The new plans, called Instagram Plus, Facebook Plus and WhatsApp Plus, are launching globally and will give users access to extra features for monthly fees ranging from $2.99 to $3.99.

Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus will each cost $3.99 per month, while WhatsApp Plus will cost $2.99 monthly.

Meta said the subscriptions are aimed at users who want more tools for customisation, audience engagement and account management across its apps.

Instagram Plus includes features such as Story rewatch counts, unlimited audience lists, extended Story visibility beyond 24 hours, anonymous Story previews and weekly Story spotlight boosts.

Subscribers will also get profile customisation tools including custom fonts, app icons, extra profile pins and animated “Super Heart” reactions.

Facebook Plus offers many of the same features, with a focus on profile expression and audience engagement.

WhatsApp Plus is centred on messaging and personalisation. Subscribers will have access to custom ringtones, app themes, premium stickers, more pinned chats and list customisation tools.

The new Plus plans will not replace Meta Verified, its existing paid verification service focused on identity verification, impersonation protection and customer support.

At the same time, the company is testing another subscription programme under a new brand called “Meta One”, covering creators, businesses and Meta AI users.

For Meta AI, the company will begin testing two plans next month. Meta One Plus will cost $7.99 per month, while Meta One Premium will cost $19.99 monthly.

According to Meta, the Premium tier will allow access to more advanced processing for complex requests, alongside expanded image and video generation features across its apps.

The AI subscriptions will first launch in Singapore, Guatemala and Bolivia.

Meta is also preparing professional subscription plans for creators and businesses in markets including Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Thailand and Bangladesh.

The Meta One Essential plan, priced at $14.99 per month, includes a verified badge, impersonation protection and an upgraded links page for directing users to websites and social profiles.

The more expensive Meta One Advanced plan will cost $49.99 monthly and adds tools designed to improve visibility and audience growth across Facebook and Instagram.

Subscribers on the Advanced tier will be able to appear higher in search results, receive stronger promotion in feeds and use a bold “Follow” button on Reels. The plan also includes advanced analytics, scheduling tools, account-sharing features for moderators and alerts when other users repost their content.

Meta said the long-term goal is to bring all subscription products together under the Meta One brand.

The company has looked for new sources of revenue as growth across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp slows in several markets. Subscription services also arrive as Meta continues spending heavily on artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Investors reacted positively to the announcement, with Meta shares growing nearly 3% on Wall Street following the rollout.

Meta now joins companies including Snapchat and X in offering paid subscription tiers, though its strategy combines consumer features, creator tools and AI services within one broader subscription system.

At least the smoke will be briefly warm. Because what you’re actually doing throwing millions at online creators without foundational business logic is precisely equivalent to running a charity for the content creation industry. A well-funded, tax-deductible charity, in an economic climate where creators decidedly do not require your generosity.

The narrative du jour is everywhere: influencer marketing is dead. Brands are haemorrhaging capital with nothing to show for it. Audiences are exhausted by sponsored content. Marketing managers are justifying their budgets like defendants before a tribunal.

But this diagnosis is dangerously incomplete. Influencer marketing isn’t dying. Strategy, however, is critically absent.

The creator economy is not in terminal decline. Global creator industry revenues have reached $214 billion, with projections suggesting the sector will cross the trillion-dollar threshold within the next decade, a trajectory incompatible with any dying industry.

We are not witnessing death. We are watching a tectonic maturation within the creator economy. The industry is not shrinking; it is consolidating and professionalising. When a multi-million naira campaign implodes, it is infinitely easier to blame the algorithm, the platform, or declare the entire channel obsolete than to admit the uncomfortable truth: we didn’t know what we were doing.

What is genuinely dying, however, is the era of lazy, transactional vanity metrics. Gen Z and millennial consumers holding the bulk of purchasing power and dictating cultural trends possess a hyperacute, almost supernatural radar for corporate inauthenticity.

They can identify a rehearsed product endorsement from fifty paces. They will skip past it without hesitation. The day of paying an aesthetically pleasing individual to hold a product, smile, and paste a generic caption is finished. Over. Retired.

To understand why your campaigns are bleeding capital, we must examine how digital authority has fundamentally shifted.

Authenticity Over Clout: The New Currency

For years, influencer culture was built on polished artifice, highly curated reviews that functioned as dressed-up public relations rather than genuine feedback. Creators earned money by building beautiful facades. Audiences tolerated this because alternatives were limited. That era has definitively ended.

