Ways to Make Money on Instagram without Followers
Selling products directly
One of the more straightforward ways to make money on Instagram is to sell your products or services directly. With the introduction of Instagram ads and Instagram Shopping, you can now create clickable links within your posts and Stories, allowing users to directly purchase from your online store. By targeting ads to specific people based on pre-selected criteria, you can ensure that your primary audience, who have the highest probability of conversion, are the ones seeing your link.
For instance, if you are a professional coach and author, you can create value-driven content based on snippets from your books to motivate your audience to purchase your services. Instagram Shopping allows you to plan and schedule your content in advance, making it easier to reach your audience at the perfect time.
Building awareness for your brand
Another way non-influencers can monetize their Instagram presence is through brand awareness. By creating content that makes your audience aware of your existence and helps solve their problems, you can position your brand as an expert in your industry and encourage viewers to explore your online store or services and make direct purchases. By highlighting pain points and demonstrating how your offers help solve them, you can establish a loyal and engaged audience who will turn to you when they have a need that your brand can fulfill.
Implementing affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is a popular method of making money on Instagram, even for non-influencers. By becoming an affiliate marketer, you can earn money by referring products or services to your audience. This involves joining an affiliate program for a brand and receiving a unique tracking code. You can then promote the product or service and place the affiliate link in your Instagram bio or captions. When someone purchases a product through your link, you earn a commission. This is a great option for those who have genuine interest in and knowledge of certain products or services. Whether you have your own e-commerce store or not, you can make money by promoting products or services you believe in.
Selling intellectual property
Using Instagram to sell your intellectual property can be a great way to generate passive income without investing too much time and effort into becoming an influencer. For artists, converting their artwork into vector images and NFTs and selling them on Instagram can be a lucrative option. Written content like e-books can also be sold as educational resources. You can include links to your sales page in your Instagram bio and share your artwork or snippets from your e-books in posts to attract potential customers. By targeting people based on their demographics, interests, and professions, you can reach your desired audience effectively.
Engaging customers directly
Instagram provides various ways to engage with customers directly, which can be valuable for businesses trying to build relationships and provide excellent customer support. Responding promptly to comments and answering frequently asked questions in a public forum can convert hesitant followers into paying customers. Engaging with customers through comments showcases your brand's commitment to customer support and allows you to gather feedback and improve your products or services. Direct messaging and text messaging are additional options for one-on-one communication and can significantly increase engagement and responses.
Selling dropship products
If you don't have a large e-commerce store or the ability to store inventory, selling dropship products through Instagram is an excellent option. Dropshipping allows you to partner with a third-party company that will manufacture and ship the products on-demand. This means you only pay for the products when someone places an order, eliminating the need for inventory management. By creating posts that showcase these dropship products and using professional images provided by the dropship company, you can attract customers and direct them to the link in your bio to make purchases.
Non-Influencer Strategies to Monetize Instagram
Becoming an affiliate
If you genuinely enjoy and believe in certain products or services, you can make money by promoting them as an affiliate marketer. Affiliate programs allow you to earn commissions for referring products or services to your audience. By sharing your unique affiliate link through your Instagram bio or posts, you can earn a percentage of each sale that is made through your link. This is a great way to monetize your Instagram presence without the need for a large follower count.
Selling intellectual property
If you have expertise in a particular industry or a passion that you can talk about endlessly, you can create and sell informational products on Instagram. This can include e-books, online courses, or masterclasses. By creating valuable and niche content, you can attract people who are interested in your area of expertise and are willing to pay for your knowledge.
Becoming a brand ambassador
Brand ambassadorship is another way to monetize your Instagram account without being an influencer. Many brands are looking for regular people with loyal followings to promote their products or services. By posting about the products or services you already use and love and tagging the respective brands, you can attract the attention of these companies and potentially enter into brand ambassador partnerships. Being a brand ambassador can involve receiving free products, getting paid for posts, or both.
