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The head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri
posted this video yesterday.
- I want to start by saying we're no longer
a photo-sharing app.
- I don't even know where to start.
But I have a long rant for you.
So it's pretty dang obvious that Instagram
has tried to compete with TikToK.
Mosseri even said it himself.
- TikTok is huge issue.
- But the issue is that Instagram
will never be as good as TikTok, for obvious reasons.
Tiktok was first, they're first to the game.
People were already using that app.
I don't know if you guys have noticed this,
but I've definitely noticed this.
Anything that's good on IG reels, came from TikTok first.
Right?
I can't be the only one that has noticed this.
Instagram, the reason why people
are moving away from your platform,
isn't because you don't have enough video features
or shopping features or long form video features,
it's because your content isn't good enough,
because you don't incentivize creators
to make good original content.
You don't pay creators and you don't even reward them
with good exposure anymore.
How many of you feel like when you post,
none of it ever gets seen.
Here is one of your core issues right now,
with how you've laid out your platform.
Now creators more or less when they become successful
and want to create good original content,
mostly rely on brand deals.
Myself included, for my Instagram career.
I have to work with brands to get paid.
Now the issue is with your recent algorithm updates.
When I make a branded piece of content,
it's getting seen less and less,
because people are recognizing that it's branded content,
so they're not engaging with it anymore,
you realize that they don't like seeing
my branded content, so you show it less.
Then the next time that brand
comes to work with me,
they go "Your ad didn't perform as well
as the last time we worked together,
so we're gonna pay you less for this next one."
And now you have this giant cycle,
where people are seeing worse and worse ads on a platform,
where they're always feeling soul to,
where there's no original content and that is why,
nobody is enjoying Instagram right now.
It is not video features, Mosseri.
So how do you support creators?
You pay them.
One of the most successful decisions that YouTube ever made
was creating a creator ad share revenue strategy.
Which means that when I make this YouTube video,
I make money even if it doesn't have a sponsor.
That means I'm incentivized
to continue to make good content.
And then good content gets pushed out more
and I make more money when it gets seen.
It's a, win-win, it's a great strategy.
Do what YouTube is doing and pay your creators.
That's the problem.
And it's not like you can't afford
to create a rev share program,
which will benefit you longterm anyways,
but you can literally already start paying creators now.
Just with the revenue that you're making from your app.
For example, if you Google,
how much did Instagram make in 2020?
Because those are the most recent reportings.
It says that in the last quarter of 2020,
it made $6.7 billion.
Let's multiply that by four,
because we have four quarters in a year.
We're gonna just like create a number
that sounds reasonable here, is roughly around $25 billion.
Now let's look at your overhead and expenses.
Let's Google, how many people work for Instagram?
450 people work for Instagram.
Now let's just assume their salaries
are around $150,000 each, obviously ranges
from low end to high end, so that's like a medium.
When you multiply that by 450,
you get roughly around $65 million.
Now let's just round up because everybody in Silicon valley
gets paid a stupid amount of money
and let's just call it a $100 million.
25 billion minus, a 100 million,
minus storage costs and privacy cost
and some other expenses and legal fees and lawyers
and all that other stuff.
I promise you, your expenses are not $25 billion.
You have money leftover to pay creators.
Which would ultimately serve you better,
'cause you'd have better original content.
Instagram, stop this and do something
that's actually beneficial to us,
the people that support your platform.
All right, so let's play devil's advocate for a second.
Because you can't have a full fledged argument
without seeing both sides.
Now, Instagram is owned by Facebook.
And Facebook is a publicly traded company,
which means that they have stakeholders
and shareholders that they need to please.
And the only thing that those shareholders want,
is more money.
So all of the decisions that Facebook and Instagram
and Adam Mosseri makes is for the shareholders
to make them more money ultimately.
And that's why we're seeing a shift of Instagram
moving away from photo content, into video content.
because it's more profitable.
Now in IG's defense, I feel like the reason
why they have so much confidence with moving
towards a video platform and competing against TikTok,
is because when they stole stories,
essentially from Snapchat, it kind of worked.
