You can’t scroll through your Instagram feed without spotting your favourite creators promoting products—whether it’s their own merchandise or collaborations with other brands. Ever wonder if you could join the ranks and start earning money on Instagram? While celebrity accounts with massive followings can command seven-figure fees for a single promoted post, you don’t need millions of followers to cash in.
In fact, Instagram creators with as few as 1,000 followers have a variety of monetization options at their disposal. Whether you’re aiming to build a social media empire or simply earn some extra income through a side hustle, making money on Instagram is more achievable than you might think.
This guide will walk you through how to make money on Instagram, offering seven actionable ideas—from affiliate marketing to selling merch for your personal brand. You’ll also find inspiration from real examples of creators who are thriving in this space.
Keep in mind, that making money on Instagram isn’t solely about your follower count. Instead, the most effective strategies for you will depend on factors like your unique brand, the content you create, your target audience, and your level of commitment. Therefore, to maximize your earning potential, it’s wise to consider using multiple strategies. Additionally, diversifying your income streams is a smart financial approach as you explore different ways to make money on Instagram.
An Instagram influencer is a creator or celebrity who holds sway over a dedicated base of fans and followers. To their audiences, influencers are tastemakers, trendsetters, and trusted experts in their respective niches.
Brands often struggle to replicate the authenticity that comes from a real person sharing genuine moments. Instead, they leverage this authenticity by partnering with verified Instagram creators whose audiences align with their target customers. These partnerships involve influencers being paid to create sponsored content, and promoting products through Instagram Stories, posts, and Reels.
As Instagram marketing grows in popularity, brands are eager to tap into the engaged audiences that influencers have cultivated. However, as an Instagram creator, it’s crucial to carefully evaluate each partnership opportunity to protect your personal brand. If your income depends on Instagram marketing, be discerning about the brands you collaborate with to avoid alienating your followers. Similarly, brands should be selective when choosing influencers to ensure alignment in values and audience.
Typically, influencer contracts require the creation of content—such as posts or Stories—that serve as Instagram ads for the brand. These contracts may also grant the brand permission to use the content across other platforms, such as in ads elsewhere.
In return for their efforts, influencers are compensated in various ways, which might include a monetary fee, free products or services, exposure, or a combination of these.
Tips for Pricing and Negotiating Influencer Contracts:
By following these tips, you can ensure that your influencer partnerships are fair and financially rewarding.
If you have a significant influence on Instagram, brands may approach you with sponsorship deals. However, you can also proactively seek out collaborations by reaching out to brands yourself.
One effective way to attract brand partnerships is by listing your details on influencer marketplaces. Platforms like Shopify Collabs connect creators with brands looking to expand their reach to new audiences.
When it comes to sponsored content, transparency is key to maintaining your audience’s trust. To clearly indicate sponsored posts, use the #sponsored hashtag in your captions. You can see how other Instagram creators incorporate sponsored content into their Stories or posts by searching the #sponsored hashtag for examples.
Additionally, Instagram offers a “Paid Partnership with” tag, which appears prominently at the top of sponsored posts. This feature helps clearly identify sponsored content, ensuring that your audience understands the nature of the partnership.
Creators have a unique opportunity to monetize their influence by selling their own products. This goes beyond just promoting items from other brands. Whether it’s physical goods, services, or digital products, these offerings can naturally extend a creator’s brand. They provide additional value to the audience and allow fans to purchase a piece of their favorite online personalities.
The distinction between creator and entrepreneur is increasingly blurred, as many individuals seek to harness their skills and independence to generate income. Here are some options for selling products and services online:
By exploring these options, creators can effectively monetize their presence and engage their audience in new ways.
Print-on-demand and other merch strategies let you skip the process of building a brand and creating products from scratch. Instead, you can focus on crafting compelling designs. A printing partner can then bring your designs to life on various merchandise like mugs, t-shirts, and art prints.
Here are several effective ways to create and sell your own merchandise:
By choosing the method that best fits your brand and resources, you can successfully monetize your designs and connect with your audience through branded merchandise.
An affiliate marketer is a creator or publisher who promotes brands and products using unique tracking links or promo codes. They earn a commission each time a sale is made through their referral. Unlike influencers, who often receive a flat fee for brand exposure, affiliate marketers generate income based on the direct impact of their promotional efforts.
