How to Enable Subscriptions on Instagram

Transforming your passion into a predictable revenue stream directly on Instagram is no longer a far-off dream. With Instagram Subscriptions, you can offer your most dedicated followers exclusive content and build a tighter-knit community, all while creating a stable income source. This guide will walk you through every step of the process, from checking your eligibility and hitting the enable button to figuring out what content your subscribers will actually love.

So, What Exactly Are Instagram Subscriptions?

Think of Instagram Subscriptions as your own private fan club or VIP room on the platform. It’s a feature that allows creators to charge their followers a monthly fee in exchange for exclusive content and special perks. When a follower subscribes, they not only support you financially but also gain access to a more intimate side of your brand or creative work that isn't available to the general public.

This model moves beyond the unpredictability of brand deals or the algorithm-dependent nature of ad revenue. It shifts the power back to you and your community, creating a direct line between the value you provide and the financial support you receive. For a recurring monthly price that you set yourself, you can offer a mix of benefits designed to make your subscribers feel valued and part of an inner circle.

What Your Subscribers Get

When a user subscribes, they unlock a package of benefits that you customize. The most common perks include:

• Subscriber Badge: A purple badge that appears next to their username whenever they comment on your posts or send you a DM, making them stand out. It’s a simple but effective signal of their support.
• Exclusive Content: This is the core of the offering. You can share subscriber-only Stories, Reels, Posts, and Live videos. This content isn’t visible to your non-subscribed followers.
• Subscriber Broadcast Channels: Create chats where only you can send messages (like announcements, polls, or behind-the-scenes notes), but subscribers can react and vote. It's a great way to communicate directly with your dedicated community.
• Subscriber Chats: If you want more interaction, you can start a subscriber chat in your DMs with up to 30 people, allowing for more of a group conversation.

Essentially, you’re creating a premium layer for your Instagram presence, rewarding your biggest fans with material and access they can’t get anywhere else.

Are You Eligible? Let's Check the Requirements

Before you get too excited about planning exclusive content, you need to make sure you meet Instagram's eligibility criteria. Meta is still rolling this feature out, so the requirements can be a bit strict. As of now, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Live in an eligible country. Subscriptions are available in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Instagram is actively working on expanding this list.
• Have a Professional Account. This means your profile must be set to either a "Creator" or "Business" account. You can switch this in your settings under "Account Type and Tools."
• Have a minimum of 10,000 followers. This is currently the baseline to be considered for creator monetization tools like Subscriptions.
• Comply with Instagram’s Partner Monetization Policies and Content Monetization Policies. This is a big one. It means your content must be original, authentic, and follow all community guidelines. Breaking rules on hate speech, misinformation, or other violations can make you ineligible.

If you meet all of these criteria, the option to enable subscriptions should appear in your Professional Dashboard. If it's not there, it's likely because you haven't met one of the requirements or the feature hasn't fully rolled out to your account yet.

How to Enable Subscriptions: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ready to get started? Turning on subscriptions is surprisingly straightforward if you meet the requirements. Here’s how you do it, step-by-step.

Step 1: Navigate to Your Professional Dashboard

Open the Instagram app and go to your profile page. Just below your bio and follower count, tap on the “Professional Dashboard” button. This is your central hub for all business tools, insights, and monetization features.

Step 2: Locate and Set Up Subscriptions

Inside the Professional Dashboard, look under the “Your Tools” section. You should see an option that says “Subscriptions.” Tap on it to begin the setup process. If you don't see it, double-check your eligibility. Tap “Get Started” and accept the terms.

Step 3: Choose Your Monthly Price

Instagram will prompt you to set a monthly price for your subscription. You can choose from a range of pricing tiers, typically from $0.99 to $99.99 per month.

Consider your audience and the value you’re providing. It might be tempting to aim high, but starting with a lower price point (e.g., $2.99 or $4.99) can be a great way to attract your first wave of subscribers. You can always adjust your pricing later, but any changes will only apply to new subscribers, not existing ones. Take a look at creators in your niche to get a feel for what seems reasonable.

Step 4: Configure Your Payout Account

To get paid, you’ll need to set up a payout account. Instagram will guide you through this process. You’ll need to provide information about yourself or your business, including your legal name, birthday, and address. You will also need to add your bank account or PayPal details for receiving payments. Prepare to provide your tax information (like your Social Security Number or EIN) to complete the setup. This process sometimes takes a few days for verification, so be patient.

Step 5: Promote Your Subscription Offering

Once everything is set up, Instagram will publish your subscription offering. A “Subscribe” button will now appear on your profile, making it easy for followers to sign up. Your job now is to let everyone know about it!

What Should You Actually Post for Subscribers?

