How to get paid for your Reels on Instagram and Facebook

If you want to know how to get paid for Reels on Instagram and Facebook, you’ve come to the right place. With the launch of the new Facebook Reels program and the continued success of Instagram Reels, lots of content creators and aspiring entrepreneurs are looking to boost their income.

Although Instagram and Facebook both fall under the Meta family utilizing the Reels on each platform involves a slightly different process. Let’s break down how to get paid on Instagram and Facebook for Reels.

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What are Instagram Reels?

Instagram Reels are the most popular short-form video content on Instagram. Reels are intended to compete with the short-length videos made popular by TikTok. They offer entertainment or education and can act as advertising and influencing opportunities for content creators and consumers alike.

Instagram Reels are generally less than a minute long. They can also be modified and improved through the addition of post-production effects, music, advertisements, and more.

How to get paid for Reels on Instagram

Unfortunately, the primary way to get paid for Reels on Instagram was the now-defunct Instagram Reels Play Bonus program. Meta ended the program in March 2023 and is letting existing deals expire. This is due to shifting priorities and, most likely, the launch of the Facebook Reels program mentioned below.

However, that’s not to say the bonus program will never be launched again in the future. It could come back after Meta becomes more comfortable with content creators and payment rules on the platform. But Meta may also decide not to restart the program, as Instagram’s value could be elsewhere in the eyes of the parent company.

The Instagram Reels Play Bonus program was a novel way to allow content creators to earn money based on how many views their Reels content got in a short timeframe. The Play Bonus program came on the heels of a new Instagram commitment to invest $1 billion in creators.

How did the Reels play bonus work?

Creators were required to set up a Play Bonus account, similar to setting up other creator tools. Once tat step was complete, creators would receive a payout for all successful Reels content at the end of 30 days. Creators were also allowed to choose up to 150 distinct Reels videos to count toward their payment bonuses. They could pick and choose the best-performing Reels to maximize their bonuses.

Instagram Reels monetization requirements

Unlike the Facebook Reels monetization requirements, the Instagram Reels monetization requirements were a little more relaxed. Creators could choose any number of Reels videos to count toward their Play Bonus earnings over a 30-day timeframe.

The bonus was then determined by the performance of the Reels video content and the number of views the creator earned on the Instagram app. Generally, the higher the view count and the more successful a Reels video was, the more money the creator earned through the program.

Many creators reported a different targeted number of plays and payout amounts. As an example, some creators saw a maximum bonus of up to $8,500, but they had to hit well over 9 million plays to achieve that bonus.

Because of this, the Instagram Reels Play Bonus program was–in some cases–not as desirable as other ways to earn money on Instagram. It was truly a “bonus” and not a means for influencers to replace their other sources of income on the platform.

Instagram Reels bonuses eligibility

Before its shutdown, the Reels Play Bonus program had a variety of eligibility requirements. For starters, it was invite only. This is likely to continue should the program come back to Instagram. Furthermore, it was originally exclusive to content creators in the United States.

Furthermore, eligible creators also had to:

• Have less than 1 million followers
• Have a professional Instagram account
• Follow the Instagram Partner Monetization Policies

Content creators who met all of these qualifications would have been able to earn money from Instagram Reels.

How to monetize Instagram Reels another way

So, if you’re wondering how to get paid for Reels on Instagram, sit tight. For now, the platform is undergoing some significant changes, and Instagram may reinstate the Reels program or come up with something completely different. Time will tell.

In addition, you can continue to make money on the Instagram platform through traditional partnerships and social media marketing opportunities. As an example, you can practice your influencing skills by building up an audience and partnering with different brands. Then you can advertise those products and services through your Instagram video and photo content.

What are Facebook Reels?

Facebook Reels are, put simply, short-form video content meant to compete with the short videos on TikTok. Just like on TikTok, Facebook Reels allow businesses and users to enhance their video footage with special effects, music, and other post-production elements. It’s incredibly similar to the Instagram Reels we explained above.

Every business should already have a Facebook business page. Having a Facebook account for your business can yield numerous benefits in terms of sales, online presence, and brand awareness. But Reels are one way for businesses to take their Facebook presence to the next level.

The goal of Facebook Reels is to provide engaging, short video content that’s easy to consume. Naturally, many businesses have now started to use Facebook Reels for marketing purposes, and influencers also create a lot of Facebook Reels content.

