Earning money is not limited to a 9-5 job or any physical business in 2025. You can earn a handsome amount from social media. On average, people, including Gen-Z and millennials, spend at least 2 to 3 hours scrolling, and a big chunk of that is on Instagram.
Do you love spending time on Instagram? You can cash your passion for creating reels. Some people earn just from 1,000 followers, while others need 100,000+. If you are thinking about how many followers you need to earn money on IG? This guide is for you.
Let’s begin!
How Does Instagram Pay?
There is a misconception that big influencers who have millions of followers can only earn money. That is only a myth. We will be discussing the significance of the follower count, but first, you should know the ways to earn money on IG. Instagram does not pay directly to creators for their followers. Let’s talk about at least 5 methods
1. Sponsored Posts (Brand Deals)
Brands pay influencers to promote their products. Beginners with 1K–10K followers may get $10–$500 per post, and those who have above 100K+ followers get paid $5,000–$50,000 per post, approximately ( it depends on your niche, and the size of the brand as well )
Partnerships come in all shapes and sizes.
The engagement metrics and authenticity also play a role in attracting various brand deals. Creators who are trusted by their followers may charge higher. To get more brand deals, you can use tools like Influencity and Aspire.io. All you have to do is contact various brands related to your niche and earn money while sitting at home and enjoying the content creation process.
2. Affiliate Marketing
Do you know that 15% of Instagram users earn money through affiliate marketing, and 1000 to 15000 followers are enough to make you an affiliate marketer? Well, many beginners have no idea of affiliate marketing. When people buy stuff through the link you have given in your posts is called Affiliate Marketing.
This link can be in bio, stories, and reel posts as well. Whenever your followers make a purchase through the link, your promotions get converted into sales. You can get more information from the affiliate program. You can join the Printify or Amazon associate program once your followers are up to 1k to 5k. Start getting commissions on IG through this method.
3. Sell Your Products
You can sell your product easily on Instagram. This is the easiest way to generate money; there is zero investment in marketing, and your brand is out and ready for sale. Instagram brings a great offer for the shopping experience through Facebook Commerce Manager.
You need to create a Facebook Shop first, and then an Instagram shop to sell any eBooks, courses, clothes, makeup, services, art, craft, etc.
4. Instagram Reels Bonuses
Earn dollars through short 15- to 30-second videos. Influencers on Instagram do not get money for views on their content, but they earn from alternative ways like they can sell merchandise, such as t-shirts and mugs, via print-on-demand platforms, and they can get rewards through affiliate marketing.
You can sell anything through reels and become a brand ambassador. Reels can be monetized through ad placements. The amount of money depends on your reel’s performance. More engagement attracts more money. If you are part of the Instagram bonus program, you can earn up to $500–$10,000/month just from Reels.
5. Webinars & Workshops
You can arrange webinars and workshops, and your followers can be highly helpful in this regard. This is the most popular choice for earning money from Instagram. You can exchange your knowledge for cash. Webinars and workshops give value to your followers and this type of social media marketing and training brings unbelievable results.
How Many Followers Do You Need to Earn Money?
To start any business, you need an investment. For Instagram, investment is gaining followers. With a tiny group of 1000 followers, you can earn money; followers mean revenue.
Anyone who wants to earn money should know some basic information.
For example, you need at least 10,000 followers to use the Subscriptions and Badges features of IG. There is no hard and fast rule about followers when it comes to sponsorships. Let’s start studying smaller established accounts and their average earnings.
Small Accounts (1,000–10,000 Followers)
IG content creators who have gained 1,000–10,000 followers can earn at least $10–$500 per post from brand deals and $50–$1,000/month from affiliate sales. They can sell their own digital products.
Medium Accounts (10,000–100,000 Followers)
Influencers with follower count between 10k and 100k are earning well, they close brand deals for approximately $500–$5,000 per post and make money through affiliate sales, approximately $1,000–$10,000/month
Big Accounts (100,000+ Followers)
Famous influencers like Kylie Jenner, Mr.Beast or Kim Kardashian, and many more charge up $5,000–$50,000 per post, and affiliate sales may cross $10,000+/month. Even their e-commerce brands are also making them earn.
Can I Make Money With Less Than 1,000 Followers?
If you have just begun your Instagram journey and have less than 1000 followers, you can also earn money. Brands prefer small influencers who have fewer but original and active followers. Micro-influencers can also earn from affiliate links and sell their freelancing services. For example, if you are a painter and have 8000 followers, you can sell your paintings to them. They can be your clients. Those who are concerned and want to increase their follower counts have the option to obtain safe Instagram followers from an original and trusted source.
What Matters More Than Followers?
Engagement is more important than the number of followers. It is the key metric to check the IG’s success. The majority of brands focus on likes & comments, and high engagement because it builds more trust and represents that the influencer is authentic and credible. Whenever followers share and save the reel, it clearly shows that the content is interesting and worth following. A small account with 1,000 engaged fans can earn more than a big account with 50,000 fake followers.
How to Gain Followers on Instagram? (Step-by-Step)
Gaining followers in less time is a combination of art and consistency. It is not that much of a linear path. You have to be consistent and actively monitor Instagram insights. Building a connection with the target audience requires following some techniques. We are describing some basic methods to begin your journey. Start implementing and stick to the rules and guidelines of Instagram.
- Pick a Niche
Always choose a niche that you are well aware of. It could be anything: fitness, fashion, travel, business, etc. Choose the format, and also experiment with other formats. Stick to the one that is bringing the engagement. Stay consistent (post about 1–2 topics).
- Grow Your Audience
Once you choose your niche, your consistency can be game-changing, and you can beat the other big but inconsistent influencers. Properly use captions and hashtags, and keep replying to the comments of your followers.
- Build Trust
Building a loyal and active community can be highly useful and can guarantee your success on Instagram. Always recommend authentic brands, stay ahead of the competitors, and adopt trends as soon as possible. Be real and relevant, and pave the path to build a connection with your audience.
- Earn Money
Applying effective strategies can attract many followers. Once you are trusted and approached by different brands, you will start getting the benefits of social media. Above, we discussed the 5 main methods to earn money with followers and engagement.
- Scale Up
Scaling the account with time is another essential step. You can optimize your content, bring improvements, and work with bigger brands. You can also sell courses or memberships on Instagram. The journey is full of ups and downs. Many creators experience a gradual and sudden drop in followers. For them, we also have a solution; they have the option of buying Instagram followers with a refill option from a well-reputable source like Social Followers UK, along with other account growth services.
Final Tips to Make Money Faster
Our Instagram coaches offer a complete roadmap. In case you want to consult them, you can contact us, but here are some quick and crisp tips to earn faster on IG.
- Always post Reels after you’re through with research. Post content that has a higher chance of getting attention from the algorithm and users as well.
- Try various content formats, go live, and keep a question-and-answer session.
- Monitor analytics of your target audience, and prefer those that have already worked well.
Conclusion
Instagram is the most famous app and a goldmine. It is more than scrolling in 2025. It is a marketing platform. You don’t need millions of followers to make money. Even 1,000 active and real followers can start filling your bank account. In this guide, we discussed the main 5 methods to earn money through Instagram. How to gain followers, and the relationship between follower count and potential earnings. You can start today. It’s never too late. Pick a niche, post daily, and start earning. In case you want quick success and active, real followers, you can contact out the social media growth coaches.
