Instagram isn’t just for pretty food pics or dreamy vacation snaps anymore; it’s become a place where real people are turning their creativity into real income. With over a billion people scrolling every month, it’s no surprise that creators, small business owners, and influencers are finding ways to make Instagram pay.
At Remitly, we know how exciting, and sometimes overwhelming, it can feel to figure out new ways to earn online. So we’ve put together this guide to help you cut through the noise. Inside, you’ll find easy-to-follow tips on how to start monetizing your Instagram account, from small side hustles to building a full-time career.
Why Instagram is one of the best ways to earn money online
When Instagram first launched back in 2010, it was just a place to share photos with friends—think latte art, sunsets, and vacation selfies. Over the years, it’s transformed into something so much bigger: a global hub where people connect, create, and even build entire businesses from their phones.
With over a billion people using the app every month, Instagram has become a powerful way for millions of people to turn their passion into income, whether that’s selling products, sharing their skills, or even sometimes building a personal brand out of their character or lifestyle.
Instagram’s global reach and engagement
Instagram’s massive user base means you can connect with people from across the globe. And it doesn’t matter what you’re into; from fashion enthusiasts in Milan or tech entrepreneurs in Singapore to foodies in New York, Instagram gives you access to a global marketplace.
What’s even better is that Instagram has one of the highest engagement rates among social platforms, making it a hotspot for building a loyal community. This gives you the chance to engage with real people who trust your content, and that’s where the money-making potential starts.
The tools that make it possible
Instagram has added features over the years to help creators and small businesses grow and earn money:
- Reels
Instagram’s take on short, scroll-stopping videos. It’s similar to TikTok, which first blew up in 2016, with quick, catchy clips. Reels are your ticket to getting discovered by new people. - Stories
These 24-hour posts are perfect for behind-the-scenes moments, quick updates, or flash sales. Over 500 million people watch Stories every day, so it’s a powerful way to stay visible and connect personally with your audience. - Shoppable posts
If you sell products, Instagram Shops is a game-changer. You can tag items directly in posts or stories, making it easy for people to buy without ever leaving the app.
Real Instagram creators making money
Of course not everybody is going to make millions out of Instagram. But there are loads of success stories out there, so if you’re engaging, you’ve got an original idea or a great product to tell people about, why not you? There are plenty of examples of people whose apparently very simple ideas really took off.
- @dudewithsign (Seth Phillips): Seth went viral holding up cardboard signs with funny, painfully relatable messages about everyday life. Today, he collaborates with huge brands, turning his simple but on-the-mark humor into a business followed by around 7.5 million people.
- @thebodycoach (Joe Wicks): From quick home workouts to healthy recipes, Joe built a massive fitness community on Instagram and YouTube, really taking off by helping people keep fit in their homes during the Covid pandemic. Now he’s published best-selling books, launched his own app, and grown a global fitness brand.
- @chrisburkard (Chris Burkard): Chris used Instagram’s visual-first nature to build a photography brand. Now he runs workshops, sells prints, and does commercial work—all built up from his start on Instagram.
- @charlidamelio (Charli D’Amelio): Rising to fame with dance videos that took her success from TikTok to Instagram, Charli has shown how cross-platform content can build an unstoppable audience.
- @mollymae (Molly-Mae Hauge): Molly-Mae’s consistent posts about affordable fashion, beauty, and styling tips helped her gain a strong following early on. “Love Island” then boosted her visibility, and she’s since built multi-million-pound businesses—all off the foundation she laid as an Instagram creator.
Ways to make money on Instagram
You don’t need a million followers or professional equipment right at the start. What you do need is a clear idea of what you want to share and a willingness to try new things.
Partnering with brands for sponsored posts
Brand collaborations are one of the most talked-about ways to earn on Instagram, and you don’t have to be “Insta-famous” to find people who want to work with you. In fact, many brands prefer working with nano-influencers (those with fewer than 10,000 followers) because smaller audiences are often more engaged with the content, and more trusting of the person producing it.
