If you have determination and persistence, you can make money with Instagram. Given the proper tools and the necessary guidance in using those tools, you could be right up there along side the many people in their 20s that are said to be making thousands and thousands of dollars each and every month.
Like any new business, this will need a lot of hard work as it is NOT a get rich quick scheme.
Taking the initiative by reading this guide proves that you are willing to explore helpful information in order to learn how to make money with Instagram.
Most people do not care to learn first, but rather they dive right in and when they fail, they get upset. This is why successful marketers always suggest that you select a PASSION.
When you have passion for making your business successful then you will put in the necessary time and effort necessary to become a winner on Instagram.
So, if you are ready to start learning… pick a niche that your passionate about to focus on. It could be food, gaming, sports, automobiles, gardening, etc.
You need to understand that if you own or plan on owning your own business, and you do not have a digital online presence, your profits will suffer.
Once you have your niche selected… let’s get going at building your Instagram account.
Always reply to your follower’s comments, especially if they are negative. Then you need to respond in kindness.
When you receive actual comments from your followers that means you have gained their attention and they want to know more about you.
Be sure to post your images daily. There are tools that will help you post fresh and new images, so there really isn’t any excuse for not doing this.
Make it a habit to consistently share useful information with your Instagram followers and DO NOT SELL to them. This will help you grow followers on ANY social media platform as NO one wants to be sold to.
Offering your followers free helpful information is the best way to grow your loyal followers.
How to Select Who to Follow on Instagram
- Go to a person’s Instagram profile
- Check if the account has a good number of followers
- Check the information in their bio to see what they offer
- Check their latest posts for the value of the information they’ve shared
That is how you can decide to follow or not to follow an Instagram account.
So… ask yourself the following questions:
- Would YOU follow your account based on the information that you have posted on your Instagram bio?
- Is your profile image of you?
- Is your biography interesting?
- Have you shared helpful, relevant information?
If you have missed ANY of these issues, then you need to fix them.
Examples of Interesting Instagram Bios
Who is Your Audience on Instagram?
In order to find out, you need to be able to answer the following questions:
- Who do you want to send your messages to?
- What are the needs of these people?
- What are the emotions of these people?
- What are their hobbies?
- What do these people do with their day / night; do they work outside the home, from home, or are they stay at home spouses?
- What are their likes?
You need to be thinking like those you want as your followers. When you do this, you will better understand what to fix in your profile, and you will know what types of posts will be needed.
Being passionate about the niche you have selected will make your efforts less like work and more like fun.
NEVER simply post on Instagram to make money.
Post to give your followers valuable information instead. Money should always only every be as a consequence for providing quality content to your Instagram community.
Think of your followers first and foremost as that will make your Instagram account successful sooner then selling to them.
When you make a post, be sure to choose things that make your followers feel something very powerful so that they identify with what you have posted.
Choose things that will touch them emotionally. Once this happens, your followers will start commenting on your posts and sharing them. This is one of the KEY measures of importance for Instagram’s algorithm.
Stimulate more of your follower’s feelings means your posts receive more shares, which means that your posts get more views.
More views will serve to prove that your content is more relevant.
More relevant content brings more traffic to your Instagram account.
With more traffic to your Instagram account, this serves to provide your Instagram account with more recognition from Instagram.
The key is to find an effective dose of creativity that keeps your follower’s attention.
The secret is that the greatest Instagram profiles share content about simple real things because when people think “hey, that has happened to me”, it creates a sense of empathy and that IS why people will decide to follow you.
Examples of Helpful Posts
Let’s use a Yoga Instructor’s Instagram account for an example. This business person may be simply sharing content on their yoga studio, location and their services. But if they want to attract clients then they should start posting videos to educate their followers.
Those videos could be about a simple warm up with Yoga and common problems that most people are faced with, and how to improve one’s flexibility given time.
Or, what techniques to use if the Yoga routine is for those whose joints don’t respond as well anymore, and how to improve their range of motion.
If this type of content is useful to their followers, then their followers will soon begin to tag their friends who may want to solve the same types of problems, and those people will share the videos with others, and so on.
Apparently, Instagram has an algorithm that prioritizes the content in EACH of their user’s feed based on THEIR preferences, which could help YOU connect your content with other users.
Using this information properly, you could have your content standing out, giving you a HUGE reach with several Instagram users.
It is said that Instagram’s algorithm calculates the interaction between your followers and your account.
