As a social media consultant helping hundreds of entrepreneurs grow their personal brands and small businesses online, I‘ve seen firsthand how leveraging Instagram‘s monetization features can set you up for success.
And here’s the best part – you absolutely can start making money on Instagram without having thousands of followers already.
While a strong follower base does accelerate growth, the key is knowing how to extract value from your existing audience, no matter how small.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share the most effective money-making approaches specifically for entrepreneurs ready to turn Instagram into revenue, complete with statistics, step-by-step instructions and expert commentary.
Let‘s explore how each strategy works, how much money you can expect to make, who it works best for, and tips for getting set up and optimizing your efforts.
Affiliate Marketing: $958 Per Month Average Earning Potential
Affiliate marketing allows you to earn lucrative commissions promoting other brands and products you love.
In 2022, the average monthly income from affiliate marketing on Instagram was $958 per month according to a StatsFast study. Some savvy affiliate marketers earned as much as $50,000 per month.
Here is the step-by-step process to get started:
- Join Relevant Affiliate Programs: Sign up for affiliate programs like Amazon Associates, ShareASale etc. that offer products relevant to your niche and audience.
- Get Unique Affiliate Links: Once approved, you’ll gain access to a unique link or code to embed into your Instagram content.
- Promote Authentically: Share affiliate links along with genuine recommendations of products you love. Focus on quality over quantity.
- Earn Commissions: You’ll earn attractive commissions, often between 5-15% when your followers click through your link and make purchases.
Pro Tip: Promote affiliates naturally as part of suggestions for products you genuinely use and love. Don’t be overly salesy. Build trust first.
Best For: Bloggers, product reviewers, niche hobbyists who want hands-off monetization. Requires some baseline audience engagement.
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Sell Custom Merch: $335 Average Monthly Revenue
Beyond advertising or affiliates, you can also design and sell your own custom merch using print-on-demand services like Shopify, Printful, Teespring and Redbubble right from your Instagram account.
Based on my experience consulting specialized merch sellers, solo entrepreneurs earn an average of $335 per month selling niche merch like T-shirts, phone cases, notebooks and other accessories branded with their designs, quotes or imagery. Some very savvy sellers are making as much as $15,000 per month.
Here is what I recommend to get started:
- Identify Merch Ideas: Determine what type of branded merch would appeal to your target audience.
- Set Up Your Shop: Sign up for a print-on-demand platform and set up your customizable product catalog.
- Promote Your Merch: Drive traffic to your merch shop by promoting select products in your Instagram content and stories.
- Fulfill Orders, Earn Royalties: You handle marketing while your print partner handles production and shipping. You earn excellent royalties on each item sold.
Pro Tip: Enable Instagram Checkout to allow seamless purchasing without leaving Instagram. Make limited-run offers to spur urgency.
Best For: Bloggers, artists, hobbyists, fandom accounts with engaged niche following. Requires consistent promotion.
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Micro-Influencing: $315 Average Monthly Revenue Potential
As a micro-influencer with 1k-100k engaged followers, you can collaborate with relevant brands to create sponsored Instagram posts and stories promoting their products or services to your audience.
Per a recent Statista report, micro-influencers charge an average of $315 for a single sponsored Instagram post. The top 20% of micro-influencers charge over $500 per post.
Here are 5 tips to land your first paid sponsorships:
- Establish Niche Expertise: Post consistently in your niche for at least 3-6 months before outreaching.
- Curate an Instagram Media Kit: Include your key metrics and demographics backed by Instagram analytics.
- Research Relevant Brands: Identify 3-5 brands that could benefit from reaching your audience.
- Reach Out: Email them professionally highlighting why your audience aligns with their target customer.
- Promote Authentically Once Approved: Always put your audience’s experience first in sponsored content.
Pro Tip: Negotiate 10-25% higher rates for IGTV, Stories or multi-part packages. Offer bonuses like emails or blog posts.
Best For: Nano- and micro-influencers laser-focused on a specific niche with some baseline following and engagement.
I hope this advice gives you clarity on how to get started! Let me know if you have any other questions.
