How To Make Money On Instagram? The EASIEST Cheat Sheet On The Internet

How to make money on Instagram? I have asked this question so many times – the worst part? 

Everything looks easy, but nothing really works! And for the longest time, I was frustrated trying to crack the algorithm. 

Just dancing on my reels will not really help – and it didn’t. I was annoyed, and my clients were even more confused. 

Because the SEO game I play daily is wildly different from Instagram marketing, things are very different in social media. Moreover, creating content for brands and getting results from them within a three-month window is no easy feat!

It took me a while, but a few years back, I finally figured out the trick – only consistency works on Instagram. Sure, creativity and quality of visuals are both important factors – but it’s the same old trick in the book. 

If you are consistent and make an effort to relate to your audience regularly, then you will definitely grow on Instagram. And growing on Instagram is literally your gateway to earning revenue from the platform. 

Why Should You Learn How To Make Money On Instagram?

With Instagram’s increasing popularity, one thing is clear – you can earn directly from the social media platform. And so many people are already doing it. 

Interestingly, the social media platform has more than 2 billion active users per month across the globe. If that data didn’t shock you, I have more for you. 

Did you know that Instagram has 500 million active users daily – and all these users engage for nearly 30 minutes every day. 

Now, that is a huge audience base for any business trying to sell products, connect with people, and ultimately build a recognizable brand. 

Moreover, at the core of Instagram’s growth strategy are creators and some built-in features, and the blend of these two important factors will ensure that you can directly earn from content. 

For instance, ‘Reels Bonuses’ rewards creators when their reels perform well and ‘Paid Subscriptions’ helps creators make money from their exclusive content. 

Also, ‘Enhanced Shopping Tools’ help businesses tag their products in Stories and Reels, streamlining the buyer’s journey (discovery-to-purchase). 

Additionally, Creator Marketplace on Instagram helps influencers connect with businesses for paid collaborations and sponsorships.

So, if you are an entrepreneur or a business owner, you can use Instagram to reach your potential clients and boost sales. 

How To Make Money On Instagram?

Instagram offers different ways to turn your profile into an active source of income. 

So, you can easily:

1. Create sponsored content.
2. Become an influencer.
3. Join the platform’s Creator programs (Bonuses and Live Badges, for example).
4. Sell products on Instagram Shop.
5. Do affiliate marketing or dropshipping.
6. Offers services (social media marketing, consulting, digital marketing, etc.)

Additionally, creators and influencers can make money from exclusive content, user-generated content, and livestreaming. 

While there are several ways to earn money on Instagram, you do need high-quality, visual content for consistent engagement to build a loyal following. 

Moreover, without a loyal following on Instagram, you will face difficulty in redirecting organic traffic to your site and improving sales. 

Frankly, becoming successful on Instagram typically stems from:

1. Working on one niche. 
2. Engaging regularly with followers and the target audience. 
3. Using platform analytics to improve content strategy. 
4. Publishing at the right times. 
5. Cross-promoting content on other platforms. 

Also, key Instagram metrics such as link clicks, DM conversions, and shopping tag engagement matter far more than views or likes. 

1. Partner With Brands For Sponsored Posts: 

One of the most effective ways of monetizing Instagram is to become an influencer – you could also become a nano-influencer or micro-influencer. 

As an influencer, you can earn compensation, such as money or gifts, by creating engaging content for businesses or brands. 

Moreover, you experiment with such promotional content – from shoutouts and reels to carousels and stories, you have many options. 

TBH, businesses and brands love Instagram promotion for its highly visual nature and engaging content formats. 

As a result, using Instagram’s visual features to create content for maximum impact is perhaps your best shot at reaching new people every day. 

Also, how much money you can make from sponsored content on Instagram usually depends on your engagement rates and follower count. 

In that context, here’s a breakdown:

2. Become A Creator And Get Paid Directly By Instagram:

Facebook had officially announced that by the time 2022 ends, the company will invest more than 1 billion dollars in programs that will allow creators and influencers to make money from their content. 

One such program is the famous Creator Fund that allows creators to monetize their content via Instagram Live Badges, IGTV Ads, and bonuses. 

3. Open An Instagram Shop:

Instagram shops are pretty much like running your own online store – except everything is inside an app. Moreover, their tagline, ‘post, tag, sell,’ is self-explanatory about how the shop operates. 