The creators commanding fiercely loyal audiences today are those willing to be brutally honest. They criticise products their followers might buy. They say ‘no’ to lucrative deals that don’t align with their values.

They prioritise their audience’s wellbeing over advertiser relationships. This shift reorienting creator allegiance from brands to customers represents a fundamental realignment of economic incentives.

When a creator endorses something, modern audiences implicitly ask: ‘Would this person recommend this if no one was paying them?’ Sugarcoated recommendations fail this test.

Consumers do not buy from people who lack the spine to refuse a bad product. If your influencer strategy depends on creators who only know how to deliver corporate messaging, your conversion rates will remain at zero. You are paying for silence, not persuasion.

The Science of Storytelling: Follower Count is Not Strategy

Here is the structural flaw at the heart of most influencer campaigns: brands hire based on follower count. They see 500,000 followers and believe they have purchased access to 500,000 potential customers. This is mathematical fiction.

True influence is not a lottery. It is a science. It lives in narrative architecture, educational value, and the ability to move an audience through a psychological funnel. A creator with 50,000 followers who understands story structure hook formulation, tension and release, audience psychology will outperform a creator with 500,000 followers who merely posts content.

When you hire a creator, the pertinent questions are not: ‘How many followers do they have?’ or ‘What is their engagement rate?’ The questions should be: ‘Can they construct a narrative that creates desire? Do they understand pacing? Can they identify hooks that arrest attention in a crowded feed? Do they comprehend the psychological journey their audience must travel from awareness to purchase?’

A creator without storytelling architecture cannot salvage a poorly constructed corporate message, no matter how large their audience. You cannot outsource strategy to follower counts.

The Operational Blind Spot: Traffic is Not Conversion

This is where the real breakdown happens. Successful digital marketing demands ruthless clarity around customer journey mapping, continuous optimisation, and precise understanding of user needs. Many brands skip this entirely.

They construct a campaign brief, contact an influencer, approve budgets and never pause to ask the foundational questions.

They don’t know their Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC). They haven’t optimised their website conversion funnel. Their analytics infrastructure doesn’t track where traffic actually converts to revenue. When the campaign generates 100,000 profile visits but zero sales, they blame the creator.

An influencer’s job is to drive attention and traffic. Your brand’s job is to convert that traffic into customers. When conversion fails, the failure is operational, not creative. Yet most brands restructure their influencer roster before they audit their own systems.

This is a category error that costs millions. Influencers are distribution channels, not marketing strategies. Deploying an influencer campaign without first establishing your brand positioning, refining your value proposition, and optimising your conversion infrastructure is equivalent to buying expensive airtime on national television when you don’t have a product on the shelves. It is expensive. It is flashy. It is entirely useless.

Before You Launch: The Strategic Audit Every Brand Needs

Before drafting another campaign brief, sending another Instagram DM, or signing off on another multi-million naira budget, four critical questions must be answered in the boardroom:

1. Which specific stage of the customer journey is this creator addressing? Are you acquiring new customers, nurturing existing ones, or driving repeat purchases? A creator’s audience is rarely aligned with every stage of your funnel.
2. Does your corporate identity genuinely align with the creator’s community culture? Misalignment creates friction. Authenticity cannot be manufactured through forced partnerships.
3. Is your internal infrastructure prepared to handle success? Can your customer service team absorb a sudden surge in inquiries? Does your website load under stress? Are your logistics systems capable of managing exponential order volume?
4. How will success actually be measured? Establish metrics before the campaign launches. Are you measuring click-through rates, customer acquisition cost, lifetime value, or revenue directly attributed to the creator? Vanity metrics, likes, comments, shares, are not business outcomes.

The Path Forward: Strategy Before Spending

If you genuinely want to stop haemorrhaging marketing budgets, step away from viral trends and step into a strategy room.

Before launching your next campaign, engage a brand strategist, someone capable of restraining you from chasing empty metrics and forcing you to confront the cold, hard numbers that actually affect your balance sheet.

A strategist will:

• Map your complete customer journey and identify where influencer partnerships create genuine value
• Match your unique selling proposition with creators whose audiences genuinely care about what you offer
• Establish metrics that drive business growth rather than vanity engagement
• Audit your operational readiness before any creator campaign goes live

Influencer marketing is alive. It is thriving. It is making billions. The creator economy has matured into a legitimate, diversified industry.

