Meta is making a bold move to poach popular TikTok creators, offering them cash bonuses, content deals, and support to grow their communities on Facebook and Instagram. The company announced that eligible TikTok creators can earn "up to" $5,000 in bonuses over three months for posting Reels on Facebook and Instagram.

This move comes as TikTok is still struggling to regain its footing in the US market. After going dark for 12 hours over the weekend, the ByteDance-owned social network is still missing from app stores, despite President Donald Trump's executive order delaying the TikTok ban deadline by 75 days. The uncertainty surrounding TikTok's future has created an opportunity for Meta to attract some of the service's top creators.

As part of its efforts to woo TikTok creators, Meta is also offering access to the Facebook Content Monetization program, which allows creators to earn money for their videos, photos, and text posts on Facebook. Additionally, some TikTok creators will receive content deals to help grow their audiences on Instagram and Facebook. Furthermore, Meta will provide a one-year trial of Meta Verified, which includes a verified badge, account support, and impersonation protection, to select TikTok creators.

Meta is also making changes to Reels to make the short-form video format more appealing to TikTok creators. For instance, U.S.-based Instagram creators can now publish Reels up to three minutes long, although TikTok still allows creators to record videos up to 10 minutes long, and in some cases, upload content up to an hour in length. To further boost the appeal of Reels, Meta plans to recommend Reels in more places across Instagram and Facebook, such as in search results and higher up in users' home feeds.

In another move to court TikTok creators, Meta has optimized its ranking systems to allow newer creators to break through to new audiences. The company will also allow creators to show their Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube handles and follower counts in their Facebook profiles to boost their credibility on its platform.

This is not the first time Meta has made a move to capitalize on TikTok's uncertainty. Last week, the company announced plans to launch a Capcut-like app called Edits next month, and introduced updates to make it easier for Instagram users to find Reels that their friends and followers are liking on the platform. The app will also encourage users to start conversations about Reels through a new "reply bar."

Meta's aggressive pursuit of TikTok creators is a clear indication of the company's ambition to dominate the short-form video space. As TikTok's future remains uncertain, Meta is positioning itself as a viable alternative for creators looking for a stable platform to grow their audiences. Whether this strategy will pay off remains to be seen, but one thing is clear – the battle for short-form video supremacy has only just begun.