How to Make Money on Instagram: A Beginner’s Guide
Learn how to turn your Instagram content into income with this beginner-friendly guide covering practical tips, monetization strategies, and insider tools like Trovio
So you’ve built an audience on Instagram and want to turn your posts and stories into income. Good news: there are lots of paths to profit – from sponsored posts and affiliate links to selling your own products or leveraging Instagram’s built-in features. This guide breaks down how to make money on Instagram step by step. We’ll cover practical strategies (like working with brands or creating digital products), discuss follower counts and engagement needed to monetize, and even compare Instagram’s opportunities with TikTok, YouTube, and X (Twitter). Plus, we’ll introduce Trovio Guides – a new way to package your expertise into paid guides that you control. Let’s dive in!
Sponsored Posts and Brand Partnerships
Partnering with brands is a cornerstone of Instagram income . In practice, this means posting content (a photo, Story, Reel, etc.) featuring a product or service and getting paid for it. To make this work: align with brands that fit your niche (foodies promote kitchen gadgets, fitness influencers promote sportswear, etc.) and keep the promotion authentic so your followers stay engaged . When you pitch or negotiate with brands, base your rates on your follower count, engagement rate, and content quality. Micro-influencers (10k–50k followers) often charge a few hundred dollars per post, while accounts in the 50k–100k range can command $500–$1,000+ per sponsored post . Always disclose partnerships using Instagram’s Paid Partnership tag or hashtags like #ad .
Tip: Create a simple media kit (in PDF or web form) highlighting your audience size, demographics, and past collabs. Reach out to brands in your niche and use the Creator Marketplace or influencer networks (like AspireIQ or Grapevine) to find opportunities.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is one of the easiest ways to start earning on Instagram—discuss product picks, drop your link, and earn with every sale. Keep it honest, keep it you.
Affiliate marketing lets you earn a commission by recommending products. You share a unique link or promo code, and if a follower buys through it, you get a percentage of the sale. Instagram makes this easy: sign up for affiliate programs (Amazon Associates, Rakuten, LTK, or Shopify Collabs) and place links in your bio, Stories, or Reels . (If you have 10k+ followers, you can use the Swipe-Up or Link Sticker in Stories.) When using affiliate links, be honest with your audience. Disclose the relationship with #affiliate or Instagram’s partnership tag – authenticity keeps trust high .
Example: One lifestyle creator reportedly earned over $100,000 in a year by smartly sharing affiliate links alongside engaging content .
Action: Pick products you truly love and use. Add “link in bio” to posts about those products, use Instagram’s shopping tags if you have a Shop set up, and consider a Link-in-Bio tool to house all your affiliate links neatly .
Selling Your Own Products or Services
Selling your own stuff is a powerful way to monetize. This could be physical products (like merch or crafts) or digital products (ebooks, presets, online courses, etc.). Digital goods are especially attractive because they’re scalable – create once, sell many times . For example, a creator sells a $14.99 budgeting spreadsheet in her bio and made over $15,000 from it . To sell on Instagram:
Set up a website or shop: You’ll need somewhere to actually sell. Many creators use Shopify, Etsy, or personal websites for checkout. If you’re selling digital downloads, use a platform that automatically delivers the file after purchase.
Use Instagram Shopping: If you have a business account and at least 10k followers, you can enable Instagram Shopping. Tag your products in posts, Stories, and Reels so followers can tap and buy without leaving the app . (Tip: Clearly label digital vs. physical products so buyers know what to expect.)
Promote your products: Create posts, Stories, or Reels that showcase the benefits of your product. Use visuals and captions to explain why it helps your audience. Offer launch discounts or bundles to incentivize early buyers.
By turning expertise into products – say, a “meal plan guide” if you’re a nutrition coach, or a photography preset pack if you’re an IG photographer – you keep all the revenue and build a direct sales channel. This strategy requires more work upfront, but it also gives you a passive income stream once set up .
Instagram’s Built-In Monetization Tools
From Subscriptions to Live Badges and Shopping, Instagram’s built-in tools give creators new ways to e
Instagram has added features to help creators earn:
Instagram Shopping: As mentioned, with 10,000+ followers you can open a Shop tab. Link products in feed posts or Reels so followers can buy instantly . (One guide notes that the shopping feature requires around 10k followers to unlock .)