But if you continue jumping into it blindly, chasing follower counts and viral moments without strategic foundation, the only person getting rich from your corporate budget is the person posting your product on their timeline.

Build a strategy first. Then deploy the creators. The order matters.

Ariyo-Agbaje Ifeoluwa writes from Lagos. He can be reached via ifeariyoagbaje@gmail.com

Under the agreement, Oni-Tel will deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity to Africa Data Centres’ Midrand and Samrand campuses through its Infinity fibre interconnection platform.

Purpose-built for data centre interconnectivity on a resilient network with direct access to Gauteng’s key data centre hubs, this provides customers with fast, high-capacity bandwidth and secure, carrier-grade performance, supporting the levels of uptime required in today’s data-driven environments.

“As enterprises accelerate cloud adoption, AI deployment, and data-intensive workloads, they need dependable, scalable connectivity within trusted local data centres.

By partnering with Oni-Tel, we’re giving our customers access to enhanced fibre infrastructure that supports their growth and innovation, while maintaining secure, enterprise-grade environments for businesses navigating South Africa’s digital economy,” said Adil El Youssefi, CEO of Africa Data Centres.

For Africa Data Centres, which operates the continent’s largest interconnected, vendor- and cloud-neutral data centre platform, the collaboration strengthens its service portfolio by enhancing performance and expanding connectivity options within its facilities.

Customers gain greater interconnection choice, high-availability architecture, seamless bandwidth, and the ability to scale efficiently as their infrastructure requirements grow.

“Our partnership with Africa Data Centres enables us to deliver our premium fibre interconnection solution into some of the most strategically important data centre hubs in Gauteng. Through Infinity, customers benefit from ultra-low latency connectivity, scalable capacity, and secure, carrier-grade infrastructure designed to keep their businesses ahead in an extremely competitive digital landscape,” said Ellisha Gobind, chief commercial officer at Oni-Tel.

Africa Data Centres’ facilities across the continent serve as key interconnection hubs, supporting enterprises, cloud service providers, financial institutions, mobile network operators, fixed network operators, and other users.

Oni-Tel’s dark fibre solution further expands the range of carrier-neutral options available to Gauteng customers, enabling improved network speed and performance.

As demand for secure, high-performance digital infrastructure continues to rise, Africa Data Centres remains focused on building a robust, interconnected ecosystem that supports enterprise innovation and long-term growth across South Africa and the wider region.

This latest development, which began earlier this year, is part of what Meta calls a “long-term initiative” to improve user experience and give rightful visibility to genuine creators.

In the first half of 2025 alone, the company penalised approximately 500,000 accounts linked to spam behaviour or fake engagement. Offenders faced reduced distribution of their content, demotion of their comments, and were barred from monetisation programmes. 

Meta also deactivated about 10 million fake profiles that were impersonating popular content producers.

Meta admits this case is far from over, as feeds remain cluttered with recycled memes and videos, usually reposted by accounts impersonating creators or by outright spam channels. “It dulls the experience for all and makes it harder for fresh voices to break through,” Meta noted.

Now, Facebook is introducing tougher penalties for accounts engaging in what it defines as unoriginal content. This refers to material that is reused or reposted from other creators repeatedly, often without credit or any meaningful transformation. 

While reaction videos and trend participation are welcomed, the endless reposting of another person’s work without permission or value addition is now in Meta’s crosshairs.

Under the new guidelines, accounts repeatedly uploading such content will face two major consequences: loss of access to Facebook monetisation for a period and significantly reduced distribution for all their content. 

Meta’s detection systems will also suppress duplicate videos, ensuring that original creators “get the visibility that they deserve.” In an ongoing experiment, Meta is testing direct links on copied content that will redirect viewers to the original creator.

For creators seeking better visibility and monetisation, Meta offers clear guidance: post original work. Content created or filmed personally will always be prioritised in distribution. 

While it’s acceptable to use approved content from other sources, Meta stresses the importance of meaningful enhancement, through creative editing, voiceovers, or commentary. “Simply stitching together clips or adding your watermark does not qualify as meaningful enhancement,” the company stated.

Additional best practices include telling engaging stories, avoiding recycled short videos with little value, staying away from third-party watermarks, and keeping captions concise and relevant. According to Meta, captions with no links, minimal capital letters, and no more than five hashtags perform best.

