Undoubtedly, Instagram has become the social network most used by young people and adults. And brands have also seen the incredible potential of this application to promote their products, through the so-called influencers. But is it possible to earn money by being an influencer? How to make money on Instagram?
Surely, these questions are hanging around your head …
If you are also thinking about becoming an influencer and want to earn money while using this application. So keep reading this article, it will clarify your doubts😉
Before getting deeper into the subject …
What is Instagram?
Instagram is an application that allows you to upload photos and videos, add filters and frames, and share them with friends either on the same social network or on others such as Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.
This application came to light in October 2010 and at first was only available for iPhone.
In December of the same year, just three months later, a million people already used it. This caught the attention of Mark Zuckerberg, who announced in April 2012 that Instagram had been purchased by Facebook, for nothing more and nothing less than a billion dollars.
And, what is an influencer?
An influencer is a person who has gained some credibility on some topic and is able to influence other people when making decisions.
In recent years, Instagram has become the strongest social network for influencers, who have taken advantage of its potential to become attractive characters for brands.
Why Instagram has become a tool to make money on Instagram?
As I said above, Instagram is one of the most used social networks today.
These are the most important Instagram statistics you should know if you are thinking of being an influencer:
It has more than 500 million active users every day. The number of users is key for this social network has become a channel for business with such success.
- 25 million companies have a profile on Instagram.
- The 70% of hashtags on Instagram have been created by brands.
- The 80% of Instagram users follow at least one brand or company.
- Every day, more than 200 million users consult the profile of a company. 2 out of 3 people who visit the profile of a brand are people who do not follow them.
- The 92% of users considered more reliable the opinion of other consumers before the brand advertising.
The main conclusion that I draw from this data is that: we love this application. We like to be active users and consume content, and brands know it very well.
To make money on Instagram, how many followers must an influencer have?
The first thing you will have thought is that you need a lot of followers to be able to earn money as an influencer.
The truth is that this is not always the case, it depends on the area in which you want to stand out.
There are themes that are more popular than others and therefore the opportunities to stand out among leading personalities will be lower, so your interactions with followers will also be reduced.
But with this, I do not mean that you must have millions of followers to make money on Instagram. In fact, there are people who, despite having few followers, have a greater impact than celebrities. These people are known as a micro influencer.
I think if you’re reading this article it’s because it’s your case (emoji asks): you have enough followers (maybe thousands) but you’re still far from Beyoncé …
What influencer are you?
According to the I Study of Microinfluencers elaborated by the social public, the influencers can be categorized according to the number of followers on Instagram.
- Nano influencers: <1,000 followers
- Micro influencers: <10,000 followers
- Macro influencers: <100,000 followers
- Mega influencers: <1 MM followers
- Top: 1 MM + followers
According to this classification, I think that the vast majority are nano influencers. Our main followers are our relatives, close friends, and some acquaintances. We exert some influence on them when we talk about something that we liked. However, this is not going to make us make money on Instagram.
On the other hand, as a micro influencer, it is possible that you start earning money from some brands by talking about them. But at the beginning, you’ll have to settle for free products. Some brands will compensate you with gifts when you talk about them if you are a micro influencer.
But undoubtedly, a macro influencer will earn money by promoting products or services on your Instagram account.
So, how many followers do you need to make money on Instagram?
There is no exact figure that assures you that you will make money with this application. Obviously, if you have few followers you will not go very far. According to the studies I presented earlier, you can start winning with less than 10,000 followers. But, as I told you before, it depends on the competence of the area in which you want to stand out.
My advice is that instead of looking only at the number of followers, you focus on the quality and frequency of your content.
How much money can influencers make money on Instagram?
According to this article from the BBC, an influencer who has at least 10 thousand followers on his Instagram account, can start to “win something”. Although it is considered a fairly low level, it can get to charge $ 130 for a publication.
In the case of influencers with 30 thousand followers, earnings per publication (for fashion or beauty brands) increase, exceeding $ 970.
If we talk about the Maga or Top influencer, these gains are greater, even reaching the six figures! (emoji surprise)
But in addition to the number of followers, the profits vary according to the country of residence, the product or service that is promoted and the brand.
How to make money on Instagram by being an influencer
So, would you like to make money on Instagram?
Once you have reached a significant number of followers (the more the better), these are some ways to generate money with your account.
