How do some Instagram influencers make a living by posting selfies and travel photos? It’s not as difficult as you think to Make Money on Instagram. Instagram is a massive platform with over 1 billion monthly active users with significant earning potential. All you need is an engaged following, a willingness to partner with brands, and a few key monetization strategies to start generating income from your Instagram account.
This guide will walk you through how to start making money on Instagram, from building your influencer status to negotiating brand deals. We’ll explore multiple ways to monetize your following so you can determine what methods work best based on your account size and content style.
Whether you have a personal or business account, want to work with big brands or small local companies, rely on Instagram as your sole income or want to supplement your revenue, these tips can help you turn your Instagram passion into profit.
Build Your Instagram Audience
You first need to build an engaged audience to make money on Instagram. How do you do that?
- Post high-quality photos and short videos in a consistent style. Choose a theme or niche and stick to it.
- Post regularly. Engage with your followers in the comments and like their posts too.
- Create Instagram stories to share more casual behind-the-scenes content. Stories disappear after 24 hours, so followers check them frequently.
- Use Instagram hashtags to increase visibility. Check out popular hashtags in your niche and see which ones your competitors use. Join in the conversation!
- Run contests and giveaways to increase engagement and gain new followers. But don’t do them too often, or your followers might get annoyed.
- Collaborate with other influencers. Cross-promote to each other’s audiences. Do takeovers or Q&As on each other’s accounts.
- Thank people for following you. Build genuine connections and relationships.
With time and consistency, you’ll gain more and more followers. And once you have a sizable, engaged audience, you’ll be ready to start monetizing your account and making some money!
Partner With Brands for Sponsored Posts
Want to earn money from your Instagram account? Partnering with brands for sponsored posts is one of the best ways.
- Build your follower base. Brands want an engaged audience, so gain real followers who like and comment on your posts. You can start pitching to brands once you have 5,000-10,000 followers.
- Choose brands that match your niche. Stick to companies that sell products or services your followers would genuinely be interested in. That way, the partnership will be authentic for you and your audience.
- Reach out to brands you love. Please email them that you’re interested in a sponsored partnership. Explain why you’re a good match and your post ideas. Be professional but casual.
- Negotiate the terms. If a brand is interested, discuss the details, like how many posts they want and your rate. Provide stats to show your value.
- Be transparent with your followers. Let people know when content is sponsored to build trust. Follow FTC guidelines and disclose any material connection in your posts.
- Deliver what you promise. Once you have a deal, work with the brand to create posts your followers will enjoy. Meet all obligations and deadlines to set yourself up for future partnerships.
With time and practice, sponsorships can become a steady source of income. The key is providing authentic value to the brands you work with and the followers who support you.
Sell Digital Products or Services
Offer digital downloads
One popular way to Make Money on Instagram, account is by selling digital products like ebooks, online courses, templates, or graphics. These are easy to create and distribute once, then sell repeatedly.
Promote your digital offerings to your followers by posting about them on your feed and in your Stories. You can sell the products directly through Instagram, a link to your website, or an Etsy shop. Offering bundle deals where people can buy multiple products at a discount is also an effective strategy.
Remember to promote your products through hashtags, especially those related to your industry or niche. Engage with people who show interest by replying to their comments or directly messaging them. Running contests and giveaways for your products is another great way to increase visibility and boost sales. With the right promotion strategy, digital downloads can become a consistent source of income from your Instagram account.
Drive Traffic to an E-commerce Store
Link to Your Store
One of the easiest ways to drive sales from Instagram is to link to your e-commerce store in your bio and posts. Include a clickable link that sends followers directly to your store. You can link to:
- Your store’s homepage
- A product category page
- A sale or promotion page
Be sure to change the link in your bio to match whatever you’re featuring on your profile. For posts, choose one highly engaging product photo and include a swipe-up or link in your caption to send followers to that item’s page on your store.
Dropping links, especially in Stories and posts, is one of the most effective ways to turn your Make Money on Instagram, followers into loyal customers. Make it easy for people to find what they want and purchase. The more you link, the more sales you’ll drive.
FAQ: Making Money on Instagram
How do I make money from Instagram?
There are several ways to monetize your Instagram account and start making money:
- Promote products and services. If you have a business or offer freelance services, promote them on Instagram to drive sales and increase your income.
- Become an influencer. Build your following, work with brands, and get paid to promote products you genuinely like. You can make money from shoutouts, dedicated posts, story takeovers, and more.
- Sell your products. Design a product line based around your account’s theme or niche and sell directly to your followers. You keep all the profits.
- Enable ads. Once you reach 10,000 followers, you can apply to enable ads in Instagram stories and posts. You’ll earn money when people view, swipe up, or tap your ads.
How much money can I make?
How much you can earn depends on your number of followers, engagement, and the types of promotions or products you focus on. According to research:
- Influencers with up to 1 million followers typically charge $250-$500 per post.
- Those with 1-5 million followers can charge $1,000-$2,500 per post.
- Influencers with five million followers can charge $3,000-$10,000 per post.
Of course, rates vary based on your specific niche and audience. The potential to earn money on Instagram is huge, especially if you build your following and work with big brands. You can turn your Instagram passion into a full-time job with time and consistency.