How to Make Money On Instagram (Even If You Don't Have a Ton of Followers)

Aug 27, 2021

People say that YouTube and Facebook are the best social media platforms to make a living on. In reality, there is no other site that prioritizes the earning of content creators other than Instagram. You’re probably wondering why I’m saying such a thing.

Instagram’s platform design and monetization system don’t require a lot of payments to advertise. The user interface is simple to navigate. Even a 50-year-old and above can earn there. You don’t need a lot of strategies to make the algorithm favor your content.

Lastly, it doesn’t require you to reach a certain amount of followers, likes, or hours of views in order to start monetizing. So what simple things can you do to utilize this platform for earning? Let’s discuss them below.

1. Brand partnership

Find a local business in your area that aligns with your interests or is in need of a promoter. For example, if you love trekking, partner up with a store that sells outdoor apparel. Post pictures of you in the wild while wearing or using their gear. This is the part where you usually offer your services for free.

2. Sell your personal and other people’s products or services

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If you already own a business, why not go beyond by using your IG account for more than your life’s memories? Since you already have followers from your social and family circle, utilize this network to advertise your goods and services.

As a follow-up to #1, advertise your business partner’s brand as well. Don’t forget to mention in the description the hashtags, where to get the gear from, and the affiliate links to their store or IG account. This way, your partner can monitor how much sales you inspire and pay you based on the referrals.

3. Publish and charge sponsored posts

Even with a hundred followers, you can reach a lot of people and grow both your follower and customer base as well as your business partner’s. This can be done through constant advertising. And as your follower base grows, you get closer to the “influencer status”.

This time, you’re no longer going to businesses first to offer partnerships. They will come to you and offer sponsored posts deals. Okay, so how can you reach influencer status? Encourage engagement not just by actively telling your followers to like your content, but also create appealing visual content that taps into their subconscious to double tap for those hearts.

Knowing how to edit videos and photos beautifully becomes a valuable skill here. The more hearts your posts receive, the more they’ll appear on the newsfeed of users who don’t follow you but have similar characteristics to your followers.

4. Become a virtual assistant to an influencer

Not everyone has an interest in becoming an influencer. But that doesn’t mean you can no longer earn on IG. You can still offer an influencer to be their VA and work behind the scenes. This job involves filtering out fake followers, responding to direct messages (DMs), running ads, filtering sponsorship requests, and even managing your employer’s personal schedule.

So how to become an influencer’s VA? First, set up your portfolio. Showcase your skills. Identify which influencers have a hard time managing their accounts and polishing their content. Then, message them and offer your services.

5. Become a brand ambassador

A brand ambassador is different from an influencer. Although their jobs are similar, brand ambassadors sign up for long-term deals with businesses instead of short-term deals that influencers usually go for. Think of it as being the official face of the brand like how LeBron James is to Nike or how Babolat is to Rafael Nadal.

6. Create visual content for sale

There is also short-term work that is similar to being an IG influencer’s virtual assistant. It’s called a visual content creator. Unlike VAs, VCCs don’t handle any managerial tasks. This job is reserved for those who have skills and talent in photography and videography.

Visual content creators are usually hired by food influencers or brands that prefer to promote their products without partnering with online personalities. Are you an expert on the camera and the use of Adobe? This is the right IG job for you.

Before making IG your bread and butter, there are a few things you must acquire. First is the basic technical knowledge of IG’s platform, beginner marketing skills, and basic photo and video editing. Once you’ve learned these skills, make plans on how you want to utilize the platform for earning. Then, continue improving your expertise to grow your influence.

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