Instagram plans to give influencers DM filters and follower stats
A small number of high-profile users are testing creator accounts.
Instagram is testing a new type of account for high-profile users (such as celebrities, artists and influencers) that should give them more control over how they use the platform. The so-called "creator accounts" give users direct message filters and stats on their followers.
A small number of people are trying out the profiles, which will roll out to more influencers next year. The creator accounts include "flexible labels" for users to specify how they want to be contacted. They additionally provide analytics indicating what posts, IGTV updates or Stories led to a spike or drop in followers, so they can better understand what their followers enjoy seeing. Users with creator accounts can also filter messages into read, unread and flagged sections, and prioritize timely and relevant pending requests.
"We want to make sure that Instagram is the best place, and the easiest place, to build fan communities and also build [creators'] personal brands," Instagram product manager Ashley Yuki told The Hollywood Reporter. She noted that the features currently included on the creator accounts are just the first step towards broader support for creators.
The creator account features are different from the tools Instagram gives businesses -- the filters, for instance, seem akin to those that verified Twitter users get for their direct messages and timelines. In any case, the creator accounts include features Instagram perhaps should have rolled out long ago for influencers, who will surely welcome the new profiles.
