Creators break down the problems Instagram needs to solve in its big bet on influencers

Following the 75 day extension for a possible Tiktok Ban In the United States, Instagram is aggressively courting top creators.

Over the past two weeks, Instagram has rolled out a flurry of updates aimed at creators. Instagram’s Short Reels videos are now up to three minutes long, a revamped profile layout resembles a Tiktok 4:5 ratio, and Instagram is offering cash bonuses to incentivize creators to make Reels. Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri has also been actively sharing information and updates for creators through his account on how to effective videos originated from Instagram and how often Post to Instagram.

Despite Instagram’s efforts to become a new hub for creators coming from TikTok, creators told Adweek that they still face challenges that the platform must address before they are ready to go all -in on Instagram. It’s also unclear how long Instagram’s courtship with creators will last.

“It’s difficult because it seems like a game of back and forth, and that can be daunting,” said fashion designer Tayla Santos.

An Instagram spokesperson said the company provides creators with one-on-one help from members of its partnership team. Instagram will also use Mosseri’s account and a dedicated creator account to provide educational resources to creators on its platform.

Meta also offers a free trial of Meta Verified, a subscription product that helps with account support and protection.

Incompatible product deployment

Instagram often tests new features with small groups of users before rolling out products widely. For example, Instagram recently introduced a large grid format.

However, the creators did not have enough time to prepare for the update, Mosseri admitted in a post. Additionally, the feature is not available to all creators.

Creators told Adweek that the large grid update isn’t the only feature rollout Instagram has botched. Some creators said it was frustrating that updates weren’t rolling out to everyone at once.

“It puts people at an unfair advantage or disadvantage when the application is not the same for everyone,” Santos said.

Inaccessible features can demotivate creators from using Instagram because there are no equal tools for everyone.

In one example, Santos said his account didn’t have the ability to add 20 photos to a carousel post — an Instagram feature rolled out in August — in January.

“It was the day Tiktok ban happened– That’s when I had the opportunity to post 20 photos on my carousel,” Santos said. Santos said she was frustrated with her page’s slow growth because she has a large following and is always posting content on the platform.

Unpredictable algorithm

The algorithms of Tiktok and Instagram are also markedly different.

Creators told Adweek that they tend to prefer the variety offered by Tiktok’s algorithm compared to Instagram’s version. For example, on Tiktok’s “For You” page, users encounter a diverse range of videos from dancing to cooking. In contrast, Instagram’s algorithm doesn’t provide the same level of variety and struggles to balance different interests, said lifestyle creator Sean O’Donnell.

“The algorithm is rooted in Instagram,” O’Donnell said. “It’s hard to expand – you have to actively search for other things, type them into the search bar and have them show up.”

Unlike Instagram, O’Donnell said the Tiktok algorithm uniformly shows content that represents their interests.

“If I shoot a video on the rollers of one car and slide to another, it will be another car video,” he said. “On Tiktok, it seems like every interest I have is at least equally represented.”

Best Payouts for Creators

On January 22, Meta announced a bonus program for creators, allowing them to request up to $5,000 in exchange for posting on Instagram and Facebook. The program specifically targets creators who are new to the platforms. According to the Program DescriptionCreators can earn money from Reels, videos, photos, and text posts through Facebook’s Guest Content Monetization program.

Despite the lure of money, creators Adweek spoke to were frustrated by the lack of clarity around the program. They said it’s unclear exactly how much money Meta is offering and what steps a creator must take to qualify for the bonus.

Renee said Instagram’s payment program isn’t as clear-cut as YouTube’s version, which provides specific dollar amounts based on content success.

“It needs to be more like YouTube, where I know if I get x amount of views, I get x amount of dollars,” Renee said. “If you’re trying to push to be the No. 1 app, you’ve got to make it worth it.”

Benjamin de Almeida, a comedy creator, believes that Instagram has the opportunity to become the new primary monetization platform for creators given the uncertain future of TikTok. But first, Instagram needs to address creators’ frustrations.

“I’ve never really used Instagram other than for photos, but since Tiktok has been threatened with being banned, Instagram Reels feels a little more of a viable place than Tiktok,” he said.