As of June 2018, Instagram has over 1 billion users. It’s a behemoth of a social media channel which continues to grow at an unprecedented rate. But what does that have to do with you? Well, if you’ve ever wanted to monetize Instagram, then now’s the time for you to do so. Given the sheer size of the global audience, it’s fair to assume there’s a niche market out there for you. Regardless of the kind of content you create, there’s an audience for you. One that, in all likelihood, you can leverage to earn a fortune.

1. How to Monetize Instagram to Earn a Fortune (Updated
January 2021)
As of June 2018, Instagram has over 1 billion users and 500 million daily active
users. It’s a behemoth of a social media channel which continues to grow at an
unprecedented rate. But what does that have to do with you?
Well, if you’ve ever wanted to monetize Instagram, then now’s the time for you to
do so. Given the sheer size of the global audience, it’s fair to assume there’s a
niche market out there for you. Regardless of the kind of content you create,
there’s an audience for you. One that, in all likelihood, you can leverage to earn a
fortune.
Although it is a platform designed to share photos and videos on, with the right
approach, you can monetize Instagram. But before we talk about the different ways
you can monetize Instagram, let’s look at what you’ll need to achieve that.
Prerequisites to Monetizing Instagram
This is never going to a simple task. It takes more than just a catchy Instagram
name, quirky description, and posting photos to make money using the platform. It
might work well to impress your personal circle, but it takes a lot of hard work and
patience to monetize your Instagram account.
1. Fanbase and Influence
The question you need to ask yourself is why would businesses be willing to pay
an Instagram user, like you, money? They would do so to gain exposure and access
to your audience, in the hopes of selling their products to them.

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Starting out, your audience size is low and unlikely to be able to drive sales for
your own or a brand’s products. You need to grow your reach, organically, to at
least a few thousand to be able to have an impact.
You should measure the performance of your Instagram account
using HashtagsForLikes. Their analytics feature, based on open data and AI
technologies, can help you discover what works best. You can easily identify the
top-performing content and hashtags in your niche and use them to grow your
followers and reach.
But reach, alone, isn’t enough. To generate sales, you need to be able to create and
share compelling content(Articoolo). Your followers have to take actions based on
your product recommendations.
Thus, having a reach and an influence over the purchasing power of your fanbase
is critical. Here’s what an Instagram sales funnel looks like.
Image via Social
Media Examiner
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2. Dedicated and Engaged Followers
Having a sizeable fanbase does, mathematically, increase your chances of
appearing in the feeds of more users. But what’s the point of that if people don’t
engage with you or your content? The trick to increasing engagement is to create
content that solves certain content needs for your audience.

3. And how can you measure that? Not by the number of followers you have, but the
number of people liking, commenting on, and sharing your posts. If you have an
“engaged” community, brands will be more willing to invest in you to drive their
profits.
Just take a look at Jenna Farmer. She has a relatively small audience of around
4,900 followers. Yet, she still managed to garner 151 likes and 15 comments on
this post promoting Tyne Cheese. That’s a very respectable engagement rate of
4.2% (approx).
Image via Instagram
What Do You Need to Do
Now, we’ve covered the most basic requirements that you’ll need to meet to
monetize Instagram. But what can you do to actually achieve that social reach, earn
that influence, and attain high engagement?
1. Leverage the Right Hashtags
Hashtags are a great way to improve the discoverability and reach of your content.
While Instagram allows you to use a maximum of 30 hashtags, I personally
recommend a decent 10-15 for the maximum effect.

4. However, it’s crucial to get your hashtags right to ensure that they can create the
maximum effect.
But, how can you find the right hashtags?
There are multiple hashtag generator tools out there that can do the groundwork for
you. Based on your niche, they can send you a list of the most popular hashtags in
your niche.
The problem is there are many tools for hashtag generation. And not all of them
are genuine. If you are new to the field, you may struggle to filter out the wheat
from the chaff.
To save your some time, I’ve got a recommendation for you:
Use HashtagsForLikes.
This AI-powered hashtag research tool can help you get in-depth insights into each
hashtag so that you can figure out if it’s worth using it. All you need to do is enter
the hashtag, and the tool will do the work for you.
But that’s not all.
The tool can also find the right hashtags for your profile. Just enter your Instagram
handle and the tool will find the best hashtags for you.
Remember, though, you shouldn’t be using any random hashtags. Try using ones
that are relevant to your posts and will help you reach out to bigger audiences. Feel
free to get creative and witty with your hashtags, as well. The Brothers Buoy sure
know how to do this right.

5. Image via Instagram
2. Have a Snappy Bio
Regardless of whether you’re a business or individual trying to monetize
Instagram, you need to post wisely. Your profile bio is valuable real estate you can
leverage to pitch to first-time visitors.
I’d advise that you have a simple, crisp, and perhaps quirky, bio. Showcase your
creativity and what value you might add to them.
Let's take a look at Luvvie for inspiration. Her bio is catchy, visually appealing,
and establishes her brand's credibility.

