Are you searching on google about “how to make money with Instagram”?
If so then you are at the right place.
As of December 2016, Instagram has over 400 million monthly active users and is growing at a rate of one new user per second.
With so many people on social media platforms, how do you make money on Instagram or on any other social media network?
Well, there are several ways to make money from Instagram depending on how much time and effort you want to put in.
In this article, I will discuss the best ways to make money online on Instagram.
Enjoy!
What You’ll Need to Make Money On Instagram
You’ll need three things to make money on Instagram: reach, influence, and engaged followers.
1. Reach and Influence.
The only reason companies pay Instagram influencers is because they have a large number of followers.
They want to make money from the people that follow them.
These businesses are mainly interested in influencers who have a large following for their time to be worthwhile—the more people that watch, the more money they can earn.
If you only have a few hundred Instagram followers, to begin with, your potential audience size is small.
With such a small number of followers, many individuals will not notice your content and you will not be able to generate sales for the brand and hence you will not make money on Instagram.
To get started making money on Instagram, you’ll need at least a few thousand followers.
2. Engaged Followers.
Having more followers will, without a doubt, boost your self-esteem.
It gives you a better chance of being seen in more Instagram feeds.
On the other side, having a huge number of followers does not always mean high engagement, and shadow-banning on Instagram could leave you with little to no reach.
No one will buy anything you advertise if no one engages with your Instagram posts.
So, no matter how large your Instagram following is, if no one comments, likes, shares, or follows you, you’re not going to make any money.
Even if you only have 1,000 followers who are actively engaged with your Instagram posts, you have the potential to make money on Instagram.
Because of the lucrative activities, you’ll generate through your account, brands will be willing to invest in you.
How To Make Money On Instagram?
So now you know why I think Instagram is a great platform to make money online, as well as what you’ll need to get started.
Let’s have a look at some of my favorite methods to make money on Instagram.
Here are 12 ways to make money from Instagram that are realistic and remarkable:
1. Influencer Marketing.
Influencer marketing is one of the most popular methods to make money on Instagram.
Influencers are people with established credibility in a particular niche or market.
Any business owner who is looking to promote their products can approach influencers and ask them to promote their products.
As a content creator, you can work with businesses to help them sell their products and services.
Brands often collaborate with Instagram influencers to promote their products and services.
You will be required to promote a post in order to increase the exposure of the brand or company with whom you are collaborating.
Influencers often post a photo or video of themselves using the product and tag the business owner in the image caption.
This will bring traffic to the business owner’s website and they can make money by selling their product.
It is a win-win situation for both the influencer and the business owner.
Instagram creators can use Brand Collabs Manager if they have:
- 10,000+ followers.
- 100+ hours of watch time and 1,000+ combined engagement (likes and comments) on their videos in the previous 60 days.
- Active Business or Creator accounts.
- There is no prior history of content violations.
After you’ve met these conditions, here’s a simple explanation of how money is made on Instagram:
- You make a sponsored Instagram post (a picture or video).
- You add a branded hashtag, shoutout, or link to promote a company.
- You share it with your audience.
- You get paid.
Influencers are extremely popular on Instagram!
If you have a good following on Instagram, then influencer marketing can be very lucrative.
Influencer marketing is a great way to make money on Instagram because you don’t have to make a sale to make money.
You just need to post a photo or video of yourself using the product and include the business owner’s Instagram profile in the image caption or include the business owner’s website in your profile bio.
How much money you make from sponsored content is usually determined by the number of people who follow you and how engaged they are.
Influencers with smaller followings usually charge less per post.
But influencers with larger followings usually charge more per post, because they have a lot of loyal followers who trust their recommendations and buy their products.
As an influencer, the more followers you have, the more money you can make from your posts!
Both Instagram’s guidelines and the new ASCI guidelines require you to disclose funded collaborations in order to make money on Instagram this way.
2. Affiliate Marketing.
Affiliate marketing is another way to make money on Instagram.
In this method, you promote other people’s products in exchange for a commission.
As a content producer, you can partner with businesses or affiliate marketing networks like Clickbank, Commission Junction, etc, to promote products and services that are relevant to your target audience.
The product owner will give you a unique affiliate link for the product that you want to promote.
You can promote your affiliate link through your Instagram profile bio, Instagram stories swipe up feature, and by sharing affiliate links directly to your followers through messages.
If someone clicks on your affiliate link and purchases the product, then you will receive a commission.
On each sale, content producers can expect to earn a 5 to 50 percent commission.