# 1 Publish sponsored posts
Sponsored content is the most used form by influencers and the main way to generate income. This method is also used to monetize blogs.
You can get paid for posting sponsored content on your Instagram account, even if you do not have millions of followers.
How?
There are platforms that put brands in contact with influencers. Many of them accept profiles with a few thousand followers.
Attention! If you think that buying followers you will get the brands to contact you, you are wrong @. Brands are interested in the interaction of your followers, that is active and that you really notice that you exert some influence on them. When an account has purchased followers it is easy to realize.
The publication of sponsored content can be the photo, several photos, a video, one or several stories, or by linking to the website of the brand or its products. The more you ask, the more you can win.
# 2 Promote affiliate products
This way of monetizing your profile consists of the promotion of products or services of third parties. You will get a commission every time someone buys it.
To make money on Instagram with affiliate products, the first thing you have to do is find products or services that are of interest to your audience and that are related to the content you share on your profile.
You can continue to share your photos or videos as you usually do. And from time to time, recommend a product using your affiliate link. Thus, each time a sale is registered, you will receive a commission.
# 3 Be an ambassador for a brand
For some brands, it is important to maintain a long-term relationship with an influencer, and even more if you have thousands of followers. That is why some companies are willing to pay an influencer to be the image of their brand.
In these cases, your tasks will go beyond a publication on Instagram. They will invite you to events, launch new products, … Can you imagine this? Well, for that you will have to reach several hundred thousand followers.
# 4 Sell your photos
This is another way to earn money, although it does not have to do directly with this application, you can use it while increasing your followers.
The photos you have uploaded to your Instagram account can be sold to image banks and earn money when a company buys them.
And for this you do not have to have a minimum number of followers, it is simply necessary that your photos are of good quality.
There are different platforms where in a few minutes you can register and upload the photos you want to sell. It is an excellent option to generate income passively.
# 5 Promote your own products or services
If big brands use Instagram to promote their products, you can also do the same.
With your content, you can show your skills and professionalism, and thus gain credibility and closeness of your followers, who will be more willing to buy something of yours.
I left this idea in the end because although you will not generate money directly, it is a good way to create an active and faithful audience. This will result in an increase in the sale of your products.
The 5 influencers who earn more money on Instagram
These are the 5 people who earn the most money for each post on Instagram. The number of followers is what they have while I am writing this article (December 2018).
# 1 Kylie Jenner. 121 million followers, 1 million dollars per post.
# 2 Selena Gomez. 144.4 million followers, 800 thousand dollars per post.
# 3 Cristiano Ronaldo. 148 million followers, 750 thousand dollars per post.
# 4 Kim Kardashian West. 121.7 million followers, 720 thousand dollars per post.
# 5 Beyonce Knowles. 121.3 million followers, 700 thousand dollars per post.
10 Practical Tips to Become an Influencer and Make Money on Instagram
Become an expert on the app
Learn to use Instagram and take advantage of all its features.
Motivate your followers
Brands are more willing to pay an influencer if they see that their audience is active.
Upload good quality photos
It is useless to upload 1 photo every 15 minutes if they are out of focus, moved or dark. The quality of the photos you share is the key.
Learn to edit
photographs, and get results like celebrities.
Do not go over with the sponsored content
Your followers will not like that your content is always to promote a product. In the same way, your audience will not be happy with promotions that do not correspond to the rest of your content.
Be constant
If you want to become a true influencer and make money on Instagram, you should post frequently. If you follow an influencer you will see that their presence in social networks is constant.
Create your half kit
And show yourself as a professional. A half kit is a document where you can summarize and attract all your potential to potential advertisers, through data.
Study the brands
Do not assume that all brands in your segment are good options for your profile. Research, study and choose the most interesting and most related companies to you and your content.
Sign up on influencers platforms
If you are decided, do not wait any longer. Search and choose the best influencer platform for you (or the one you like the most) and sign up.
Contact the brands
If you already have a significant number of active followers and also add value to your profile, what makes you different from others. So, do not stay seated, waiting for brands to knock on your door. Contact directly, present your media kit and propose a collaboration.
Conclusions
Can you imagine earning money by uploading a photo? As you have seen it is possible!
If you like photography and you are interested in a specific topic, start to take advantage of your Instagram account. Make the most of this application! I hope you have taken note of the ways that exist to earn money on Instagram, and also the practical advice I have given you.
