Instagram is one of the most popular platforms for making money. Here you can sell, buy, and earn from various giveaways, likes, and affiliate programs — there are many ways to earn, and you can find something for everyone.
We'll explore the most popular ones and provide insights on how you can earn money on Instagram and what it takes to do so.
People didn't start earning on Instagram immediately after the platform was created. After all, its founders — Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger — originally created it in 2010 as a mobile application for users to share photos and videos with one another.
Shortly after, Instagram began to gain popularity as it allowed users to share photos and communicate with others, watch videos and advertisements, promote accounts, create communities, and participate in various promotions and contests. Thus, today there are the following options for earning money on Instagram:
Of course, everyone chooses how to make money on Instagram. Each of the above options for earning has its pros and cons. Let's consider the most common methods and nuances of each of them.
Instagram is an extremely popular platform for promoting services, particularly among beauty industry professionals such as manicurists, hairdressers, and cosmetologists. The following professionals can also successfully showcase and promote their services:
And many other specialists who are engaged in certain services. Professionals often share photos and videos in a BEFORE/AFTER format or examples of their work, quick mini-lessons, life hacks, and more to attract new clients and showcase their work.
To increase customer flow and attract audiences, professionals often use mass following (mass subscription to people who could potentially become customers) and publish posts with relevant hashtags. Special services are also used to advertise and promote Instagram accounts, which eliminates the need for manual promotion.
Now you can sell not only through marketplaces or specialized online platforms. Instagram is a fantastic platform for promoting products for those who create and sell their own merchandise. Therefore, it's an ideal choice for various handmade creators and owners of online stores. Bloggers who promote their own brand merchandise also earn in this way, often through promoting clothing and accessories.
The primary advantage of using Instagram as a platform for earning money through selling your own products is the fairly wide consumer base it provides.
Additionally, selling through Instagram is convenient for the following reasons:
Furthermore, on Instagram, you can sell a wide variety of products, ranging from clothing to highly specialized items for a specific target audience. The most commonly sold products on Instagram include:
All you need to do is to provide a compelling visual representation of your products and actively promote your account.
Many companies, particularly larger ones with Instagram accounts, often hire specialists who promote their accounts for a fee. This is typically done by Instagram managers or social media marketing (SMM) specialists who are responsible for several tasks, including:
One of the main advantages of this earning method is its accessibility and ease of use. It is easy to learn, and even schoolchildren can earn money this way. To become proficient in this trade, it will take no more than 1-2 months to learn the ins and outs.
The second plus is that it is very profitable. Maintaining one account can cost around 300 dollars; if you maintain 2-3 accounts regularly, you can earn a decent income.
At first glance, it may seem like promoting an account, but it's not quite the same thing. In contrast to the previous method of earning, you will be working with an account that has already been promoted. To earn money through this method, you must regularly create and publish content on the already promoted account. You will also need to interact with your subscribers, reply to comments, and process orders.
Once again, this type of work is relatively easy to learn and can be found on freelance platforms, particularly in SMM and social media sections.
We are accustomed to seeing bloggers constantly promoting something in their posts. Indeed, having someone promote their product or service can be very profitable for advertisers. By the way, it's not necessary for the promoter to be a blogger. Anyone who has managed to gain tens of thousands of followers can do this kind of work, not just bloggers. All you have to do is post an offer from an advertiser and get paid for it. It's as simple as that. There are several methods for advertising on Instagram, including:
The main technique in advertising products is subtlety. For instance, you can take photos or videos featuring a person wearing the hoodie from the manufacturer you are promoting and share them periodically. This is called native advertising. One advantage of this approach is that it avoids annoying or irritating followers and doesn't come across as forced or artificial.
It's worth noting that the price for advertising is not set by the advertiser but rather by the person who is promoting the product. It's important to set reasonable prices for advertising to avoid scaring away potential customers. By the way, you can search for advertisers on specialized exchanges, such as:
Accounts with several tens of thousands of followers can earn about $20 per sponsored post. The more popular an Instagram account is, the greater the potential for earning from advertising on it.
This is one of the easiest ways to earn money from Instagram followers. To earn money from followers on Instagram, you can register on specialized platforms where you'll be paid for liking posts, writing comments, and engaging with the account's followers. You will be rewarded for this. Indeed, while this method may not bring in a large income, it can provide a decent opportunity for a part-time job. Some websites that offer such earning options include:
One thing to note is that the selection of tasks available and the reward for completing them is often modest on these types of sites.
To be more precise, the way to earn money here is through selling promoted accounts. In other words, you can skip the process of building up a large following by purchasing an account that has already been promoted and has a significant number of subscribers. This option is very popular among those who want to start their business and advertise with a large audience right away, as there is no need to spend time promoting the account since it already has many subscribers.
And for those who want to quickly start their business and advertise to a large audience, buying a pre-promoted account is a popular option. These accounts can be sold on specialized profile exchanges and websites that offer similar services. Thus, if you already have an account with many subscribers and do not plan to use it, it is quite possible to sell it or engage in mass promotion.
It's widely known that one can earn through their own products and services and by advertising other people's products and services via affiliate programs. One way to earn money on Instagram is through affiliate marketing programs, where you can earn a commission for promoting and selling other people's goods and services by sharing links on your Instagram profile. With affiliate programs, you can earn a commission by promoting other people's products and services on your Instagram profile through links. Unlike traditional advertising, affiliate programs pay you for the actions taken by users who click on your links and make purchases or perform other specified actions rather than just for displaying ads.
To promote your advertising profile, you can utilize both paid and free methods, such as mass following.
The sale of physical goods, such as watches, is a popular type of affiliate program. You can also sell your photos through stock sites and direct your followers to a photo sales page. Some affiliate programs where you can choose an offer to advertise and receive a custom link include
Hence, an Instagram account can serve as a platform to showcase and store your photos, similar to a digital photo album, and as a means to earn money through various methods. Your Instagram account can be more than just a place to showcase and store your photos like a virtual album. It can also be a source of income, especially if you've managed to grow your following on the platform. Although there are various ways to earn money on Instagram, choosing the most effective and suitable method for your goals and audience is essential. Typically, you would need either a popular account or the willingness to promote and increase its popularity in order to do so.
To gain popularity on Instagram, it is important to choose a relevant topic, increase the number of followers, and attract them with the help of mass following, mass liking, hashtags, and interesting content. To keep your audience engaged, post interesting content regularly, interact with your followers through comments and DMs, and run contests and giveaways. Consistency is key, so avoid long breaks between posts. Use relevant hashtags and collaborate with popular accounts in your niche to increase your exposure and attract new followers.
