Instagram is a powerful social media platform for promoting businesses, growing brands, and selling products. It offers many opportunities for content creators to earn big.
This guide covers 12 ways to make money on Instagram in 2025, from setting up an online store to leveraging influencer marketing and sponsored social media content.
Key takeaways
- Some great ways to make money from Instagram include sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, and selling via Instagram Shop through a business account.
- When selling, use Instagram’s professional dashboard to create shoppable posts with product images to encourage users to buy stuff directly.
- Monetize audiences on Instagram with exclusive content, paid subscriptions, and professional services through your creator account.
- Effective ways of getting income from Instagram through audience engagement include monetizing Instagram Reels and Live Badges.
- Join Printify to create custom products, post them to an eCommerce platform, and connect to Instagram Shop for a seamless selling experience.
Why choose Instagram?
Instagram is the second most popular social network worldwide, right after Facebook, with around 1.4 billion global users in 2024.
Instagram’s audience is particularly active compared to other social media platforms. Almost two-thirds of Instagram’s users are under 34, making the platform especially attractive for marketing to an engaged, young audience.
Monetizing with an Instagram Creator or business account offers:
- Shoppable posts, Stories, and checkout: Instagram’s built-in shopping tools and quick checkout let users discover and buy products directly within the app, reducing cart abandonment.
- Instagram Reels and Live Shopping: the platform’s visual focus helps showcase your brand and provides multiple monetization strategies.
- Product discovery: the Explore page and Instagram’s algorithm help people find new brands and products through organic scrolling.
- User-generated content: a good brand profile encourages customer engagement and a loyal following, increasing trust and repeat purchases.
How to make money on Instagram: 12 Ways
This guide breaks down how to make money on Instagram and covers 12 proven methods, from sponsored posts and product sales to affiliate and influencer marketing.
When asking yourself, “How can I make money on Instagram?”, evaluate what type of monetization strategy best suits your brand:
- Content monetization: earn through sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, and Reels.
- Product sales: sell physical or digital products via Instagram Shop or promote your services.
- Community engagement: offer paid subscriptions, live badges, and exclusive webinars or workshops.
- Brand collaborations: partner with brands that pay influencers for content or crowdfund your creative projects.
- Marketing services: use your expertise to offer marketing services to businesses.
1. Sponsored posts
Starting with the most popular form of monetization, sponsored posts let Instagram users collaborate with brands that align with their audience, brand identity, and existing content.
Earn through multiple partnerships by sharing posts highlighting a sponsored brand’s product or service. Income is based on your follower count and engagement rate.
How to make money using Instagram sponsored posts:
- Build a niche and create engaging content to attract your target audience and brands.
- Join platforms like AspireIQ or Influencity to connect with brands looking for influencers.
- Contact relevant brands with a media kit that highlights your audience and engagement.
When working with a brand, ensure the sponsored posts feel genuine. Highlight the product’s relevance to your audience and balance sponsored and organic content.
2. Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is a commission-based advertising partnership for content creators and influencers. Instagram users can earn by promoting products through unique referral links.
Partner with brands to promote their products or services in your bio or Stories with a trackable link. Like sponsored posts, your affiliate partner should align with your niche and target audience’s values.
Before you can start monetizing content as an affiliate marketer, many affiliate programs require you to have at least 1000+ followers.
To monetize your audience with affiliate marketing:
- Join affiliate networks like the Printify Affiliate Program or Amazon Associates.
- Share your affiliate links in your bio, posts, or Stories when showcasing products.
- Earn commissions each time a user clicks and buys from your unique link.
Affiliate links usually have a 30-day commission window from click to sale. Earnings depend on how well your audience responds to the product, so only advertise what’s relevant to your brand.
To apply for the Printify Affiliate program, read our Terms of Service and submit an application.
3. Selling products via Instagram Shop
Selling your own products on Instagram Shop is one of the most profitable ways to generate income while building your brand.
With Instagram’s shopping tools, you can offer a seamless buying experience, engage your audience, and monetize your content with minimal effort.
Instagram does have its own shopping feature, but it’s managed through the Facebook Commerce Manager.
To start selling on Instagram, you must first set up a Facebook Shop:
- Switch to an Instagram Business Account in Instagram settings.
- Create a Facebook Business Page with contact info and your business category.
- Set up a Facebook Shop to link products from an eCommerce platform or add listings directly.
- Connect your Instagram account to your Facebook Business page via Linked Accounts in settings.
