You don’t have to be famous to make money on Instagram. You don’t need to be a daredevil ski jumper, travel the world in a custom purple Gulfstream, or even own matching Borzoi puppies. All you need is an audience and a commitment to publishing great content.
Ahead, learn about four popular monetization methods. Whether you’ve already cultivated a loyal audience or are still in the building phase, this guide can help you clarify your goals, understand what a monetizable audience looks like, and get inspired to build meaningful relationships with fans.
How to monetize Instagram
There are many ways to make money on Instagram, but, generally, they fall into three major buckets: in-app monetization, partnering with brands, and starting your own business:
Get paid in the Instagram app
There are a few ways to make money within the Instagram app, both directly from the platform and from loyal followers. For any method, you’ll need to have an account in Professional mode, and you’ll need to make your account eligible for monetization. Here’s how:
1. Navigate to the Professional Dashboard at the top of your profile.
2. Select Apply for monetization.
3. Fill in the application, then select Submit application.
Note that you don’t need to verify your Instagram account (this means receiving the blue checkmark) to start monetizing your content inside the app, but doing so can lend your account more credibility.
Bonuses and ads
You can make money on Instagram directly from the platform through bonuses, in which you’ll get paid for high-performing photo posts and Reels. There are two types of bonuses:
- Seasonal bonuses. This is an invite-only program that awards bonuses depending on the time of year (for example, the platform might offer a New Year’s bonus). You’ll need at least five million views over the previous three months to qualify. Instagram counts 150 pieces of content from your activation through the end of the bonus period; the more plays you have, the higher your reward.
- Breakthrough bonuses. Anyone who’s new to Instagram and Facebook can apply to this program, which can award you up to $5,000. You’ll need to post at least 20 Facebook Reels and 10 Instagram Reels within the first 30 days to qualify.
For either program, you’ll need to meet these eligibility requirements:
- Be at least 18
- Live in an eligible country
- Accept Instagram’s Partner Monetization Policies
- Have a Professional account in either Creator or Business mode
Here’s how to activate bonuses:
1. At the top of your profile, select Professional Dashboard.
2. In Settings (in the top right corner), click Bonuses.
3. Follow the prompts, then select Activate Bonus.
Instagram’s parent company, Meta, is also testing ad-based monetization features on Instagram and Facebook. The Instagram program places image and video Instagram ads in profile feeds and Reels, inviting select creators to enable ads and start earning revenue. Note that you can’t apply to this program.
While Instagram bonuses and ads can help you earn a little extra cash, Rachel Karten advises creators not to bank on payouts from Instagram (or other social media platforms).
“The best way that creators can monetize their Reels are through ads and sponsored posts,” says Rachel. “I think that’s like where you’re making the most money as a creator, instead of trying to win a numbers game through payout.”
Earn Instagram badges
If you have a Business or Creator account and more than 10,000 followers, you can earn money by enabling the badge feature in your Instagram profile and hosting live videos. Livestream viewers can purchase up to $250 in badges per Live video. Creators earn 100% of badge revenue after applicable taxes and fees (which include Google’s or Apple’s 30% cut of in-app purchases).
Badges allow your most loyal fans to show appreciation and support your work. To maximize your earnings, focus on building authentic relationships with fans and providing real value to your followers. Respond to follower comments on your Instagram posts and DMs, shout-out contributors during your Instagram Live videos, and create content your Instagram audiences can’t already get for free.
Here’s how to set up Badges:
1. In the Professional dashboard, select Set up badges.
2. Read and accept the terms.
3. Choose your country and account type (business or individual).
4. Add your payout method.
5. Select Done.
Sell subscriptions
Instagram subscriptions allow users with Creator or Business accounts (and more than 10,000 followers) to offer exclusive content to paid subscribers, including subscriber-only Lives, Stories, posts, and Reels. To enable Instagram subscriptions, select “Turn on Subscriptions” from your creator dashboard. As with badges, Instagram distributes 100% of earnings to creators after taxes and Google’s and Apple’s in-platform purchase fees.
Many subscription content creators take a two-pronged approach, publishing a portion of their content for free to drive interest and awareness and reserving a portion for paying subscribers. You might start by offering 100% of your content free of charge and graduate to a subscription model once you’ve built a big enough audience.