To help creators track their content’s reach, Facebook now provides post-level insights in the Professional Dashboard. This tool allows users to understand why certain posts may not be performing well and identify potential risks of recommendation or monetisation penalties via the Support home screen on their page’s main menu.

In closing, Meta reiterated its stand: “Facebook aims to be a place where original content thrives, and creators are rewarded for their hard work and creativity.”

The new measures will be rolled out gradually in the coming months. Creators are urged to monitor their accounts closely and adapt swiftly, as Meta’s focus for authentic content becomes a requirement.

The company has rolled out a series of monetisation tools aimed at transforming its creator base into full-blown businesses.

Through a new partnership with Kajabi, users can now design, sell, and profit from online courses without leaving Linktree. Whether you’re a fitness coach, graphic designer, or bedroom musician, the tools are there. You set the price. You choose the content. You earn through Stripe. It’s as straightforward as it sounds.

In addition to online classes, Linktree has opened up space for digital product sales. Templates, recipe books, guides, and even your own poetry collection—anything downloadable can be listed. It’s a good play in a space already impacted by platforms like Patreon, but Linktree is pushing for ease and speed over complexity.

Then there’s the affiliate angle. U.S.-based creators can now build affiliate shops directly inside their Linktree profile. Think Target, Amazon, or Lululemon products, with commissions flowing directly to the creator. No website. No middleman. Just plug and play.

One of the more surprising updates is the “Sponsored Links” feature. Brands can now pay creators to appear on their Linktree pages. These aren’t random ads. Creators handpick which sponsored links show up.

“A creator will choose a link to put on their Linktree that they feel is relevant to their audience,” said Linktree CEO Alex Zaccaria. The label “sponsored” is clearly shown, and Linktree manages the rest—targeting, analytics, and payouts.

That structure also makes it easier for smaller creators to get a slice of the advertising pie. Zaccaria put it bluntly: “We’re looking to really democratise access to revenue, and give more opportunity to macro and micro creators. We’re also giving brands more access to creators that also have more authenticity and convert better.”

Payments are handled via a cost-per-acquisition (CPA) model for now, with plans to expand into cost-per-click (CPC) and cost-per-impression (CPM) models. It’s a clear nod to the growing dominance of performance marketing in brand strategy. 

With affiliate marketing spend projected to rise by nearly 12% next year and U.S. social commerce sales expected to top $100 billion by 2026, the timing isn’t accidental.

And if you’re wondering whether audiences care about what creators are selling—almost half of consumers say they’ve bought something based on creator content. This isn’t passive income; it’s responsive, targeted sales.

Linktree has also launched a creator incentive programme called “Rewards.” Users can earn perks—like bonus commissions—when they hit performance milestones. It’s not just another leaderboard gimmick. It’s a pathway to brand collaborations that used to be reserved for creators with millions of followers.

What’s happening here is subtle but important. Linktree is cutting out the fluff of traditional creator-brand deals—no long email chains, no pitch decks, no haggling over pricing. And for creators unsure of how to start monetising, the company is handing them a structured system with fewer moving parts.

Zaccaria summed it up: “The status quo right now is actually pretty painful for both sides.” With Linktree’s new suite of tools, both brands and creators are being handed something faster, simpler, and built for results—not just visibility.

The days of Linktree being “just a list of links” are over. Now, it’s a business toolkit—built into the one place your followers already click.

Hence, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 are designed with features that help creators turn their ideas into high-quality content, all while making the process more seamless and accessible.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 have been discovered to be tools for creative professionals who can leverage features like Sketch to Image, Portrait Studio, and Instant Slow-Mo to get great results. 

For instance, a graphic designer could quickly brainstorm logo ideas using Sketch to Image, while a photographer can create eye-catching social media profile pictures with Portrait Studio. 

The large screen of the Z Fold6 is perfect for editing videos or designing layouts, while the compact size of the Z Flip6 makes it ideal for on-the-go photography or sketching.

While the quality of generated images may vary depending on the complexity of the request, these features provide a helpful starting point for creative projects. 

Ideas Becoming Visual Masterpieces

Starting with a sketch can set the foundation for a great professional project. The Sketch to Image feature allows you to take a simple drawing of what you want and transform it into a photorealistic image, perfect for presentations or social media. 

Imagine drafting a quick concept for a marketing campaign and having it refined into a polished graphic within moments. Even if you’re layering designs onto existing images or starting from scratch, this feature can help bring your visions to life with ease, even if you don’t know how to draw well. 

