After testing NFTs on its platform back in May of this year, Meta-owned Instagram is now rolling out support to make & sell digital collectibles on the social media website. Meta is also introducing new ways for people to show their support for their favourite creators via expanded access to Instagram subscriptions, ability to send gifts on Instagram Reels and updates to Facebook Stars as well.
Make & Sell NFTs on both on and off Instagram
Meta says that creators will soon be able to make their own digital collectibles on Instagram and sell them to fans, both on and off the platform. They will have access to end-to-end toolkit starting from creation (starting on the Polygon blockchain) and showcasing, to selling.
One can easily support their favourite creator by purchasing the NFTs made by them, directly within Instagram. “We’re testing these new features with a small group of creators in the US first, and hope to expand to more countries soon”, says Meta.
Apart from that, there are now more types of digital collectibles that you can showcase on Instagram including video and adding support for the Solana blockchain and Phantom wallet, in addition to the blockchains and wallets that the platform already supports.
Lastly, information for some certain collections where the metadata has been enriched by OpenSea, such as collection name and descriptions, will now also be available on Instagram.
Read More: Instagram starts testing NFTs on its platform
More ways for creators to make money on Facebook & Instagram
Back in July of this year, Instagram announced Subscriptions on its platform. These subscriptions allow you to access exclusive content created by your favourite creators on both Facebook and Instagram. Now, the platform is expanding access to subscriptions on Instagram to all eligible creators in the U.S., so that more creators can earn a predictable income from the platform and establish a deeper connect with their most engaged followers.
Next, Instagram is making it easier for people to discover Stars on Facebook. It will do so by automatically enabling Stars on public creator content — including Reels. This means that people can learn about and use Stars in more places across Facebook.
For those already using Stars, Meta is bringing Stars Party to Reels, testing a new set of virtual gifts tailored to specific content, introducing more tools to engage with star senders, and is making them available on non-video public content like photos and text posts.
Gifts on Instagram!
Now, a similar feature to stars is also being launched on Instagram. Here, to support their favourite creators, fans can send gifts to them on Reels by purchasing Stars within the social media platform. Instagram is testing the feature with a small group of creators in the US first, and hopes to expand to more creators soon.
Lastly, there’s a new Professional Mode for Facebook Profiles. It is a new profile setting that will allow creators around the globe to build a public presence without losing their personal Facebook experience. “Professional mode offers creators, and anyone that wants to become a creator, a set of tools and opportunities to begin growing a global community from their personal profile”, said Meta.