After rolling them out to selected creators over the past year, Instagram has now announced that its live-stream Badges, which enable viewers to make donations to creators, will be enabled by default for all streams in all regions where they are available.
What benefits do the new ‘Badges’ do to you?
- Badges follow the same rules as Live
If you’ve mastered making Live videos, you can master badges. If you’re going to turn badges on and need a refresher, visit the Live page.
- Involve your supporters
Ask your supporters what they want to see in Stories before you go live. During your Live, you can see who’s purchased a badge so you can engage with your supporters.
- Let viewers know badges are enabled
Since viewers tune in at different times, remind them that badges are enabled at the beginning, middle and end of your Live video.
- Thank your supporters
Remember to thank your supporters with shout outs during your Live, and afterwards, by using the Thank You sticker in Stories.
- Share badges goals
Sharing a goal for your Live and pinning it as a comment can help viewers feel more involved in your work and encourage them to purchase badges.
- Recognize supporters
Instagram will send you a reminder every time supporters buy badges or you hit a milestone – consider giving your supporters an individual shout-out if they’ve bought one or more badges, or a collective shout out when you hit a milestone.
Turn on badges
In just a few taps you can turn on badges and start earning on your Live videos.
Step 1: Onboard – go to “Profile” and tap “Professional Dashboard”. If you’re eligible for monetization, you’ll see a button to “Set Up Badges.” If you’re not yet eligible for monetization, you can apply in-app by tapping “Apply for monetization” and check your Professional Dashboard for status updates.
Step 2: Go live – once you have access to badges, they will automatically be enabled for your lives. Just add a title and go live!
Everything to know about earning badges
When viewers purchase badges, you’ll see heart(s) next to their usernames. You can also see the total number of badges purchased and your total earnings along with progress on any goals you set. To see more in-depth earnings, tap “View” during your Live. To see your total badge count, head to “Badges” in your Professional Dashboard anytime after your Live has ended.
Viewers can purchase multiple badges during your Live in $0.99, $1.99 and $4.99 increments — remember to recognize badge purchasers!
Follow @itp.live for more such important social media announcements!