Facebook Reels can be between three seconds and sixty seconds long. Content creators have leveraged this new type of video content to pursue advertising opportunities and to make money.

How to get paid for Reels on Facebook

The primary way to get paid for Reels on Facebook is to become a content creator and embed ads in your videos. Once you do this, you can earn money through advertising the products and services of other companies.

Once you start earning money through Reels ads on Facebook, your profits will be split 55% to you and 45% of Facebook. This is an important change because prior to Facebook’s new policy, you could only include advertisements on longer Facebook videos.

To use Facebook Reels advertisements, you can put the ads on the top of your Reels content. Or you can use banner ads, which are semi-transparent overlays located at the bottom of each Reel. Lastly, you can put advertisements via “stickers,” placeable anywhere on the Reel.

Facebook Reels monetization requirements

To monetize your Facebook Reels video content with advertisements, you have to meet certain requirements. You have to be a content creator and:

• Have more than 10,000 followers
• Have at least five videos
• Have 600,000 minutes of viewership over the last 60 days

Once you meet all of those qualifications, you’ll be able to make money on Facebook Reels. You can check your eligibility by navigating to “Creator Studio” or “Meta Business Suite” and then clicking “Monetization.” There you’ll see the word “Status” and the option to “View Page Eligibility.”

Facebook Reels bonus program

Thanks to the success of Facebook Reels so far, Meta also introduced the Reels Play bonus program. In a nutshell, this bonus program provides a monetary bonus to anyone who has a Reel that gets at least 1000 views over 30 days.

As a content creator, you can earn up to $35,000 per month if your Facebook Reels are successful. Note, however, that the bonus program is invite-only. Generally, it’s only extended to influencers or known advertisers and content creators who bring a lot of value to the Facebook platform for marketing potential.

Facebook Reels bonus-eligible countries

While the above Reels eligibility guidelines are important, they only apply to certain countries. Currently, you can only make money from Facebook Reels advertisements in the U.S., Canada, and about 50 other nations.

How to monetize Facebook Reels another way

However, Facebook Reels’ bonus program isn’t the only way to monetize this type of content. Indeed, many other strategies exist to help creators to earn money for sponsored content.

For example, on the Facebook and Instagram apps, you can create sponsored content by partnering with different brands and advertising products and services to your social media followers. This is the go-to earning strategy for influencers and online marketers of all kinds.

However, keep in mind that this monetization strategy only becomes truly successful if you work hard at it and build a following over time. For now, it might be a good idea to use the Facebook Reels bonus program to build up that audience by creating savvy, entertaining short-form video content.

Wrap up

As you can see, there are many ways in which to get paid for Reels on Instagram and Facebook. Savvy content creators will use these methods to bolster their income as a creator and maximize their influencing success.

FAQs

How do I get paid for Instagram Reels?

Instagram Reels previously allowed you to get paid through the Play Bonus Program. This payout occurred once creators signed up for the program, then added up to 150 Reels videos to count toward the bonus. Bonus amounts were determined based on the number of plays, the number of Reels videos, and other factors.

How much does Facebook Reels pay per view?

The Facebook Reels program doesn’t have a strict pay-per-view amount for every creator. Instead, you can only estimate how much money you’ll make per view based on averages.

For example, if you earn about $154 and have 37,513 views on your Facebook Reels video content, you can estimate you have earned about $4.11 per 1,000 views. That comes out to just fractions of a cent per view, so you’ll need to create a lot of Facebook Reels content and have it be successful for you to make anything approaching a significant profit.

How much does Facebook Reels pay for 1,000 views?

Facebook Reels generally pays a few dollars per 1000 views if your Reels video content is successful. To make a significant profit, you’ll need to get many thousands or millions of views, particularly if your Reels content is the only income stream you have to count on.

How do I get invited to the Instagram Reels bonus?

The Instagram Reels bonus program was invite-only. Generally, Instagram invited individuals based on their influencer profiles, the content, and their profit potential. The Instagram Reels bonus program was discontinued in March 2023. If it starts up again, there will likely be new invitations or eligibility requirements to consider.

How many followers do you need on Instagram to get paid for Reels?

Before it was discontinued, the Instagram Reels Play Bonus program required creators to have fewer than 1 million followers. The logic being that creators with more than 1 million followers didn’t need the extra income from the Play Bonus program.

However, again, the Reels Play Bonus program has been discontinued. If it starts up again or Instagram replaces it with a different type of bonus program, the follower requirement could be very different.