The Reels Bonus program was introduced by Instagram in 2021 to encourage content creators to produce more short video content. However, Meta has recently ended the program, which may have caused uncertainty among video creators regarding their ability to monetize their Reels.
There are multiple ways to convert your passion into profit on Instagram. Many content creators share the dream of earning extra income while pursuing their interests. If you’re curious about these methods, don’t worry. Our guide will help you begin monetizing Instagram Reels successfully.
1. Create Sponsored Content For Brands
The simplest method to make money from Instagram Reels is by following a step-by-step approach.
First, brands will contact you and request your help in promoting their product or service. After you come to an agreement on which product to endorse, along with the pricing and any other contractual terms, you proceed to generate content that effectively presents the product or service to your audience.
By providing branded content tools for Reels, Instagram has made the process of creators disclosing their partnerships with businesses easier. This allows creators to inform their audience clearly when they are collaborating with a brand.
When considering the number of followers on Instagram, most influencers adhere to the guideline of requesting $100 for every 10,000 followers. However, if you possess a high engagement rate (typically around 1.22% across various industries), you have the potential to demand an even higher fee.
In order to enhance the probability of brands finding you, it is crucial to incorporate appropriate hashtags in both your bio and posts. Additionally, you may want to consider enlisting your Instagram account on influencer platforms such as NeoReach or Upfluence. These platforms serve the purpose of linking you with brands that are in search of influencers like yourself.
2. Give Shoutouts To Other Instagram Accounts
This method, which is both straightforward and widely used, allows you to make money from Instagram Reels. To begin, you simply include the username of another Instagram account in your caption and urge your audience to visit their profile and follow them.
Shoutouts have the advantage of being generally cheaper than sponsored posts, which is a cool thing. They do not come across as intrusive to your audience, so their prices are generally lower. It is a situation that benefits both parties involved. By endorsing another account, you are able to earn additional money. Additionally, it presents an excellent opportunity to endorse and cooperate with other creators on the platform.
By carefully selecting accounts that are in line with your niche and whose content resonates with your audience, you can ensure that your followers will value the shoutouts and that their trust will be maintained.
Based on the Influencer Agency, shoutouts on Instagram can be priced at approximately $250 for accounts with 100K to 500K followers and as high as $1,500 for large accounts with over 1 million followers.
3. Earn Commission From Affiliate Marketing
It is a commonly used technique in which you endorse other individuals’ products or services and receive a commission for every sale made through your referral. The process goes as follows: You will be given a distinct affiliate link to distribute among your audience. If someone clicks on the link and makes a purchase, you will receive a commission.
Monetizing Instagram Reels is an excellent opportunity to endorse products you truly trust and believe in.
Here’s the situation: Instagram does not permit direct clickable links in Reels. However, there is a solution available. If you have a custom domain name, you can utilize services like Bitly or Rebranly to shorten your affiliate link. This will make it more convenient for individuals to manually type it into their browser. Additionally, having a custom domain name is even more advantageous.
You also have the choice of inserting the affiliate link in your Instagram bio, which enables your followers to conveniently access your profile and click on the link.
Amazon Associates is a renowned name in the realm of affiliate programs. Through your affiliate links, you have the opportunity to earn associate commissions up to 10% on qualifying purchases.
In addition, there are several other reputable affiliate networks such as Awin, Commission Junction, ShareASale, and ClickBank. These networks offer a diverse array of products for promotion and earning potential. It is important to note that the affiliate marketing industry is thriving, with projected spending of approximately $13 billion in 2023.
Here’s an interesting fact: There is a potential to earn a substantial income through affiliate marketing on Instagram Reels, as 35% of affiliate marketers make over $20,000 annually from their efforts.
When engaging in any form of marketing, it is crucial to be open about your affiliate associations and ensure your audience is aware. Additionally, it is important to solely endorse products that resonate with your principles and genuinely benefit your followers.
4. Add Shoppable Product Tags
If the products you’re selling belong to you, you can choose to enable your viewers to shop directly from your Reels.
Online retailers that specialize in tangible goods have the option to incorporate shoppable product tags into their Instagram Reels. This enables them to guide potential customers to their Shop, where they can acquire impressive items. For instance, if you manage a clothing store with an extensive selection of merchandise, you can generate multiple Reels to consistently redirect individuals to the Shop segment of your Instagram profile.
You can monetize your existing Reels by adding tags to them, which allows you to earn more money from content that is already performing well, eliminating the need to hastily produce new videos.
5. Promote a Digital Product
You have the option to expand beyond physical products and earn money from your Instagram Reels by selling digital products like eBooks, online courses, printables, membership sites, themes, and other items.