You can join affiliate programs that are related to your interests and blog topics.
For example, if you’re a travel blogger, then affiliate links for hotels, resorts, flights, and more are ideal.
Affiliate marketing on Instagram is really easy to do!
It’s similar to writing blog articles to get paid to promote affiliate products.
Instead of earning money from your article, you are paid if people buy the product or service you are promoting on Instagram.
You just need an engaged audience on Instagram to share your affiliate links.
This could be advantageous or harmful, depending on your target audience.
While sponsored posts might help you earn money, promoting the right affiliate product can help you earn much more.
On the other hand, you can make a lot less money.
Affiliate marketing on Instagram is far more difficult than affiliate marketing on a blog or website.
You’ll need a launch audience because Instagram only allows clickable links in your bio.
Promo codes are the only method of promoting a sale while still earning an affiliate commission.
These are easy to track and incorporate into your posts.
Also, your followers will have to visit the affiliate website on their own.
So even though doing affiliate marketing on Instagram is a bit difficult, if you know how to do it in the right way, you can make money on Instagram through affiliate marketing.
Some information about affiliate marketing:
- What Is Affiliate Marketing?
- 100+ Best Affiliate Programs And Networks.
- 10+ Best Affiliate Networks And Platforms.
- Amazon Affiliate Marketing Guide.
- ClickBank Affiliate Marketing Guide.
- More Affiliate Marketing Articles.
3. CPA Marketing.
CPA marketing is another way to make money on Instagram.
CPA stands for cost per action.
It is a type of marketing where you get paid when someone takes the required actions for the company.
These actions can be anything like filling up a form, signing up for something, clicking on a link, etc.
The idea here is to get people to take the required action for the company and then get paid for it.
You can use Instagram as a social media platform to run CPA marketing campaigns.
To do this, you have to first find a CPA offer from a CPA network.
CPA network is the platform that provides CPA offers for marketers to promote.
So you’ll have to look for CPA offers and then decide which one you want to promote on Instagram.
After finding the CPA offer, you’ll have to create a landing page or a single-page website for that CPA offer.
A landing page or website is where people land when they click on your link on Instagram.
Once you have set up a landing page or website, promote it through Instagram posts and make sure to use the right hashtags.
You should also put a link in your Instagram profile bio and make it clickable so people can easily click on it.
Once someone clicks on your link, they will be directed to your website or landing page and from here they will see your offer.
You can also use Instagram ads to promote CPA offers.
Instagram ads allow you to create your own ad which will go straight into the feed of Instagram users.
It will be like a regular Instagram post but with an ad and you can promote any offer instantly to make money on Instagram.
Some information about CPA marketing:
4. Sell Your Own Products.
One of the best ways to make money on Instagram is by selling your own products.
You can sell any products on Instagram.
You can sell physical products like t-shirts, mugs, shoes, and more.
Or you can sell digital products like ebooks, pdfs, videos courses, etc.
Whatever your product is, you can sell it on Instagram.
This is actually one of the easiest ways to make money on Instagram!
To sell products on Instagram:
- Create an Instagram business account with a proper profile bio.
- Create an eCommerce website from where you can sell your products.
- Put your website link in your Instagram profile bio.
- Create regular posts with proper hashtags about your products.
Once you set up an Instagram business account correctly and create consistent posts about your products, you will see an increase in your followers and sales.
You can easily start an e-commerce website for just $2.95 per month on BLUEHOST.
You can also set up an online shop on Instagram.
You may create a product catalog and integrate your e-commerce business with your Instagram profile by using an Instagram Shop.
All you have is Instagram posts, Stories, the Discover tab, and your profile’s Shop page to promote your products directly.
Make all of your products shoppable once you’ve put up a product catalog to sell them.
You can use hashtags to describe products on Instagram.
You also have the option of categorizing your products into various collections.
On Instagram, you can find a lot of information about how well your store is performing.
As an online seller on Instagram, it is important that you sell high-quality products at affordable prices.
If you sell low-quality products, your followers will not trust your recommendations and may not buy your products.
So sell high-quality products at affordable prices and sell them on Instagram!
People will trust you and they’ll buy your products!
Shopping will continue to be one of the most lucrative ways to make money on Instagram.
5. Sell Your Services.
Just like your products, you can sell your services on Instagram too!
If you have any skills, then sell them as services on Instagram.
For example, if you’re a graphic designer, a web developer, or an SEO expert, whatever skills you have, sell them on Instagram!