To maximize your affiliate marketing potential on Instagram, consider these strategies:
Affiliate programs are managed by brands and are designed to facilitate and track their affiliate relationships. You can join these programs directly by reaching out to brands or through popular affiliate marketplaces, such as:
By leveraging these platforms and strategies, you can effectively monetize your Instagram presence and earn commissions from your affiliate marketing efforts.
Social selling is increasingly popular, as more users turn to social media platforms to discover and purchase products. This growing trend presents a significant opportunity for eCommerce brands and creators. Consequently, it allows them to connect with Instagram followers and fans within their natural browsing environment. Additionally, Instagram Shopping offers several built-in features specifically designed to enhance social selling.
Here’s how Instagram Shopping works and how you can leverage its features:
Although Instagram is evolving with video and various features, its core strength remains as a photo-sharing platform. This focus makes it an ideal space for artists and photographers to monetize their accounts by selling prints and original works. Here are several effective methods to achieve this:
By leveraging these strategies, you can effectively turn your Instagram account into a revenue-generating asset, connecting with your audience and monetizing your creative work.
Instagram Live Badges provide a way for creators to earn money directly from their audience while livestreaming. Much like tip-based features on platforms like Twitch and TikTok, Instagram Live Badges allow viewers to show their appreciation for your content and support your work financially.
Here’s how it works: during a livestream, viewers can purchase badges—small icons of different monetary values—to support you. These badges cost 99¢, $1.99, or $4.99 each. When a viewer buys a badge, it not only provides you with a tip but also unlocks special features for the viewer, such as having their badge displayed prominently in the comments. This feature encourages fans to engage more and gives you a direct way to earn from your livestreams.
After captivating your audience with your content, consider offering them exclusive material through a subscription model. Instagram’s subscription program lets US creators over 18 with more than 10,000 followers monetize their content. This allows you to offer subscribers access to special posts, Stories, and other exclusive content.
In addition to Instagram’s built-in subscription feature, there are several third-party tools you can use to generate income from subscriptions:
These options not only provide a steady income stream but also help you build your email list and maintain a connection with your audience outside of Instagram.
Even if you’re not an influencer, you can still make money on Instagram by selling items you no longer need. The platform is perfect for selling everything from refinished furniture and gently used clothing to unique vintage finds. It’s a great way to declutter your home while earning extra cash. You can even use this opportunity to test the waters for a potential vintage clothing business before committing to a full-fledged store.
Here are a few ways to leverage Instagram to sell your items:
Selling on Instagram is an accessible and effective way to turn your unused items into income while building your presence on the platform.
The amount of money an Instagram influencer can make varies significantly based on several factors, including their follower count, niche, and engagement rate. While some smaller influencers in niche markets, like financial products, can earn a substantial income, high-profile celebrities can command multi-million dollar fees for a single post.
To give you a clearer picture of how earnings are typically structured, influencers are often categorized into five tiers based on their follower count. Here’s a breakdown of the average earnings for each tier:
Influencers’ earnings can also be influenced by other factors such as the type of content they produce, their engagement rate, and their overall influence within their niche.
A nano-influencer with as few as 1,000 followers can still make a notable income on Instagram, but follower count alone doesn’t determine earnings. Several key factors contribute to how much money you can make:
By focusing on these factors and continually optimizing your Instagram strategy, even a nano-influencer can build a profitable presence on the platform.
There are countless opportunities to make money online, thanks to the wide array of tools and channels available to creators today. Instagram, in particular, offers multiple monetization options, allowing influencers, creators, and artists to generate income directly through the platform.
To start earning on Instagram, focus on creating engaging and consistent content that resonates with your target audience. This approach is key to building a loyal following that you can eventually monetize. As your audience grows, so does your potential for income.
If you’re operating an online store, securing an SSL certificate is not just a recommendation—it’s…
Building a website may seem intimidating, but with the right tools, it becomes empowering and…
There are many ways to establish an online presence. You can use third-party publishing platforms…
Affiliate marketing isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a great way to generate money online by promoting…
Not having money to invest doesn’t mean you can’t start your own business! The print-on-demand…
Print-on-demand is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to launch a Shopify business…
This website uses cookies.