Once you have a Facebook Shop, you can start linking and promoting products on Instagram.
Design and sell merchandise on Instagram with Printify
If you don’t want to invest a good deal of money upfront in a retail business, use an online product fulfillment service like Printify to design and sell products with zero inventory and streamlined order management.
- Create a Printify account: sign up for Printify for free and explore the platform to familiarize yourself with the tools for designing and selling products.
- Create custom products: select a product from our Catalog. Then, use our Product Creator’s tools to upload designs, generate AI art, add text, choose mockups, and prepare your listings.
- List on your shop: fill out your listing details and publish your product to your connected eCommerce store. Printify automatically updates listings and orders, making order fulfillment super easy.
- Tag products in content: promote your items by tagging them in Instagram posts, Stories, and Reels, allowing users to shop directly from your Instagram content.
- Sell on Instagram: whenever a customer buys one of your custom print-on-demand products, our Print Providers produce and ship the order on your behalf.
To link custom Printify merchandise to your Facebook Shop and sell on Instagram, you’ll need to set up using one of our partnered eCommerce platforms. See all Printify integrations.
4. Offer paid subscriptions
Instagram’s subscription feature lets creators offer exclusive content to followers for a monthly fee.
This content may include behind-the-scenes footage, personalized messages, and more.
Paid subscriptions are ideal for creators with a loyal following who want access to premium content.
How to get money from Instagram by offering subscriptions:
- Set up a professional Instagram account.
- Enable the subscription option in your settings.
- Offer exclusive content or direct engagement.
Promote the value of your subscription in your regular posts, highlighting the unique perks subscribers will enjoy. This method can generate steady income and further strengthen your connection with dedicated followers.
5. Monetize Reels
Instagram Reels lets creators earn money through ad placements and bonuses. It’s an excellent way to monetize short-form video content that your audience loves.
The Instagram Reels Play Bonus program rewards creators based on the performance of their Reels.
Here’s how to get income from Instagram by monetizing Reels:
- Create engaging, high-quality Reels that align with trending topics.
- Apply for Instagram’s Reels Play Bonus program once your account qualifies.
- Track your performance to optimize future Reels and increase earnings.
Reels are highly discoverable, and with consistent posting, you can reach many viewers, leading to higher engagement and increased earnings. Use popular music and hashtags to increase your Reels’ visibility, and keep videos short for maximum impact.
6. Brand partnerships and collaborations
Brand partnerships involve collaborating with businesses to create content that promotes their products or services.
This strategy can involve long-term relationships where you become a brand ambassador, representing the brand across your Instagram content.
To start brand partnerships:
- Reach out to brands that align with your content and audience.
- Propose creative collaboration ideas that highlight their products authentically.
- Share brand-related content on your feed using Instagram’s Paid Partnership feature.
These partnerships are often more lucrative than one-off sponsored posts and build deeper connections with the brands. Partnerships often offer free products that you can review, advertise, or place organically in your content.
Brands value long-term collaborations as they build trust and a consistent presence within a niche, helping both parties profit from a shared target audience.
7. Sell digital products
Offering digital products on Instagram like selling prints, artwork, music, eBooks, online courses, or design templates is easy to scale independently due to zero inventory or shipping concerns.
Here’s how to make money off Instagram selling digital products:
- Create digital items tailored to your audience, such as tutorials or guides.
- Use eCommerce platforms or hosting websites to sell your products or services.
- Promote your digital products through Instagram posts, Stories, and Reels.
This method is a fantastic way to generate passive income since digital products can be sold multiple times with little effort.
8. Use Live Badges
Wondering how to make money on Instagram through live streams? Instagram Live Badges let followers support you financially during your lives.
This feature is available to U.S.-based creators. You must be over 18 and have at least 10,000+ followers on an Instagram business account.
To start earning with Live Badges:
- Enable Badges in your Instagram settings.
- Go live regularly to engage with your audience and encourage them to buy badges.
- Promote Badges during your live streams to remind viewers how they can support you.
Try to reciprocate the payment. Offer shoutouts or answers to questions for viewers who purchase badges to provide value for their purchase.
9. Promote services
Thinking of how you can make money on Instagram using a set of skills? Instagram is an excellent platform to market your services, whether you’re a photographer, personal trainer, or consultant in a particular field.
Highlight your expertise to attract clients.
To promote your services with Instagram marketing:
- Highlight your skills and services on your Instagram bio, including links to testimonials and a portfolio.
- Create content that demonstrates your expertise, such as tutorials or behind-the-scenes.
