By mbretous@hubspot.com (Martina Bretous)

Are you interested in earning money on Instagram but not sure how to start? We’ve got you covered.

Although people first think of influencer marketing, that’s not Instagram’s sole monetization opportunity. In this article, we’ll dive into the current features the social app offers.

Although monetization on the platform can involve promoting products and/or services to increase sales, that’s not what it always looks like. With monetization, the focus is on the content whereas selling focuses on the products/services.

While YouTube is seen as the OG monetization platform for content creators, Instagram is making its way up there.

When we surveyed marketers for our 2022 Social Media Trends Report, 73% say they work with influencers on Instagram compared to only 61% on YouTube.

But as we’ll cover later on, that’s only one way to make money on the app. Before we get into those, let’s review monetization requirements.

Instagram Monetization Tools

Ever since Instagram transitioned to a creator-focused platform, they have tested numerous monetization tools. Some end up staying on the platform while others are sunsetted.

For instance, in June 2021, Instagram announced that it would test an affiliate program, in which creators could have their own Shop tab and earn commissions based on sales they influenced.

After over a year of testing, the platform announced that it would no longer be available after August 2022.

Another monetization tool was Reels ads, a move designed to encourage creators to post more Reels. It allowed them to earn money via ads displayed before and/or after their Reels. That has seemingly been replaced by the bonus play program (more on that later.)

Here’s a list of the monetization tools available or being tested on the platform:

• Influencer marketing
• Bonuses
• Badges
• Subscriptions
• Gifts

Instagram Monetization Requirements

Each monetization practice will have its own set of requirements, but there are general policies set by Instagram for any creator who wants to earn money on the app.

You cannot earn money on Instagram if you share:

• Sexual, violent, profane, or hateful content.
• Static and looping videos
• Image slideshows
• Misinformation
• Unoriginal and misleading content
• Polarizing or inflammatory content relating to race, gender, age, or other sensitive subjects.

For more details on this, check out Instagram’s full list of content monetization policies.

How to Get Monetized on Instagram

1. Influencer Marketing

Becoming an influencer is the most popular way to make money on Instagram and from the marketers’ perspective, it’s one of the main ways they work with creators.

According to HubSpot research, 64% of marketers said they work with micro-influencers (those with 10K to 99K followers) when asked about their 2022 influencer marketing campaigns, and 57% work with macro-influencers (100K-999K).

The great news is that even if you have a smaller follower count, you can still be an influencer. 27% of marketers we surveyed say they worked with nano influencers (1K-9K) in 2022.

How much can …read more

Source:: HubSpot Blog

Author: Aaron