If you’re wondering how to make money on Instagram and whether there is a thing as a full-time IGer, we’ve some great news for you! Namely, a lot of people today leave their 9–5 jobs to make money on the Internet, starting with the most popular social media platform — Instagram.
Did you know that as a full-time IGer, you can make money not only by sharing super cool photos and videos but also by creating sponsored posts, writing quotes, and selling your art? Indeed, it’s true!
So, how do you start making money on Instagram? We’ll tell you by the end of this article. But first, put on your seatbelt because this is going to be one hell of a ride!
How to Become a Profitable IGer?
Are you an outgoing individual who, above all, wants to make money using your creative, wacky side? Perhaps you’ve been a part of the vast social media community for a long time, and you have a large number of online followers?
If so, then maybe it’s time to cash out on your long-term commitment to the online world and turn to Instagram as your primary source of income.
How does one do that exactly? Take a look below!
Keep the Number of Followers Above 5,000
Ever wondered how many followers do you need to make money on Instagram? To earn an average US salary of $51,168, you’ll need to have at least 5,000 followers on Instagram and 157 sponsored posts per year, according to the “social salary” calculator.
Here are some tips on gaining more followers:
- Optimize your account. Write your bio, fill your account with some cool-looking images and captions, use hashtags, and most importantly — create a search-friendly username. Once you pinpoint your primary keyword, include it in your display name and username.
- Post regularly. The best times to post on Insta are from 11 AM–1 PM on Monday, 10 AM–5 PM on Tuesday, 11 AM–1 PM on Wednesday, 11 AM–12 PM on Thursday, 11 AM–1 PM on Friday, 10 AM–1 PM on Saturday, and 9 AM–4 PM on Sunday.
- Get other people to repost your content.
- Promote your Instagram account on other social media platforms.
- Follow the ongoing trends. For example, Instagram shopping was one of the biggest trends in 2021, and it will likely continue in 2022.
How to make money on Instagram with 500 followers? That is hardly possible at the moment. You’ll just have to increase your engagement tenfold in order to start earning from Instagram.
In other words, start collaborating with other people, become a brand ambassador (make sure you have the same target audience with the brand you choose), offer great service, earn commissions through affiliate links, etc.
Fun Fact: You can follow a maximum of 7,500 users on Instagram.
More Fun Facts: Cristiano Ronaldo’s Instagram account had the highest number of followers in 2022. Namely, CR7 had 520 million followers. For comparison, his famous rival, Leo Messi, had “only” 405 million followers, despite the recent World Cup win.
How to make money on Instagram without followers? Here are some tips:
- Pick a particular niche and create quality content
- Use hashtags relevant to your niche
- Start following 10–50 people per day
- Unfollow people that don’t follow you back
- Write personalized messages
- Become an affiliate marketer
- Buy and sell Instagram accounts
- Become a brand ambassador
Get Paid $1,000 per Hour for Writing Inspirational Quotes
Instagram is not only about sharing photos and videos. It’s also about writing #unique and #catchy phrases and quotes. Therefore, if you’re a silver-tongued individual, you could use your writing skills to become the Instagram caption writer.
Some companies will pay up to $1,000 per hour for creating original quotes and short sayings. For example, Laura Belgray, the owner of Talking Shrimp, earns $6,000 per day for writing quotes on Instagram.
How to make money by posting quotes on Instagram? Start by writing a new quote every day. Make sure to entertain your audience with witty and call-to-action quotes. You can also use graphic editing apps to create creative and unique quote graphics. After all, “a sass a day keeps the basics away.”
Besides creating quirky quotes, you can also earn money by writing captions for other people. Many small businesses hire creative freelance writers to help their brands flourish. So, if blogging is your favorite part-time weekend job, writing Insta captions might be just the thing for you!
How to make money on Instagram by writing:
- Know your audience’s interests
- Write about your personal experiences
- Offer something unique and original
- Use catchy lines
- Add user-generated content
- Don’t overuse hashtags
- Be in contact with other writers
Fun Fact: The most mentioned writers on Instagram are William Shakespeare (2,010,059 mentions), J.R.R. Tolkien (964,045 mentions), and E.A. Poe (789,022 mentions).
Earn $50.00 per Instagram Reel Video
TikTok and YouTube are not the only places where people can earn money by posting videos. In 2020, Instagram introduced its new feature for video aficionados called Instagram Reels.
Now IGers can record and edit a 15- to 60-second video and share it on their accounts and Stories. You can even add music, sound effects, text, and filters to make your videos pop out.
Keep in mind that Instagram will crop your video to 4:5 dimensions, so make sure to put the text in the middle!
How to make money on Instagram reels? First, decide on how much you will charge per reel.
Influencers recommend charging 1% of the total views. In other words, you can charge $50.00 for 1,000–5,000 views, $100.00 for 5,000–10,000 views, $500.00 for 10,000–50,000 views, etc.
Fun Fact: The most viewed Instagram reel in 2021 was Learn from Khaby, which generated 286 million views and 12.2 million likes. The silent TikToker, Khaby Lame, mastered how to earn money on TikTok and has 80.2 million followers on Instagram, and he earns approximately $200,000 per month.
Earn Money by Selling Art on Instagram
How to make money as an artist on Instagram? Ask Ashley Longshore, a Louisiana-based painter, and entrepreneur who managed to sell her art for $30,000 on Instagram.
