Dive Brief:
- Facebook announced that it will begin piloting a series of tools to help content creators find success on the platform, including two new monetization programs, according to a company blog post. One will help advertisers connect with creators for branded content opportunities by allowing the latter to set up a portfolio where the former can search out partners to work with on campaigns.
- The second monetization tool lets fans support creators through a monthly payment in exchange for exclusive content and a badge showcasing their status as a supporter. Facebook will additionally identify a creator's top fans, display a badge next to their names and add them to a leaderboard of highly engaged followers. Fans will opt into the feature and will be targeted based on how often they comment, share, react or watch a creator's content, along with how frequently the creator interacts with them.
- Facebook is also working on a content rights management tool that is designed specifically for creators. It's a newer version of Facebook's Rights Manager that includes simplified and more automated capabilities aimed at helping creators manage their content and gain recognition for their work.
Dive Insight:
The news highlights Facebook's commitment to courting more content creators and influencers, possibly luring them from sites like Google's YouTube and Amazon's streaming service Twitch. The monetization tools, in particular, closely resemble a compensation model popularized by Patreon, which offers membership and subscription management services for creators where fans pay a certain amount of money to unlock exclusive material or simply support people whose content they enjoy.
Facebook has frequently seen success iterating on existing digital services, sometimes usurping the original product in terms of popularity. Patreon might be vulnerable, having recently weathered some controversy, including a change to its fee system it ultimately reneged on late last year due to backlash.
As Facebook looks to promote content that isn't watched passively but instead drives interactions, it's trying to determine how to best support creators and help them engage with their followers. Providing a platform for advertisers to connect with creators could create better branded content and influencer campaigns, which may outperform the type of organic brand content that News Feed is putting less of an emphasis on.
For the new program, Facebook is also giving creators product-testing capabilities, where they can provide ongoing feedback so that the social network can continue to create experiences that benefit them, per the Newsroom post. These changes collectively lend credence to what some marketers have already speculated — that Facebook's News Feed algorithm changes could bolster influencer marketing on the platform.
