Instagram Plus subscription may offer anonymous story views and boost visibility

Meta has started testing a platform-level premium subscription tier on Instagram. It is currently in a limited scope in a few countries, as confirmed by the social giant to TechCrunch. The subscription called Instagram Plus offers some exclusive features, especially for Stories on the popular photo and video sharing platform. For those unaware, Instagram already has creator-focused subscriptions where users pay specific creators to consume their content. 

Instagram Plus premium subscription features

Instagram Stories disappear after 24 hours. Among the many features, paid subscribers can view a photo or video story secretly without the original poster knowing it or appearing in the viewer list. Users can also extend the time duration of their own stories by 24 hours, and they can also be spotlighted up to once per week to increase their visibility and reach. 

Instagram Plus subscribers can check how many people rewatched their stories. This builds on the platform’s existing insights, offering more feedback on the content performance. The paid tier gives control over advanced targeting beyond the close friends list. Users can add followers into separate groups and choose who sees each story instead of sharing with everyone or restricted to a single list.

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Paid tier users can send animated ‘Superlike’ reactions on others’ stories. The subscription also introduces the ability to quickly see if a specific person has viewed their story within the Story viewer list. 

Meta didn’t reveal which countries the paid Instagram Plus subscription is being tested in. It’s reportedly spotted in the Philippines, Mexico, and Japan, with the pricing varying between $1 to $2. The paid tier is available for free for the first month.

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