How Can I Build an Instagram Page and Make Money?

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Karen Lin

Instagram Tips | Nov 04, 2024

Want More Real Instagram Followers?

A few years back, Instagram was simply a showdown among content creators of who could make the most aesthetic content. But today, the platform has become a goldmine and a money-making machine for influencers everywhere. If you have a thriving page and a high follower count, it’s easy to make serious bank. But if you’re new to the scene, you’re likely wondering—how can I build an Instagram page and make money?

With the rise of influencer marketing and Instagram’s own in-app monetization programs, the platform is more lucrative than ever before. It’s no wonder there are so many aspiring influencers out there. There’s so much money to be made here—at least if you crack the code to making viral creative content.

Want to build your Instagram empire and cash in on your fame? Keep reading to learn how.

A woman in a pink fur coat holding a black umbrella while it rains money.

Let’s Cut to the Chase—How Can I Build an Instagram Page and Make Money?

So, you want to know how you can establish a thriving presence on Instagram and make money from it. Well, the secret formula to achieving these goals is twofold.

First, you need strategic content creation and audience engagement to establish your following. These are the foundations of a successful Instagram page. That means you need to post high-quality content relevant to the lives of your target audience. The more captivating and relatable your content, the more followers will organically flock to your page in support of you.

After you’ve successfully created a community of fans who love your content, it becomes possible to monetize your page. You’ve got the follower count, the high engagement rates, and most importantly, the influence on your fanbase. It’s time to leverage them and get some cash flowing.

At that point, it’s all about turning passion into profit. Your goal should be to get as much out of your social media empire as possible. That means getting into as many Instagram monetization programs as you can and reaching out to brands to collaborate with. The more projects you’re on board for, the more money you can make!

But don’t get too worked up about the fame and the money that comes with it. The longevity of your Instagram success hinges on one thing—authenticity.

If you let the fame and money get to your head and post nothing but paid content, you may disappoint your fans. One by one, they’ll start unfollowing you, leaving you with zero influence and, consequently, no opportunities to make money.

So, make sure to still post authentic content you aren’t making money from, like personal anecdotes and life updates. That way, you can still nurture that solid rapport and emotional connection with your audience while monetizing your page.

A female creator smiling while recording a video of herself with a camera and tripod while a dog sits behind her.

How To Create an Instagram Page People Will Love: 6 Key Tips

Before you open the many doors that can lead you to monetize your page, you must establish a presence first. To do that, you must create high-quality content that people will love. The more followers and higher engagement rates you gain over time, the greater your chances of earning money from Instagram.

But how exactly do you create an Instagram presence people will love and flock to? Here are six key things to remember when building your personal brand on the platform to win people’s hearts.

A female content creator filming herself cooking a meal in the kitchen.

1. Find a Niche Your Target Audience Is Interested In

Don’t spread yourself thin trying to please everyone on Instagram! Focus on a specific audience demographic you want to engage. Then, create content within a niche you know that your target audience will find relevant or be interested in.

Your niche can be anything under the sun, from fitness, family, pet care, tech—basically anything your audience resonates with. The more they enjoy the lifestyle topic you talk about, the more loyal followers you’ll get. Just make sure it’s something you’re passionate about, too, so that you can create impactful content surrounding that topic.

Want to make your mark in the most popular lifestyle communities on Instagram? Create content in the fastest-growing niches on the platform, namely travel, fitness, food, beauty, and fashion.

Someone with light blue nails holding a smartphone with an aesthetic Instagram feed on the screen.

2. Curate an Aesthetic Feed

Another foolproof way to attract more fans to your page is by curating a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing, cohesive feed. Remember, Instagram is and always has been a visual platform. If you want to succeed, having stunning, captivating content is the bare minimum. So, it’s important to have your signature aesthetic down pat so your page can turn heads.

Your goal here is to make people think, “Wow!” whenever they look through your Instagram grid. Follow a consistent color palette, photography style, or preset filter to create a cohesive look throughout your posts. Not only will your feed be pretty to look at, but it will also help build your brand identity online.