Stories are a thing now.
It's a very profitable part of IG's strategy
for making money.
So no wonder they're stealing ideas,
because it's worked in the past.
Now I know that I ranted very passionately
about how they're not paying creators.
Now there is word that they're thinking about doing this.
They're thinking about creating a rev share program
specifically for IGTV.
But can we just be honest for a quick second here?
Who watches IGTV?
I don't watch, do you watch it?
I don't watch any long form content on Instagram.
I think it's because I'm primed to only enjoy
short form content on the platform.
I get it that they're trying to incentivize creators
to create long form content.
But why wouldn't you just post on YouTube?
Where there's already a program, that's paying people out,
it's not just in like some testing phase.
It's literally something that works.
The other problem with that ad share revenue program
is that because it's only for IGTV,
it doesn't value video content on reels.
It doesn't value photo content.
So it brings up this whole other thing right now,
we're photographers and specifically photo content producers
are never gonna get compensated for their work,
especially on Instagram.
Instagram you're trying to be too many things,
for too many people.
Now, when things change, it creates new opportunities.
And for all the video content creators out there,
this is actually a really great opportunity for you.
Number one, Instagram is switching out the way
that people engage with the app.
And most importantly, they're essentially creating
a for you page, again,
another idea from another company, but it's,
they have an opportunity for you
to get seen by a new audience,
which I think is one of the core problems
that a lot of people experienced with Instagram,
is how do you get seen by new people?
When I first started posting on Instagram six years ago,
I was primarily posting photo content.
Like most people when they used Instagram,
it was primarily photo content.
I don't think you can build a successful career on Instagram
by just posting photo content.
Because it doesn't meet the goals of Instagram.
So if you want to be successful,
you have to create video content.
See, the funny thing is, is that Instagram
has come out and said that they want to support creators.
- And I've talked a lot about creators
and trying to help them make a living.
- I have not experienced that, as a creator on the platform.
From 150,000 followers to 490,000 followers.
I've pretty much had the same engagement
on my posts the entire time.
And if anything, with all your algorithm updates
over all that time, it just kept going down.
Quality of the content continued to increase,
what's happening here Instagram?
You're not actually supporting me,
you're actually taking more away from me.
So why would creators want to stay on this platform anymore?
Truthfully answer the question in the comments.
Why would anybody want to stay on it?
It's like staying in a toxic relationship,
where it's all give and no take.
And the only reason why you're staying,
is because you're comfortable
and you've been in that relationship for like five years.
Instagram, Adam, I implore you to do better.
Please find ways to incentivize creators
that isn't just IGTV.
I don't want to be an IGTV-eer.
I want to be able to post reels and post photo content
and get compensated for that.
So I can continue to make good content for your app,
which will ultimately reward you,
your shareholders and your bank account.
So if you do all of that, there might be hope for your app.
On a lighter note, we're about to hit 500,000 subscribers
and to celebrate we're doing a massive giveaway.
We're giving away a Sony A7iii and a kit lens, a 28 to 70.
We're giving away stuff from Polar Pro, a VND set,
and a $200 gift card.
Aputure, the lighting company is giving us,
two Aputure 120d's.
I'm giving away 10 MasterBundles.
We've got commercial plans from epidemic sound,
unlimited all access plans from Storyblocks,
as well as a Joby 3K Gorilla Pod and some accessories.
So if you guys want to try to win that.
Links are in the description.
If you guys liked this video and this rant,
please press like.
It actually makes a difference to the YouTube algorithm.
Subscribe, hit the bell to be notified for future videos.
And we will definitely catch you,
whenever I want to make another video.
That's when you'll see me.
I love you.
Bye everyone.
I don't know why I always walk out of frame,
like, it's like that's the mic drop for YouTubers
is like, bye everybody.
And then the frame is still recording.
Why, I can just stay here.
You realize, hi. I hope you're having a good day.
I'm just gonna stay now.
It felt better when I left didn't it?
It's awkward now.
Okay, I'm leaving.