Instagram Is Paying Creators Up to £16K to Recruit New Users from TikTok, YouTube and Beyond

In the cutthroat world of social media, user attention is the ultimate currency—and Instagram is willing to pay top dollar for it.

In a bold bid to outpace rivals like TikTok and YouTube, Instagram has launched an aggressive new initiative that offers creators hefty payouts for bringing in fresh users. The invite-only scheme, dubbed the 'Referrals' programme, has been quietly rolled out in the US and confirmed by Business Insider in collaboration with Meta.

Cash for Clicks: Inside Instagram's 'Referrals' Push

Under the limited six-week trial running through May and June, creators can earn up to $20,000 (£14,894.50) in one of two ways: by getting $100 (£74.47) for each new user who signs up to Instagram through their custom links, or by earning $100 for every 1,000 new users who simply visit the platform via those links.

Courtney Canfield, known for her dog Rambo's popular Instagram page with over 36,000 followers, told Business Insider she was offered the second option—earning based on traffic driven from her posts, stories, profile, or any shared links.

To maximise exposure, Instagram is urging creators to promote their referral links on external platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Discord—an unambiguous attempt to lure users away from competing apps.

Meta's Money Trail: Past Incentives for Creators

This isn't Meta's first attempt to poach users with cash. A previous Business Insider investigation revealed that Meta had paid select creators as much as $300,000 to post exclusive short-form videos on Instagram Reels, the company's answer to TikTok.

Those lucrative contracts came with strings attached—creators had to commit to publishing a specific number of Reels solely on Instagram or ensure their videos stayed on the platform for at least three months.

At the time, monthly payouts ranged from $2,500 (£1,860.32) to $50,000 (£37,206.40). In a follow-up move, Meta also rolled out the 'Breakthrough Bonus' programme, offering TikTok creators up to $5,000 (£3,720.64) over three months to post on Reels.

Platform Wars: Instagram's Place in the Pack

Meta's bet on short-form video seems to be paying off. During a recent earnings call, CFO Susan Li revealed that Instagram users now spend about half of their time engaging with Reels content.

According to Bloomberg, Instagram is on track to generate $32 billion (£23.81 billion) in US advertising revenue this year—accounting for half of Meta's total ad sales in the region.

Meanwhile, Statista reports that Instagram has 169 million users in the US, making it the second-largest market after India. TikTok edges it out slightly with 170 million users, while YouTube remains dominant with around 253 million US users.