Facebook Sweetens Terms In Bid For Video Creators

Facebook is upping the ante again in its bid to lure online video personalities to its platform.

On Monday (June 29), the company said it was adding a number of sweeteners aimed at helping video creators and publishers earn more money on the social media site.

The additions include fan subscriptions, which allow fans of particular online video stars or up-and-comers to pay a monthly fee, as well as the expansion of its “Stars” program, Facebook said.

The “Stars” feature enables viewers to send stars to video content creators in the middle of a live-stream, with the stars worth about a penny apiece.

“Video content creators will also be able to set a Stars goal that appears as a permanent overlay in video,” wrote Yoav Arnstein, product marketing director, and Jeff Birkeland, head of creator and publisher experience, in an announcement on Facebook’s corporate website.

In addition, Facebook is also arming creators “with automated thank-you cards and other tools aimed at helping creators to manage Stars,” Arnstein and Birkeland added.

“Now more than ever, creators, video publishers and media are using Facebook to build a meaningful community and business,” the Facebook executives wrote. “We’re seeing the traditional notion of a creator evolve as comedians, artists, fitness instructors, athletes, small businesses and sports organizations use video and online events to connect with their audience. To better support our partners, we’re improving the tools that help creators earn money and manage their presence on Facebook.”

The move is part of a longer-standing effort by Facebook to lure online video creators and stars from YouTube, with Facebook having begun exploring some of its newly announced upgrades more than a year ago.

Facebook said it is also working to expand its array of ad options for video, including formats for live video.

The dominant player in the field, YouTube is owned by rival tech giant Alphabet, the corporate parent of Google. YouTube pulled in $15 billion in ad revenue in 2019.