions, along with an expanded “Stars” program, which lets viewers send stars — at the cost of 1 cent a piece — to their favorite content creators during live streams.