6. Image via Instagram
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3. Be Regular
To nurture any relationship, you need to interact with each other on a regular basis.
The same principle extends to your presence on Instagram.
You need to post content and engage your followers on a regular basis. It helps to
set up a fixed posting schedule. One that aligns with the times your audience is
most likely to be on the tool.
According to Tailwind, there is a positive correlation between the frequency of
posting and engagements rates. Not only that, the more you post on Instagram, the
faster your audience will also grow.
Take this to a whole new level by regularly interacting with your followers in the
comment section of each post. This will go a long way to show your followers that
you genuinely care and appreciate them.
Jenn, here, is a great example of that.

7. Image via Instagram
Pro Tip: Leverage Instagram analytics tools to keep track of your follower growth
and engagement rate.
4. Improve your Content Quality
One of the most important things you need to do to monetize Instagram is to
improve your content quality. There are plenty of content creators out there vying
for the attention of your target audience. Standing out in this sea, then, is more than
a task.
Always use high-quality images and never repeat your product pitches. Base your
captions on your actual experiences with brand products to come off as genuine
and more engaging.
Additionally, you should strongly consider leveraging video content in the form of
Stories or even on IGTV to stand out.
Take a page out of Colin McCarthy’s playbook and rake in those engagements by
leveraging video content.

8. Image via Instagram
5. Build Relationship with Other Content Creators
As a user who’s only starting to monetize Instagram, quality content and
compelling captions will only get you so far. An important element of growing
your reach and influence is cultivating relationships with other content creators
from your niche.
You could always get in touch with them and ask them for a shoutout on one of
their posts. Or you can actively engage with them and their followers on their
posts. Better yet, you can collaborate with them to create content together.
Humble The Poet and Lilly Singh (@iisuperwomanii) are known for their
collaborative content.

9. Image via Instagram
In addition to this, you can also run giveaways and contests with influencers to
boost your visibility.
Want some awesome Instagram giveaway ideas?
Here are some different ideas you can experiment with:
• Ask your followers to tag their friends in the comments section
• Encourage your followers to like and share your posts
• Ask your followers to upload a photo with your products
Ways to Monetize Instagram
We’ve covered what you need and some pro-tips that will help you monetize your
Instagram account. Finally, let’s talk about some of the different methods you can
use to achieve this.

10. 1. Affiliate Marketing
One of the easiest ways to monetize Instagram is by becoming an affiliate marketer
on the platform. Essentially, you work as a brand ambassador for certain products
that you use and believe in.
Your audience may find it helpful if you share a link or discount code, with them,
for the products you’re promoting on your page. Whenever someone buys a
product using your custom link, you get a certain percentage of the revenue
generated.
But, how can you create an affiliate marketing campaign?
To create an affiliate marketing campaign from scratch, I recommend
using ShareASale. This comprehensive tool makes the entire process of affiliate
marketing simple.
You can create campaigns for social media, apps, and websites using this tool and
can start off with just a few clicks. The best part about this platform is that it helps
you track the progress of your campaign, too, so that you can figure out how it’s
performing.
Here’s a good example of what that looks like.
Cassie Andew pairs a high-quality image with a compelling copy. Note how she’s
incentivizing people to buy using a special discount code.

11. Image via Instagram
2. Sponsored Posts and Shoutouts
Once you achieve “influencer” status, be it as a micro or macro influencer, you
could leverage your influence to promote brands. Once you have established your
thought-leadership in your niche, you can monetize Instagram for a profit.
Oftentimes, brands partner with influencers for sponsored posts that help spread
the word about their offerings. Typically, such posts revolve around the product
itself, with a small review from yourself. It’s important that such sponsored posts
should blend in with your other content so as to not seem overly promotional.
For instance, if you’re a plus-sized apparel influencer, then you want to be working
with brands that promote body positivity. That’s why Gabi, here, often partners
with brands like Premme because they align with her personal values.

12. Image via Instagram
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3. Advertise Your Products
Building on the above premise, you can always do for yourself what you would
otherwise do for brands. Confused? If you have a strong personal brand and aren’t
too keen on promoting other companies on your page, you could always market
your own products.
So long as you have an ardent fan-following, you can easily monetize Instagram
this way. Design and sell your own products like clothing, books, merchandise,
cosmetics, etc. So long as the items relate to your niche and resonate with your
audience, you can use Instagram to sell them.
Cartoonist, Nekoma, has done well for herself by starting her own store and then
leveraging Instagram to promote it. She promotes her art, comics, and plushies by
sharing related content on the platform.

13. Image via Instagram
4. Teach What You Know
People follow you on Instagram for a reason. They love your content and are
looking to learn from you. So, why not teach them how to be like you?
There’s a huge pay-off in creating information products to market on Instagram.
Zach Rocheleau, for one, uses the platform to teach his followers how to make a
healthier version of their favorite junk food.