To sell your services on Instagram:
- Make an Instagram business account with a proper profile bio.
- Make a website for your services.
- Put your site URL in your Instagram bio.
- Create regular posts with proper hashtags about your services.
Once you set up an Instagram business account properly and create posts about your services regularly, you will see an increase in follower count and sales.
Selling your services on Instagram is a good idea as there are more than 1 billion people using it and you will have a lot of exposure on Instagram.
Once people see your posts about your service, they might be interested in hiring you, and it’ll increase your chances of getting more clients.
Once they hire you, that’s when you make money on Instagram by selling your services!
6. Turn Your Content Into Cash.
You can monetize your video on Instagram, just like you do on YouTube.
One of the three methods listed below should be good for you to make money on Instagram.
Advertisements On IGTV.
Using IGTV ads to monetize your Instagram content can be a great way to start.
In March 2021, Instagram made advertisements available to artists in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
Instagram has begun splitting revenue from 15-second advertisements that appear on its IGTV videos.
This strategy was inspired by rev share’s YouTube pro video star.
According to Justin Osofsky, Instagram’s COO, creators receive 55 percent of IGTV’s advertising revenue.
It’s the same thing as YouTube.
Therefore, it’s a great substitute.
Long-form video content creators may find this to be a lucrative revenue stream.
Badges.
If you continue to broadcast on Instagram, badges are a fantastic way for your fans to express their support.
Consider these as audience ideas for your upcoming broadcasts.
When purchasing a badge in the live chat, a heart symbol appears next to the user’s name.
Badges range in price from $0.99 to $4.99, with a maximum of USD 250 per viewer each session.
Producers of reels may soon be able to reap similar benefits.
Fan Membership And Exclusive Content.
Tipping has grown very popular on Instagram, thanks to sites like Buy Me A Coffee, Ko-Fi, and Patreon.
If you think your followers might be interested in supporting your efforts, direct them to a suitable link in your profile or Instagram Stories.
Patreon is a subscription platform that allows artists and craftspeople to make a monthly income by providing gifts or privileges to their subscribers.
By placing your Patreon link in your Instagram profile, you can instantly promote it.
You might also put a link to Patreon in your blog posts and articles.
A giveaway campaign is another great method to spice up your Patreon account.
For a fan to be eligible for the contest, you must indicate when creating contest rules that they must join Patreon.
Long-form videos from your channel, such as tutorials, step-by-step instructions, and behind-the-scenes content, are also published through your Patreon account.
7. Sell Photographs And Videos.
As a content producer, you can make money on Instagram by selling your photos.
You can license your photographs and films to certain businesses.
If a company uses your image or video, you want to be paid.
However, this is often a snobby topic, made even more so by Instagram’s recent regulation changes.
The platform provides the users a global non-exclusive, fully paid, royalty-free, transferable, sublicensable license to use user-provided content.
It’s not an exclusive license because Instagram owns all of the copyrights from the original content owner.
Others may use your content with credit if you make it available under a creative commons license.
Under creative commons, different types of licenses are available, determining how the image is used.
8. Work As An Instagram Consultant Or Coach.
If you’re famous on Instagram and have a sizable, engaged following, why not make money on Instagram by teaching others how to do the same?
You can help other content creators to grow their audiences by sharing your knowledge and experience.
Instagram consultants are in high demand by brands, small businesses, and individuals looking to improve their online presence on the Instagram platform.
As an Instagram Consultant, you can charge $15-$50 per hour.
Experienced Instagram Consultants typically charge $50-$100 per hour.
Because most content producers have no idea about how to make money from Instagram, there will be a growing demand for advisors as the platform grows in popularity.
9. Sell Online Courses.
One of the best ways to make money on Instagram is by selling online courses.
You can earn a good income by sharing your knowledge with others.
You can sell any type of course.
From cooking to photography, from blogging to business, sell any course you like on Instagram!
One way to do this is by creating an online course on platforms like Udemy, Coursera, etc, and selling it on Instagram.
Another way is to create a website to sell your courses.
Then put the link of that website in your Instagram profile bio and start promoting them.
Promote your online courses through posts and make sure to use the right hashtags.
Find the right hashtags that are related to your posts and put them in the post description.
This way you’ll reach more people and sell your courses.
You can easily earn around $50 to $100 per online course sale.
Obviously, you will decide the price of your course.
So make sure they are affordable.
The more people who buy your courses, the more money you make!
10. Drive Traffic To Your Blog.
Blogging is a fantastic method to make money on the internet.