If you want to land your first paid post, don’t wait for a brand to find you. Start by building a theme for your account, whether that’s food, fitness, parenting tips, or budget-friendly fashion, and post regularly to showcase your personality and style.
Once you’ve got a few posts that reflect what you’re about, reach out to small or local businesses. A simple message explaining who you are, what kind of content you create, and how your audience matches theirs could be enough to get a “yes.”
When partnering with brands, make sure the product is something you genuinely believe in. Modern audiences are digital natives who know their way around social media and can spot inauthentic content a mile away. Your honesty and trustworthiness is your biggest asset.
Selling products or services
Instagram isn’t just about showcasing your life; it’s a powerful e-commerce platform too. You can turn your Instagram account into a full-fledged store with Instagram Shops, or by promoting your products via posts and stories. You don’t need a separate website, either: Instagram allows you to sell directly through the app.
Getting started is straightforward. Switch to a professional account, add a link in your bio, and post photos or short videos that show your product in use. If you’re an artist, share time-lapse clips of your process. If you bake, film reactions from your first happy customers. These moments help people connect with what you’re offering and see its value in their own lives.
Earn commissions with affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing allows you to earn money by promoting other people’s products. You earn a commission whenever someone buys the product or service through your unique affiliate link. The key to success here isn’t just dropping links, it’s recommending things you actually like and would genuinely tell a friend to buy.
You can start by signing up for affiliate networks such as Amazon Associates or ShareASale (soon to be “Awin.”) Pick products that make sense for your niche. Talk about how you use the product, share real experiences, and very importantly, always be upfront that you earn a commission on any sales made.
Monetizing content through subscriptions or exclusive content
If you’ve built even a small but loyal following, subscriptions are a way to give those fans something extra while creating a steady income stream. That extra offering could include bonus tutorials, behind-the-scenes videos, or even one-to-one sessions where you share advice or skills.
This will make your subscribers feel like they’re getting something special in exchange for their support.
Offering paid promotions and shoutouts
Once you have a clear niche and an engaged audience, small businesses or fellow creators may pay you to highlight their account or products. This works especially well in tight-knit communities like local foodie groups, niche hobbies, or immigrant-run businesses that want more exposure.
To get started, create a “promo highlights” reel on your profile showing how you’d feature someone’s product or account. Keep your rates low to start with while you build experience and results, then you can consider increasing your prices as demand grows. Just like with brand deals, only accept shoutouts for things you’d genuinely recommend to your audience—like we said, authenticity matters.
How to build your Instagram following to start earning
Monetization doesn’t happen overnight. You need to build a solid foundation with a professional profile, a loyal following, and high-quality content.
Fine-tune your profile
Think of your profile as your online storefront or handshake; it’s the first thing people see. A clear profile photo of you, your logo, or something that represents your brand instantly helps people recognize you. Your bio should quickly explain who you are, what you post about, and why someone should hit “follow.”
How to get started:
- Write a short, simple, human bio that very quickly explains what your channel does. For example: “Sharing budget-friendly meal ideas for busy parents.”
- Add a link to your shop or website, or even a free tool like Linktree to give followers a place to click through.
- Choose a username that’s easy to remember and looks professional. Avoid lots of random numbers or symbols—even if they might look cool, if people can’t get them right when they’re trying to find your account, you’re sending them somewhere else.
Focus on genuine engagement, not just follower count
A small, loyal audience is often more valuable than a large, unengaged one. Brands and potential customers care about how much people interact with your content, not just the number at the top of your profile.
How to get started:
- Post a few times a week on a consistent schedule you can manage.
- Use hashtags that are relevant to your niche. Ten to 15 per post that actually connect with what you’re doing are better than 50 random ones.
- Try to reply to comments and DMs. It builds real connections and keeps people coming back.
- Team up with other creators or local businesses to reach new audiences without paying for ads.
