If you are a regular Instagram user, earning money with Instagram may sound like a dream come true. Instagram has more than a billion monthly active users.
How to Make Money With Instagram
Turning your love for social media into a side gig can be an enjoyable way to generate income. To really monetize your Instagram account, you’ll need to get creative.Even if you already enjoy using Instagram and have put effort into curating your profile, you might need to make some tweaks before you’re ready to earn from it. The key is to ensure your audience is receptive to your monetization efforts.Don’t flood your followers with irrelevant or inappropriate offers—doing so will almost certainly cause you to lose them.As you learn more about the platform and your audience, you can adjust your strategies to boost your earnings. Below are several effective ways to get started.
1. Create Sponsored Posts
Brands often partner with Instagram users who have a large following that aligns with their target audience. If a brand hires you, you’ll usually need to produce original content that showcases the brand in a positive way.For instance, you might post a photo of a product and explain why you use it. Many sponsored posts include links to the brand’s website, @mentions of the brand, or branded hashtags. Some companies may even require all three, depending on the specific requirements of the sponsored post.If your content drives traffic back to the brand, they’ll likely ask you to create more sponsored content. Some brands may also invite you to join their official ambassador programs.When choosing brands to work with, make sure they truly resonate with your audience. Never accept a sponsored post deal unless you believe the product will benefit your followers—losing their trust is too easy otherwise. Focusing on brands that serve your followers’ best interests will lead to more long-term success.
Where to Find Sponsored Post Opportunities
If creating sponsored posts seems like a good fit, you’ll need to find brands to collaborate with.Start by thinking about brands you use regularly and would genuinely recommend to your audience. Reach out to these brands in a professional manner—while cold pitching can feel intimidating, it’s a key step.Always come prepared with data about your followers (such as demographics or engagement rates) and have a clear idea of how you want to be compensated. Your time and audience are valuable, so never undersell yourself.If you need extra help finding brands, check out these websites:
- Activate: Browse available campaigns on Activate. When you find a potential match, reach out to the brand to work out the details.
- Influenz: Designed specifically to help Instagram users find sponsorship opportunities. Submit proposals to companies looking for influencers.
- TapInfluence: Set up a profile on TapInfluence that companies can review. If you’re a good fit, the brand will contact you directly.
- Izea: Calls itself the largest marketplace for connecting influencers and brands.
These are just a few options. If one platform doesn’t work out, try another—finding the right brand and platform may take a little time.
2. Create and Promote Your Own Products
Instagram is a powerful tool for business owners looking to attract more customers for their own products or services. As you gain followers, you’re also building a pool of potential customers you can connect with.Cultivating a loyal group of Instagram followers is a great way to take your business to the next level.You can post photos that highlight your products in unique, eye-catching ways—Instagram is ideal for sharing content that resonates with your business’s target audience.
Here are a few ideas for your business’s Instagram account:
- Exclusive offers: Create special deals just for your Instagram followers. This gives them an incentive to buy your product and stay subscribed to your account.
- Behind-the-scenes content: Customers often wonder what happens when they’re not in your store or workshop. Sharing shots of event prep or product creation can help boost sales.
- Customer stories: With your customers’ permission, share photos of them using (and enjoying) your product. You can even add a testimonial in the post caption—this type of content helps turn followers into customers.
- Pre-launch teasers: Everyone loves being the first to see something new. If your business is gearing up to release a new product, post fun sneak peeks before the launch. This builds excitement and can drive sales once the product drops.
These are just a starting point. Always be creative with your Instagram content and adapt to your followers’ preferences—if behind-the-scenes posts don’t get engagement, you’ll know to focus on other content types. Every audience is different, so adjust your approach as you go.
3. Affiliate Marketing
You’ve probably seen “#affiliate” in social media posts. With affiliate marketing, you earn a commission every time a reader clicks your link and makes a purchase from the associated brand.As an influencer, you promote the product, but you only make money if your link leads to a sale.
You can use affiliate marketing on Instagram with a simple process:
- Find a product or brand you want to promote.
- Join its affiliate program and get your unique affiliate URL.
- Create an Instagram post that includes this special URL. When your followers click through and buy the product, you earn a commission for each sale.
This is a relatively straightforward way to make money on Instagram. However, you should learn the specifics of affiliate marketing in your home state before getting started.You must be transparent with your audience about using affiliate links—otherwise, you could face legal issues. The rules are easy to follow, but make sure you understand which ones apply to your state.