However, to make money blogging, you need the traffic to your blog.
Most bloggers try to bring traffic to their blog using search engine optimization, but it has become super competitive in recent years.
It’s really hard to rank on major search engines like Google.
So how do you bring traffic to your blog without using SEO?
You use social media like Instagram!
Instagram can help you to get blog traffic quickly!
If you have a good following on Instagram, then you can easily bring traffic from your Instagram profile to your monetized blog.
The more followers you have, the easier this will be.
All you need to do is mention your blog URL in your Instagram profile bio.
You can also use the swipe-up feature in Instagram stories to share your blog posts.
But to access this feature, you need to have 10,000 Instagram followers.
You can also share your blog posts links with your followers directly through messages.
The only issue with Instagram is the difficulty of sharing links.
You can’t put links in your Instagram posts which makes it hard to promote a blog.
There is no click-to-open feature like on other social media sites.
But still, you can bring a good amount of traffic from Instagram to your blog by putting a blog link in your Instagram profile bio, with the Instagram swipe-up feature, and by sharing your blog links directly to your followers through messages.
Some information about topics related to blogging:
- What Is A Blog?
- How To Start A Blog That Makes $4000 Every Month?
- 15 Best Ways To Make Money Blogging.
- 10+ Best Ad Networks For Bloggers And Publishers.
- What Is Web Hosting?
- Top 10 Best Web Hosting Services.
- What Is Search Engine Optimization?
- More Blogging Articles.
11. Build An Email List.
A very effective way to make money on Instagram is by building an email list.
An email list is a collection of people’s emails whom you can contact anytime in the future about your services or products.
You need these people’s permission before adding them to your email list, so always respect their privacy and give value first!
Once you have a good email list, you can send them emails whenever you want and inform them about your products or services.
You can also use the email list to sell affiliate products.
If someone clicks on your affiliate link and buys the product, you will make some commission.
So this is one of the most effective ways to make money on Instagram and it’s very easy too!
The more people you add to your email list, the better results you’ll get in return.
It will be like having a loyal customer base who trusts you and loves buying from you again and again!
12. Make Money On Instagram Indirectly By Promoting Your Brand.
To make money with Instagram, you do not have to have a business directly linked with the platform.
Thousands of smart entrepreneurs have turned their Instagram following into a side business.
It doesn’t matter what kind of business you have; Instagram can be a great way to spread the word and drive traffic and revenue.
Instagram is really useful if you have an actual product that you want to show people.
Travel agencies, for example, are fantastic service-based businesses.
If you want to build your Instagram following, you need to use hashtags.
If you have more followers, more people will see your posts and consider using your company in the future.
This is how you promote your brand and make money on Instagram.
Some Tips To Make Money On Instagram.
Regardless of where you are in your business, these pointers will help you make money on Instagram while keeping your customers and audiences happy.
1. Determine Your Area Of Expertise.
From goth vegan influencers to oldster fashion gurus, Instagram is where people with multi-hyphenate interests can find their community.
Define your perspective in order to make money on Instagram.
Share your point of view on life, whether it’s shaped by your passions, hobbies, ethics, experiences, profession, or a combination of the above.
2. The Importance Of Authenticity Can’t Be Overstated.
In a recent Instagram Live session with Zuckerberg, Instagram’s chief Mosseri remarked, “Branded content is that the economic motor driving the creative ecosystem in an exceedingly lot of how, but it doesn’t work until it genuinely feels right.”
Jojo Siwa (@itsjojosiwa), a Nickelodeon and social media sensation who’s parlayed her popularity into collaborations with Target, Walmart, and others, says, “The biggest piece of recommendation I’ve got for creators is to sincerely enjoy the things you’re putting out there, your audience will sense that.”
3. Develop The Ability To Speak Up For Yourself.
Bartering with large corporations and agencies can be scary.
However, in order to make money on Instagram and avoid burnout, you must strive for decent pay.
In a post on Instagram’s Creators account, Meeka Hossain (@catchmeeksifyoucan) advises, “Make sure you recognize your value when it involves negotiating to cost for branded content.” “Getaway of what the brand is trying to find in terms of exclusivity, deliverables, and use.”
4. Transparency Fosters A Sense Of Trust.
It is necessary to adhere to the ad limits.
Sponsored content that breaks the rules may be removed or punished.
It does, however, put your audience’s faith in your recommendations in jeopardy.
On the other side, including advertising disclosures improves trustworthiness.
Influencers who publicly communicate their brand ties appear to be more passionate about companies than those who do not, according to research published in the Australasian Marketing Journal in 2020.
