Instagram offers creators up to $20,000 in new referral programme to attract users

Instagram is offering some US-based creators as much as $20,000 to bring new users and traffic to its app, in a fresh bid to fend off competition from TikTok and YouTube. The Meta-owned platform has launched a test programme called “Referrals,” which incentivises creators for generating new sign-ups and visits through links shared outside Instagram.

The invitation-only scheme, confirmed by Instagram to Business Insider, is running for six weeks from May through June. Creators can earn in one of two ways, with total earnings capped at $20,000. Some are being offered $100 for every eligible new user who signs up for Instagram through their unique links, while others can earn $100 for every 1,000 “eligible visits” to the app. Payments are being handled by a third-party partner, Glimmer.

The idea is to get creators to promote Instagram on rival platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Discord, and Substack, according to screenshots seen by Business Insider. “Share your Instagram profile, reels, posts, stories, and channels ‘off Instagram’,” the app is telling participants.

Instagram’s latest move is part of a series of tests and incentive programmes designed to keep creators on the platform, especially as rivals like TikTok continue to lure talent with their own offers. Earlier this year, Instagram launched a “Breakthrough Bonus” aimed at creators switching from TikTok, and also signed exclusive content deals worth up to $50,000 a month for certain high-profile creators.

Referral and bonus schemes are fast becoming the industry norm, with TikTok having recently launched its own referral rewards that include shopping discounts and financial incentives for inviting friends to join.

The current “Referrals” test is available to select creators in the US, with Meta not disclosing whether it will expand or become a permanent feature. The timing coincides with the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust scrutiny of Meta’s practices in the social media sector, where competition for user attention is more fierce than ever.