Instagram is a phenomenon that has grown from a simple image sharing platform to one of the leading social media websites with more than 1 billion users per month. Depending on your income goals and your talents, there are numerous ways to make money on Instagram.

Guide on How to Make Money on Instagram Easily

Thousands of people have grabbed a piece of the Instagram pie, and thankfully, there is still plenty left over for you to make money on Instagram. There are a few tried and true methods and even a couple of unique ways of making money on Instagram.

1 - Become an Influencer and Post Sponsored Content

One of the most lucrative ways to make money on Instagram is by becoming an influencer and then posting sponsored content. The key here is you need a good number of followers, and you need a healthy engagement rate. The steps to do this are pretty simple:

Choose your niche. Pick something you love because you will be posting and writing about it a lot. You have to consider brands and how they might connect with your content. Sponsors prefer micro-influencers that have a narrow scope of focus over those with a broad message. Be specific, be unique, and create rich, authentic content your audience craves.

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Next, you will have to grow your audience. You don’t have to have millions, but 15,000-100,000 followers will get you sponsored easier than 500 followers. Post consistently and provide a “solution to a problem.” This is the best way to attract new followers.

Connect with brands that align with your offerings and pitch a sponsorship. If you get enough traffic, they might come knocking on your door. You can even try an influencer marketing platform to boost that connection quicker.

2 - How to Earn Money on Instagram with Affiliate Marketing

Another successful way to earn money on Instagram is affiliate marketing. You simply post ads and mention products that you like. When your followers buy the product, you get a sales commission. This type of marketing is a balancing act between being authentic and not annoying your followers. You can even use the Instagram Checkout to make it easier for your followers to buy things you love! Be sure to tag your posts with a #ad hashtag, so you don’t get in trouble.

3 - Sell Your Own Products as an Entrepreneur

If you are a budding inventor and want to sell your own products online, Instagram is a great platform for showing them off. You will have to put your website link in your bio and mention it in posts. Otherwise, you can use Instagram Stories and add links to product purchase pages in there. You will need an Instagram business account to make this work.

4 - Sell Your Images or Print Them on Things to Sell

If none of those float your boat, and you are still wondering, can you make money on Instagram? The answer is yes! If you take great pictures, you can sell them on Instagram or print them on mugs, T-shirts, and other sales products. Make sure your sales-ready images are perfect. You can use the Instasize app to help you create great content.

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With Instasize you can layout multiple pictures in collages and add creative borders to make your images pop. And don’t forget to use the text tool to add important details like your social media handle so more customers can reach you.

5 - Create and Sell Instagram Stories Masks and Filters

If your talents lie in creative design, it might make sense for you to create custom masks and filters for Instagram Stories, which users and brands love to use.

Before you ask, when do you start making money on Instagram? Keep in mind each of these methods will take time and some effort. There is no guarantee that you will ever see a dollar, but if you have something that your followers find valuable, you could be the next great influencer making millions.