How to Make Money on Instagram: A Step-by-Step Guide

To generate money on Instagram as an influencer, follow these steps to build your platform, establish your brand, and grow your following.

I’m an Instagram influencer, full disclosure. I’ve been able to develop a steady side income while pursuing my second degree over the last four years. It wasn’t easy to build an influencer business, but it wasn’t impossible—and it shouldn’t be kept a secret. When insiders keep information on how to win in any sector, it doesn’t help anyone, and social media is just that: a booming industry.

So, whether you’re just getting started with learning how to monetize your Instagram account, or if you’re simply curious, here are some steps you can take to create your platform, establish your brand, and grow your following so you can make money as an influencer on Instagram. To get started, all you need is access to the internet.

Developing your personal brand

Money on Instagram

Ask yourself, “Why do I want to get into the influencer marketing industry?” before you even consider monetizing your social media presence. What do I want to do with the community that I’m building? You can come up with a straightforward method to curating your page if you get clear on this.

Your Instagram feed is a collection of images from your life or brand. It informs visitors to your page about the causes and causes you support (or do not support). Growing on Instagram, though, is about more than simply creating a gorgeous feed; it’s about creating something that others can relate to. And it isn’t something that happens overnight. Researching the niche you want to advertise is a good first step, but having the effort to get started is much better.

Remember that there will never be a “perfect” time to begin; you will fail and make mistakes. That’s a significant aspect of social media, because you’re always under inspection and there’s always something new to learn. Simply starting is the easiest approach to start growing your business or brand (especially because there are so many opportunities to go viral every day).

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Aim for monetization and cross-platform distribution.

Consider how you can make money. Do you have a thing for plants, for example? Send us images and videos of your indoor plants. Showcase teasers for your blog entries every time you post on Instagram, and encourage your followers to do the same. Sending followers from Instagram to TikTok and back is the same thing. You can start reaching out to plant brands you like to see if they’re interested in a collaboration if you’ve built up a following of people who expect you to provide beautiful and educational houseplant how-tos and recommendations.

However, think twice before partnering.

After all, it’s simple to take a photo of a product and label it as a #ad; it’s not necessarily so simple to include a product into your Instagram feed in a genuine way. Before working with a brand, it’s critical to maintain your unique brand pillars. You would not want to sponsor anything that is utterly out of line with your brand, even if the pay is fantastic.

You’ll be representing the brand you’re promoting—and, inadvertently, adopting their beliefs into your content—regardless of the payment structure. So, before you commit to a relationship, consider why you launched your platform in the first place and who your ideal customer is. Would she be interested in this material? Would it be genuine to her? Would it motivate her? These questions will help you determine which brands you want to work with and which you should leave to someone else.

 

Partnerships shattered

So you want to start working with brands but don’t know where to start. To help you started, here are a few pointers.

Look through the company’s website and social media accounts.

Money on Instagram

First, take a short look at their website, particularly the “contact” area. Many websites offer a contact for social media or partnerships that you may contact to pitch a relationship. If that doesn’t work, head over to Instagram and see if the brand has a “email” or “contact” button—or simply DM them and ask if they have a PR contact you can pitch.

Make your pitch.

When it comes to pitching, an influencer will usually use a template that they will tweak significantly for each brand they contact. You may take it a step further by including an unique deck depicting how you envision collaborating with the brand. You can provide your media kit with insights and businesses you’ve previously worked with if you already have collaborations on your résumé.

When pitching, think about whether you want to do something part-time or full-time. If you want to convert to full-time social media work, consider a number of sources of income, such as delivering courses or consulting services, as well as brand collaborations and other opportunities.

Ambassadorial positions

Working with brands entails a lot more than simply holding a thing up and smiling. There are numerous instructions on how to price oneself, but one method is to break down your fees into hourly wages: how long will it take you to negotiate with the company, prepare for the shoot, and generate the content to be posted (including editing)? Then charge a fee to include that in your feed as well.

Starting with various brand ambassador gigs is an excellent way to ease into full-time social media work. These programmes are an excellent method to generate additional residual money or a consistent, continuous side hustle. They accept a variety of payment methods, including:

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For posting, a product was traded.

In exchange for a certain amount of Instagram posts and/or Stories, the business either offers you a free item or provides you with a service, such as a hotel room or trip. Then there’s the possibility of earning money through an affiliate link—if you write about a hotel and include an affiliate link for your readers to use to book their own stay, you’ll get paid. This type of brand ambassador system is typically used by smaller businesses, although it is also used by verified brands.

Hourly rate or flat fee

Brands also typically utilise the following payment methods: paying a weekly fixed price for the work you complete; or calculating your time worked and paying per hour. Based on your own schedule and the amount of work you expect to invest into the collaboration, choose which option is more comfortable for you.

What to watch for

Where can you look for a genuine Brand Ambassador position? Because these programmes are often countrywide, brands engage with agencies to help them handle communication and logistics with each BA. If you believe you are qualified for a BA position, the job boards of agencies such as Archrival Agency, Campus Commandos, Campus Collaborative, Fuse Marketing, Her Campus Media, and Riddle & Bloom are the ideal places to look. Some BA positions are managed in-house and advertised directly on the brand’s website or job page—for example, Beachwaver, Kendra Scott, and Redbull.

Consistency and forward motion

There is no such thing as a “correct” amount of Instagram posts. However, the more you post, the more chances you’ll have to work with businesses. And, as your audience grows and you establish yourself as an authority in your field, you may want to consider creating some form of residual income, whether through affiliate codes or by creating an online course, ebook, blog, or coaching business, as indicated previously.

It’s critical to keep constant with publishing, inventing, and interacting with your audience once you’ve seen initial success with your account’s development. You’ve probably heard the adage that “mastering a skill takes 10,000 hours.” To be sure, the only way to get there on Instagram is to keep creating. The most important thing that comes out of that production is the momentum you build by continually creating and posting truthfully.

 

Creating a sense of belonging

As for me, I discovered a desire for assisting others as a result of our shared experiences—discussions about body image, chronic illness, and more. I’ve been able to motivate and help individuals through their own challenges thanks to my Instagram platform. I’ve discovered organic methods to collaborate with brands that encourage body confidence and sustainable living. I’ve become very selective about the businesses I work with, and while my influencer relationship portfolio has grown and diversified, I’ve stayed true to my principles.

If you start accepting collaborations that don’t align with your brand, your community will notice and become less engaged. A wage is good, but having a community that supports your efforts is even better.

 

Getting the assistance and training you require

Building a brand does not happen overnight; it takes time and effort, as well as the willingness to pivot and apply new tactics. And what about the many creators who are starting to witness more of the above-mentioned momentum? Suddenly, they require assistance. That’s quite typical. Hire a coach and an accountant, pay for an online course, attend a webinar or workshop, hire more people, and do anything else you need to do to help your brand succeed.

If you want to be a conscientious creator, you should always hold yourself accountable for the content you create, as well as investing in self-education on how to improve. Working as an influencer entails a wide range of responsibilities. Negotiating, ideation, styling, shooting, editing, curation, scheduling, and more are all part of the process.

And understanding what you need to know to start—and keep—making money on Instagram necessitates study, constant moving, and a commitment to being more inclusive. There is always something fresh to learn and a way to better. And as a creator and influencer, you should be actively pursuing that goal—both for the sake of your business and because your audience deserves it.

 

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