Once you have created your shop on Instagram, just upload images of your products, add descriptions, and mention the prices. And that’s all you have to do – the rest? 

Instagram users will discover your shop and products directly from the app. Also, you can add your website URL to your bio for potential customers to find more about your brand. 

So, for creating an Instagram shop, follow the steps mentioned below:

1. Turn on the ‘Shopping’ option. 
2. Convert your profile to business mode. 
3. Then, connect your Instagram business account with your Facebook profile. 
4. Upload your product catalog. 
5. Finish account review. 

4. Become An Affiliate Marketeer:

Unlike becoming a creator or influencer and earning money from every post, affiliates earn from commissions. 

So, the average commission rate that you can expect is usually between 5% and 30%. FYI, your sales data will under track via some URM link or promo code. 

Moreover, affiliate programs on Instagram usually run under the name of ‘Brand Ambassador.’ Either brands can approach you directly, or you can apply to become an affiliate from a brand’s website. 

For example, I am an affiliate on Amazon for skincare products – the commission rate is one of the highest, and it doesn’t take much work. 

Also, it is crucial to remember in this context that your follower count is not a decision-making parameter for brands seeking to onboard affiliates.

Instead, brands will only see if you are the right person to connect with their target audience. 

In addition, it is crucial to point out that you can add product links only to your bio. Or you can post stories on Instagram about products with their links. 

But since only two options might limit you, it is best to have a blog website on the side to promote your products (alongwith trackable product links). 

5. Drive Traffic To Your Website:

According to business insights published by Facebook, 80% of participants in a survey said Instagram helped them to discover and purchase from new businesses. 

This includes both products and services. It is evident that the chances of people buying from you are higher if your brand keeps popping up on their feed. 

As a result, Instagram can help you to drive organic traffic indirectly to your website – and by extension contribute to your revenue. 

Also, with Instagram’s visitors, you can expand your email list, improve sales, and grow your community.

6. Offer Instagram Marketing Services:

So, I’ve really benefited from this one! I started my career around 8 years ago as a social media marketing professional. 

As a result, over the years, I’ve worked with multiple brands (names held as per contracts) – my work? 

It usually includes creating a content-led Instagram strategy to grow a brand, involving content creation, caption writing, and account management. 

Moreover, if you don’t have time for a full-time commitment, you can always opt for freelancing gigs or consulting. 

So, if you don’t have time to create content and put in the hard work, you can always consider consulting other brands that want to improve and grow their Instagram. 

The best part? You will make an excellent profit from charging consulting fees. 

Just to give you an idea, you can make between $20 to $60 every hour from consulting. Also, for caption writing, you can earn $100 per hour. 

In addition, it is important how you promote your services.  

For me, LinkedIn really helped me onboard clients – via their job postings specifically for freelancers and remote consulting professionals. 

7. Sell Digital Media, Illustrations, Or Photos:

Instagram is truly a paradise for visual content. So, if you are a photographer, designer, or just creative, it is time you start cashing in on your skills. 

For starters, you can start selling your art or photos on Instgram – and that to both businesses and individuals. 

Also, you can use a good portfolio maker for creating your own portfolio website featuring your creative work. 

In that case, you can look at your Instagram account as a sort of storefront window to feature some of your work and attract potential clients. 

8. Create Exclusive Content:

TBH, humans are very curious with a solid desire to learn more – it’s a fact! That is precisely why online courses offered by Udacity, Masterclass, and Coursera have such a huge audience base. 

So, why not create a course and use Instagram to promote it and earn money from each registration? 

Generally, individual courses start at $100 on average, while more intense, longer courses can end up costing much more. 

Having said that, you don’t have to create courses and call it a day – there are more ways to create exclusive content.

For instance, you can create eBooks, templates, whitepapers, and downloadable guides to earn money via Instagram.

9. Try Dropshipping:

When you start a business, one factor that inevitably creates both financial and logistical hurdles is your inventory. But what if you could have a store without ever worrying about inventory? 

Meet dropshipping, a business model that can help you say goodbye to inventory and all the problems that accompany it. 

So, in dropshipping businesses, the deal is simple. You can easily choose from thousands of suppliers and products – it could be anything, from pillows and mugs to t-shirts and books. 

Now comes the best part – you are absolutely free from shipping and inventory problems. Instead, can fix your own prices and make the most of profits. 

Once you are all set to promote this business, just create a page on Instagram and showcase all your products to reach new customers and boost sales.