Besides being a popular app for influencers, Instagram is also a perfect place for young artists that want to connect with potential buyers from all over the world.
What kind of art can you sell on Insta? User-generated content (UGC), such as photos and videos, story masks and filters, etc.
Artists can also use Reels to express their ideas. For example:
- Make a timelapse of your exhibition
- Use a gimbal to rotate around your sculptures
- Share painting tips
- Show your lifestyle, focus on things that make you unique as an artist
- Add AR (augmented reality) to your art
Fun Fact: Banksy (@banksy) is the most popular visual artist on Instagram with 11.2 million followers.
Make Money by Selling Your Photos on Instagram
How to make money as a photographer on Instagram? You can sell your 1080×1080 images as stock photos by charging $5.00–$10.00 per photo or sell them as prints. Photography has always been a lucrative job, and Daniel Arnold is the living proof of that.
Namely, this photographer from Brooklyn managed to make $15k in just one day. What did he do? He posted his collection of photos (taken by iPhone) on Instagram!
How to make money by posting pictures on Instagram?
- Focus on a specific niche. For example, if you’re a food photographer, focus on food only.
- Show your best works. Avoid posting irrelevant content. Focus on photos that are relevant to your niche.
- Keep things professional. It’s ok to post your personal photos. However, don’t overdo it. Make sure that 80% of your photos are related to your niche. The remaining 20% can be behind the scene shots.
- Use hashtags and geotags. 5 to 10 hashtags per post are enough. You don’t want to appear spammy.
- Use filters if you’re taking photos with your smartphone.
- Connect with other photographers within your niche.
How to take better photos? Here are some useful tips:
- Post high quality photos
- Use a clean background
- Take advantage of the natural light
- Create bokeh when shooting portraits (out-of-focus background)
- Write interesting captions
- Use 3–5 captivating hashtags (the most popular Insta hashtags are #love, #design, #instagood, #inspiration, #art).
Fun Fact: The highest-earning photographer on Instagram is Paul Nicklen, who earns $23,000 per sponsored post.
How to Make Money on Instagram Without Selling Anything?
Is there a way to make money on Instagram without selling any products? Yes, there is. You can become a social influencer. 17% of brands invest more than 50% of their ad budgets in social media influencers, meaning you can earn big money.
You can also do shout-outs. If you have a large number of followers, companies will pay you to mention their products (or tag them) on your Instagram profile.
Moreover, starting affiliate marketing is one of the easiest ways to get your hands on some cash. To do that, simply create a free account and share links to affiliate products on your Instagram by inviting your followers to buy products using your link.
Bonus: How to Make Money on Instagram as a Teenager?
If you’re a creative teenager who wants to make some money on the side while studying, Instagram is the perfect place to start your business adventures and put some money on your debit card for teenagers.
Become an Instagram Affiliate Marketer
This is a perfect way to make some money without dealing with the boring stuff, such as refunds, shipping, or product development.
After you decide which brand you’ll be advertising, sign up with an affiliate program such as CJ Affiliate, Clickbank, or Shareasale, add the link to your bio, posts, or story and let the magic happen.
How to make money on Instagram with Clickbank?
- Create an account on Clickbank
- Choose your niche
- Find a product to promote
- Create a landing page where you’ll be sending your Instagram traffic
- Drive traffic through your Insta account (use a username related to your niche, upload interesting photos, etc.)
- Follow up (send follow up emails to the potential buyers)
Sell Old Things
You can use your IG account to sell your old clothes, computer equipment, toys, electronics… You name it. You can even sell your old Hula-Hoop!
Promote Small Local Businesses
If you have that special place you love visiting with your friends, for example, a local smoothie bar, create an account dedicated to that place.
Put some cool-looking smoothie photos, write about their special deals… You get the gist! We already mentioned how many views on Instagram you’d need to make money (at least 5,000). So, once you generate enough followers, you can monetize your IG account.
Fun Fact: Instagram is the most popular platform among teens. Namely, 81% of adolescents use it.
Keep Calm and Turn Your Instagram On
Now that you learned how to become a profitable IGer, the only thing left to do is to find your niche. Remember, Instagram is not only about sharing photos and videos. It can also transform into a profitable tool if you know how to use it.
With that in mind, always stay true to yourself and don’t forget to have fun!
FAQs
Do Instagram users get paid?
Yes, Instagram users with 6,000 to 10,000 followers get paid an average of $88.00 per post. In other words, the more followers you have the more money you’ll get. Moreover, once you have more than 100,000 followers, you’ll be able to make $10.00 for every 1,000 followers.
Influencers that have between 250,000 and 500,000 followers will be able to make an average of $670.00 per post.
Does Instagram pay you for 1,000 followers?
If you’ve just started and you have only 1,000 followers, you won’t be able to cash out your efforts. Namely, you’ll need to have at least 5,000 followers to start earning money. Again, once you get more than 100,000 followers, you’ll earn $10.00 for every 1,000 followers.
How many views do you need to get paid on Instagram?
Based on the “social salary” calculator, if you want to make $984 per month, i.e., $51,168 per year (an average US salary), you’d have to have at least 5,000 IG followers and 157 sponsored posts per year.
How to make money on Instagram? Start by increasing your engagement rate and earn at least $350 per sponsored post to reach the magic figure (namely, $51,168)!