Meta’s Breakthrough Bonus: What It Is, Who Qualifies, and How to Apply

Back when the skies above TikTok’s future in the U.S. looked grey, Meta quickly recognized a chance. It launched the Breakthrough Bonus program with one clear goal: lure TikTok creators to its platforms, offering incentives to bring their content and audiences to Instagram and Facebook instead. The clouds have cleared since then, but the program keeps running. So if you’re looking to monetize on Meta or add a new revenue stream to your creator toolkit, this program is worth a look. Are you eligible? How do you apply? Is it worth it? Let’s get into it.

What’s in Meta’s Offer?

The Meta Breakthrough Bonus program comes with some exciting perks:

• Up to $5,000 in bonuses during the first 90 days for new creators posting original content on Instagram and Facebook. Meta calculates the bonus based on your social presence.
• Access to Meta’s Content Monetization program, allowing creators to earn through reels, longer videos, photos, and text posts.
• Free one-year Meta Verified subscriptions for select participants, boosting your online presence.
• New profile features that showcase your follower counts from other platforms, like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.

Eligibility and Requirements

Meta’s Breakthrough Bonus program is aimed at creators with a solid following on platforms like TikTok. Your eligibility and potential payout depend on how strong your social media presence is. To qualify for the bonuses, here’s what you need to do:

• Be based in the U.S. 
• Be 18 years of age or older
• Have an existing presence on a third party social app that you can link or already have linked during the application process. 
• Have or create an Instagram professional account and Facebook Page.
• Make sure your content is original and exclusive to these platforms (no sharing from other apps!).

Meta will prioritize applications from creators with at least 20,000 followers on another social app.

How to Apply to the Breakthrough Bonus Program 

The application is mobile-only, so make sure you’re on your phone with both the Facebook and Instagram apps installed before you start. 

For iOS Users

Use these links to apply: 

• Apply on Facebook
• Apply on Instagram

For Android Users

Use these link to apply: 

• Apply on Instagram
• Apply on Facebook. 

Other Ways to Earn Money on Instagram and Facebook  

The Breakthrough Bonus is a great entry point, but it’s not the only way to earn on Meta’s platforms. Here’s a quick overview of what other options there are to choose from.

8 Ways to Monetize Instagram 

1. Sponsored content: partner with brands through Instagram’s Creator Marketplace or external platforms to create paid partnership posts. 

2. Affiliate marketing: promote products using custom links and earn a commission on every sale.. 
3. Instagram Shop: connect your e-commerce store directly to your profile so followers can browse and buy without leaving the app.
4. Paid subscriptions: offer exclusive content (Lives, Stories, Reels, Chats) to paying subscribers at a monthly fee you set yourself.
5. Product tags and bio links: tag products directly in posts, Stories, and Reels, and use a link-in-bio tool to drive traffic to multiple destinations at once. Instagram even lets you add affiliate links directly to your Reels. 
6. Live Badges: earn money during Instagram Lives as viewers buy badges ($0.99, $1.99, or $4.99) to support you.
7. Instagram Ads: boost existing posts or run full ad campaigns to expand reach and drive conversions.
8. UGC (User-Generated Content): create authentic product content for brands without a formal partnership, building a portfolio to attract paid opportunities.

Monetizing Facebook 

Via Facebook’s Content Monetization Program:

1. In-stream ads: short ads shown before, during, or after longer videos and eligible Reels, with earnings based on views and watch time
2. Ads on Reels: ad placements within short-form video content, with payouts based on performance
3. Performance bonuses: rewards for hitting engagement targets, now tracked alongside other earnings in one place

Other Meta-supported options:

1. Fan subscriptions: charge a monthly fee for exclusive content or perks 
2. Stars: earn $0.01 per Star sent by viewers during live streams or eligible videos 
3. Product sales: sell directly through Facebook Shops or link to an external store

Independent from Meta:

1. Branded content: sponsored posts and paid collaborations arranged directly with
2. Affiliate marketing: share affiliate links in posts, Reels, or groups and earn commissions on sales

Bonus track: 

1. Creator Fast Track: guaranteed monthly pay ($100–$3,000 depending on follower count) for 3 months, designed for established creators who are new to Facebook and post at least 15 Reels per month

How Metricool Can Help 

Now that you know your options, here’s how a social media management tool like Metricool can help you manage all your social media platforms in one place.

To earn money from your content, step 1 is building a sustainable social presence, and for that you need to post consistently, track what’s working, and show up at the right times.

That’s where Metricool can help.

• Plan and schedule your content in advance. Metricool has an intuitive planner that lets you map out your content calendar, schedule Reels and posts across different platforms at once, and make sure you never miss a posting day.

• Find your best posting times. The tool analyzes your past performance and tells you exactly when your audience is most active on each platform, so your content lands when it has the best chance of being seen.
• Track your performance across both platforms. Instead of jumping between Meta Business Suite and Instagram Insights, Metricool gives you a single dashboard where you can see how your Reels, posts, and videos are performing on both Facebook and Instagram side by side; views, engagement, reach, and follower growth all in one place.

• See what’s driving results. Metricool’s analytics help you spot which content formats, topics, and posting times are generating the most views and engagement, so you can double down on what works and stop wasting time on what doesn’t.

Whether you’re in Meta’s Breakthrough Bonus program window or building your digital presence for the long run, Metricool gives you the data and the tools to do it more strategically.