Selling images
If you have photography skills, you can make money by selling your images on Instagram. Platforms like Instaprints, Twenty20, and Clashot allow you to submit high-quality images, which can be purchased by individuals or used for merchandise printing. By showcasing your photography on Instagram and linking to the platforms where your images are available for sale, you can attract potential buyers and generate income from your passion.
Dropshipping
Dropshipping is an attractive option for those who want to sell products on Instagram without the hassle of inventory management. By partnering with dropship companies, you can create or customize products and have them manufactured and shipped directly to customers when an order is placed. This eliminates the need for upfront investment in inventory and allows you to focus on marketing and selling products through your Instagram account.
Selling a service
If you have expertise in a particular area, such as coaching or consulting, you can offer your services to your Instagram followers. By leveraging your loyal following, you can book coaching or consulting sessions and provide personalized advice or assistance in areas where you excel. This is a more hands-on approach to monetizing Instagram but can be very effective, especially if you have a niche audience.
Tips for Generating Income on Instagram
Becoming a social media influencer
Becoming a social media influencer on Instagram is one of the most well-known ways to generate income. To become an influencer, you need to focus on growing your follower count and engagement rate. Once you have a significant following and a strong online presence, you can attract relevant brands and receive sponsored post opportunities. As an influencer, you will create content that promotes products or services and gets compensated for it.
However, it's essential to maintain authenticity and only promote products or services that align with your values and beliefs.
Promoting affiliate links
Promoting affiliate links is an effective strategy for generating income on Instagram. By partnering with brands as an affiliate, you can earn commissions on sales made through your unique affiliate link. You can share these links in your Instagram bio, captions, or stories, allowing your followers to access the products or services you recommend. To succeed with affiliate marketing, it's crucial to choose brands and products that resonate with your audience and provide value to them.
Starting an online Instagram shop
Creating an online shop on Instagram is a great way to sell your products or services directly to your audience. By leveraging the various features of Instagram, such as posts, stories, and the shop tab, you can showcase your offerings and make it easy for customers to browse and make purchases. With just a click, customers can move from viewing a product to placing an order, streamlining the buying process and increasing conversion rates.
Selling info products
Selling information products, such as e-books, courses, or premium content, can be a profitable avenue on Instagram. By sharing your knowledge and expertise in a specific area, you can attract an audience interested in learning from you. Create valuable and insightful content that addresses their pain points and offers practical solutions. Promote your info products through your Instagram account, using engaging captions and visually appealing content to entice your followers to make a purchase.
Becoming an Instagram consultant or coach
If you have a sizable and engaged following on Instagram, you can offer coaching or consulting services to your audience. Leverage your expertise and experience to help others achieve their goals, whether it's growing their Instagram presence or monetizing their own accounts. By providing personalized guidance and strategies, you can offer value to your clients and generate income from your consulting or coaching services.
FAQs
Is it possible to earn money on Instagram without followers?
Yes, it is possible to earn money on Instagram without having a large follower base. There are various strategies, such as selling products directly, affiliate marketing, selling intellectual property, engaging customers directly, selling dropship products, and more, that allow individuals to monetize their Instagram presence.
What are the key methods to make money on Instagram?
The key methods to make money on Instagram include selling products directly, implementing affiliate marketing, becoming a brand ambassador, selling intellectual property, engaging customers directly, selling dropship products, becoming a social media influencer, promoting affiliate links, starting an online Instagram shop, selling info products, and becoming an Instagram consultant or coach.
Can one generate income on Instagram with zero follower base?
While having a follower base can significantly impact your earning potential on Instagram, it is still possible to generate income without followers. Strategies such as selling intellectual property, becoming an affiliate, and selling services can be executed without relying heavily on the number of followers.
Are there strategies for monetizing Instagram content with no followers?
Yes, there are strategies for monetizing Instagram content even with a minimal follower base. These strategies include selling products directly, implementing affiliate marketing, selling intellectual property, engaging customers directly, and selling dropship products. By focusing on targeted marketing and providing value through your content, you can attract customers and generate income, regardless of your follower count.