- Encourage followers to contact you via direct messages or through a booking link in your bio.
Use Instagram’s built-in call-to-action buttons to encourage bookings or consultations directly from your profile. This method works well for freelancers and independent business owners.
10. Offer exclusive webinars or workshops
Webinars and workshops provide value to your followers while generating income. Offer paid sessions on topics relevant to your niche, from social media marketing to fitness training.
To host paid webinars:
- Choose a hosting platform like Zoom or YouTube.
- Create engaging promotional content on Instagram to attract participants.
- Offer exclusive knowledge or skills that your followers can’t get elsewhere.
Promote the event through Instagram Stories, Reels, and posts. Use countdown stickers and reminders to build anticipation, and offer special packages or discounts to encourage signups.
11. Crowdfund your projects
Instagram audiences are great for crowdfunding. Create projects on platforms like Patreon or GoFundMe to ask for financial support in exchange for perks and exclusive content.
To start crowdfunding:
- Set up a crowdfunding page on your chosen platform.
- Promote your project in your Instagram content.
- Offer unique rewards for different contribution levels.
This is a good choice for funding art projects, charitable causes, or new products like games or media while building a sense of community around the work.
Keep your audience updated on your progress and celebrate milestones to maintain interest.
12. Provide account management services
If you’re an expert in social media marketing, content creation, or strategy, offer your services as a social media manager to other businesses or creators. Instagram already serves as a portfolio for your work.
To start offering marketing services:
- Highlight your skills by sharing tips, case studies, or examples of your work on Instagram.
- Include a call to action in your bio, directing potential clients to contact you.
- Use Instagram Stories and posts to advertise your services and success stories.
Social media manager services are in high demand, especially for smaller businesses looking to grow their online presence. This is definitely an earning method that could turn into a full-time job.
Making money with Instagram: FAQ
Yes, there are many ways for Instagram users to earn money on the platform:
- Share sponsored content on your Instagram profile to promote brands.
- Use affiliate marketing by sharing an affiliate link or unique promo code for commissions.
- Set up an online store via Instagram Shop and tag products in posts.
- Offer exclusive content for paid subscribers to engage a loyal audience.
- Monetize Reels by creating content that earns bonuses or brand deals.
- Partner with brands for collaborations to promote products to engaged followers.
- Sell digital products like eBooks, templates, or an online course.
- Earn badges during a live video from your favorite creators or fans.
- Promote your services directly through your Instagram bio or posts.
- Host exclusive webinars or workshops to engage and earn money from followers.
- Crowdfund your creative projects using Instagram as a promotional platform.
- Offer social media and Instagram marketing management services to help other creators or brands grow.
The number of followers needed to make money on Instagram varies depending on your method. While there is no strict number, generally, you can start earning with as few as 1,000 engaged followers by doing things like affiliate marketing or sponsored content.
Having more followers certainly helps with larger brand deals and online store success, but it’s not the only requirement for earning on Instagram.
Instagram doesn’t directly pay users for likes. However, getting more likes on your image post or Instagram page can boost visibility, which may lead to brand deals and other opportunities. The focus is more on overall engaged followers, post reach, and interaction rather than just likes.
Instagram pays for photo and Reels views as part of their Bonus program. The amount they pay depends on your region and how much engagement your posts get. However, this is a limited-time program that’s currently in the testing phase, so check their news to get the most up-to-date info about how to make money from Instagram.
Brands may offer sponsored content based on the exposure and views your posts receive. If they see you’re getting a lot of attention, they’ll be more likely to want a partnership with you.
Yes, Instagram Reels can make money by boosting engagement with your Instagram profile. When you tag products from your online store in Reels or work with sponsored content, you can make more money through sales or promotions.
It’s also a great way to attract affiliate link clicks and gain loyal audience members to receive crowdfunding for future creative projects.
Instagram doesn’t directly pay users based on their follower count. However, with 1,000 engaged Instagram followers, many creators start earning money online through sponsored content, affiliate marketing, or running an online store.
The exact income depends on your unique brand, professional account metrics, the deals you secure, and how well you engage your audience.
Final thoughts
Instagram’s large, engaged user base, advertiser-friendly policies, and eCommerce features make it ideal for brand promotion and influencer marketing.
Many users have answered the question, “How do you earn money on Instagram?” by using some of the methods we’ve listed in this article. Now, it’s your turn to start making money on Instagram, whether by selling products, doing sponsored posts, promoting your services, or offering paid subscriptions.