If you want to promote your wildlife photography course on Instagram, one way to do so is by creating Instagram Reels that feature examples of the wildlife photography and videography you have accumulated throughout the years.
One possible rephrasing could be: To establish your credibility, consider creating Reels showcasing your features in publications or awards you’ve received for your photography. Demonstrating expertise in your industry is crucial in enticing people to enroll in your course.
Include a link in your bio that enables people to directly sign up for your course on your website.
In addition to courses, there are other digital products you can sell. Tezza Barton utilizes her Reels to market her photography editing app, known as the Tezza App. She frequently showcases stunning photos or video clips and provides instructions on which filters to utilize to achieve a similar aesthetic in the caption.
The text strikes a balance between providing clear instructions on how to purchase the product for interested individuals and allowing others to simply appreciate the visually pleasing video without any excessive sales pitch.
6. Sell a Service
To monetize your Instagram Reels, you can offer various services including coaching sessions, group trips, catering, bookkeeping, or construction. The possibilities for enhancing the monetization of your Instagram Reels are endless, as there is no restriction on the types of services you can provide.
To attract potential clients for home renovation projects, a home renovation company can effectively display their completed renovations on Instagram Reels through their social media accounts. They can inform their followers in either the bio or captions of the Reels that they are currently accepting new clients. This way, individuals who appreciate their work and reside in the vicinity can easily contact the company for hiring purposes.
If you have a preference for providing digital services, you have the option to offer coaching sessions as well. As an example, a personal trainer may choose to provide weekly coaching services to their clients across the globe.
In order to attract more clients and promote the type of training they offer, they can create Instagram Reels featuring fitness information, before and after video clips of client progress, and easy workout reels. By doing so, they will be able to draw in a new and relevant audience to their business and subsequently offer them coaching services.
7. Build a Community of Subscribers
By providing exclusive content to your Instagram subscribers, you can monetize Instagram Reels and simultaneously enhance your bond with your followers. You will receive direct payouts from Instagram, similar to how Patreon works on the platform.
By enabling subscriptions, followers who desire access to exclusive content can provide you with a recurring monthly income.
You have the freedom to choose the price for your subscribers between $0.99 and $99.99, determining how much you earn. Subscribers to your account will be distinguished in purple, making them easily noticeable in your DMs and comments, allowing you to interact with them when they contact you.
In addition to Instagram Reels, you have the option to generate exclusive posts, Stories, Lives, and even Chats. If you manage an exclusive community or are conducting a course, you can establish a chat with up to 30 members where they can all engage with each other and with you. This provides a valuable opportunity for creators to foster relationships with their most dedicated followers or for businesses to interact with their top customers.
8. Accept Donations through Patreon
If you are unable to directly monetize your Instagram Reels after the removal of Instagram Reels Play bonuses, promoting your Patreon account to your Instagram followers could serve as an alternative method to generate income. Despite the absence of direct monetization for Instagram Reels, you can rely on your dedicated followers to show their support through alternative means.
If you continue to upload Reels on Instagram, your number of followers will continue to grow. Adding a Patreon account to your bio link could be an effective method for making money from your audience. Influencers who have a large following often use Patreon to offer exclusive content to their audience in a private community, but it can also be beneficial for smaller creators.
Producing content through an Instagram Reel can be a beneficial method to both enhance your relationships with your fans and generate income simultaneously.
9. Accept Instagram Gifts
If you want to know how to earn money from Instagram Reels through Instagram features, you should check if your Instagram account qualifies for Instagram Gifts.
At present, the ability to use the Gifts feature is limited to chosen creators, but it offers you the opportunity to generate income directly from your audience. Your video viewers have the option to buy stars and send them to you as gifts. Instagram divides the revenue with you, which amounts to around $0.01 USD for each star received. To request a withdrawal of your funds, you must have accumulated at least $25 from the program.
You should consider that in addition to Instagram Reels, you can also receive gifts on other content you make on Instagram, like live broadcasts and posts. Therefore, this can accumulate over time and allow you to earn money from the content you create on the platform.
Please rephrase the following text, thinking step by step, while keeping the same meaning. Do not add or remove any information. “Side notes”
Although the Reels Play Bonus is no longer accessible for earning money through your Reels, there are several alternative methods to monetize your Instagram Reels and generate income.
To get started, choose from the options listed below, which are among the most feasible ways to make money through Instagram Reels. These options include finding a suitable brand for paid partnerships, selling physical or digital products, providing services, accepting donations through Patreon, or exploring other ideas mentioned on the list.
