It seems that Facebook is still using the Instagram platform to experiment with features copied from other platforms in its effort to curb the rapid rise of TikTok. In November of last year, Snapchat launched a short video feature called Spotlight, which is a feed of short videos similar to TikTok, available within a dedicated tab inside the Snapchat app. Instagram, owned by Facebook, has a similar feature called Reels, but the main difference with Spotlight is that Snapchat also pays out a million dollars daily to top Spotlight creators to boost engagement. This strategy has been effective, as Spotlight now attracts 125 million Snapchat users every month, with some content creators earning money from their Spotlight videos.
It appears that Instagram is now looking to introduce a similar payment program, as app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi discovered this ad screen in the app's code. According to the images, Instagram is testing a new rewards program focused on promoting Reels, allowing users to earn rewards from Instagram when sharing new Reels content. Users apparently need to reach certain reward thresholds to claim earnings from the program, and there will also be varying rewards available for content creators.
The notes do not specifically mention that users will earn cash payments from the program, but it seems to align with Snapchat’s Spotlight approach of paying selected content creators for their contributions to Reels, although it appears to be based on upload volume rather than interaction or quality. Facebook's product development guide has dwindled over the past five years to a core aspect of copying features from competitors. When a platform launches something effective, it quickly becomes a matter of time before Facebook replicates it. Given its massive reach, it generally can mitigate competition through this approach. However, in the case of TikTok specifically, Facebook has not yet managed to slow down the momentum of the Chinese platform, as it continues to surpass replicated features on its way to becoming the next social media platform with a billion users.
