How To Make Money On Instagram In 2025: 10 Proven Ways
Monika Ivanauskaite
Updated on February 26, 2025
Share:
Forget just posting selfies – people from around the world are learning how to make money on Instagram. You don’t need millions of followers as you can become a micro-influencer or represent your business.
We’ll dive into the 10 proven methods for making money on Instagram from selling products on your Instagram shop to landing brand collaborations and receiving direct audience support.
1. Monetize through Instagram live badges
One of the most straightforward and fastest ways to earn money from your Instagram page is via Instagram live badges. Your Instagram followers can gift you badges during your live streams to show support. You’ll get direct transfers from the platform for each badge you receive.
People are more likely to support their favorite creators if they get recognition. Consider running exclusive “badge-only” live Q&As or giveaways to incentivize more badge purchases. Here are a few tips to boost engagement during your live streams:
- Host regular live sessions with valuable content.
- Acknowledge badge buyers in real time to encourage them to purchase badges.
- Promote upcoming live streams through Instagram posts and Stories.
If you’re looking to earn money on Instagram via its features, including live badges, make sure to stay within community guidelines. Also, check if your country has enabled live badges as this feature isn’t available globally.
2. Set up an Instagram shop to sell your products
If you’re a business owner, you can set up an Instagram business account and enable Instagram Shopping. This feature transforms your Instagram page into an online store. Your audience can browse, save, and purchase products directly from the app.
Some brands like Glossier actively use the Instagram shop to reach a wider audience and provide aesthetically pleasing product photos with detailed, engaging captions. Such strong branding helps brands stand out and make money on Pinterest or other social media platforms.
To set up an Instagram shop, you’ll need to:
- Use Commerce Manager or a partner platform to set it up. As of 2023, you can’t do it directly on the app.
- Link your e-commerce site to Instagram or create your shop on the platform.
- Select payment methods, your catalog, and display settings.
- Alternatively, you can link your online store’s own website in your Instagram bio.
Make sure to comply with Instagram’s commerce policies to avoid restrictions on your dedicated Instagram page. Otherwise, you’ll lose all the progress you’ve made and might get banned from Instagram. Avoid using offensive language or gestures, promoting illegal products or services, and engaging in dangerous activities.
3. Leverage the Instagram app for affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing allows you to earn commissions by promoting products on your Instagram profile. You can share your affiliate links in bio, Stories, or posts. You’ll make money once someone purchases a product or a service.
As an affiliate marketer, you can earn passive income by:
- Only promoting products you genuinely use and trust.
- Disclosing affiliate links clearly with a paid partnership label to maintain transparency.
- Using trackable links to monitor performance.
It’s crucial to remain authentic and genuine – you’ll have strong personal branding as someone who’s trustworthy. Hence, you’ll attract a more engaged audience than some of the big Instagram creators. Many people online emphasize the importance of engagement, so focus on that to make passive income from affiliate marketing.
4. Collaborate with Instagram users through brand deals
Brand collaborations are mutually beneficial – brands get authentic exposure while creators can become brand ambassadors and earn money from sponsored posts, Stories, or affiliate links. Also, such branded content can help creators expand their reach and unlock a loyal community that values the advertised product or service.
To land a partnership:
- Reach out to brands that align with your niche and values – it’ll be easier to create branded content if you share the same target audience.
- Showcase your engagement rates and audience demographics in a media kit.
- Be clear on pricing and deliverables, including what type of content creation you’ll need to do, before signing a deal.
- Use Instagram’s Creator Marketplace to connect with brands.
Alternatively, brands can reach out to you themselves. It’s important to select brand deals based on the content your audience loves, so avoid promoting something outside your niche. You should always prioritize maintaining an engaged audience and credibility for long-term success.
5. Monetize your Instagram account with sponsored posts
If you have many engaged followers, brands may pay you to post sponsored posts and promote their products. It’s a straightforward way to monetize your Instagram presence – you reach out to brands, land a paid advertising opportunity, and earn money for branded Instagram posts, Stories, or Reels.
Here’s how to land brand partnerships:
- Keep your content authentic – followers can spot forced ads and become disinterested. You should prioritize partnering with your favorite brands to remain genuine and trustworthy.
- Charge fair rates – calculate them based on engagement, not just follower count.
- Create a media kit – it’ll help brands determine what type of sponsored content you can do and showcase your profile’s metrics.
- Maintain a consistent aesthetic that appeals to brands.
Instagram creators like Creating with Kaya emphasize that micro-influencers and small brands like herself have higher engagement rates and, thus, are more valuable to brands. While you might not have a million followers, your engagement rates can be higher compared to celebrity influencers.
