Content creator economy thrives in Thailand with Meta’s support

Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, is cultivating a thriving content creator economy in Thailand, offering local creative talent numerous avenues to monetise their output. This initiative allows creators to offer unique content and experiences to their subscribers, thereby establishing a new stream of revenue.

According to Meta, these revenue-earning opportunities encompass branded content, partnership ads, and Instagram subscriptions. The company reports that since expanding creator access earlier in the year, over one million active subscriptions to creators have been registered via Instagram.

Additionally, users can buy and share virtual gifts with their favourite creators through Instagram’s star purchasing feature, making these features a fertile ground for the content creator economy to thrive, stated Revie Sylviana, Meta’s director of Southeast Asia and emerging markets for global partnerships.

“At Instagram, we are committed to supporting the creator economy in Thailand and helping creators as they turn their passion into livelihoods. We are constantly innovating ways for creators around the world to earn money on our platform.”

With a worldwide user base of two billion people, Instagram is a particularly favoured platform among Generation Z (Gen Z). Chawadee Wongphyat, director of Meta Business Group for mid-market, Southeast Asia, emphasised the importance of businesses and brands finding new ways to connect with their audiences, especially in an increasingly interconnected world.

“Instagram stands as a bridge of creative commerce that is leading to the next billion opportunities for Thai businesses to grow.”

Gen Z Instagram interaction

Recent research by Meta indicates that young Thais are becoming more receptive to interactive experiences with businesses. A survey revealed that 52% of Gen Z respondents agreed that Instagram helps foster relationships and build dialogue with brands, while 45% were willing to share their interests with businesses on Instagram Direct.

Today’s commerce is not just about sales transactions and having a beautiful digital storefront, according to Chawadee. It’s about interactive experiences that allow consumers to engage with brands more deeply and creatively.

This could be through fun short-form videos on Reels or through generative artificial intelligence (AI)-generated advertising images that consumers can click on and then directly message the business to instantly start making a purchase.

Sylviana added that private spaces such as DM and Close Friends on Instagram are very popular with teenagers and Gen Z members, with over 700 stories being shared to Close Friends on Instagram every second. Instagram notes are another popular feature among Gen Z members.

In the US alone, teenagers create Notes at 10 times the rate of other demographics, while photo dumping has become a popular trend championed by members of Gen Z, reported Bangkok Post.

Around 200 billion Reels are played daily across Facebook and Instagram, driving an increase of more than 40% in time spent on the platform. According to Sylviana, Thailand is one of the top countries globally in terms of reel usage.

Instagram has also introduced several new features and apps to offer ways for communities and creators to build their social connections. One such feature is Instagram’s text-based social network, Threads by Instagram, which reported its monthly active users at close to 100 million just months after its record-breaking launch.