When growing a business, you want to use as many avenues as possible to make money. Right now, social media is a major hub in order to gain more revenue which includes Instagram. Some people may be shocked to find out that you really can make money on Instagram! In 2019 there are over 110 million users on Instagram in the United States. That alone leaves room for even just 10,000 people to see your product and become potential customers and followers. But how do you make money?

There are multiple ways and you can use each and every one of these ways to sell your products or services and earn an income on Instagram. 

Step 1: Optimize your account

First, before jumping right into making money, you have to set up your account and optimize it. You need to make sure you are using keywords. When you use highly searched keywords or SEO (Search Engine Optimization), it is easier for people to find you. Put those words in your “name” in your bio for a higher chance of people finding you. There they will see your high-quality photos and want to purchase your products or start following you. Don’t forget to put your link in your bio so people can really get to know you and your business.  I highly recommend using Linktr.ee or a page on your site so that you can have multiple links on the page.

Step 2: Get personal

People like to feel close to the accounts they are following. Stories have become huge over the last few years because it gives a face to your brand. Your audience wants to see what kind of person they are supporting. People naturally going to gravitate to other people with the same interests whether it’s art, lifestyle, family life, and so on. Talk about what’s going on in your life and bring a more personal side to your work but also keep it within the realm of your niche. Let’s say you’re a mom blogger, you’re going to talk about the ups and downs of being a mom, especially the funny and light-hearted moments as well as difficult moments. The people following you are most likely going to be able to relate and continue to follow you and also enjoy the product you are selling. Being personal is important. It allows others to feel like they have a friend. The “atmosphere” that you create on your Instagram is just as important as your content. Make it comfortable and relatable for your audience.

Step 3: Grow your following

In order to get your name out there and make money on Instagram, you need to grow your following. Engaging with your followers and providing good content is one way to do this. Using relevant and highly searched hashtags are also another way to grow your following. People use hashtags as a form of searching and when you use highly searched hashtags, it will drive traffic to your account. When you have more followers and the better content you create, the more attention you will get in order to make money on Instagram and continue to grow your business. 

Step 4: Become an affiliate

This is where the actual money-making starts. Being an affiliate is an easy and simple way to make money. You earn a commission when someone buys a product from your affiliate link. There are a ton of companies that do this as well! I’m sure you follow influencers on Instagram. When you read their posts or watch their stories, you often see them talk about products they love and then have a link attached to it. When you purchase from that link, they get a percentage of what you bought. It may be only a couple of dollars each purchase, but it really adds up. If you have a 1,000 people buy from your affiliate link and you make $2.00 each purchase from that link, that’s $2,000! It adds up quickly!

Step 5: Sell products with great images:

It can be anything from homemade gifts to services and everything in-between. Promoting your own product on Instagram is so easy to do! First, you need know what type of audience you want to sell to, your voice you want to have, and also post eye-catching photos. Let’s face it, Instagram’s main purpose is posting photos. It’s the first thing we see and then we read the caption. Ever wonder why the caption is below the image rather than above the image like Facebook? Because your photos are your focal point. Make your brand and products/services eye appealing, show your audience the high-quality product you are selling and your sales will happen!

Step 6: Sell your photos/work with brands

Once you’ve built a following (usually 10k or more) brands will begin to pay you to post photos of their products. This is one of the most profitable ways to make money on Instagram especially as your followers grow. Another way to make money is to sell the photos that you have already taken to brands to use or as stock. Sites like Adobe Stock, Getty Images and Shutterstock are great places to start.

Step 7: Partner with another company

Think giveaway or collaboration. When you partner with another company, this will benefit you by putting your name out there to a greater audience. This will help you gain a bigger following which in turn helps get attention of others that may have not thought to follow you and see what you have to offer. You see this a lot with influencers and high end companies. When they partner up with someone, it grabs your attention and a lot of the times you will click over to their profile and see what they have to offer. Although, it’s not something that brings in commission like being an affiliate, it will boost your sales. 

Making money on Instagram is really not difficult, it is more about knowing what you can do and how to do it in order to be successful at it. It starts with knowing your niche and the message you’re trying to put out there. Keeping your affiliates, images, partnering companies, and content all related to your niche is key. Instagram is a fantastic tool for your business and understanding how to use can really bring you great success with building your business and making money on Instagram. 

Related: Set Up An Instagram Account Related: Do’s and Don’ts of Instagram