14. Image via Instagram
Alternatively, you can become an Instagram marketing guru and help budding
content creators or brands improve their capabilities. After all, if you’re good at
something, you should never do it for free. Take your knowledge and become a
social media marketing consultant, write and sell ebooks on the same to monetize
Instagrams.
5. Product Placement Videos
Product placements have been around since the dawn of video advertisements. And
there’s no reason why you can’t do the same to monetize Instagram.
Basically, you create a video that features you using a product and then earn some
money for advertising it.
Explainer videos, DIYs, testimonials, or even quirky shorts are a good way to go
about producing such videos. Now, you could either do this using normal videos or
Instagram Stories, but if you want to stand out, I’d recommend giving IGTV a
shot. A lot of brands are looking to partner with content creators on IGTV, and you
should make the most of this opportunity.
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15. FAQs
Q1. How to monetize Instagram?
A. There are numerous ways of monetizing Instagram. Here are the best ones:
• Sponsored Posts or Shoutouts
• Affiliate Marketing
• Product Advertising
• Product Placement Videos
• Integrate Instagram shop to your online store
• Earn with IGTV ads
• Earn tips with Live Badges on Instagram
• Sell on Instagram Live Shopping
Q2. How long does it take to monetize an Instagram account?
A. There’s no clear answer on how long it can take to monetize an Instagram
account. However, you’d definitely need a few months to develop a loyal fan-
following on the platform. You’d also have to consistently post content during this
period to ensure that the followers engage with your posts too.
Q3. How does monetization work on Instagram?
A. Monetization works in a lot of different ways on Instagram. You can:
• Get paid to promote products or services
• Promote your products and services to generate sales
Both of these things could be done through posts, Stories, Reels, IGTV videos, etc.
Q4. What is Instagram monetization?
A. Instagram monetization is the process through which you can make money out
of your Instagram account. You can leverage your engaged fan-following to
promote brands in return for a payment. It’s also possible to generate sales for your
own products and services with it.
Q5. How much money do 100k Instagram followers make?
A. On average, Instagram influencers with 100k followers typically charge about
$250-500 per sponsored post. However, a lot of factors such as the engagement
rate and niche can play a role in determining the pricing as well.
Q6. Do Instagram users get paid?
A. While Instagram itself doesn’t pay anything to its users, those with large fan-
followings might get brands to pay them. If you’ve developed a dedicated follower
base on the platform in a particular niche, brands may get in touch with you to
promote their products or services. You can charge them for the same.
Q7. Can you make money on Instagram with 1000 followers?
A. Yes, it’s very much possible to monetize Instagram with 1000 followers. You
can become a nano-influencer in your niche and get some brands to partner with
you if your followers are highly engaged. However, most brands might work with
you by providing free products or services instead of money.
Q8. How many followers do you need to make money on Instagram or
monetize an Instagram account?

16. A. You can make money on Instagram with a minimum of 1000 followers. You
can then become a nano-influencer and might get some attention from brands.
However, you may not be able to demand much in fees. Once you’ve got about
10K followers, you’ll be better-placed to monetize Instagram. The key here is to
have a high engagement rate.
Q9. How many followers do you need on Instagram to get a blue tick?
A. To get a blue tick and become a verified Instagram account, you’ll need a
minimum of 10,000 followers. However, this alone doesn’t guarantee a blue tick.
Instagram is very picky and only gives the blue tick to some.
Q10. How to monetize videos on Instagram?
A. You can monetize videos by:
• Mentioning brands in your videos
• Reviewing products or services in the videos
• Creating how-to videos about products or services
• Running video ads to drive traffic to your website to generate sales
Q11. Does Instagram pay its creators?
A. Yes. In 2020, Instagram announced that they would start sharing revenue with
creators on IGTV ads.
Previously, however, creators could only get paid by brands they partnered with or
make money from selling their products.
Q12. When should I monetize my Instagram?
A. It would be best to monetize Instagram when your engagement rate and
follower count fit in with your posts and niche's quality.
These days, brands care about how engaged your audience is and how much
influence you have over their buying decisions. They want to know that you can
help them create brand awareness and boost conversions.
You should also be an expert in their niche or one related to what the brand offers.
Q13. Who is the highest-paid Instagrammer?
A. Dwayne Johnson. According to a recent study, he earns $1,015,000 per post on
Instagram.
Q14. How much does Instagram pay you for 1 million followers?
A. Instagram does not pay you. But you can get paid by brands you work with or
share in revenue with Instagram on IGTV ads.
Payment from these brands also depends on your engagement rates, type of posts,
effort it takes to create content, kind of partnership, etc.
Q15. Can someone monetize Instagram posts?
A. Yes, you can. Brands can pay you to post sponsored content on their behalf.
You can also become an affiliate, and for every sales you help drive, you’ll get a
commission or percentage.

17. You can also open an Instagram Shop or sell your digital and physical products
from your Instagram account.