3 Easy Ways to Monetize Your Instagram Page

Once you have an established following on Instagram, you may be wondering how you can start to earn money. Some ways you can monetize your Instagram are not as straightforward as you might expect. While there are many complex ways you can monetize your Instagram, the following are three ways you can earn extra money without too much hassle.

1. The Plug

The Plug is an app where you need to have your account approved to access the app. They only work with accounts with a large following, so make sure you develop a good amount of followers before you apply (they do not give a number, but you will probably be able to use it around 10k). The Plug then gives you different ads you can use along with a referral link, and the referral link will earn you a small amount of money each time it is used to download whatever app you are supposed to be advertising.

The Plug is extremely easy to use, and you do not even have to make your own ad copy as they provide you with everything you may need. But it may be tough to make a considerable profit with it, as the commission rates are typically low.

2. Selling shoutouts

Selling shoutouts take a little more work but can be very profitable and easy to do once you get started. You want to contact an account with a similar niche as yours and ask them if they would like to purchase a shoutout post from you. Offer clear terms and prices, and reach out to as many accounts as you can. You’re not going to hear back from every single one, but you will eventually be able to find a couple repeat customers to help develop your cash flow and successfully monetize your Instagram.

3. Selling merchandise

This will take the most amount of time to set up but also earn the most amount of profits. Setting up a simple website and utilizing Print On Demand services (there are countless tutorials on YouTube to look up on this topic), you get to keep the majority of the profit. You can also create merchandise that caters to your exact demographic and makes your posts feel less like ads, which your followers will like.

As you begin to monetize your Instagram, make sure that you keep your non-advertisement posts consistent. If you begin to advertise too much, you will lose your followers and decrease the opportunities for you to make money. Keep a healthy balance of monetization and good content to sustain your account.