There is a new way to earn money from Instagram Reels

Over the weekend, the head of Instagram announced that Instagram Gifts are expanding to include Reels produced in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, UK and Mexico over the next couple of weeks.

This has previously only been available in the USA.

So why should you care about it? While not strictly a 'donation' feature, it is a way for users to send you money in appreciation of your Reels content.

It has a long way to go before it's being heavily used, but if you have the feature and get a high volume of watches on your Reels ... I'd definitely consider activating this feature on your account and start collecting some extra income.

Want to know the ins and outs? Keep reading!

What are Instagram Gifts?

According to Instagram's website:

"Instagram Gifts allows you to earn money from your audience. Viewers can show their appreciation for creators by sending virtual gifts on their reels.

Viewers can purchase stars and use them to send you gifts on Instagram. Instagram will then provide you with a revenue share from your Reels that received gifts on a monthly basis equal to $.01 USD for every star received from fans."

 You can see how much you've earned on your Instagram accounts Professional Dashboard. Once your account balance reaches $25, Instagram will pay out the funds to you. You can learn more about how gifts are paid out over here. 

Who is Instagram Gifts available for?

Currently it seems to be limited to 'creator' accounts. It is easy to toggle between Creator and Business accounts, so if this is going to be part of your strategy it's worth considering making the change in your settings.

While previously it has been a USA only feature, it is now rolling out to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, UK and Mexico over the next couple of weeks. 

How to turn on gifts for Reels on Instagram?

1. Go to your profile on the Instagram app

2. Tap Professional Dashboard

3. Under Your Tools tap gifts. If this option doesn't appear, hold tight - it may still be rolling out to your account (also check your account is set to creator). 

4. Tap Allow gifts on reels to turn on this feature. It will work for future reels OR ones you've already created. 

I'd love to hear from any creators who are using the feature and how it is working for you so far!

P.S. The Instagram announcement also shared:

• There will be a new central destination to find trending audio and hashtags on Insta
• The reels editing experience is getting some new features
• Reels insights will now include total watch time and average watch time