For example: if your recently posted content and it gets noticed with lots of likes, comments, direct messages and views… virtually any type of response from your followers, then Instagram’s scripts will consider your post an important post, and Instagram will begin to offer it to more of their users whether they are following your account or not.
They say that RELEVANCE, ATTRACTION and CONSISTENCY of quality content are keys to Instagram’s scripts. And you need to understand that successful Instagram profiles with large followings have been taking advantage of this.
Instagram rewards anyone’s efforts for sharing great content, being active on their platform, and posting consistently, which then provides your profile with more followers.
Always Interact with Your Instagram Followers
- Always respond to comments made by your followers.
- Respond to each comment in a way that makes them feel that they are special and important.
- Grow relationships with your followers and stimulate more interactions.
Instagram will then multiply your posts views, as they reward user interactions and your ability to respond quickly. So, be sure to respond inside of 60 minutes from a comment being made, and use more than two or three words in your response.
Learn the best time to post your images and videos so that you get the most interaction.
Knowing this is another variable and should help you to determine what types of content you will need to be sharing, depending on your business goal, your targeted audience and the geographical area you wish to cover too.
The best times to post on Instagram are said to be as follows according to Hubsot.com, as shown in the following screen print:
Should you want to convince your followers to not miss your posts, you can persuade them to activate notifications so that you will be less likely to lose any interactions.
You could do this simply by offering a relevant and awesome prize to the first person to comment on your next 10 posts.
It is said that stories are the most relevant tool that Instagram has to offer.
And once again using this knowledge properly, you could attract a LOT of traffic to your Instagram profile.
Be sure to interact with your followers and keep them anxious to see your daily content so that your followers will sure to see YOUR stories as soon as you have posted them.
Other great tools that you can use (and that you should seriously explore using) are questions, surveys, classifications, chats, use of hashtags, etc.
Always be watching for ANY tools that you see working for others, and get curious enough to investigate how you can use them too.
Instagram Trends
Knowing what topics are trending on Instagram is another vital tool that can help you decide what to share.
You can find out what is trending on Instagram by using the Explore tab. See screen print below for explanation.
Working long hours in front of your computer constantly is not working smart. You want to be working smart so that you can make money with Instagram.
Following are methods that you can use to help you build your successful Instagram account in less time than you might ever think imaginable.
You really can delegate your tasks to Apps that will post your content on Instagram for you. You can actually schedule posts several days in advance.
This way, you could cover several days worth of posts by setting up your posts in a few hours on one day.
Automate Your Instagram Posts
Storrito.com – Is a desktop application with numerous features to help you create and schedule your Instagram stories, as that is this App’s sole purpose.
Later.com – Is an Instagram scheduler as well as Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter. This App is said to allow you to plan a week of Instagram posts in 20 minutes.
Hootsuite.com – Is a social media management platform that provides their users an easier means of managing their social media posts. This platform allows their users the ability to share their content and schedules posts.
More Advice…
It is recommended that you create contests relevant to your content, making the prize(s) available to those who Like, Tag and Comment the most.
This way, you are rewarding your follower’s loyalty and you will gain new followers through your generosity.
Another means of gaining followers is to look at similar Instagram accounts like your own.
Be sure to explore their followers and catch their follower’s attention by giving them some Likes and Comments. Some of those followers will surely start following you.
Some refer to this as “fishing” for followers.
TIP: A human reaction is that when you Like an Instagram post that has been shared a long time ago, you WILL catch that person’s attention and intrigue them into discovering “who” their stalker is.
Remember that well written Instagram stories tend to be more effective than posts and many have more engagement.
So, do make sure that your stories contain enough persuasive information to attract people to your account.
You could also reach out to related niche owners with accounts about the same size as yours.
When you contact them try to make alliances with them, where they and you share and influence each other’s followers to explore the other owner’s account.
Granted, you would not want to be offering the same content, but rather complimentary content, products and/or services.
By connecting with at least three different accounts like this, you will soon see good results with traffic to your account, as would the other two accounts that joined you.
For example: Let’s say you are a professional makeup artist. You could then ask a person with a similar sized Instagram account as your own that sells beauty products to join you in influencing each other’s followers.
Related niches but not the same.
If you have money to invest in social media, you could consider buying a successful Instagram account that has been properly built and has a great number of followers.
Doing this, you will achieve your goals faster, providing you remain focused on keeping the account followers and adding to their numbers.
Though, when considering buying a premade Instagram account, you need to be aware of unscrupulous people who create Instagram accounts and gain lots of followers… but… those followers are not real people… but rather fake accounts owned by computer scripts call BOTs.