Enabling subscriptions is easy. Getting people to pay - and stick around - is the real challenge. The key is to offer clear, consistent value that your followers can't get from your free content. Here are some ideas that work well:

1. Share Behind-the-Scenes Access

Your subscribers are your most invested followers, they want to see the real you. Share the stuff you wouldn't necessarily polish for your main feed.

• For an artist: Show your studio space, the messy process of creating a piece, or works-in-progress.
• For a chef or baker: Show kitchen fails, recipe testing disasters, or the chaos of a pop-up event.
• For a fitness coach: Share your own workout struggles, what you eat in a day (the real version), or your gear setup.

2. Provide Exclusive Educational Content

Use subscriptions as a place to teach your audience something valuable. Go deeper than you do in your public Reels or posts.

• Create in-depth tutorials or mini-courses. For example, a photographer could share full-length editing walkthroughs.
• Host subscriber-only Live Q&A sessions where you answer very specific questions.
• Share templates, guides, or resources, like a social media manager sharing their content calendar template.

3. Build a Real Community

Your biggest supporters want connection more than just content. Foster a space where they feel seen and heard.

• Use Subscriber Chats: Start a group chat where you can have more personal, informal conversations with your most engaged fans. Ask for their opinions and feedback.
• Shout-outs: Welcome new subscribers in your Stories. It makes them feel appreciated and shows others the community is active.
• Host a "Subscriber-Only Live": Go live just for them to chat and hang out informally. The smaller audience creates a more intimate and conversational vibe.

4. Offer Early Access and Unique Perks

Make your subscribers feel like insiders by giving them first dibs.

• Let them see your YouTube videos, Reels, or blog posts a day early.
• Offer subscriber-only discounts on your products, merch, or online courses.
• Give them the first opportunity to sign up for workshops or book coaching calls.

How to Promote Your New Subscription Offering

Don't assume your followers will just find the "Subscribe" button on your profile. You need to actively and consistently market your subscription benefit. An ongoing promotional strategy is just as important as the exclusive content itself.

Create an Announcement Blitz

When you first launch, go all out. Create a series of posts and Stories announcing your new subscription.

• Launch Story Series: Use multiple Instagram Story slides to walk through exactly what subscribers will get, using video and compelling text. Use the "Subscription" sticker so they can sign up right from your Story.
• Dedicated Reel: Create a short, energetic Reel that acts as a "trailer" for your subscription. Show quick clips of the kind of exclusive content you’ll be sharing.
• Pinned Post: Make an announcement post on your feed and pin it to the top of your profile for a few weeks so every new visitor sees it.

Integrate Promotion into Your Regular Content

Marketing your subscription shouldn't just be a one-time thing. You need to weave it into your everyday content strategy in a natural way.

• Tease Your Exclusive Content: Give your public audience a taste of what they're missing. For example, post the first 30 seconds of a subscriber-only tutorial as a public Reel and say, "Subscribers get the rest!"
• Share Subscriber-Only Successes: Did a subscriber share a result from following your advice? Share a screenshot of their DM (with their permission) and celebrate their win publicly. This proves the value of your subscription.
• Remind People in Your CTAs: In the captions of your public posts, add a gentle reminder like, "For more deep dives on this topic, tap the subscribe button on my profile!"

Use Instagram’s Built-In Tools

Instagram gives you tools designed specifically to help you get subscribers - use them!

• The Story Sticker: The "Subscription" sticker is your most powerful tool. It allows for a one-tap signup. Use it regularly in your Stories when you mention your subscription.
• Promote in Lives: While you're doing a public Live, you can mention your subscriber perks and direct people to your profile to sign up. Announce that you’re doing a subscriber-only AMA right afterward to drive urgency.

A Quick Note on Fees and Payouts

Currently, Meta is doing everything it can to encourage creators to adopt this feature. As of this writing, Meta has announced that it will not collect any fees from creators on Subscriptions until at least the end of 2024. This means you will receive 100% of the revenue from your subscribers after app store fees (around 30%), which are charged by Apple and Google.

Payouts are typically issued monthly once your earnings reach a threshold of $100. Be sure to check your Professional Dashboard for real-time earnings estimates and upcoming payout information. Keep in mind that since app store policies can change, it's always smart to stay updated on Instagram’s latest Creator terms.

Final Thoughts

Setting up Instagram Subscriptions gives you a direct way to monetize your content, but its real power lies in strengthening your community. You're inviting your most loyal followers to be part of something special, turning passive followers into an active, supportive community that directly contributes to your growth.

Adding a layer of exclusive subscriber content on top of an already busy schedule of public posts can feel like a lot to juggle. That's exactly why we built the visual calendar in Postbase. It lets you organize your entire content plan - for both your public feed and your private subscriber group - all in one place. By planning everything out, you can focus on creating great content knowing your schedule is handled.