10 REAL Ways To Make Money On Instagram

You have heard over and over again that there are thousands of ways to make money on Instagram, and you’re also smart enough to know this isn’t completely true. There are many ways to generate income using Instagram, but most of them aren’t going to make you rich, or even make you $10/day. I want to introduce you to 10 REAL ways how to make money on Instagram (and 2 tips on how NOT to). This guide will help you identify the most reliable methods, so you can start making real money today!

1) Sell your photos on websites

Many websites now allow you to upload and sell your photos online. This is an easy way to make money from your pictures, but keep in mind that you’ll need to get good at taking high-quality pictures, writing a short description of each picture, and managing your inventory. If you can do all that then it should be pretty easy for you to make a profit. A website called DepositPhotos is one of my favorites because they have thousands of beautiful stock images available for very cheap prices. Just make sure there’s not copyright restrictions on your images before uploading them! You could also join a site like iStockPhoto where it will pay you based on how many views or downloads your photos receive. However, you'll need some starting capital (at least $50) to begin with iStockPhoto so it's best if you start small. Start with sites like DepositPhotos or Pond5 which don't require any initial investment up front. 

2) Engage with companies

If you want to get your work seen by brands and potential sponsors, it's important to engage with other people in your industry. The more active you are on social media, particularly Twitter and Instagram, when it comes to sharing others' content and engaging with users, generally speaking, the better chance you have of being discovered by sponsors. That doesn't mean that if you don't share or engage often with relevant companies on social media they won't find you; just look at Kylie Jenner. But keep in mind that some companies won't pay influencers to promote their products because they don't trust their authenticity—so it's up to you to do your due diligence and make sure what followers see is authentic.

3) Run contests

Running a contest on social media is a great way to grow your audience, get more engagement and drive more traffic. So you can use contests for all kinds of purposes, whether you want to promote your business, sell merchandise or collect email addresses. The most common types of contests are photo and video competitions (contests where entrants submit photos or videos) and sweepstakes (where entrants fill out an online form). These are so easy to set up—you can usually get them going in less than 15 minutes! There’s also a huge range of prizes you can offer: cash, coupons, free products/services...the list goes on. If you need some ideas for creative contest ideas to get started with right away , check out Kissmetrics’ list here.

4) Become an affiliate

Affiliate marketing means you promote products or services made by other companies and get a commission for each sale. But don’t think that you have to stick with only one provider—you can test out various products or services and promote any company that has something you believe in. And if it seems too easy, there’s real value in partnering with more than one company at a time, so consider affiliate marketing as a way to boost your income even more. If you're ready to start your own business but aren't sure where to start, here are some ideas for how to make money online .

5) Use hashtags to promote products you like

Maybe you’re already familiar with hashtags, but if not, they’re keywords preceded by a hash symbol (#) that allow users to easily search for content related to that specific topic. The more relevant your hashtags are to your content, and to your target audience, the more likely people will be interested in seeing what you have to say. It’s also an easy way for you to gain some traction on your post. As one user shares it with their own network of followers, other people who aren’t already following you will see it in their feeds and might check out what else you have going on. This is also a great way to discover others posting similar or related content so that you can follow them as well.

6) Use Hashtags as a job search tool

One way people find work these days is to post their resume on a job-search site like Indeed or simply apply for jobs via LinkedIn. But another, less common way to get noticed is to search hashtags related to your desired field, and then engage with people who are following those tags. So if you're trying to find freelance writing gigs, it would be wise to search #freelance #writer on Instagram and then leave thoughtful comments under posts made by accounts in that hashtag group (or vice versa). When others see that you're interested in freelancing and other forms of writing and editing, they might think of you first when they see openings. Who knows—they might even contact you directly! You could also try searching hashtags related to your desired field on Twitter.

7) Promote brands on your own feed

Many brands will pay you to repost (ie. advertise) their products on your own personal profile, which they can then use as a promotion and endorsement tool. In exchange for cash or free product, all you have to do is snap a quick photo of what you bought and post it with your hashtag #ad. You could also tag them in your photo and make sure they’re aware of how you’re using their product so that it doesn’t look like you’re just posting an image without context. Of course, not every brand will offer paid sponsorships—but many are willing to give away free items in exchange for sharing about their brand on social media channels. And if you see something interesting, be sure to ask if there’s an opportunity for compensation before taking it home. After all, free stuff isn't always really free!

8) Ask for donations from your followers

Growing your following is only half of how to make money from Instagram; you need to grow your followers’ trust in you, too. Donations are one way you can do that. If a follower truly enjoys your content, consider suggesting a donation at various levels—$1 or $5 for example—which will allow them access to exclusive content (perhaps behind-the-scenes pictures). According to affiliate marketing firm Rakuten Linkshare, as much as 12% of fans will donate if asked directly by an influencer they love. So go ahead and start building that relationship!

9) Actively use the platform - it’s free money!

If you’re an entrepreneur who makes a living through Instagram, chances are you get a lot of questions about how to use it. Social media as a whole is both an excellent way to connect with potential clients and increase brand awareness and follower growth. If your income comes from being active on social media platforms, there’s no reason not to be posting on them - especially since it's free. Using social media effectively means producing content that reflects your brand in real time and allowing people to connect with you by liking, commenting or following your page (and replying when they do). When used correctly, social media can be used as an effective platform for increasing traffic that converts into sales.

10) Use sponsored posts

If you’re not a celebrity, influencer, or large-scale brand with an established social media following, then chances are you can’t afford to shell out big bucks for a paid promotion. If your goal is to make money on Instagram instead of build an engaged following, then sponsored posts might be your best bet. These posts have typically been reserved for celebrities and influencers as a way for companies to boost brand awareness, but brands aren’t just limited to working with these high-profile users anymore. Today, anyone—from small businesses to online retailers—can buy sponsored posts on Instagram (and Facebook) and get in front of relevant customers.