The tech giant Meta has launched a slew of updates to its Reels shortform video platform — and is offering sizable cash bonuses — in an effort to lure TikTok creators to its platform while the ByteDance-owned app remains in a stare of limbo.
For starters, Meta is launching what it calling the “Breakthrough Bonus,” which will award TikTok creators up to $5,000 for posting new videos to Facebook and Instagram Reels. And the company plans to “offer some TikTok creators content deals to help grow their communities on Instagram and Facebook,” potentially delivering more cash into creators pockets.
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It is also offering free one-year subscriptions to Meta Verified to select creators.
The company has also launched a new app called Edits that is meant to enable users to easily edit videos that can be uploaded to Reels.
And it updated Reels to make it more appealing to a wider range of creators, like expanding the length of Reels videos to three minutes, and the company plans to make Reels more prominent in Instagram and Facebook feeds.
“People may see recommended reels higher up in their home feed and more reels in their search results,” the company says. “We have also been working to optimize our ranking systems so that creators who are newer to Instagram and Facebook are able to break through to new audiences.”
Finally, it launched Trial Reels on Instagram, which is meant to allow creators to try out content among users who don’t follow them, to see how it will perform before being shown to followers.
The multipronged push by Meta comes as a variety of tech companies are seeking to capitalize on TikTok’s uncertainty. While the app has returned online after a brief ban, it is still not available in the Apple or Android app stores, underscoring the legal uncertainty around it.
Other companies like Snapchat, Substack and X are also endeavoring to poach TikTokers, betting that they can find a new home if the app does not survive.