So, you can make money online with 10,000 or even fewer followers if you create high-quality content, have an engaged audience, and continuously update your content strategy. As a micro-influencer, you need to stay ahead of trends and provide your audience with content that they’ll love.
6. Monetized Instagram reels
Instagram used to offer Reels bonuses to eligible creators, paying them for views and engagement. However, this monetization option was invite-only and is no longer available. Nevertheless, Reels has opened a new way to monetize your Instagram content.
Here are a few ways if you’re learning how to make money on Instagram Reels:
- Post branded Reels and share promo codes in the description.
- Create Reels to boost the visibility of your account.
- Publish snippets of your Reels on your Instagram Stories to reach more followers and encourage them to view your Reels.
Additionally, you should always use trending sounds and hashtags, post consistently, and mix educational, entertaining, and promotional content to stay relevant. You can post tutorials, product demos, or skits because such content performs well. For example, you can review songs, post about music theory, and essentially get paid to listen to music.
7. Engage and grow your Instagram users' community
Your audience is your biggest asset, so fostering a thriving community will help you earn more money from your Instagram account. Engagement leads to stronger relationships, higher retention rates, and more monetization opportunities.
You can build a strong and loyal community by:
- Using interactive content. Polls, quizzes, and Q&A sessions in Stories encourage followers to interact with your content.
- Hosting live streams. Live sessions, collaborations with other creators, and real-time Q&As give your audience a reason to connect with you.
- Leveraging user-generated content. Feature posts from your followers to strengthen community relationships and boost personal brand trust.
- Actively replying to comments and DMs. Meaningful interactions show your audience you care, making them more likely to support your content.
- Encouraging discussions. Use captions that prompt responses, such as asking followers about their opinions or experiences.
- Creating a content calendar. Posting consistently helps your audience know when to expect new and exclusive content, keeping them engaged.
A strong community boosts your Instagram presence and increases your ability to monetize through brand partnerships, sponsored content, and product sales. Engagement rates show brands that you foster a loyal audience and their promotions are more likely to result in sales. So, highlight your engagement rates in your media kit to land brand deals
8. Offer online workshops or masterclasses via Instagram
In recent years, specialists have started creating content centered around their areas of expertise. For example, Mike Varshavski, better known as Dr. Mike, is a medical resident who creates content about the human body, illnesses, and general well-being.
Other creators like Dr. Mike offer various educational materials to their audience – online workshops, masterclasses, and podcasts. If you create educational content, you can promote them via:
- Instagram Stories and posts with clear call-to-actions.
- A sign-up link in bio and different payment options for easy registration.
- Testimonials or reviews from past students.
- Other content creators from your niche that you collaborate with.
Additionally, you can offer online courses, one-on-one coaching, or group workshops if they align with your Instagram account’s overall theme. Consider turning some of your content into paid subscriptions to have a constant revenue stream. By diversifying your educational content, you’ll attract more registrations and, ultimately, make more money from such exclusive content.
9. Diversify revenue streams beyond the Instagram app
Relying solely on Instagram’s algorithm to make money is risky. You should always diversify your revenue streams and explore other platforms to earn income – the key is to build a strong personal brand and attract an engaged audience to have a safety net if your account gets restricted.
Once your creator account gains traction, start:
- Building an email list to stay connected with your audience outside of Instagram – it’ll help you maintain direct communication with your audience. You can offer incentives to sign up for your newsletter like exclusive content, discounts, or free online courses.
- Cross-promoting your content on other platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, or LinkedIn to build a brand.
- Driving traffic to a personal website or blog –it’ll allow you to repurpose Instagram content and monetize it through ads, sponsorships, or memberships.
If you decide to cross-promote your content, it’ll drive traffic back to Instagram. For example, you can embed your Instagram in blog posts or include your account name in a LinkedIn post’s captions. It’ll help maintain a steady flow of traffic via various channels.
10. Optimize your Instagram account for long-term success
If your goal is a steady stream of income, you need to optimize your account for follower growth, engagement, and conversions from your promo codes. Maintaining a well-built and curated profile builds audience trust and helps you monetize your content.
You can achieve this by:
- Conducting regular profile audits – review your bio, content strategy, posts, and highlights to match your personal brand.
- Using Instagram Insights and other analytic tools – track follower growth, engagement rates, and detailed performance. It’ll help you identify which content type resonates the best with your audience.
- Adopting new features like Guides, Collabs, and Reels – stay ahead of trends and land on your followers’ Instagram feed to increase visibility.
The best strategy to achieve sustainable revenue and long-term success is to treat Instagram as a business. Continuously review your content strategy, build an engaged audience, and connect with them to earn money in the long run.
How many followers do you need to make money on Instagram?