Unique Profile Photos and Branding

For creators aiming to stand out as competition increases in the digital space, a great profile photo is essential. The Portrait Studio function helps to create eye-catching profile images that reflect your personal brand. 

Simply take a photo, then select Portrait Studio, which you’ll find within Photo Assist in the Gallery app and choose the style of image you’d like the AI feature to create. From there, hit ‘Generate’ and let Galaxy AI make your photo instantly sharable.

You’ll have a new and unique profile photo and everyone will be asking you how you did it. This tool can enhance your online presence, making your profiles memorable to clients and followers alike.

Capturing Dynamic Moments

In the aspect of videography, the ability to capture high-quality footage is essential. With the Instant Slow-Mo feature, you can effortlessly add a cinematic touch to your videos. 

“We’re all used to taking pictures while on holiday or when hanging out with friends but sometimes you want to capture a moment in a way that a picture never can. A great video always catches people’s attention, and now you can use Instant Slow-Mo to give your clips an added sense of drama. That video of you pulling off an impossible trick at the skate park or gracefully waving a scarf in the sea breeze is much more fun when slowed down. Instant Slow-Mo makes it easy to create that effect in the videos you already have.

Galaxy AI enables this feature to work well for the times when you forgot to film in slow motion in the first place. It uses AI Frame Rate Conversion (AI FRC) technology to generate intermediate frames of movement to fill in the gaps between frames already there, which helps maintain quality,” Samsung wrote in a blog post.

Whether it’s capturing an exhilarating skateboard trick or a serene moment at a beach, this tool allows you to enhance your clips in real-time. It uses AI technology to ensure high-quality slow-motion effects, making your videos visually striking and ready for professional portfolios or social media sharing.

“To use Instant Slow-Mo, play a video in the Gallery app and tap and hold on the screen at the point you want to slow down. You can see the effect happen in real time, while also having access to additional options to perfect your video. To share the video with friends, it’s as simple as pressing the share button, viewing the preview, selecting to share the slow-mo clip, and using Quick Share to send it to your friends nearby.

Instant Slow-Mo will give a new creative streak to your clips and make you want to press play again and again.”

Seamless Sharing and Collaboration

Once your creative projects are complete, sharing them with clients or collaborators cannot be avoided. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 facilitate easy sharing through features like Quick Share, allowing you to send high-quality images and videos instantly. 

This simplification of communication can enhance collaboration, making it easier to receive feedback or showcase your work.

With the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6, you possess powerful tools to enhance your professional creative projects. Sketching and editing, sharing and collaborating, among others, these devices have great functionalities that meet the demands of today’s creators. 

The platform recognises the anxiety and damages caused when an account is hacked, and this new feature aims to provide an immediate, structured approach to regaining control.

The newly introduced support assistant is the first step for creators who believe their channel has been hacked. This assistant will guide them through securing their Google login, as YouTube channels are typically linked to Google accounts. 

By securing the login, creators can prevent further unauthorised access. Following this, the assistant will help in reversing any changes made by the hacker, such as altering profile information, email settings, or unauthorised uploads.

Creators who are eligible for this service will see the option to recover a hacked channel within the YouTube Help Centre. The tool is designed to be intuitive, leading users through a series of questions about their channel to ensure all necessary steps are taken to secure it. 

This process includes verifying the channel’s ownership, resetting passwords, and checking for suspicious activity or unauthorised content.

Currently, this new tool is available only in English, limiting its accessibility to those who access the Help Centre in that language. 

Again, certain features of the tool are not yet available to all users. However, YouTube says it will expand the tool’s availability to creators worldwide in the near future.

For those who may not find the tool effective or are unable to access it, YouTube has provided alternative support options. Creators can still seek help by reaching out to @TeamYouTube on X (formerly Twitter), where a support team is available to assist with recovery efforts.

Online threats are increasing and tools like these are highly important in ensuring that creators can maintain control over their channels and continue to produce content without interruption.

This exclusive roundtable discussion, held in Lagos, comprised of Facebook spokespersons including Oluwasola Obagbemi, corporate communications manager, SSA; Rof Maneta, strategic partner manager, global partnerships, SSA; Betty Ansah, product communications manager, EMEA; and Maria Cubeta, communications manager for Facebook. 

