It used to be that only famous people could post #ads on Instagram. But today, you don’t have to be a Kardashian to monetize your favorite social media platform! Here are some ways that Instagrammers can get paid.
Makes Sales via Shop
If you run a small business and haven’t heard of Instagram Shop, it’s time to read up. Any established merchant with an active website can list their goods on Instagram – as long as those goods are legal!
To apply, turn on the in-app Instagram Shopping feature, then submit your business account for review. Once the Instagram team has approved you as a seller, Instagram users can click to shop any of your items via feed posts or stories! Learn more about Instagram Shopping here.
Become a Micro-Influencer
What is a micro-influencer? It’s a social media influencer who acts on a smaller, more personal scale. Typically, micro-influencers have business or creator accounts with somewhere between 1,000 and 100,000 followers.
Micro-influencers are highly engaged with their followers, meaning they have deeper connections, and the level of trust is higher. If you have this many followers, you might be eligible to partner with brands that pay micro-influencers to post about their products. DM or email your favorite shops or brands to see if you might be a good partner for them.
Be an Affiliate
An affiliate marketer refers buyers to products in exchange for a cut of each sale. If you like to post about your recent buys and your favorite items, this might be a great option for you.
To get started, find an external affiliate program that works for you; this could be brand-specific or more like Amazon Associates. Once you’re approved for the program of your choice, use those links in your bio, posts, or stories.
IGTV Ads
Do you regularly create content on IGTV? Instagram will soon let creators earn money from ads on their videos, much like YouTube does. Look for further development of this feature in the app, as some creators already have access to the program. Learn more about IGTV Ads here.
Badges on Live
Go live on Instagram to interact with your followers in real time! A newer feature, Badges, lets some creators sell “badges” to followers. This is sort of like a tip jar. If they like what you’re doing, your followers can buy a heart badge for approximately $1. Accounts with badges enabled get to keep 100% of the revenue generated by those purchases. If you make music or art and are willing to do so live, this might be a great option for you. Learn more about Instagram Badges here.
If you create content, you have several options for making money on Instagram. Just be sure that you set up a Creator Account or Business Account, not a personal one. Then try these methods, and get paid!