Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is building a content creator economy and unlocking creative commerce opportunities in Thailand.
As of Thursday, creators in the country can offer exclusive content and experiences to their subscribers, creating a monetisation stream.
Creators have many opportunities to earn income, including branded content, partnership ads and Instagram subscriptions, according to Meta.
Since expanding creator access earlier this year, there are now more than 1 million active subscriptions to creators via Instagram subscriptions.
Utilising Instagram gifts, users can purchase stars -- a form of virtual gift -- and share them directly with their favourite creators.
"At Instagram, we are committed to supporting the creator economy in Thailand and helping creators as they turn their passions into livelihoods. We are constantly innovating ways for creators around the world to earn money on our platform," said Revie Sylviana, Meta's director of Southeast Asia and emerging markets for global partnerships.
Instagram is used by 2 billion people worldwide, particularly members of Generation Z (Gen Z).
"As we are becoming increasingly more connected, and as online connections become an everyday experience, brands and businesses are in need of new ways to connect and build more meaningful engagements with their audiences," Chawadee Wongphyat, director of Meta Business Group for mid-market, Southeast Asia, said yesterday at an Instagram Day Thailand event.
"Instagram stands as a bridge of creative commerce that is leading to the next billion opportunities for Thai businesses to grow."
According to Meta's research, young Thais are becoming more open to interactive experiences with businesses.
In a survey, 52% of young people categorised as belonging to Gen Z agreed that Instagram helps build relationships and create dialogue with brands, while 45% are open to sharing their personal interests with businesses on Instagram Direct.
Ms Chawadee said today's commerce is not just about sales transactions and having a beautiful digital storefront. It's about interactive experiences through which consumers can engage with brands more deeply and creatively, either through fun short-form videos on Reels or through a generative artificial intelligence (AI)-generated advertising images that consumers can click on and then directly message (DM) the business to instantly start making a purchase.
Ms Sylviana said private spaces such as DM and Close Friends on Instagram are loved by teenagers and members of Gen Z, with more than 700 stories being shared to Close Friends on Instagram every second. Instagram notes are another popular feature among members of Gen Z.
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.
Around 200 billion Reels are played daily across Facebook and Instagram, driving an increase of more than 40% in time spent on the platform. Thailand is one of the top countries globally in the usage of Reels, according to Ms Sylviana.
The Instagram platform also introduced several new features and apps to offer ways for communities and creators to build their social connections. Highlights include Instagram's text-based social network Threads by Instagram, with the app reporting its monthly active users at close to 100 million just months after its record-breaking launch.