Supporting Creators by Purchasing 'Star'
Paid Subscription Feature Also Planned for Testing
Instagram is introducing a feature that allows users to send paid support to content creators. A "Gift" feature, which enables sending donations for short-form videos, has been launched.
Meta-operated social networking service (SNS) Instagram began testing the paid support feature "Gift" on the 5th with select creators in South Korea.
The method to use Gift is simple. Users purchase a paid item called "Star" within the Instagram application (app), then send the Star through the "Send Gift" option located at the bottom of Reels. It can be sent regardless of whether the user follows the content creator.
Instagram also plans to test a paid subscription feature. The subscription feature allows creators to provide exclusive content such as Reels, Live videos, and Instagram Stories to paid subscribers.
Subscribers who pay the subscription fee will have a purple subscriber badge displayed next to their comments and direct messages (DM), distinguishing them from regular users. The subscription fee can be set directly by the creator.
Instagram entered the South Korean market in 2012 and has already established itself as a dominant player in the domestic SNS market. According to Mobile Index, as of February, Instagram’s monthly active users (MAU) numbered 18.53 million, ranking first in South Korea. This is significantly higher than Band (17.58 million), Facebook (9.8 million), and KakaoStory (8.42 million).
Paid support features for content are commonly seen on other SNS platforms. Leading short-form SNS TikTok, as well as YouTube, have added support features like "Super Chat." The domestic platform AfreecaTV has had a "Star Balloon" feature since 2007, allowing immediate support for BJ (Broadcast Jockey) content. The total value of Star Balloons received by AfreecaTV BJs in the last quarter is estimated at 200 billion KRW. Popular BJs’ earnings from Star Balloons are estimated to reach tens of billions of KRW.
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