An in-depth look at how these tools can help Nigerian content creators build businesses, and groom communities on the platform, as well as the dos and don’ts to enjoy this new feature, were the focus.

Starting with the success stories of Nigerian creators who have been leveraging Facebook to grow their brands and impact global communities, Obagbemi highlighted four creators among many. 

One was Mark Angel, a well-known content creator with a massive following of 22 million on Facebook. Obagbemi shared how Facebook’s reach and tools have helped Mark Angel connect with a global audience, even to the extent of impacting the mental health of individuals positively. 

Facebook’s reach made it an ideal platform for Mark Angel to share his humour with a larger audience. He is creating for the world, not just Nigeria.

Another inspiring story was David Obi, who runs a Gen Z group on Facebook, Facebook, (@YorochiTv Facebook Community) with 537k members. 

His initiative, “Open Mic Week,” has become a popular online event, showcasing young talents and helping community members achieve huge successes, boosting engagement and providing opportunities for young Nigerians.

“First winner of Miss Yorochi TV signed by a prestigious modelling agency, two other community members reached the finals of The Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageant, had contestants in The Voice and Nigerian Idol, achieving remarkable success. In 2022, partnered with Motive Africa Visual Academy to train 40 members in videography and photography.”

Aproko Doctor, a medical doctor who uses Facebook to share health-related content was also spotlighted. With over 1 million followers, the platform has greatly impacted his career.

In his words, “Facebook gives me the opportunity to connect with a broad spectrum of people and with its diverse audience, I can share my content, and build a community around my brand. Leveraging on features like Live streaming, I can creatively express myself, share my passion for healthcare advocacy and also share my vision for improved healthcare and wellness.”

Gina Ehikodi, a former TV personality known as Foodies&Spice, transitioned to a full-fledged Facebook creator. She found that Facebook provided instant audience feedback that traditional TV lacked and now has 1.8 million followers. 

Rof Maneta gave positive feedback about engaging with the Nigerian creator community, noting, “For a very long time, I’ve seen the capabilities of African creators. It’s thrilling to see them now have the tools to monetise their creativity on Facebook.

Betty Ansah spoke on the energy and passion she observed in local creators. “Meeting the creators and seeing their focus was truly great. Their work ethic and the quality of content they produce is awesome,” she said.

Meta Introduces Monetization Features for Nigerian and Ghanaian Creators

Facebook Monetisation Tools for Creators

The core of the event was the introduction of Facebook’s new monetisation products: In-Stream Ads and Ads on Reels. 

These tools are designed to help creators earn money directly from their content. Rof Maneta explained the importance of these Facebook monetisation tools, stating how creators can be in control of their careers, as they receive the opportunity to turn their passions into sustainable pay cheques.

“We believe that autonomy is really important and we want creators to be in control of their careers.

“By providing various tools and features that enable creators to earn money from their content, Meta is helping them turn their passions into careers. This not only benefits the creators themselves but also leads to higher-quality content on Meta’s platforms.”

Ansah further reiterated that “Facebook is for social discovery that opens your world in big and small ways.”

She explained that Facebook’s strategy is guided by two major trends: the evolving expectations of social media among young adults and advances in AI technology. 

“We are especially focused on the younger generation aged 18-29 years old, as they are often the ones driving the changes in how social media should work.”

Young adults are in a phase of exploring and expanding their horizons in areas such as living arrangements, relationships, family, education, identity, work, and interests, Ansah explained. They often seek out content from others rather than relying solely on their existing friends. 

One young adult from Los Angeles highlighted this by saying, “Experienced people – that’s the best thing about Facebook, they’re experienced, they’re real, and they have a lot of content that shows me they know what they’re talking about.”

In-Stream Ads

In-Stream Ads are ads placed within the content itself, and they come in four types: pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll, and image ads. They are brief advertisements integrated into video content, which can be shown at various points during the viewing process.

Pre-Roll ads appear before the video starts, targeting viewers who search for content, such as on a Page timeline or Watchlist in Watch.

Mid-Roll ads are displayed during the video, ideally at natural break points, to provide a seamless viewing experience.

Post-Roll ads are shown after the video has concluded, reaching viewers who have finished watching the content on Watch or on a Page timeline.

Finally, image ads appear below the content, bringing a non-interruptive way to engage viewers without disrupting their viewing experience.

Ads on Reels

Ads on Reels allow creators to earn money from short-form videos without interrupting the viewer’s enjoyment of your content. This feature is currently invite-only, but it presents a huge opportunity for creators who meet the criteria.