It is not that difficult to create and build your very own Instagram account so that you can make money with it, so buying an existing account is only mentioned as a consideration that you COULD make.
Once you have your Instagram account, a cell phone with a decent camera (which most have nowadays), your desire to succeed, then you are ready to get started creating your business without investing a lot of money.
More Tools…
WhatsApp API – You could include a purchase button on your Instagram account if you are selling a digital product.
This tool allows your followers to go directly to a personalized chat within WhatsApp, where you can then close a sale, PLUS, you are then able to keep the contact information of the people who have proven an interest in your product.
This enables you to contact them later with future products or services.
Landing Pages – A landing page is a website or web page that users come to after clicking on a link that you can place on your Instagram profile.
This can help you learn which of your followers have shown an interest in your product or service.
It is recommended that you create a great title and content that invites your landing page visitors to keep reading… along with a call to action for your product or service.
You could offer related (to your niche) free value to your community.
Something like a tutorial or a small book in exchange for their contact information (usually a name and email address).
Once you have their basic information, you can keep in touch with them as potential future customers to anything new you have to offer.
Funnels – A funnel is simply another marketing tool for selling digital products. It is very similar to a Landing Page, though a funnel is designed exclusively for selling as its only purpose.
A funnel should take a potential customer from the awareness stage to the last stage… buying as everything is on the same page.
Like any online business, persistence is the key to success.
Your success truly is in your own hands and is totally dependent on you for dedication, determination and consistency.
As the accredited McDonald’s founder and fast-food tycoon Ray Kroc once said:
Persistence. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
Talent won’t. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius won’t. Unrewarded genius is practically a cliché.
Education won’t. The world is full of educated fools.
Persistence and determination alone are all powerful. Show that you don’t have to be defeated by anything. That you can have peace of mind, improved health and a never ceasing flow of energy.
If you attempt each and every day to achieve these things, the results will make themselves obvious to you. While it may sound like a magical notion, it is in you to create your own future.
The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind. Or as Ralph Waldo Emerson declared, “A man is what he thinks about all day long.
So, make a habit of working on your Instagram account EVERY DAY, because it DOES matter.
Never under estimate even small progress because little steps create a habit and this type of habit can create a path whereby you will reach your goal.
By taking those first steps you will also start getting results. Use those results as your motivation to keep going.
Like Martin Luther King Jr. once said:
Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.
Be sure to be on the lookout for new trends, stay up to date and informed about world events.
My Gift to You
Here’s a plan that you can use to help you set your tasks that need doing, and how often that you must do them.
Do keep in mind that your plan must be related to your content and niche and that you must learn to identify the best time to interact with your audience.
| Monday | Wednesday | Thursday | Saturday |
| Prepare 15 stories | Take an hour to find and follow Instagram accounts related to your niche and get in touch with the owners. | Prepare 15 stories | Spend an hour finding and attracting other account’s followers, and who may be potential customer. Leave them a Like and even a Comment, if possible. |
| – 3 are for Monday | – 3 are for Thursday | ||
| – 3 are for Tuesday | – 4 are for Friday | ||
| – 3 are for Wednesday | – 4 are for Saturday | ||
| Be sure to distribute these stories throughout EACH day. | – 4 are for Sunday Be sure to distribute these stories throughout EACH day. | ||
| Prepare 6 post feeds | Prepare 10 post feeds | ||
| – 2 are for Monday | – 2 are for Thursday | ||
| – 2 are for Tuesday | – 2 are for Friday | ||
| – 3 are for Wednesday | Schedule these anywhere from 12 PM – 1 PM and 5 PM – 6 PM. | ||
| Schedule these from 12 PM – 1 PM and 5 PM – 6 PM for EACH day. | – 3 are for Saturday | ||
| – 3 are for Sunday | |||
| Schedule these anywhere from 9 AM – 11 AM and 2 PM – 8 PM |
You can download your copy of the Instagram Weekly Plan that was created in Excel.
REMINDER: Always respond to all of your follower’s interactions as quickly as possible so that the Instagram algorithm will reward your account for doing so.
I do hope this guide helps provide you with the necessary information to make it possible for you to make money with Instagram.
Should you have ANY questions, or would simply like to add to this guide as a means of sharing with others, then by all means, please do leave me a comment below.
Once I have responded to your comment, you will automatically be issued an emailed notification of my response.
Other Helpful Resources
7 Marketing Tips to Help Grow Your Brand on Instagram