Where to Find Affiliate Marketing Opportunities
You can find affiliate opportunities with many brands and products. If you have a specific product in mind, check the company’s website—most have existing affiliate programs. Reach out to learn more details.
There are also affiliate marketing platforms that let you promote multiple brands at once. Popular options include:
- Amazon Associates: Amazon is a well-known brand with a wide range of products. As an Amazon Associate, you can create affiliate links for any item on Amazon.
- ShareASale: Through ShareASale, you can promote hundreds of products via affiliate marketing.
- ClickBank: Another popular affiliate network that lets you generate unique links for hundreds of items.
4. Sell Your Photos
Instagram is primarily designed for sharing photos, so you can use the platform to promote your photography skills. This sounds simple, but it can be an effective way to earn money if you’re a talented photographer.Whether you’re a professional or a hobbyist, Instagram lets you market your art to a large audience.
You’ll need to build a following, but a loyal audience can pay off. Using hashtags effectively can also help expand your potential customer base.If you choose this route, add watermarks to your photos—having your work stolen from Instagram would be devastating, and watermarks reduce this risk.Every time you post photos or art for sale, include details in the comments. Potential buyers will be more interested if they know your inspiration or how you created the piece.
Instagram is just one way to promote your photography. Check out this article to learn more about making money from your photos.
5. Use the Video Feature
Brands may be willing to pay you to feature their products in your videos. If you’re good at creating short Instagram videos, this method could be profitable.Reach out to brands that fit your audience and offer to include their products in your videos. You’ll need to get creative here—find ways to connect the product to your audience through the video.
This is similar to creating a sponsored post, but the product should be featured in a more casual way in videos than in other types of sponsored content.
6. Sell Your Account
If you’ve worked hard to build an Instagram following but want to stop managing it, you might consider selling your account.This is an easy way to cash out if you’re too tired or busy to monetize your audience yourself.
Where to Sell Your Instagram Account
ViralAccounts and Social Tradia are both online marketplaces for Instagram accounts. Simply list your account on the platform, and potential buyers will evaluate it.If they’re interested, they’ll give you a quote. Always get multiple quotes before making a decision to buy or sell.
Before You Get Started
All these methods for making money on Instagram sound great, but you’ll need to build a strong following before any of them become profitable.If you plan to monetize your account, focus on building a loyal fan base that trusts your opinions. Here are a few tips to start building your account’s reputation:
Post on a Regular Basis
To gain more followers, publish several high-quality posts per day—but don’t post them all at once. Schedule them to be spread out throughout the day; otherwise, multiple back-to-back posts may hurt your engagement.
Post Good Content
This may seem obvious, but high-quality photos are crucial. No one wants to see odd or irrelevant photos in their feed.Take great pictures, and don’t be afraid to use special effects to make them stand out—your photos are key to gaining and retaining followers.Instagram has hundreds of thousands of users competing for the same audience, so make sure your content stands out.
Fill Out Your Bio Appropriately
You have limited space to direct followers to your business or website, so use it effectively.Include all information followers would want to know about you, such as contact details (if relevant) and a tagline that describes your content. You can also add keywords and relevant hashtags to help potential followers find you easily. Remember, your account is one of many—make it easy for your audience to find and follow you.
Use Hashtags
Hashtags help people discover your content. Include relevant hashtags in every post.Research the hashtags used by others in your niche, and aim to add at least one relevant hashtag per post. Skipping hashtags means missing out on potential new followers.
Interact With Your Followers
It’s easy to just post photos and walk away, but engaging with your followers builds a connection. Audience members who feel connected to you are more likely to stay followers.Try to communicate with your followers every day—be genuine, not fake. This connection may lead them to spread the word and help you gain more followers.
Remember That Building Good Things Takes Time
Everyone hopes their Instagram following will grow overnight, but building a strong audience takes time.It may not be easy, but it’s worth the effort—if it were simple, everyone would do it. Focus on building a loyal following first, then implement monetization strategies when the time feels right.
Summary
When curated properly, Instagram accounts can be a great way to make money. You’ll need to put in effort to build an audience large enough to monetize, but the reward is often worthwhile.To get the best results, consider using a mix of monetization strategies—this is often the most effective way to earn from your Instagram account.
Instagram isn’t the only social media platform you can monetize—you can also make money with Facebook and Twitter.
Instagram is not the only social media account that you can earn money with. You can also make money with Facebook and Twitter.