Ka-ching, Creators! How to Earn Money with Instagram Live Badges

If we had to name one good thing that happened to Creators in 2020, then it’d have to be Instagram Live Badges.

Otherwise, this year has been rather harsh to the creative community, slowing their growth effort down and even bringing it to a halt. As if that wasn’t enough, with the world on pause, Instagram Creators have seen their budgets drastically cut and found themselves in need of new ways to revitalize their finances.

If you’re a Creator, we feel you! The good news throughout this mess is that Instagram Live has seen a 70% percent increase in views. Plus, record engagement rates have boomed all over Instagram — after all, what’s a person to do when spending so much time indoors?

To save the digital year, Instagram decided to help Creators by gifting them Instagram Live Badges. The relatively recent feature has just been made available to even more Creators, so it’s high time we took a deep dive into how it can help you. Ready? Shake that money-maker badge.

Live Badges In a Nutshell

First things first: what are these Instagram Live Badges we’re talking about? In essence, these are “tips” that followers can give during Live sessions to support their favourite Creators.

The Instagram Live Badges were initially announced by Instagram at the end of May, and the tests began in early June for a selected number of Creators.

Since the feature was received with tons of enthusiasm by Creators and followers alike, Instagram decided in mid-October to make Instagram Live Badges available to more than 50.000 creators.

“ This is another step forward in our vision to build a suite of tools that helps creators make money through branded content, shopping, content monetization, and direct support from fans. As we test and gather feedback, we’ll continue to expand badges to more creators around the world.” Instagram

Currently, you have to reside in the US, France, UK, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Australia or Japan to be among the lucky Creators who’ll get the chance to increase their income with Instagram Live Badges.

In even more good news, Instagram announced that they will temporarily match any earnings made through Instagram Live Badges starting November.

How Instagram Live Badges Work

Followers hold power when it comes to gifting Instagram Live Badges.

For Creators who have access to the Live Badges feature, followers can choose to purchase three different types of badges, each corresponding to one, two or three hearts.

During Live Stories, viewers can buy one heart for $0.99, two for $1.99, or 3 for $4.99. In exchange, followers unlock additional features and stand out in the comments section. Throughout the Live video, they’ll also have the badge attached to their name.

Afterwards, they’ll enter a special list of badge holders on the Creator’s profile and gain access to a special heart.

However, the biggest reward is the fact that they can connect and support Creators who bring them relevant, fresh and entertaining content.

And Creators do appreciate the gesture.

“As a working mother of four during a particularly crazy time, badges in Live has been an amazing tool for me to make money from home, just using my cellphone. I spent a lot of time going live on Instagram before, so to be able to monetize the content I was already creating in a way that feels natural has been a game changer for me.” – @ronnebrown

Creative Ways To Earn Badges

Even if you don’t currently have access to Instagram Live Badges, you certainly will soon. So better get ready!

Know that some Lives will definitely engage followers more and make them want to show their support.

To earn as many Instagram Live Badges as you can, consider creating actionable videos that train, give practical advice or engage participants immediately. Learning how to launch your first Instagram Live — if you didn’t already — is now a must.

@youngezee has created a video that explains how to use the Instagram Live Badges, and you should definitely check it out.