Kal Reasons
September 2023
Facebook monetization is not a new concept. Since 2004, the company has generated some form of ad revenue while continuously adapting to the changing demands of the public as well as brand sponsors. However, over the last year, there have been many changes that have caused creators to need to reevaluate their brands and adapt to the new model. Some of these changes include the removal of the Facebook and Instagram Reels Performance Bonus and the modification to overlay and in-stream ads. These changes would be quite extensive to explain in depth, so this paper will focus mostly on Facebook’s Performance Bonus. With the performance bonus, creators are pushed to have an oversaturated feed to maintain eligibility requirements and exuberant amounts of interactions to profit from their efforts oftentimes.
Currently, Facebook’s performance bonus is an invitation-only program that tells creators they can earn up to $30,000 in thirty days for simply posting their usual content on their pages. It applies to text posts, images, long-form videos, and even short-form videos (with less marked success than with the Reels bonus due to a heavier focus on ad overlays) which allows creators to have a wide variety of options to profit. On average, the way monetization is calculated is a formula based on the reach of public content. This varies greatly depending on the number of impressions versus actual interactions. As a result, creators often are unable to properly analyze their reach until after their first month of being in the program with limited stability. There are also various other achievement-based bonuses that Facebook aims to use to provide these different options.
Meta needs to adapt Facebook’s monetization through the performance bonus program to be more reliable and consistent for creators rather than focusing on sheer numbers. Having ad overlays is okay, but if overdone, it can drive users to other video-sharing apps, which ultimately is counterintuitive. Understanding creator needs while balancing consumer experience will lead to better profits for the company and individual creators alike. Overall, monetization of content through Facebook’s bonus programs is a great way for new creators to earn a side income from their typical usage of the site, and it will be interesting to see how the changes over the next several years affect both parties when it comes to content creation.
Source Links:
Meta will stop offering Reels bonuses to creators on Facebook and Instagram | TechCrunch
Check and Maintain Your Monetization Eligibility | Meta for Business | Facebook
Helping Content Creators Diversify Revenue on Facebook | Meta | Facebook
How to get started with Facebook’s Performance bonus program | Meta Business Help Center
Comments