Eligibility for Monetisation

For creators aiming to leverage the Facebook monetisation tools, the following criteria must be met to qualify for In-Stream Ads:

1. Professional Profile or Page: Creators must have an existing page or professional profile to publish their videos.
2. Follower Count: A minimum of 5,000 followers on the professional profile or page.
3. Watch Time: At least 60,000 total minutes viewed in the past 60 days.
4. Content Restrictions: All content must adhere to Facebook’s Partner Monetisation Policies. This includes publishing original content and avoiding prohibited formats such as unedited meme pages or engagement bait tactics.
5. Active Videos: Creators need to have at least five active videos posted directly to their page or professional profile.

For Ads on Reels, you must be invited to the program, as creators cannot request access. 

Even if you meet all requirements, there is no guarantee of an invitation due to the random selection involved in product testing.

To ensure continued monetisation for Ads on Reels, creators must publish original content and avoid prohibited formats like uneditorialised meme pages. 

Watch and engagement baiting, such as “follow for follow” tactics, is also prohibited. 

Facebook has upgraded its Reels and Feed ranking technologies, introduced new model architectures, and aims to have the world’s best recommendation technology by 2026. 

Added to this, Meta Llama is building a collection of generative AI models and tools, offering new opportunities for social discovery.

Facebook has improved the video experience, making it easier to explore and connect over various video formats. Features like an updated fullscreen video player and a slider for longer videos are now available globally. 

The platform has also seen an increase in private sharing, leading to new quick video-sharing options across Facebook and other platforms like WhatsApp. 

To support creators, Facebook introduced Professional Mode for public posting and follower growth, and evolved its payout model to reward creators based on content performance across all formats.

Through a custom-built model trained on Getty Images’ licensed content, Picsart users will be able to generate unique images with full commercial rights. 

This comes as alarms are recently raised against copyright issues with AI-generated content. Picsart’s AI lab, PAIR, is building the model specifically to address these concerns and will be accessible through the company’s API services later this year. 

In addition to AI-generated imagery, Picsart is integrating over 6 million stock videos from Getty Images directly into its platform. This collection gives creators a wide range of high-quality video assets for commercial use, spanning various categories like marketing, social media, and travel.

Hovhannes Avoyan, Picsart’s CEO and founder, said Picsart provided endless customization, content, and editing tools for everything from social media ads to website graphics.

He further stated that the partnership will enable commercially usable AI-generated imagery from a world-class brand. “We are thrilled to partner with Getty Images, the most prestigious commercial library out there, to bring this to market.”

This new feature is designed to assist small business owners, marketers, and content creators in producing professional-grade videos with ease. 

Users can browse a variety of categories, including backgrounds, landscapes, clothing, beauty, food, home decor, health, travel, education, and more. Interestingly, there are over 100,000 vertical videos, perfect for social media content.

All Getty Images stock videos on Picsart are available for commercial use, providing a valuable resource for promoting businesses. The stock video integration is currently available on Picsart Web for Plus members and will be rolled out to all web users soon.

Now, the company is rolling it out to premium subscribers across approximately 50 markets worldwide, including Australia, New Zealand, Ghana, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, and more.

Accessible via the “music” feed section in the Spotify mobile app, the DJ feature crafts a unique listening experience by curating a musical selection peppered with spoken-word commentary. This commentary, rendered by a synthetic voice, combines light-hearted banter with contextual information that references the user’s past musical preferences and tracks.

The magic of Spotify AI-powered DJ lies in its ability to replicate the charm of a radio host tailor-making content for individual listeners. Through the infusion of each playlist with relevant insights and tidbits, DJ takes personalization to a new level. Initially launched as a beta feature in the U.S. and Canada, it later expanded to the U.K. and Ireland. However, it’s essential to note that DJ is still in its beta phase, albeit now available to a much broader global audience.

While this advancement is a significant leap towards global engagement, there are a few caveats to bear in mind. The majority of European Union countries will have to wait a little longer for access. Additionally, the feature’s commentary will be available exclusively in English across the newly added markets.

Creators and music enthusiasts alike stand to benefit from this innovation. As listeners receive tailored commentary, creators have a unique opportunity to amplify their impact by fostering deeper connections with their audiences. This evolution in music consumption sets the stage for a more immersive, interactive, and engaging musical journey for all.