Create valuable content
People don’t follow accounts that only post to sell something, they follow those that give them value. Whether you teach, entertain, or inspire, your posts should feel worth someone’s time.
How to get started:
- Think about the one thing you know well. It could be anything; budget travel, easy home workouts, style tips, recipes from your culture—so long as you genuinely know your stuff and care about it. Share it in bite-sized, useful posts.
- Mix content types, like photos, carousels, Reels, and Stories, to see what connects best.
- Be yourself. We can’t say it too often; the more authentic you are, the more people will relate to you and trust what you recommend later on.
Mistakes to avoid when making money on Instagram
When you first start, that initial excitement can blur your clarity of vision, leading to some pitfalls and making it easy to commit errors that slow your growth or—much more damaging in the long term—hurt your credibility.
Overloading your feed with ads
When every other post is promoting something, people start tuning out. Followers stick around for content that feels real and helpful, not one big sales pitch.
A good rule of thumb is to keep the majority of your posts focused on sharing value, tips, and personal moments, and only add promotional content when it’s truly relevant. Think about what you enjoy seeing on your own feed; chances are, your followers feel the same way.
Buying followers or fake engagement
It can be tempting to boost your numbers quickly, but fake followers won’t comment, share, or buy anything from you. Even worse, brands can usually spot when your engagement doesn’t match your follower count, which hurts your chances of landing paid collaborations.
Focus instead on attracting real people, posting regularly and making your content relevant.
Ignoring Instagram’s rules
Instagram has strict guidelines around promotions and partnerships, and breaking them, intentionally or not, can have serious consequences, from shadow bans to losing your account altogether.
To avoid issues, always disclose sponsored posts and affiliate links clearly, steer clear of giveaways that violate platform rules, and check Instagram’s updated guidelines every so often to make sure you’re staying compliant. It only takes a few extra seconds and can save you a lot of headaches later on.
Forgetting about your audience
Your followers are the reason you’re able to monetize in the first place. If you stop engaging with them, only post about yourself, or forget how important they are to your success, they’ll notice. And they’ll lose interest quickly.
Take time to reply to comments and messages, ask questions in your captions, and create content based on what people tell you they enjoy. Think of your account as a conversation, not just a platform to broadcast from.
Rushing content and skipping quality
Posting consistently is important, but quality matters more than quantity. Grainy photos, confusing captions, or videos that feel rushed can make people scroll past you.
Take a little extra time to make sure your images are clear, your captions are easy to read, and your content offers something useful or entertaining. Free editing tools like Canva and CapCut can help you level up your posts without much effort.
Posting without a plan
Random posts here and there rarely lead to real growth or income. Without a goal, it’s hard to know what’s working, or to attract the right audience and brands.
Decide on a theme or niche for your account, plan out a week or two of posts in advance, and start with small, realistic targets like reaching 500 followers or landing your first collaboration. Building an income on Instagram takes time, and having a plan makes every post count.
What’s that old saying? That if you can turn your passion into a career, you’ll never work a day in your life. Instagram offers limitless opportunities to do exactly that. Whether you’re a small business owner, freelancer, or just starting as an influencer, Instagram is a platform where you can monetize your love for anything, your creativity, and your expertise. As long as you keep in mind that authenticity, consistency, and engagement are key, there’s room for everyone to grow.
FAQs
Can beginners make money on Instagram?
Yes, absolutely. You don’t need thousands of followers to start earning—what matters is sharing content you care about and building real connections. Start small with affiliate links, selling your own products, or working with local brands that align with your niche.
How many followers do I need to start earning money on Instagram?
There’s no set number. Many creators with under 5,000 followers earn money because brands value engagement and a focused audience over big numbers. If your followers interact with your content and trust you, you can start monetizing.
What’s the key to successfully monetizing Instagram?
Consistency and authenticity are everything. Post regularly, engage with your followers like you would with friends, and only promote products or services you believe in. Trust builds opportunities, and that’s what makes monetization sustainable.