For example, travel influencers’ feeds all look pretty much the same—an iconic landmark here, delectable international food there. One way to stand out is to create a cohesive travel feed with only earth tones or vibrant neon colors. Sick, right?

A man and woman laughing while looking at the screen of a mobile phone together.

3. Inject Humor Into Your Content

Nobody can resist watching a laugh-out-loud Reel on a loop or sharing a hilarious meme with a friend! That’s why humor is a huge thing for any content creator wanting to engage wide audiences. Try making funny, relatable photos and videos on your page. Not only is it entertaining for your fans, but it also encourages shares, letting you reach even more users.

Funny content is especially important for creators targeting younger audiences. According to Screenshot Media Group, 76% of Gen Z want to see comedic content on social media, including from brands. If you’re looking to engage younger audience demographics, bust out those witty one-liners and hilarious memes for more engagement!

4. Help Solve People’s Problems and Pain Points

Does your audience have any specific pain points they struggle with related to your niche? If so, offer practical solutions and tips to overcome them in your content. You can create posts under content buckets like how-to’s, tutorials, life hacks, and more.

Let’s say you’re a skincare influencer, and you notice that many of your followers complain about oily skin. Consider making a series of Reels enumerating tips and tricks for managing oily skin throughout the day. You can also recommend specific products you think will help those dealing with oily skin issues.

This helps cement your reputation as an expert in your niche. The more people trust you, the more they’ll listen to what you have to say. This will come in handy later on when you leverage your influence to monetize your page.

5. Deepen Your Relationship With Your Audience

Even the biggest influencers are nothing without their loyal fans. Content creators without an active, engaged following might have a hard time finding success in monetizing their Instagram. So, it’s important to foster a strong, deep, emotional relationship with your fanbase. That way, they stay loyal to you and keep engaging with your content.

You should essentially treat them as if you were life-long friends. Respond to their comments, host Q&A sessions on Instagram Stories, and share life updates with them—you know the drill. Get them to feel invested in your life, and they’ll always look forward to the content you come up with.

Two female creators sitting on a sofa and smiling at a phone camera on a tripod.

6. Collaborate With Other Popular Influencers

Borrow the influence of fellow content creators by collaborating with them on Instagram! Team up with them to make the most exciting, electrifying content that both your fanbases will love. These include appearances in each other’s posts, joint Instagram Live sessions, or sharing each other’s content on your respective pages.

Collaborating with other creators is kind of a “you scratch my back, I scratch yours” situation. You get the word out for the other influencer’s page, and you get the same exposure to their fanbase. This allows new people to discover your page and potentially follow you!

5 Ways To Monetize Your Instagram Page

Now that you have a thriving page and fans who love you, you can earn money from your online presence. Your days of constantly asking, “How can I make money on Instagram?” are over. Here are five different ways to capitalize on your Insta-fame and content creation skills to make some extra cash.

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1. Win Instagram Bonuses

The Instagram Bonus program allows creators with viral and ultra-engaging content to earn cash from “bonus” views and plays. Then, you can cash out these bonuses and get real money!

The program is by invite-only, and Instagram chooses only the most high-performing creators to take part in it. To increase your chances of getting invited to the program, consistently produce fun, exciting, shareable content.

2. Sign Paid Partnerships With Brands

Many brands tap influencers with high follower counts and engagement rates and hire them to post content promoting their products. Then, they’ll pay them either with cash compensation or free products from the brand. This type of content is called a sponsored post, and it’s one of the most common ways to monetize Instagram.

You can go about promoting a partner brand in your sponsored post in a million different ways. You could showcase the physical products in aesthetic photos, talk about them in Stories, or feature them in a Reel. The goal is to paint the brand and its offerings in a positive light to your followers.

Influencers can earn a huge chunk of their income from these paid partnerships. Smaller creators with 10,000 followers or less might receive a couple hundred bucks or freebies as compensation for their work. Meanwhile, mega-influencers can demand thousands of dollars per post if they really want to. Wowza!