To set up Subscriptions, follow these steps:
1. Navigate to your Professional Dashboard.
2. Select Monetization.
3. Select Subscription.
4. Set your monthly subscription price.
5. Select Publish.
Work with brands
With in-app payouts amounting to relatively little, most creators partner with brands to monetize their Instagram accounts through affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, or both.
Become an affiliate marketer
Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing strategy in which a brand pays a creator (called an affiliate) for specific customer actions attributable to the creator’s activities—such as purchasing a product or signing up for a free trial. Here’s how it works:
1. Brands distribute trackable affiliate links to Instagram creators.
2. Creators share affiliate links in their Instagram bios and Stories.
3. Brands pay creators a commission for compensated actions—like a completed purchase—attributable to their unique link.
If you create high-quality Instagram content, you can apply to individual companies’ affiliate marketing programs. For example, you can apply to the Shopify Affiliate Program, then earn a commission when you successfully refer customers to the Shopify point-of-sale (POS) systems.
To work with smaller brands, you might need to reach out directly to inquire about affiliate marketing opportunities. Alternatively, you can join an affiliate network, which is a platform that helps creators and brands connect.
Publish sponsored posts
When done well, Instagram Influencer marketing is mutually beneficial: You create genuine, engaging content your viewers will like, and the brand places their products in front of viewers who are likely to buy.
If you’re new to creating sponsored content, start by interacting on social media with brands you already like. “When we are looking for influencers who work with our brand clients and brand partners, one of the first places we look is to see who’s organically engaging with the brand on social,” Mauricio Abascal, managing director of social media agency Untitled Social, says. “If you’re an influencer and you want to work with fashion brand X, are you using them in your everyday life? Are you tagging them? Are you posting them?”
After interacting organically with your favorite brands, you can send them an influencer media kit with information about yourself and your Instagram following, like demographics and engagement rate. Be sure to note any post types you could weave sponsored posts into. “A recurring style or series that brands could then, like, plug into is a really nice way to partner with brands,” social media consultant and author of Link in Bio Rachel Karten says.
Here’s an example from Sabrina Brier, known for her “That friend who…” series, in which she acts out humorous friendship tropes. In this paid partnership with body care company Tree Hut, Sabrina is “That friend who is NOT over her vacation.”
Promote your media empire
You can use Instagram to generate interest for your other money-making media ventures, such as subscription-only podcasts, newsletters, paid online courses, or digital products. You can post exclusive content to a platform like Substack or Patreon, or set up a Shopify site. Shopify lets you publish blog posts and sell paywalled content, subscriptions, and digital downloads. Plus, if you build your website with Shopify, you’ll already be set up with an ecommerce platform if you decide to also start selling physical products like merch.
You can then use Instagram marketing to promote your digital products and exclusive content. Posting content clips, previews, promos, and behind-the-scenes footage to your Instagram account can boost brand awareness and attract new customers. You’ll then direct traffic from your Instagram page to your monetized site, where customers will be able to purchase your content and products.
Digital products like ebooks, PDF pamphlets, and online lessons are all great options for Instagram creators with a particular area of expertise. For example, a cooking influencer could sell a digital cookbook download, or a fashion influencer could see a styling cheatsheet PDF.
Genna Tatu found a way to monetize her Instagram following by selling digital crochet patterns. She advertises these products on her Instagram account, driving traffic to her Crochet By Genna online store.
These patterns gave Genna the opportunity to make money without having to manually create and ship crocheted items—a time-consuming process. “That’s when it really took off,” Genna says of her business. “Once I introduced patterns, the sky was the limit. I could make as much money as I wanted as long as people bought the patterns. I didn’t have to lift a finger besides the initial writing of the pattern. That was really a game changer for me.” Genna also offers patterns to subscribers of her Patreon.
Sell your own products
Selling your own products is the best way to monetize Instagram, since you’ll be able to monetize the audience you’ve built directly. Consider offering a curated selection of relevant products from other brands, developing your own products, or making merch.
You can build a website with an ecommerce platform like Shopify and direct your followers there, and you can sell products directly on Instagram.
At first, Epic Gardening founder Kevin Espiritu monetized his following with affiliate marketing and sponsorships. Now, he sells his own gardening products.
“I looked at the landscape and thought, ‘Why would I just accept a deal from a brand that I like working with? What do they really want? They want access to my audience,’” Kevin says of his transition to ecommerce on Shopify Masters. “So why wouldn’t I try, at least, to offer something directly to that audience?”
