Instagram reportedly monetising IGTV via ad placements

Instagram is reportedly monetising IGTV by creating an Instagram Partner Program that enables creators to earn money by placing advertisements alongside their videos. Currently, the app is only monetising regular posts on its main feed and on Instagram Stories.

According to TechCrunch, screenshots of the Instagram Partner Program show a "Monetisation Tools" section and users deemed eligible for the program have the option of monetising their IGTV videos. TechCrunch added that when creators monetise on IGTV, they agree to adhere to the Partner Program Monetisation Policies.

Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram, said in a tweet that "it is no secret" that the company has been exploring this feature. "We focused first on making sure the product had legs — else there would be little to monetise in the first place," he said. Mosseri added that IGTV is still in its early days but it is growing. As such, Instagram is exploring more ways to make it sustainable for creators.

Facebook's spokesperson told Marketing: "We continue to explore ways to help creators monetize with IGTV. We don’t have more details to share now, but we will as they develop further.”

(Read also: Instagram’s move into long-form content: Will the IGTV app dethrone YouTube?)

Just last month, Instagram reportedly removed the IGTV icon at the top of the home screen within the Instagram app as few users are clicking on it. This came more than a year after it launched IGTV, expanding its offering from just hosting bite-sized content to watching long-form vertical videos. Facebook's spokesperson told Marketing that very few are clicking into the IGTV icon in the top right corner of the home screen in the Instagram app.

"As we’ve continued to work on making it easier for people to create and discover IGTV content, we’ve learned that most people are finding IGTV videos through previews in Feed, the IGTV channel in Explore, creators’ profiles and the standalone app. We always aim to keep Instagram as simple as possible, so we’re removing this icon based on these learnings and feedback from our community," the spokesperson said.

In May last year, Instagram attempted to increase awareness for IGTV with its newly-designed navigator bar in its Explore section. A shortcut to IGTV was pinned to the front of the navigation bar, making it easier for users to find products and videos from brands and creators they love. Instagram had intended to bring much more immersive IGTV experiences to Explore. Instagram allegedly raked in approximately US$20 billion in ad revenue last year, surpassing YouTube which posted US$15.1 billion in ad sales, Bloomberg recently reported. This comes as Instagram is increasingly becoming a crucial aspect of companies' marketing plans.

(Read also: Facebook’s APAC ad revenue jumps 33% but rise in expenses leads to fall in stocks)