Like many other social media platforms, Instagram has grown and evolved over the years. When it was launched it was designed to be a platform for sharing photos and videos, primarily from smartphones. Oh, and it was also going to be called Burbn.
Fast forward two years and just before Instagram’s IPO was set to go, Facebook swooped in and acquired the app for a cool $1 billion in cash and stocks.
Now Instagram has a following to match the acquisition price with 1 billion monthly active users and attracts huge brands such as Nike and has helped individuals launch very successful careers.
So, you might be wondering how Instagram could help you to make money, and there are several options.
Connect with brands and become an influencer
Brands have realized that consumers trust influencers more than they do big companies. An influencer is trusted by their followers and can opine, set trends, and generally, well…influence people’s decisions.
To make money from this you will need to reach a certain level of reputation on Instagram, and a strong following. One thing that is very important as an influencer is gaining your follower’s trust. You need to understand what they want and what their values are so that you are in a position to recommend products and services.
There are many success stories on Instagram for influencers including Huda Kattan who was unhappy in her job as a makeup artist but loved makeup, she began her blog in 2010. Today she is worth around $500 million. Although when you are starting out you should temper your expectations. Many established influencers say they are paid around $200 for a sponsored post.
Once your profile is running well you may get spotted by interested brands, or you can reach out to them yourself. This is a proven way to make money with Instagram.
Monetize IGTV
When Instagram Stories launched, the platform saw an increase in usage and users. One thing that has been proven is that video engages an audience more than static images. So, Instagram came up with IGTV.
IGTV allows longer form, immersive videos, which can engage followers and you can use these to show advertising and thus, monetizing your content. The ads last 15 seconds and are aimed at high-intent users. They are also mobile-first which is important as more people are accessing the internet by mobile devices than ever before.
Market your own brand
If you already have a small business or growing concern then you can use Instagram to help market your brand. There are many reasons why social media marketing is important today and one of them is that you can target specific audiences for advertising.
Using Instagram and Facebook you can either let the platforms choose an audience for you or you can specify who you want to target with your ads. You can also use your posts and hashtags to promote products, engage with your audience, and grow your brand.
Customer service is a huge deal these days and social media allows you to connect with your consumers directly and in real-time. This builds trust and loyalty and helps to build your brand which in turn means more conversions.
Sell badges on live video
Creators make interesting content that attracts and engages followers. One of the things influencers and creators can do on Instagram is to create live video to add value to the relationship between them and their followers. In return, their audience can buy ‘badges’ to indicate their support.
A badge sells for 99 cents although there are different options for multiple badges. Once a badge is purchased, a heart will appear next to the follower’s name in the comments under the video.
Finding yourself followers
The worst thing anyone can do when they are thinking about monetizing their Instagram account is to buy a load of fake followers. Many websites are proclaiming to be able to get you x amount of TripAdvisor reviews instantly or gain 1000 Instagram followers by tomorrow.
These offers all have one thing in common; they will get your account deleted.
Gaining followers needs to be done organically and legitimately and if you are looking to make money from Instagram then fake followers will not help you. To successfully monetize your account you need followers who are genuinely interested in you and that can be helped by an Instagram growth service.
Using a company such as Growthoid.com means you will be assigned a dedicated account manager who will spend time engaging with other users and nurture your account. A growth service like this attracts real people and this is the important part, there are no automation processes or bots involved, everything is grown naturally.
Using a growth service means you can get on with the things you are good at, creating content, posting, making videos, and hopefully, making money.
Summary
There are many benefits of using social media for marketing, communicating with friends, and also making money. It is still possible for a teenager to monetize their content from the comfort of their bedroom or a small business to use social media marketing to grow their brand and increase their revenue.
One thing that hasn’t changed with Instagram is that it is still possible to sell your photos on the platform. So, if you want to make money and stick to the developer’s original dream you still can.