There are a number of ways to source products to sell:
Print on demand
With the print-on-demand (POD) model, you partner with a third-party manufacturer who produces your item after a customer orders it, then ships the item to the buyer. This lets you avoid storing inventory and dealing with shipping. Many POD companies integrate with Shopify, so you can seamlessly manage sales from your Shopify admin.
POD can be an especially great way to sell merch. There are a number of merch ideas to consider (from apparel to glassware to home décor), and POD companies offer a wide selection of these types of products.
Make your own products
If you have creative know-how, you can make and sell products yourself. Emma Sibley, founder of ecommerce brand London Terrariums, found success with this model.
Emma launched her business with an Instagram account, where she would post photos of the terrariums she was making. “Then friends and family would say, ‘It’s my mom’s birthday, can you make her a terrarium for me to give her?’” Emma says on Shopify Masters.
Emma started making more and more terrariums and soon found her own studio space. She started selling workshops alongside her finished products (which she now makes with a small team), and ultimately turned her side hustle into a full-time job.
Wholesale
You can sell other brands’ products with a wholesale model. You’ll purchase products at a discounted price, then mark them up on your own website. Trade shows, niche online communities, and trade organizations are great places to find wholesale suppliers.
Epic Gardening sells a number of products with this model, like garden beds from Birdies Garden Products. Epic Gardening is the official distributor of Birdies’ products, and customers who want to buy a Birdies product online will need to do so through the Epic Gardening website.
Dropshipping
With a dropshipping model, your dropshipping partner sends your product directly to your customer after you make a sale. Like POD, dropshipping lets you avoid storing inventory. Many dropshipping suppliers integrate with Shopify, so you can automatically notify your supplier when you make a sale.
You can also use a platform like Shopify Collective to sell other brands’ products with a dropshipping model. This platform lets you connect with other Shopify merchants and list their products on your site, but you won’t be responsible for producing and shipping the products.
Develop your own products
Developing your own products ensures your items are unique. You can look online to find a manufacturer, then order test products to compare your options. Note that this method can be more time-consuming and requires more upfront investment than a dropshipping or POD model. However, you can fully customize your products and act on customer feedback to improve them.
Mary Gui turned her fashion Instagram into the accessories brand Sock Candy. “When I would style my outfits, I always would style socks with my shoes,” Mary says on an episode of Shopify Masters. “My followers would always comment about my socks, so I started to realize this is something that people know me for that’s also unique.”
This realization revealed a gap in the marketplace: mid-priced, stylish socks. Mary launched Sock Candy with a lineup of affordable, elegant products with elevated—but still funky—designs that ring true to Mary’s colorful and creative style.
“This was always something that was authentic to me,” says Mary. “I was uniquely qualified because I have a very unique sense of style, and I was styling these socks in unique ways.”
As Mary found out, the best products to sell on Instagram feel true to you and your personal brand. Ideally, you’ll also be uniquely qualified to sell them, since you’ll have positioned yourself as an expert in their market niche. This will allow you to promote them seamlessly alongside your other content and ensure that potential consumers trust what you have to say about them.
To drum up interest in her soon-to-be-launched brand, Mary started an Instagram for Sock Candy before she even had any products. “My idea was, ‘I’m going to get people that are interested in socks to start following this page, and then once I have my own product, I’ll at least already have like a thousand followers.”
How to monetize Instagram FAQ
How many followers do you need to monetize Instagram?
You need 10,000 Instagram followers to utilize Instagram’s Subscriptions or Badges monetization tools. The number of followers you need to start monetizing Instagram in other ways—like through affiliate marketing and brand sponsorships—depends on what your partner brand is looking for and how engaged your followers are.
Can I earn money from Instagram?
Yes. Many creators monetize Instagram to earn extra income—and some even make it a full-time job. Popular strategies for making money include affiliate marketing, offering sponsored content, and selling products or branded merch in the Instagram app and on your own ecommerce site.
Do you need a Creator account to make money on Instagram?
If you want to sell products on Instagram, enable badges, host ads, earn bonuses, or offer paid subscriptions, you’ll need a Creator or Business account—but you don’t necessarily need one to promote affiliate links or drive traffic to your online store.
