15 Ways To Make Money On Instagram

Okay let’s get one thing straight you don’t need to have a million followers, be verified or post bikini pics from a yacht in Santorini to make money on Instagram.

That’s the old school influencer dream. The reality today? There are so many ways regular people like you and me are cashing in on Instagram and not just in that super cringe “DM to collab” kind of way. I’m talking legit income from small side hustles to full blown businesses.

So whether you’ve got a loyal crew of 500 followers or you’re sitting on 50K and wondering what to do next here are 15 real doable ways to start making money on Instagram and how to actually make them work for you.

1. Partner With Brands for Sponsored Posts

Let’s start with the classic. Sponsored posts are when brands pay you to promote their products or services on your Instagram.

But here’s the thing you don’t need a massive following to land these deals anymore. In fact brands love micro-influencers anyone with around 1K to 100K followers because your followers are often more engaged and trusting.

Real talk: If your audience trusts your opinions and buys what you recommend you’re valuable to a brand.

How to start:

• Post authentic content in a specific niche (beauty, fitness, travel, parenting)

• Tag brands naturally

• Reach out via DM or email with a short pitch

• Use influencer platforms like Aspire, Brand Connect or Billo to find opportunities

2. Sell Your Own Products

Instagram is a visual first platform which makes it perfect for selling physical or digital products.

Got a passion for art, jewelry-making or handmade scrunchies? Sell them through Instagram. Already running an Etsy or Shopify store? Link it in your bio and start showing behind-the-scenes, tutorials or lifestyle shots of your products in action.

Bonus: With Instagram Shops people can literally tap your post and shop it without leaving the app.

Even if you don’t have inventory consider dropshipping or creating simple merch through platforms like Printful or Redbubble.

3. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is one of the easiest ways to make money on Instagram especially if you’re already posting about your favorite stuff anyway.

Here’s how it works:

• You share a product or service

• Someone clicks your link and buys it

• You get a commission

You can promote everything from Amazon finds to makeup, clothing, software, online courses and beyond.

Where to find affiliate programs:

• Amazon Associates

• Reward Style (aka LTK)

• ShareASale

• Impact

• Click Bank

Just remember to always disclose that it’s an affiliate link (#ad, #affiliate) and keep it authentic. Only promote what you genuinely love.

4. Sell Digital Products

If there’s one thing Instagram is amazing at it’s making something look irresistible. Use that power to sell your own digital products!

Some hot ideas:

• Presets for Lightroom

• Instagram story templates

• E-books or guides

• Notion planners

• Printable journals

• Canva templates

Real life example: If you’re a social media manager sell a content calendar. If you’re into fitness create a 4 week home workout PDF.

You can sell these through platforms like Gumroad, Stan Store or Etsy. And since digital products don’t require shipping or inventory it’s pretty much all profit.

5. Coaching or Consulting

This is HUGE and honestly one of the fastest ways to start earning.

Are you really good at something? You can coach people on it.

• Business strategy

• Wellness + mindset

• Instagram growth

• Career coaching

• Nutrition

• Fitness

• Parenting support

You don’t need a certification though it helps in certain niches. You just need results and people who want what you have.

You can offer one-on-one calls, packages or even group coaching via Zoom.

Pro tip: Start talking about your process and results on your stories. People will start sliding into your DMs asking “Do you offer coaching?”

6. Subscriptions for Exclusive Content

Instagram now allows creators to charge monthly for exclusive content through their Subscriptions feature.

Think:

• Close friends content

• Behind-the-scenes posts

• Mini tutorials

• Subscriber only Lives

• Early access to new products or sales

This works best if your followers already trust you and want more from you like if you’re consistently getting DMs saying “how did you do that?”.

Even charging just $4.99 a month with 100 subscribers = $499/month in recurring revenue.

7. Create & Sell an Online Course

If you’ve got a teachable skill courses can be a money making machine. Seriously.

Let’s say you’re really good at Pinterest strategy. Or you make mouthwatering gluten-free recipes. Or you know how to get hired fast.

You can build a course, host it on Teachable or Kajabi and promote it on Instagram with content like:

• Quick tips

• Carousel posts that solve micro problems

• Reels showing before and after or student wins

• Testimonials from students

Courses can sell for anywhere from $49 to $1,000+ depending on the value you provide. And you can make sales while you sleep. Dreamy, right?

8. Host Paid Webinars or Workshops

Courses feel too big right now? No worries. Try a paid workshop instead.

Here’s how it could look:

• You teach something live for 60–90 minutes on Zoom

• People pay $20, $50 or $100 to attend

• You offer a workbook or replay

• Bam you just made $$ from one live session

It’s a great way to test a course idea and build your authority in your niche.

9. Use Instagram to Grow Other Platforms

Instagram is great but don’t forget about cross platform traffic.

You can use your Instagram content to drive people to:

• Your blog (ad revenue + affiliate income)

• Your YouTube channel (for long form content and monetization)

• Your email list (which you own)

• Your podcast (which can land sponsors or clients)

The more places people can find you the more chances you have to make income. Instagram becomes your marketing tool.

10. Creator Bonus Programs

Instagram sometimes offers bonuses to creators especially for Reels. It varies by region and account type but if you’re eligible Meta might pay you based on your content performance.

Think of it like Instagram tipping you for going viral.

It’s not super consistent income but it’s worth exploring if you’re already posting Reels regularly.

11. Patreon for Premium Content

Patreon is like Subscriptions but it’s not locked into Instagram.

You can offer:

• Bonus episodes for podcasters

• Behind-the-scenes content

• Monthly Q&As

• Exclusive templates and downloads

• A private Discord group or community

It’s a great way to get recurring income from your most loyal followers and build deeper relationships at the same time.

12. Photography & Videography Services

Are you really good with a camera or a phone? You can offer content creation services to brands, influencers and local businesses.

Think:

• Product photography

• Reels creation

• Restaurant shoots

• Personal branding sessions

Your Instagram is your portfolio so use it to show off your skills and attract clients who need gorgeous visuals.

13. Become a UGC Creator

UGC (User-Generated Content) is basically when brands pay you to create content for them not necessarily for your followers.

You don’t need a huge audience. Just a knack for creating TikTok style videos or aesthetic photos.

It’s super popular right now especially with brands that want content that feels authentic and not overly polished.

What to charge? Many UGC creators earn $100–$500 per video and you can scale up fast with a few clients.

14. Manage Instagram Accounts for Small Businesses

So many businesses want to be on Instagram but they have no clue how to do it well.

If you’re organized, creative and know how to grow a page this could be your lane.

You could charge $500–$2,000/month for:

• Content creation

• Scheduling posts

• Managing DMs

• Engaging with followers

• Hashtag research

It’s stable scalable income and you don’t have to be the face of the brand.

15. Flip Instagram Theme Pages

Yes flipping IG pages is a thing.

People build up niche accounts (think memes, quotes, pets, travel) grow the followers and sell them to businesses or individuals.

It takes time and some growth strategy but there’s a market out there for already established accounts.

 Just be cautious with Instagram’s rules because you don’t want to get banned for violating terms of service. Stick to organic growth and legit sales.

Conclusion

I get it. Sometimes you scroll through Instagram and feel like everyone else is already killing it and you’re just trying to figure out your niche.

But here’s the secret everyone starts somewhere.

You don’t need to have a perfectly curated feed, 100K followers or be an expert in everything. You just need to:

• Start with what you know

• Pick one or two income streams to try

• Be consistent

• Keep learning

Your Instagram is more than just a hobby it can be a real income stream one post at a time.