Live Badges: When you go Live, viewers can buy hearts (badges) to support you. To enable badges you currently need a Creator account with at least 10,000 followers . Each badge purchase (ranges $0.99–$4.99) shows up next to the buyer’s name in your Live comments – and you keep the money. Promote your upcoming Lives in advance, engage actively during the stream, and thank badge-buyers to encourage more support.
Subscriptions (Coming Soon): Instagram is testing subscription feeds and exclusive content for followers who pay a monthly fee. Requirements are still evolving, but generally the higher your engagement and follower count, the more likely you are to be approved. (Keep an eye on Instagram’s official Creators updates for this.)
Affiliate Tags: Instagram is rolling out native affiliate tools so creators can tag products and get a commission (similar to a built-in affiliate program). This is very new, but once available, using Instagram’s own affiliate tags will be an easy way to earn on product posts.
Combining these tools means you’re not just waiting for brand deals. You can make money directly through Instagram features. For instance, by 10k followers you unlock both Shopping and Badges – it’s a milestone many creators aim for since it multiplies revenue streams .
How to Make Money on Instagram Reels
You may wonder about Reels, Instagram’s short-video feature. As of 2025, Instagram no longer pays creators per Reels view (the old Reels Bonus program has ended ). But Reels are still huge for reach, and you can monetize them indirectly:
Use Reels to showcase products (yours or sponsors’) and direct viewers to your bio link or shopping tags. A trendy Reel can drive followers to your site or affiliate link.
Collaborate with brands to make sponsored Reels content. Brands pay for engaging Reels just as they do for posts.
Promote merchandise or digital downloads in your Reels and tell viewers where to buy.
Offer subscriber-only content teased in Reels (once subscriptions roll out).
In short, even without direct ad revenue, Reels drive engagement and can lead to more sales or sponsorship deals. As the Buffer guide notes, creators can still monetize Reels through brand collaborations, affiliate marketing, or by pointing fans to paid content . So focus on creating catchy, valuable Reels and use them as a traffic engine for your monetization.
How Many Followers Do You Need to Make Money on Instagram?
A huge myth is that you need millions of followers. In reality, you can start earning with just a few thousand (or even a few hundred) engaged followers . Micro-influencers (1k–10k followers) often make money through affiliate sales, product reviews, or small sponsorships . One guide notes: “even with 1,000 followers” you can get paid relationships, and some creators earn with as few as 500 followers if they have a clever strategy .
That said, more followers generally increase opportunities. By ~10k followers, you unlock features like shopping tags and Live Badges , and brands take notice of accounts that size. Here’s a rough idea (from industry averages) of what creators might make:
500–1,000 followers: Maybe $10–$100 per sponsored post (or small affiliate earnings). Most income comes from commissions or personal product sales.
1,000–10,000 followers: Often $10–$100+ per post, and $100–$500+/month total. Brands do work with micro-influencers in this range for niche campaigns .
10k–50k followers: $100–$500+ per post; $500–$2,000+/month. At this level you can pitch bigger brands and unlock Instagram’s pro features.
50k–100k followers: $500–$1,000+ per post; $2,000–$5,000+/month is common. You’ll see premium brand deals and product campaigns.
100k+ followers: $1,000–$5,000+ per post; $5,000–$10,000+/month. Mega-influencers often earn from large sponsorships and their own product lines
(Numbers vary widely by niche and engagement. These are ballpark examples from influencer data .)
Engagement matters most. Brands look at likes, comments, saves, and views – not just raw follower counts . In fact, an account with 5,000 highly engaged followers can be more attractive than one with 50,000 passive followers. Aim for quality content and community. Even with 1–5% engagement, you can lock in sponsorships .
Bottom line: don’t get hung up on a magic number of followers. Focus on growing steadily and engaging your audience, and the monetization opportunities will grow with you .
Instagram vs. TikTok, YouTube, and X (Twitter)
Instagram isn’t the only game in town—see how its monetization stacks up against TikTok’s virality, YouTube’s ad revenue, and X’s new payout model.
How does Instagram’s earning potential compare to other platforms? Each has its perks:
TikTok: Known for viral growth and the Creator Fund. TikTok pays creators from a $200 million fund based on video views and engagement . Its algorithm (the “For You” page) can make videos explode overnight, and creators can also earn through live gifts and TikTok Shop. However, TikTok’s Creator Fund requires high thresholds (e.g. 10k+ followers and 100k+ views in 30 days). In general, TikTok’s model can lead to faster small-creator payouts, but it also depends on trends and TikTok’s rules.