3. Join Affiliate Marketing Programs

Think you have a knack for sales talk? Join a brand’s affiliate program and get some extra cash from sales commissions!

As an affiliate marketer, you earn money when you contribute to a brand’s overall sales. A partner brand will give you a unique affiliate link that leads to their e-commerce website. You promote that brand in your content, driving your followers to click on that link. If anyone makes a purchase on the site coming from your unique link, you get a cut of the sale!

Affiliate marketing is becoming one of the most popular ways for creators to monetize. According to WPBeginner, 74% of influencers have some form of affiliate marketing in their repertoire of online income streams.

A man handing a woman a gift box with a bow.

4. Capitalize on Your Fandom With Gifts and Subscriptions

Instagram also has tons of in-app monetization programs that let you capitalize on your Insta-fame. These include Instagram Gifts and Subscriptions. The former allows fans to send gifts to their favorite creators, who can then convert those gifts to cash. Meanwhile, the latter gives fans an opportunity to see exclusive content from influencers through paid subscriptions.

Each has its own monetization eligibility requirements, such as a minimum follower count. To enjoy Instagram Gifts, you must have at least 500 followers. Setting up Instagram Subscriptions is even stricter, needing a minimum of 10,000 followers. There are also other stringent requirements, like having a professional account and being at least 18 years of age.

So, how do you get paid on Instagram using these features? It’s super easy! Just set up a payout method and check your Professional Dashboard to see and withdraw your earnings.

Someone doing online shopping for clothes on a laptop.

5. Sell Products Through Instagram Shopping

This one’s a little out of left field, but it’s perfect for creators with an entrepreneurial streak. If you have your own line of products you want to sell online, consider setting up an Instagram Shop. With this digital storefront, you can tag your products in posts and allow fans to purchase them straight from Instagram. Ka-ching!

Turn Passion Into Profit Faster by Growing Your Fanbase With Path Social!

At the end of the day, an engaged fanbase is your secret weapon to monetize your Instagram content. The more people you can influence online, the more opportunities open up for you to make some serious bank. So, the grind is more than just making pretty or funny content on Instagram. It’s about growing on the platform and boosting your follower count, too.

Need a hand in luring more fans to your Instagram page? Path Social has got your back. We use organic promotional strategies to make sure your target audience comes across your content. The more people discover your page, the more new followers you gain. Getting higher engagement rates on the content you work hard on is just the cherry on top!

Soon, you won’t be stuck asking, “How can I build an Instagram page and make money?” Instead, you’ll be laser-focused on creating exciting content that can attract as many fans as possible. Then, leave the promotional stuff to us. Before you know it, you’ll have a thriving community of fans and loads of opportunities to monetize your page!

We’ve helped brands like Hailey’s Clothing drive over 700% more traffic and gain 23,000 followers, allowing their pages to thrive. Want to ring in those same numbers? Get real, engaged followers with Path Social today!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Instagram pages make money?

Yes, many thriving Instagram pages with an established presence can make money. You can earn money from in-app monetization programs or get paid to work with companies as their brand ambassador. That’s why many influencers make content creation a full-time career.

How many followers do you need on Instagram to make money?

There’s no hard-and-fast rule about what your follower count needs to be for you to start making money on Instagram. Some brands even prefer to work with micro-influencers to reach their target market, given their exceedingly high engagement rates. 

What you really need to find opportunities to make money is an engaged fanbase and a knack for content creation.

How much can I earn from an Instagram page?

If you haven’t registered a payout account on Instagram, you can still earn up to $1,500 across their monetization programs. If you already have one, then you can earn as much as you’re able to across Instagram’s tools.

Meanwhile, when working with brands through sponsored posts, the pay varies for everyone. Nano and micro-influencers might earn $100-$500 per post, while mega-influencers and celebrities can demand upwards of $1,000 per post.