Instagram is a social network where you can create a profile for free and share posts with images or videos. Without a doubt, you can also earn very well on Instagram. If you feel that you don’t yet know how to fully take advantage of all its benefits that would help you improve sales and increase earnings, then this article is just for you. Here you will find facts and practical tips that you need to know in order to achieve greater visibility and profitability. Instagram is constantly updating and changing certain specifications in order to better serve its users.
Why is Instagram good for your business and how can it help you earn more?
Instagram is now used by more than 320 million users worldwide, and as many as 200 million use Instagram for business purposes. The platform is very attractive especially from a marketing perspective, as more than two-thirds of the app’s users are under 34 years old. The fact that the platform is extremely popular is undeniable. Strike while the iron is hot, so take advantage and join the many who are already advertising on Instagram and generating great profits.
How does Instagram help your business?
- Increases traffic to your website
- Accelerates the promotion of products you sell
- Increases awareness of your brand or company
- Encourages an increase in purchases, email sign-ups, etc.
Monetizing your Instagram account can bring you excellent earnings. There are many false and misleading myths about what conditions need to be met in order to start earning through Instagram. Not all of them are true, so go ahead and take action.
A business profile allows you to create sponsored posts on Instagram. They can be in the form of an image or video, and also in some other advanced combinations – a carousel with multiple photos, a slideshow, an Instagram Lead generation ad, or an Instagram Story ad. With sponsored posts, you can define your target audience and increase the reach of your post. It allows you to add a call to action button, which can be: “sign up, learn more, order now, contact us, download, open link, send message, shop now, subscribe,” etc.
Sponsored ads are displayed to users in between other organic posts in their feed, and they carry the label sponsored post.
Direct your first and special attention to the image. Remember that this is the first thing that attracts users, so make sure it is a true feast for the eyes. This ensures that they will stop, take in the image, and then continue reading. Beautiful photographs and aesthetics are Instagram’s strength, so on this social network, focus on this first.
The text at the beginning of the post should immediately grab the reader’s attention so they click read more, or redirect them to a landing page. The link to the landing page can be placed in your biography. It is recommended to use linktree, so that with one link (URL) you can offer access to multiple different websites that you want to show to potential customers.
A glossary of important terms for easier use of Instagram
Instagram Feed: is the place where posts that have received the most engagement or that you follow are displayed to you. They can be in the form of images, videos, or a carousel (a set of up to 10 images).
Hashtag: is a combination of letters, numbers, or symbols preceded by the # sign. It is clickable and is used to more easily identify and categorize content and increase the relevance of posts. Hashtags help users more easily find what they are interested in. They type the desired hashtag into Instagram’s search bar, and a page opens showing all posts tagged with that hashtag.
Instagram Story: is a post (image or video) that is separate from those on your Instagram feed and disappears after 24 hours. They help you further promote your profile and maintain contact with your followers.
Instagram Live Video: you broadcast a video live and your followers receive a notification that you are going live. This way you are in contact with your followers in real time and they can communicate with you directly.
IGTV: is an application within Instagram that allows you to record a video up to one hour long, available for users to watch whenever they want.
5 tips for greater success on Instagram
You don’t need to have thousands of followers on Instagram to be able to earn something from it. You can represent and promote your own brand or the brand of another company.
But it’s not enough to just create interesting and quality content and hope that someone will see it. So how do you ensure that your posts are visible to your ideal customers?
- Make sure your posts bring people added value. Offer them the information they want so they can solve a specific problem they have.
2. Put together a posting calendar that will help you so you don’t have to think every day about what to post. Break down a few topics on which you could share knowledge, then divide these further into subtopics or specific content pieces.
3. Let your posts reflect who you are, what you do, who you help, and how you can help them. If you’re starting with a completely new Instagram account, create at least 9 posts that will represent this. This way, visitors to your profile will quickly get a sense of what it’s all about and what you offer, and will follow you.
4. Put together a representative biography. The description is short, so carefully choose the phrases that best describe you and attract attention. You can also use emojis to make the text even more appealing. For your profile picture, you can use your logo or any photo of yourself that represents you well.
5. Connect your Facebook and Instagram profiles, so you can directly share posts from Instagram to Facebook as well. The advantage of this connection is that people who already follow you on Facebook will notice that they can also follow you on Instagram. This increases the reach of your posts and gains you additional followers.
Don’t forget that your followers are very valuable, and if you post too many promotional posts, you can potentially lose their trust. If you lose followers, you lose the main backbone of your business. So be moderate with the number of sponsored posts.
The most profitable ways to earn money on Instagram
Sponsored posts in collaboration with other companies and brands
You can charge companies a certain amount for a sponsored post on your Instagram feed or Instagram stories. Together you determine the number of posts, the content, and how much money they are willing to pay you for this work. These posts usually also contain a specific call to action that directs potential customers to a link to the company’s website.
Earning as an affiliate partner
This is different from being an influencer. As an affiliate, you are more focused on driving actual sales for a company, rather than raising awareness about the brand itself. Here you are paid per sale or a specific action that the company wants. Commissions are usually set in advance. You receive a promo code or a trackable link so it’s known that the sale came through you. Where do you find companies looking for affiliate partners? Check out Clickbank, Rewardstyle, Amazon Associates, and others.
Promotion and earning with your own online store
You don’t always need to collaborate with other brands to earn money on Instagram. With your own online store, you have complete control over your income and earnings. By opening your own online business, you can sell physical products, services, or digital products. Whatever you decide on or already have, you add the URL to your website in your bio.
A combination of all options
Don’t limit yourself when it comes to earning opportunities through Instagram. Use a mix of everything described above and increase the diversity of paths to greater earnings.
How much can you earn as an influencer and how do you set your price?
The price for a sponsored post is determined individually by agreement with the company. Always keep in mind how much work you put in yourself and how much the company can earn with the help of that post. Example: you charge €50 for 1 post, but that post could bring the company thousands of euros in earnings. In that case, it really makes sense to negotiate for better payment per post.
When setting your price, several factors are also taken into account:
One of the first metrics that companies notice first is your number of followers. This also determines how much they are willing to pay you for a sponsored post.
The category you are in and how much competition there is in your niche. Highly profitable niches are health, beauty, fitness, travel, and business, but they also have a lot of competition. If your niche is very specific, you can actually earn more because there is less competition.
What is the engagement of your followers on your posts. Companies and brands want to see ROI (return on investment). If you have a large number of followers who don’t react to your posts, or are even fake followers, companies are not interested in that. The number of followers is therefore far from the only factor that companies consider, but also reactions – meaning how many likes, comments, and saved posts come from your followers. This tells them a lot about the trust placed in you. This is because you offer access to potential customers who are interested in a specific niche and trust you. Companies need this and are willing to pay for it.
How to find companies for collaborations?
First, look for companies that share similar values and beliefs to your own, so that you are aligned. You can try to reach out to them directly and arrange a collaboration.
Regardless of what your goal is – raising awareness about your brand, increasing sales, collaborating with companies, earning with affiliate links, … Instagram is a great place where you can put all of this into practice. Best of luck!
