Since launching in 2018, IGTV content marketing has served as a fantastic avenue for creators to interact with their fans via long-form video content. But direct monetization options were lacking until recently when the platform launched IGTV ads.
In 2020, Instagram introduced IGTV monetization to creators through in-stream ad placements. This monetization model allows IGTV to compete directly with YouTube, the undisputed leader in long-form video content.
As a creator, you can get your account approved for the program and start leveraging your IGTV content as an additional stream of revenue. This page details IGTV monetization for creators from A to Z, including program requirements, revenue-sharing terms and how to tailor your content to earn the most from your views.
How to Qualify for IGTV Ads
To check if your account is eligible for IGTV monetization, open the Instagram Partner Program dashboard and select IGTV Ads.
If your account is eligible, you’ll see a screen that says, “You’re Eligible to Monetize Your IGTV Videos.” If you don’t see that screen, you haven’t yet met Instagram’s requirements for the program.
So what are the requirements? Somewhat surprisingly, Instagram has not yet released a list of firm criteria. But since Facebook owns Instagram, we can pull from Facebook’s video monetization policies to get a general idea of what they might be looking for:
- Accounts with at least 10,000 genuine followers
- Videos that are at least three minutes long
- A minimum of 30,000 views in the past two months for videos combined, with a view equalling at least one minute or watch time
Overall, it’s safe to say that to get accepted into the program, you need both a popular Instagram account and noteworthy traction on your IGTV content output.
The type of content you post is also important. A human presumably reviews your videos for quality assurance. If you don’t meet the quality standards, you won’t get accepted into the program.
Once again, we can turn to Facebook’s video monetization policies to see the general quality standards that you likely need to meet:
- Your content needs to be original. Don’t repost content from other creators (no matter how much you like it). And as always, avoid infringing on copyright or trademarks.
- Your content needs to be non-controversial. Hate speech and violence are obviously disallowed. Excessively sexual content is also off-limits. Stay away from drug usage and excessive partying, too.
- Your content can’t be objectively inaccurate. Talking about rumors and scandals might get views. But if you say the wrong thing, this type of recklessly subjective subject matter has the potential to hurt your chances of getting approved for monetization.
- On that same note, political topics are dicey. Although it’s certainly possible to get approved for monetization if your videos revolve around politics, you’ll generally want to stay away from particularly controversial topics — and triple-check to make sure you’re not accidentally sharing fake news.
In a broad sense, your content needs to be attractive for advertisers if you want to get approved for the program.
Content quality is also essential for monetization after approval. IGTV monetization is similar to YouTube monetization. And on YouTube, some of the biggest channels struggle to monetize their videos due to controversial subject matter.
For example, the Nelk YouTube channel has over six million subscribers and is technically approved for monetization. But it claims to have made a whopping 23 cents from 15 million views. As such, the channel is forced to rely on merch sales instead.
IGTV Ad Revenue-Sharing Terms
During a 2020 interview with The Verge, Instagram’s COO, Justin Osofsky, revealed IGTV’s launch of a 55/45 revenue-sharing split (creators earn 55 percent, and Instagram takes 45 percent). This split is identical to what YouTube offers.
The type of content you’re putting out won’t affect your revenue split. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that different types of content command higher rates than others.
For example, personal finance is a lucrative industry to get involved in as an influencer. Why? Because advertisers are spending a whole lot of money on ads related to financial topics.
We’re not saying you should totally change your persona once you get approved for IGTV monetization. But it’s worth looking into the highest-paying YouTube niches to see if you can carve out a space for yourself in one of the more lucrative ones. Especially if you’re a smaller influencer with lots of room to grow.
How to Harness IGTV Monetization Once Approved
Once Instagram approves you for IGTV monetization, it’s time to get serious and look for opportunities to get a higher number of views. The more views you get, the more revenue you’ll earn. Here are some top tips for increasing your views:
- Decide on a consistent release schedule. A fresh stream of content is paramount for long-term success. You gain followers instead of one-time viewers.
- Create longer videos. Longer videos allow your viewers to see more ads. Just make sure to avoid the trap of filling your videos with fluff. Doing so can bore your viewers and entice them to watch someone else.
- Demonstrate proper hashtag usage. As with regular Instagram posts, hashtags play a huge role in organic discovery. Be sure to include relevant hashtags whenever you upload to IGTV. Rather than relying on guesswork, do your research to find the most popular hashtags within your niche.
- Promote your IGTV channel on other social media platforms.The easiest way to grow your IGTV presence is by leveraging your existing follower base. A post or two on your regular Instagram feed can’t hurt, and sending followers from other platforms like Facebook and Twitter over to IGTV is worth considering, too.
The above tactics will help you grow your channel slowly and steadily. However, if you play your cards right, there’s also the opportunity for explosive growth.
If you want to go from zero to hero faster than you can snap your fingers, you need to ride the wave of the Instagram algorithm. You need to demonstrate that your content is quantitatively loved by anyone who watches it. That means viewers are watching your videos all of the way through. They’re also following you en masse and intentionally watching your other videos after stumbling upon your first one.
In other words, to generate explosive growth for your channel, you need to stick out. Be a trendsetter — not a trend follower. Offering something unique allows you to become an influencer with millions of followers — not just thousands.
You’re a creator — now bring the creativity.
As you continue growing your social media presence on and off IGTV, consider joining IZEA’s influencer platform to get the most out of your exemplary content across all of your social media channels.
