Ever thought you could make money on Instagram Reels? Until recently, Reels were paid for exclusively through brand sponsorships and affiliate marketing. With the Instagram Reels Play Bonus program, creators can earn money directly from Instagram.
With this post, you’ll learn what the program is, how it works, how you can get started, and how to utilize another helpful feature — Instagram Collab — to earn more money. We’ll go over how to collaborate with other content creators in Reels and accept collaboration requests.
We will also discuss some of the most significant benefits of using Instagram Collab: making money through the Reels Play Bonus program and boosting your overall presence on this highly influential social media platform.
We sat with experts from some of the top Los Angeles social media marketing companies to learn more about how the two features can be combined to achieve extraordinary results.
Let’s start by explaining the Instagram Reels Play bonus program.
Instagram Reels Play Bonus Explained
Instagram’s Reels Play Bonus pays creators when their Reels reach a certain number of views within a specified period. It allows creators to make money without dealing with brand sponsorships or affiliate programs.
Instagram plans to gradually roll out the program globally after initially launching it on an invite-only basis for U.S. creators.
The Reels Play Bonus is a way for Instagram to compete with TikTok by encouraging users to make more Reels. YouTube created a similar campaign in the form of its $100 million Shorts Fund, intended to compensate select content creators.
[Source: Pixabay]
Rules and Requirements
Reels Play allows you to earn money on your reel content through an invite-only bonus program. If selected, you’ll receive an invite via your Instagram Professional Dashboard.
The views you receive on your reels contribute to your Play Bonus. Business and creator accounts with at least 1,000 views in 30 days are eligible to earn money on Reels. Let’s take a quick look at how it all works:
- Upon gaining access to the Reels Play Bonus, you have 30 days to take advantage of it. In your Instagram app, go to the Bonuses tab to determine when the bonus expires.
- Instagram offers a 30-day bonus period once you sign up.
- The money made through the Reels Play Bonus feature during those 30 days can come from any number of Reels.
- You will receive your bonus payout based on how your reels perform. Remember that your earnings per play may change over time and could decrease as you go along.
- Different accounts require different amounts of plays and payouts.
You earn bonuses based on how your Reels perform over 30 days. You can still earn a bonus if your video reaches 1,000 views, even if you don’t meet the target number of plays. Instagram still allows creators to acquire a portion of the bonus if they reach specific Play Milestones.
Suppose you want to maximize your chances of reaching these milestones and getting your profile in front of many people as possible. In that case, you should take advantage of another recent addition to the Instagram feature set — Instagram Collab.
Instagram Collab Explained
Instagram Collab launched in 2021, enabling users to create content with other accounts. This functionality allows creators with public accounts to tag others (public or private) as collaborators. Collaborating accounts can accept or deny the request, and posts will appear on their profiles if accepted.
Collaborating on Instagram means collaborators’ followers will see the post and share views, likes, and comments. It is also possible for the original creator (the author of the post) to add or remove collaborators at any time.
As you can see, this feature is a game-changer for businesses, brands, and creators looking to boost their Instagram presence (without spending thousands on paid advertising). The Collab feature allows you to maximize the impact of every new reel and post, enabling you to attract new, high-value followers and make more money from the Reels Play Bonus.
Benefits of Using Instagram Collab
Instagram posts already have the option of tagging, so what makes Collab different? It’s simple — when you tag someone in a post, your content doesn’t appear in both feeds — it only appears on yours.
You can collaborate with another brand or creator through Instagram Collab to reach both audiences with your content. This has many advantages, and we’ll run through some of the most notable ones below.
1. Increasing Brand Transparency
Your audience needs to know when you’re partnering with a brand or influencer, particularly when that brand or influencer engages in influencer marketing. It’s easy for Instagram users to see which accounts you’re partnering with through Instagram Collab posts.
When you or your collaborator are paid to create a post, transparency is critical to establishing trust with your audience. A clearly labeled partnership post will keep your audience in the loop of how you’re creating content (even before they click into the post to find out who’s tagged).
2. Avoiding Duplicate Posts
Collabs can help reduce the number of duplicate posts you make when collaborating with a partner (such as an influencer). You compete with yourself when you post the same reel on multiple accounts, which is not a great way to reach your Reels Play Bonus goals.
[Source: Pixabay]
The benefit of Instagram Collab is that both parties receive likes, comments, shares, and saves from the same post. This is also beneficial from a reporting perspective, simplifying the process, as you don’t need to ask your collaborators for analytics. Furthermore, the Instagram algorithm won’t flag your content as duplicate, so you’ll stay in good standing with the Instagram gods.
3. Boosting Engagement
It’s more likely that your post will collect more likes, comments, saves, and shares if it’s shared with two different audiences. If Instagram recognizes that your profile is getting more engagement, it is more likely to make your other posts and profile more visible.
Utilizing Instagram’s Collab feature is an easy way to boost engagements, enhance visibility and attract potential customers. It is clear how this can assist you in your quest to make more money from Reels bonuses.
4. Attracting New Audiences
Through Instagram Collab, you get your post in front of two sets of audiences; your own and your collaborator’s. This can dramatically increase your audience engagement and maximize your visibility, allowing new people to discover your profile — hello, new followers!
The best part is that there’s no need to pay for social advertising. You’ll see significant ROI from your collaborative content without blowing your marketing budget.
How to Collaborate on Instagram Reels?
Using the Collab functionality on Reels is no different from using it on regular feed posts, except you post from the Reels tab. Here is a step-by-step guide:
- Record your Reel as usual.
- Preview and edit the Reel until you’re happy with how it looks.
- Tap “Next” and select “Tag People.”
- Tap “Invite Collaborator” and tag your collaborators.
- Post your reel by hitting the checkmark!
The process is even more straightforward when it comes to accepting collaborations from other creators:
- Your Activity page will show an invite notification. Click it.
- The blue “Review” button will take you to a pop-up window where you can accept or decline the invitation.
- Select “Accept,” and you’re good to go!
Some Things to Keep in Mind
Using Instagram’s collaboration feature requires users to comply with certain specifications. This section will help you understand Instagram’s recommendations and ensure your collab posts meet these specifications.
These are the top four things you need to know about Instagram Collab straight from Instagram HQ:
- Post authorship belongs to the original poster — They have the ability to add and remove collaborators at any time since they are the primary creator of the post. Any collaborative work ends if the collaborator blocks the original author or vice versa. A collaborator is also free to leave a Collab post at any time.
- A collab post’s settings are determined by its original creator — If the original creator decides to make their profile private, only their followers will be able to see it.
- The primary creator owns the Collab post — As soon as the primary creator deletes a post, it will also be removed from the collaborator’s feed.
- Posts are maintained by their original creators — Deactivating the original creator’s account will remove the post from both profiles. Upon reactivation of the original poster’s account, both profiles will have the post restored.
Start Earning from Collab and Reels Today
Your brand can maximize its reach and visibility on Instagram by combining the Instagram Collab feature with Instagram Reels and feed posts. You can quickly boost your Instagram engagement with the Collab tool, expand your reach, and start making money from Reels Play Bonuses.
Following our in-depth look at the Reels Play Bonus and how to get started with Instagram Collabs, you’re ready to collaborate with other content creators, create engaging reels, and activate bonuses.
Author bio
Travis Dillard is a business consultant and an organizational psychologist based in Arlington, Texas. Passionate about marketing, social networks, and business in general. In his spare time, he writes a lot about new business strategies and digital marketing for FindDigitalAgency.