Make sure you’re utilizing Instagram’s Branded Content Tools and that you’re following the app’s advertising guidelines.
Buying fake followers is not a good way to make money on Instagram.
It isn’t working, and it is a little embarrassing.
5. Provide Outstanding Customer Service.
Customers have high expectations for businesses on social media.
For influencers, the intimate nature of the interaction adds another layer.
Try to return the interest that your viewers and fans have shown in you.
Respond to questions and comments as soon as possible.
Give shoutouts during Instagram Live sessions.
Use comment filters and restrictions, time off, or direct communication with your audience to set limits as needed.
Clients are also covered by this rule.
Skipping deadlines and ignoring commitments is the quickest way to burn bridges as an influencer.
To build your community, form long-term friendships and partnerships.
6. Use A Variety Of Platforms To Advertise Your Work.
To expand your content marketing efforts and provide potential customers with knowledge while making purchasing decisions, start a blog or a YouTube channel.
Using other social media channels, too, can help you reach a larger audience.
Email newsletters mean you’re not at the mercy of the Instagram algorithm when it comes to informing your followers about new content.
Peter Licata, a second-grade teacher, uses Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to promote and distribute his publish.
7. Keep An Eye On The Competition And Trends.
By following (and listening to) social media, you can stay on top of disputes in your field and among your competitors.
Don’t forget to keep an eye on your own Instagram numbers.
To find your sweet spot, keep track of what works and what doesn’t with your audience in order to make money on Instagram.
Frequently Asked Questions About Making Money On Instagram.
Below are some frequently asked questions related to making money on Instagram:
Q1. Can You Make Money On Instagram?
The answer is: Yes!
Instagram has made it a priority to help artists make a living on the platform, with TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube, in particular, gaining popularity.
“We aim to provide the biggest platform for artists like you to earn a living,” Facebook and Instagram CEO Mark Zuckerberg commented during the company’s first Creators Week in June 2021.
Q2. How Much Money Can You Make On Instagram?
The creative economy is wild, unregulated like the Wild West with respect to rating standardization.
Your qualifications, audience size, engagement, strategy, hustle, and a splash of dumb luck determine how much you can make money on Instagram.
Here’s how much some celebrities and artists have earned:
- $250-$300: According to a Business Insider interview with the CEO of influencer marketing company Heartbeat, a typical sponsored post pays $250-$300.
- $300: As per reports, a micro-influencer with 13K followers earns $300 for each sponsored reel.
- $750 to $1,000: Sponsored post cost (up to three slides) from “Plant Influencer” Nick Cutsumpas (@farmernicknyc, 63K+ followers). He charges $1,500 for IGTV movies of two to three minutes.
- $8,500: This amount was reportedly earned from each post sponsored by “robot influencer” Lil Miquela (@lilmiquela, 2.5 million followers).
- With 1.9 million followers on Instagram, @goldenretriever has an estimated annual income of $102,000 in 2020.
- $275,000: Kendall Jenner was paid in 2017 for an Instagram post promoting the Fyre Festival. He eventually paid $90,000 for misleading advertising and failing to comply with advertising standards.
- $1,015,000: According to reports, The Rock received $1,015,000 for a sponsored post in 2020.
Q3: Is It Easy To Make Money On Instagram?
Making money online is never easy, but making money on Instagram is easier than many other techniques.
Q4: How Do You Make The Most Money On Instagram?
You and your audience will choose the best strategy to make money on Instagram.
Getting paid to generate content through IGTV ads, building an Instagram business, or getting paid for sponsored posts are excellent options.
Q5: How Much Do Instagram Influencers Get Paid?
For every sponsored post, Instagram influencers can earn upwards of six figures.
The higher the cost you can demand, the more engagement your follow-up will have.
Q6: How Many Followers Do You Need To Make Money On Instagram?
You will need at least a few thousand followers to make money on Instagram.
However, the more engaged your followers are, the less you will need.
Conclusion.
For a long time, Instagram has been one of the most popular social media platforms, and it continues to add new and interesting features.
Put another way; It is worth your time to earn money on the site.
There are many ways to make money on Instagram to grow a following and establish trust.
Anyone can make money on Instagram as there are many possible business options.
Yes, you too.
Instagram’s content monetization rules must be followed if you want to make money on Instagram.
If you haven’t previously, please familiarise yourself with the rules.
In short, how much can you make money on Instagram depends entirely on how well you connect with your target audience.
