Acing the game of social media marketing is all about staying ahead of the curve. It requires a commitment to innovation and a willingness to try new features before everyone else. Most recently, the app announced details around the Instagram Creator Marketplace—the future of branded content.
We’re breaking down what to know, who’s eligible to participate, and why this feature will benefit interior designers expanding into branded content and product collaborations.
Design by Lauren Liess, Photography by Helen Norman
What is the Instagram Creator Marketplace?
Instagram Creator Marketplace is a feature designed to connect brands with like-minded content creators directly on the app. Similar to online matchmaking, brands can search for influencers who best fit their campaign criteria.
According to Instagram, “they’ll also be able to filter for creators based on the demographics of their engaged audience, using filters including gender, age, interests, country and city; see creators who have expressed interest in working with them, have tagged them or follow them; see similar creators to those they’ve already found through the filters; and add creators to saved lists.”
Once matched, brands and influencers can manage project communications, deliverables, and payments, all within the creator marketplace.
Design by Studio McGee, Photo via McGee & Co.
Who Can Use This Feature?
Currently, the Instagram Marketplace is only available for business or creator accounts. You can follow this tutorial to convert a personal account to a creator account if you’re looking to do so. Here are the three additional steps that Instagram has outlined to be eligible for the creator marketplace:
Follow Instagram’s Branded Content Policies and Partner Monetization Policies.
Remain compliant with our Community Guidelines and Content Monetization Policies.
Check that you’re eligible for the creator marketplace under account settings. If eligible, you can join the creator marketplace from the professional dashboard.
It’s worth noting that this feature is still in testing, and brand accounts are currently invite-only. Brand eligibility will likely expand in the fall of 2022.
Will Instagram Creator Marketplace Benefit Interior Designers?
Interior design career paths are not one-size-fits-all. Many designers like Lauren Liess and Shea McGee have expanded from designer to lifestyle influencer through branded content, product collaborations, e-commerce, and more. Designers who are looking to follow a similar model are going to find the Instagram Creator Marketplace to be an incredible avenue to grow that arm of their business. In short, this feature is perfect for those who want to diversify their revenue streams, test out brand partnerships, and monetize social media content.
Design by Lauren Liess, Photography by Helen Norman
How to Optimize Your Account for Brand Partnerships:
Interested? Now is the time to get started. To optimize search-ability, treat your Instagram account similar to SEO on your website. Make sure your location, services, and specific niche is very clear. Remember that the Instagram Creator Marketplace works through an algorithm, so you want the Instagram robots to have this information at the ready. They’ll also look at your activity to determine which brands you want to partner with. We’re all about outsmarting that algorithm, so here are a few additional steps to take:
Follow the brands you care about and dream of partnering with.
Beyond just a follow, make sure to really engage with their content. Like, share, and leave thoughtful comments when possible.
Organically tag brands within your content whenever it makes sense. This is perfect for project reveals featuring a brand’s products.
Use alt tags in your posts and keywords as it makes sense. Note: alt tags are only available for the grid, either static feed and carousel posts.
Check the search-ability of your own profile. Make sure your location, services, and target audience are immediately clear.
Overall, we think the Instagram Creator Marketplace will be a game changer for interior designers looking to expand into the influencer realm. We’re all learning about this feature in real time, and can’t wait to update as details roll out in the near future. Stay tuned!