Written by Plamen Popov
For creators who enjoy making daily content for their Instagram audience, it’s only natural to start making money from the platform. Thanks to Instagram monetisation, you can start earning a living as a professional creator that people like and recognise.
More than 500 million Instagram users utilise the social media channel every day, of which 50% of them follow at least one brand. This creates great opportunities for creators and influencers to earn money for the content they’re publishing.
In this article, we’ll look at five ways content creators can monetise their content on Instagram. But first:
Types of Instagram Content
The types of content users can share and like to consume on your Instagram feed are constantly evolving. Apart from the typical single-image post, on Instagram, users can post a carousel of images or a video to their feed.
A carousel is a post that contains up to 10 images or videos. It capitalises on people’s attention spans and on the fact that users like to swipe. Here’s a sample carousel post from influencer Joe Wicks aka @thebodycoach:
Instagram Story is a great place to share content that’s relevant for a short period. Unlike a feed post which a person can see for days, a Story is live for just 24 hours.
Reels, meanwhile, are the fastest-growing content format by far, according to Meta. Reels are essentially 15-second multi-clip videos with audio. Here’s an example from influencer @sophiehannah:
Whichever content you’re posting, you can start making money with it for as long as the content meets several criteria.
However, you should also know that successful creators follow a consistent style in their publications. Your Instagram posts, for instance, should have the same tone as your blog posts. You can help ensure that consistency with a style guide. If you don’t have that just yet, using a template for style guides can help you create one easily.
Note, too, that becoming a social media creator that earns money through social media platforms will require taking some legal steps. You may need to research some tips to start a business, perform strategic planning, and define a legal structure. Before anyone decides to become a full-time content creator, they need to do their due diligence.
All that said, let’s get into the meat of this blog post.
Ways to Monetise Instagram Content
Let’s assume you already have your Instagram content published. The question is, how can you monetise the content?
Here are ways you can earn money from your content and the app:
1. Use Instagram Subscriptions
Offering your followers a video-streaming service can be one of the most profitable ways of Instagram monetisation. Why? Once you convince people to become your paying members, you can watch the dollars pour in every month. All you need is high-quality content.
Instagram has been testing its new Subscriptions option for eligible creators. Some countries–Cuba, Iran, Ukraine, North Korea and Syria, in particular–don’t have access to the feature.
But once Instagram Subscriptions is widely available, you as the creator will have a ‘Subscribe’ button on your profile, linking followers through the sign-up flow.
If someone clicks on your Subscribe button, they will be charged a subscription fee, which you yourself decide from the start. This fee can range from $0.99 to $99.99.
Subscribers then get exclusive access to the following:
- Stories
- Lives
- Reels
- Posts
- Subscriber-Only Group Chats when they comment on the creator’s post or send them a direct message.
Instagram Subscriptions is a promising monetising option. Since your target audience is already hooked on your Instagram account feed, it’s just natural to engage with them even more using exclusive content.
2. Earn Extra with Instagram Live Badges
Content creators like you can add the Live Badges feature to earn extra income through Instagram. Basically, your followers purchase badges in your Instagram Lives. Those who buy a badge stand out in the comments, get a placement on your list of badge holders and get access to a special heart.
With Instagram Badges, you can ensure the continued support of your loyal followers.
How much does a Live Badge cost?
During a live video, the badges can cost between $0.99 and $4.99 increments.
Note, though, that, at the moment, to use the badges feature as a content creator, you must:
- Be located in the US
- Have a creator or business profile
- Hold a bank or PayPal account
- Have at least 10,000 followers
- Be over 18
When you decide to set up this feature, all the live videos that you stream will automatically be covered by the Instagram Live Badges feature. This feature is currently being tested to expand to other parts of the world.
3. Leverage Instagram Reels Play Bonuses
The Instagram Reels Play Bonuses feature is another new opportunity for Instagram monetisation for creators and influencers like you.
According to Instagram, creators will earn money depending on the number of plays their Reel gets. The program is very simple. Business and creator account holders share Reels on Facebook and Instagram. Then, Instagram will pay out on Reels that get 1,000 or more views over 30 days.
The Reels, however, shouldn’t be claimed by a rights holder and should not have engagement that appears inauthentic.
Also, not all Reels are covered by the bonuses. You’d need to tag the Reel to be covered by the bonus program before sharing them for them to be eligible for the bonuses. You may choose up to 150 Reels for coverage.
At the moment, this feature is limited to selected US users but Instagram is looking to expand this.
4. Take Advantage of Instagram Reels Ads
In addition to the Instagram Reel Play bonus program, Meta has introduced a feature that allows creators like you to earn from displaying ads on their Reels.
If you join the new ad revenue program, you can earn money for allowing brands to run their ads before, during, and after your Instagram Reel. The vertical ads that will loop can run up to 30 seconds.
Viewers can also like, comment, share, and view Reels ads. If they don’t like the ad, they can just skip, hide or even report the ad.
Here’s a screenshot of this feature:
This feature is already available in many countries, including the US, Singapore, Japan, Denmark, Albania, and more.
BONUS: Crosspost Instagram Reels to Facebook for Overlay Ads
Meta is continuously planning to reward creators for their original content and offers expanded monetisation opportunities and new insights. The changes to Meta’s incentives programs will help give creators new ways to reach larger audiences and uncover new opportunities, including Instagram monetisation.
The company is exploring the possibility of crossposting Instagram Reels to Facebook. The two apps are connected after all. Soon, you’ll be able to create a Reel for your Instagram account, crosspost it to your Facebook account and earn a share of revenue via Overlay Ads.
Currently, there are two types of overlay ads that Facebook users are testing on their Reels. Those are banner ads and sticker ads. The screenshot below shows both of the examples. A banner ad appears as a semi-transparent overlay at the bottom of a Reel (first screen). The second screen shows a sticker ad, which takes the form of a static image that a creator can place anywhere within their Reel.
Both forms of overlay ads appear transparently over your Reel content, so people can watch the ad without interrupting the Reel content they’re enjoying. You get paid when an overlay ad is included in your reel.
The overlay ads feature in Reels on Facebook is already being tested with a wide set of creators. Currently, Meta is monetising overlay ads with a revenue share of 55% to the creator and 45% to Facebook. This is a little higher than the 50/50 share that TikTok offers to its creators.
You should know that, as it is, you can’t choose the ad placed on your Reel. At the moment, you can only select a particular spot on your Reel to display the sticker ad to your audience.
In Closing
With Instagram reaching two billion active users and expected to grow at a steady pace, the platform offers great potential for monetising your account. Meta promises to continue to test various incentive programs, adjust payouts, and apply necessary changes as they learn from expanding features to more creators.
The new Instagram monetising features are currently being rolled out to users around the world. If you’re not seeing them on your social account yet, just wait for your opportunity a little longer. Following the @creators account is a good idea to stay on top of announcements on new exciting app features for creators and Instagram monetisation opportunities.
To sum up, here are the best ways of Instagram monetisation:
- Instagram Subscriptions
- Instagram Live Badges
- Instagram Reels Play Bonuses
- Instagram Reels Ads
- Bonus: Crossposting Instagram Reels to Facebook for Overlay Ads
Ultimately, being present, active, and engaging on social media are the best strategies to be successful. Create high-quality content and stay true to yourself. Your audience will recognise your genuine values and appreciate your efforts by supporting you all the way.
About Author:
Plamen Popov is the content and communications specialist for Writer, an AI writing assistant designed for teams. Plamen has previously worked to develop content marketing strategies for brands like MFG, Kinguin, Acronis, and Metrilo.