Meta is testing giving cash bonuses to creators who post engaging content on Threads, as part of an invite-only program
Business Insider :
Business Insider
Context & Ripple Effects
Threads had already been using Meta’s wider social graph to build usage: Meta discussed retention-driving features for Threads and tested Instagram surfaces that could send users into the app. Paying selected creators adds a supply-side lever to those distribution experiments.
The program matters because it targets the quality and frequency of posts, not merely sign-ups. That makes it an early step toward building an inventory of engaging content that can support a standalone Threads feed and eventual commercial products.
First-order effects
Invited creators gain a direct financial reason to post engagement-oriented material on Threads, while Meta can test which creator formats generate activity on the service.
Threads can seed more regular, high-attention content without opening a broad, permanent creator-payout commitment.
Second-order effects
Creators and social-media managers may shift incremental posting effort toward Threads if its bonuses prove competitive with alternatives, raising pressure on other platforms to defend creator attention.
A deeper pool of engaging posts gives Meta a stronger base for monetization tests; later limited Threads ad tests and video-ad testing fit that sequence of first improving content supply, then selling attention.
Third-order effects
If repeated, targeted incentives could make creator compensation a recurring tool for shaping early-stage social feeds, rather than a one-off launch expense.
The larger test is whether Meta can turn cross-app distribution and paid creator supply into a self-sustaining content marketplace; that would reduce Threads’ dependence on promotional placements from Instagram.
The trend: Social platforms are increasingly pairing algorithmic distribution with targeted creator incentives to bootstrap engagement before expanding advertising.
Unless they do this with verified professionals (such as yourself) I'd rather them not do it. The payouts is what turned X into schizoposting on steroids, with the biggest earners being the most disgusting liars on the platform, like Cheong, Hinkle, etc.
There's probably no way to do this that feels good to everyone, but I love the idea of cash bonuses for nonprofessional accounts who just say something really funny or spark an interesting conversation and go viral for it
It's great that content creators will be paid on Threads. However, this also means there will be a spike in ragebait and low-quality memes. Hopefully, the “hide” option continues to work well! https://www.businessinsider.com/ ...
It's schemes like this that drove actual influencers from YouTube to Insta, and then from Insta to TikTok. Sure maybe it's easier for meta to focus high value ad placements on a select group of Chosen Ones, but totally misses (yet again) all the opportunities to help *anyone* mo…
We need verified journalists. However they want to do that. The shove for creators is great, and entertaining for th site, but trusted journalists need a platform to report accurate news. 📰
2500 per post is way too f****** high so they're basically going to pay celebrities and brands which is the only thing that they're promoting anymore anyway f*** this app
This is the wrong move *at this time* for 3 reasons: - it incentivizes content theft (think: withmastery) - it disincentivizes conversation - it complicates rollout of Fediverse integration by introducing a strong financial incentive that is exploitable through pay-for-like schem…
Paying users based on how their posts “perform” creates a strong incentive to publish low quality content. This is exactly what happened on Xitter when the platform introduced its revenue sharing system: since then, the platform has been overwhelmed by grifters who publish the m…
Periodic reminder that I applied for a role on the Threads team focused on growth strategy, but have yet to hear back from anyone. If I had, I would have advised against this plan in favor of free Meta verified for journalists and Threads community leaders. ijs
Businessification of Threads commence. If your poasts are toasty enough (based on view count), now you can get invited to a bonus program that will give you a little Meta cash. More from @danwhateley and @sydneykbradley