Many aspiring influencers often wonder how many followers on Instagram to make money and when they can monetize their accounts. There’s no strict follower requirement to start earning on Instagram. You should always focus on maintaining an engaged audience.
Some brand deals like Sephora often favor micro-influencers with less than 10,000 followers because their engagement rates are usually higher. Such influencers earn through affiliate links, brand deals, and digital product sales.
As a micro-influencer, you should have a media kit and a good pitch to land brand deals. Also, user-generated content might be worth exploring as you can create reviews and product photos while getting free samples or commissions even from a small audience.
However, follower count still matters. You can set higher rates for brand deals if you hit a significant milestone, such as a million followers. So, the answer to the question “How many followers do you need to make money on Instagram?” depends on your financial goals. You should simultaneously focus on follower growth and engagement rates.
Bonus: How to make money on Instagram without followers
If you’re new to monetizing an Instagram presence, you should start with feasible strategies and a realistic financial goal. It’s crucial to understand that building an income stream for your fresh account will take time and you might get a couple hundred dollars once or twice a month.
However, there are a few popular methods to make money on Instagram for new creators such as:
- Coaching services – you can offer live and online coaching sessions in your niche, such as fitness, business, or personal development. Ensure that your guidance is personalized and unique to build audience trust and credibility.
- Selling niche digital products – e-books, online courses, or printable materials can become a passive income stream. You should focus on establishing your personal brand and work towards higher user engagement to boost sales.
- Optimizing your account for SEO – search engine optimization allows people to find your profile and engage with your content. Incorporate relevant keywords and targeted hashtags to increase visibility and attract more followers. Always showcase testimonials from your previous clients to establish yourself as an expert in your field.
While you’re building your account, consider getting a side hustle or joining micro-tasking platforms to earn money. It can be an extra income stream and help you financially while you’re growing your audience. Make sure to choose reliable platforms like Upwork for freelance work or JumpTask for other microtasks like watching videos or completing online surveys.
Earn while you grow
Building an Instagram income takes time. Start earning today with simple online tasks.
Key Takeaways
- Instagram offers multiple income methods: live badges, Instagram shop, brand partnerships, sponsored content, affiliate relationships, and more.
- You don’t need a massive following – engagement and niche relevance matter more than your follower count.
- You should experiment with different strategies to find the right monetization method for your account. It can depend on your niche, expertise, and personal brand.
- Diversifying revenue sources beyond Instagram, such as email marketing or micro-tasking, provides financial stability and minimizes the risk of monetary loss.
- Microtasking platforms like JumpTask allow users to earn cash passively by engaging with content and completing simple tasks.
FAQs
The best times vary by audience, niche, and other parameters. However, general trends suggest that weekday mornings (around 9 AM to 11 AM) and evenings (around 7 PM to 9 PM) tend to yield higher engagement rates. Use Instagram Insights to identify your followers’ peak activity.
It depends on your country’s regulations – check your local laws to avoid restrictions or penalties. It’s also important to follow Instagram’s commerce policies to prevent account restrictions.
Yes, you can repurpose past content into Reels, Stories, or carousel posts. Updating captions and visuals can give new life to older posts.
No, you can grow your account without paying for advertising. However, they help accelerate your profile’s growth. Organic strategies like SEO-friendly captions, collaborations, and regular updates to your Instagram bio can also boost visibility.
Instagram Insights is good for beginners and provides a professional dashboard with follower growth, engagement rates, and other metrics. Third-party tools like Later or Sprout Social offer deeper analytics, show you the best times to post, suggest improvements in your content, and more.
You should always engage professionally – address constructive criticism politely and ignore or block trolls if necessary. Remember that it’s a business and don’t take negative feedback personally.
Monika Ivanauskaite
Content manager
The mind behind JumpTask updates is also a nature enthusiast, balancing announcements with hikes and capturing serene moments. Dive into the blog for a scenic journey through JumpTask's ever-evolving landscape.
Share:
IN THIS ARTICLE
- 1. Monetize through Instagram live badges
- 2. Set up an Instagram shop to sell your products
- 3. Leverage the Instagram app for affiliate marketing
- 4. Collaborate with Instagram users through brand deals
- 5. Monetize your Instagram account with sponsored posts
- 6. Monetized Instagram reels
- 7. Engage and grow your Instagram users' community
- 8. Offer online workshops or masterclasses via Instagram
- 9. Diversify revenue streams beyond the Instagram app
- 10. Optimize your Instagram account for long-term success
- How many followers do you need to make money on Instagram?
- Bonus: How to make money on Instagram without followers
- Key Takeaways
- FAQs
Related Articles
How to Make Money on Twitch: The Ultimate Guide for Streamers
Monika Ivanauskaite
Updated on March 9, 2025