Meta is trialing a bonus program that allows creators to earn cash rewards for generating engaging content on Threads. The program bases payouts on the performance of creators’ posts, measured by metrics such as views.

The catch? The program is invite-only. To participate, creators must first receive an invite as a pop-up notification in their Professional Dashboard on Instagram. Setting up a public Threads profile is required to receive the bonuses.

Posts must include text written in supported languages and garner at least 2,500 eligible views from the Threads app and website to qualify for earnings. Content containing unauthorized branded material, copyrighted works, artificial engagement boosting, or watermarks from other platforms is ineligible.

Meta determines bonus payouts at the end of each period, with earnings distributed to creators the following month via its Professional Dashboard.

The cash bonus initiative signals Meta’s desire to position Threads as the successor to Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter). 

When it launched in July, it was dubbed the “Twitter Killer” by The New York Times, amassing over 130 million monthly active users as of February, according to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Part of that overwhelming influx of users was due to Threads being tied to users’ Instagram accounts. In order to sign up for Threads you must have an Instagram account. 

“I’m optimistic we can keep the pace of improvements and growth going and show that a friendly discussion-oriented app can be as widely used as the most popular social apps,” Zuckerberg stated during Meta’s Q4 earnings call in February. 

 The test is currently limited to a small group of U.S. creators, with Meta not disclosing how long the trial period will last. However, the program builds on the company’s previous efforts to incentivize creators across its platforms, including offering “special prizes” to reality TV personalities on Instagram.