YouTube: It’s the gold standard for ad revenue. Once you hit 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours (the usual threshold), you can join the YouTube Partner Program. Many creators earn about $18 per 1,000 ad views on regular videos . YouTube also has channel memberships, Super Chats, and shorts funds. It takes more content effort (longer videos), but successful channels can out-earn similar-sized accounts on other platforms.
Twitter (X): Twitter only recently launched monetization (2023) with subscriptions and ad sharing. You need a Twitter Blue (Premium) subscription, at least 500 followers, and several million impressions to join . The payouts per view are relatively low (reportedly only a few dollars per million views) . In short, X isn’t the easiest money-maker unless you’re already very popular or established.
Instagram: Unlike TikTok/YouTube, Instagram doesn’t pay you per view. You make money indirectly (sponsorships, shopping, affiliate sales). This means Instagram can feel harder to monetize at first. For example, an Epidemic Sound survey found 28.6% of creators named YouTube as their top income source in 2025, while only 11.8% said Instagram . In practice, many creators find YouTube or TikTok “easier” for passive income because of direct ad and fund payouts. Instagram’s strength is its visual brand building and community loyalty – once you have an engaged audience, you can leverage multiple income streams.
Overall, diversifying is best. Don’t put all your eggs in one app’s basket. Use Instagram alongside other platforms if possible. But when focusing on Instagram, remember that you control your approach: sell your own products, build email lists, or use tools like Trovio (see below) to keep revenue in your hands, rather than rely solely on changing algorithms or platform programs.
Turn Your Content into Paid Guides with Trovio Guides
So far we’ve talked about making money on Instagram. But you can also use Instagram as a launchpad for your own products. One exciting new option is Trovio Guides – a platform for creators to monetize expertise by selling personalized digital guides. With Trovio, you can package the knowledge you share on Instagram (travel tips, fitness plans, recipes, etc.) into customized, paid guides for your followers.
Trovio’s Creator Dashboard is open and free to try . You simply sign up, build your first guide, and deliver it to customers – no coding or complicated setup. Best of all, you keep 100% of the revenue from each guide sold . As Trovio’s co-founder explains, the platform makes it “ridiculously easy to create personalized, beautifully branded guides that feel one-to-one” . That means you can avoid the Instagram algorithm altogether: once a follower pays for a guide, you email it to them directly.
Why try Trovio Guides? It gives you full control and passive income. Instead of hoping an Instagram post goes viral, you build a product once and sell it repeatedly. It’s like having a mini e-book or consulting session on autopilot. If you’re sharing tips on Instagram, consider directing interested followers to your Trovio guide. This way you expand your income beyond likes and sponsorships. In short, Trovio Guides turn your social media know-how into a profitable business. Check it out – you can create your first guide today and see how Instagram content can become a paid product .
Followers, Engagement, and Getting Started
Remember: every creator’s journey is different. You don’t need millions of followers to begin monetizing. Even small audiences can pay off if they trust you and care about your niche . Keep these tips in mind as you grow:
Focus on engagement: Encourage comments, shares, and saves. High engagement rates (even 2–5%) can attract sponsors and boost your reach .
Be consistent: Post regularly so your audience knows what to expect. Consistency helps both engagement and the algorithm.
Build your brand: Clearly define your niche and aesthetic. A cohesive profile (consistent colors, themes, voice) makes you memorable.
Use analytics: Switch to a Creator account and study Instagram Insights. See which posts perform best, then create more content that your audience loves .
Mix content types: Use a combo of feed posts, Stories, Reels, and Lives. Different formats appeal to different followers and unlock different features (e.g. Lives for badges, Reels for reach).
Be patient and authentic: Building income on Instagram takes time. Focus on providing value – entertaining, educating, or inspiring your followers. Those genuine connections pay off in the long run.
Conclusion
Earning on Instagram in 2025 is more accessible than ever – but it requires a smart mix of strategies. You can start today by joining an affiliate program or pitching a small brand, even with a few thousand followers . Experiment with selling a simple digital product or setting up Instagram Shopping. Use Reels and Stories to drive interest. And consider tools like Trovio Guides to turn your unique knowledge into a product you sell yourself .
Monetization on Instagram may not be instant, but each step you take builds experience and income. Keep learning, stay consistent, and keep your expectations realistic. With time, you’ll find the mix of sponsored posts, affiliate links, products, and tools that works best for your brand. Good luck – and happy creating!
Sources: Industry guides and platform resources . (All data cited from up-to-date creator guides and platform docs.)
