New Instagram tools to better connect creators with subscribers

Meta (formerly Facebook) has announced that it is bringing new tools, including subscriber chats, exclusive posts and more for creators to connect with subscribers to the photo-sharing platform Instagram. The company said it began testing subscriptions earlier this year as a way for creators to establish a closer connection with their community while earning predictable, monthly income.

"We have expanded access to subscriptions across the US and heard the feedback that more ways to share content and foster community would provide even more value to your subscribers while increasing your earning potential," the company said in a blogpost late on Thursday.

"Today we are rolling out new ways to connect with your subscribers, including subscriber chats, new ways to share permanent, exclusive content and an exclusive tab on your profile," it added. Creators can now create subscriber chats of up to 30 people to connect with subscribers at the moment and discuss things they are passionate about, share their best life hacks or simply bring subscribers together.

Subscriber chats, powered by Messenger, can be created from inbox or story and end automatically after 24 hours, so creators can maintain balance and decide when and how to engage with subscribers. Subscribers can join chats from a new "join chat" sticker from your story, similar to the subscription sticker we rolled out earlier this year.

The new subscriber tab in the inbox will allow creators to easily organise and manage chats with subscribers so they will never miss a message and can reply with ease. The company also said it is introducing exclusive content as posts or reels, so its subscribers can engage in the comments and come back to enjoy the content they created for them.

Meta said that creators can now create a world of exclusive content, from saving subscriber lives to sharing feed posts and reels, knowing that their community can easily find it as soon as they subscribe.