One of the most exciting parts of creating content for social media (you know, aside from connecting with your audience, building a community, building your brand, and all that good stuff)?
That’s right – construction money from this content. If you’re already making Instagram Reels, there are many ways your videos can help you generate income both as a business and as an individual creator.
But if you don’t know where to start, we can help. In this article, we will teach you how both businesses and creators can use Instagram Reels to generate income.
Lets start.
Can you make money from Instagram Reels?
Short answer: Yes!
Long answer: Although it takes some time to build an audience and generate revenue, is It is possible to make money from Instagram Reels. It’s not as easy as it used to be.
In the past, Instagram has touted its Reels Play bonus program as a way for Instagram users to monetize their Reels. Unfortunately, the platform ended this program in March 2023.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t make money anymore by creating and sharing Instagram Reels! You just need to be a little creative.
How to use Instagram Reels to make money as a business?
There are generally more in-platform monetization options for creators to make money. Yet businesses to be Use Instagram Reels to increase the amount of income they bring in.
Promote products and services
It seems obvious, but we can’t let it go unsaid. Using your Instagram Reels to promote your products and services is one of the best ways to drive your audience to purchase or sign up.
Here’s an example of Typeform’s Instagram Reel, which introduces an AI tool they’ve integrated into the form builder:
Typeform uses this Reel to promote a key feature and convert interested viewers into potential paying customers. Viewers who want to learn more can easily go to Typeform’s website and create an account.
Here’s another example, this time introducing one of the book selections from Book of the Month:
This clever Reel uses a funny audio clip to help explain some of the book’s plot. This makes Reel more interesting; but it’s also a hook to encourage curious viewers to subscribe to BOTM’s monthly subscription box.
To increase your chances of selling through Instagram Reels, keep these tips in mind:
- Use high quality footage or animation
- Speak to your product or service solution
- Share why someone should make a purchase or sign up
- Provide a clear call to action where they can learn more
You cannot add links to Instagram captions and you cannot only add a single link to your Instagram profile; That’s why many businesses send their audience to their link in bio.
This valuable real estate is limited, so use this connection strategically. We recommend using a tool like Moyens I/O’s Hootbio to send your audience to a landing page that can accommodate multiple links.
This way, you can make it easier for viewers to purchase by adding direct links to each product or service you mention in your Reels.
Sign up for a free trial of the Moyens I/O Team plan and try Hootbio for yourself.
Create shoppable Reels
You can also take a more direct route and create shoppable Reels. If you have an e-commerce business with an online store, you can use Meta’s Commerce Manager to create a catalog and open a store on your Facebook Page and Instagram profile.
You can use your Instagram store to create collections, add discounts, share new arrivals, offer free shipping, and more. It’s like your own little online store inside the Instagram app.
You can even tag your products within your Instagram Reels, making it easier for viewers to purchase immediately.
Check out this Reel from Stanley:
The four products are tagged and have a clear “View store” call to action. When you tap, you can see every product tagged on Reel, as well as any other products the brand wants to feature.
By promoting its products with Reel, Stanley makes it easy for viewers interested in purchasing a water bottle to do so immediately without leaving the Instagram app.
How to use Instagram Reels to make money as a content creator?
Opting for a creator account provides some built-in monetization features that businesses may not be able to take advantage of. But these are not the only ways to use Reels to generate income.
Here are the best ways to make money from Instagram Reels as a content creator or influencer.
Partner with brands
Many creators make money by engaging in influencer marketing or partnering with brands. Creating reels is a great way to do this. If you choose to do this, you can set your own rates and request that brands create a Reel (or even a series of Reels) to promote a product or service.
Here’s a great example of what this type of promotion might look like:
For this brand partnership, Madeline Robson created a video advertising the skincare service she received, guiding viewers through the entire process and sharing the results.
She also has a call to action in her bio to encourage other brands interested in working with her to get in touch:
If you’re looking to partner with brands as part of your social media presence, working with an agent can be a great way to get started, especially once you’ve built a solid following. If you have over 100,000 followers like Madeline, it’s a good idea to work with a professional to manage your brand partnerships.
But if you’re just starting out, try connecting with brands you want to work with on social media. Follow them, engage with their content, then look for the contact information of their social media managers or affiliate managers. (You can always try DMing, but you run the risk of getting lost in the Requests folder.)
You can also use a platform built specifically to connect brands and influencers, like InfluenceHer Collective, Fohr, or Upfluence.
While rates vary based on your followers, influencers can earn anywhere from $10 to $10,000 per Reel as part of a brand deal. (For more information on calculating influencer salary, check out our blog on Instagram influencer rates.)
Become an affiliate
In affiliate marketing, creators partner with brands to promote products and earn commissions from purchases made by their audience. Another great way for creators to monetize their followers and make money from Instagram Reels. As the number of users who sign up using your link increases, your commission increases.
Here are a few examples of how affiliate marketing can work.
Visme, a graphic design tool, has an active affiliate program and offers a generous 25% commission to each of its affiliates.
Visme’s cheapest plans are $29 per month or $147 per year. If a Visme partner uses Instagram Reels to promote the brand, they can earn $7.25 per month or $36.75 per year for each new person who signs up.
Day Designer, a planning company, also has an affiliate program and offers a 15% commission on purchases made through affiliate links.
If you are a Day Designer affiliate, you can use a video like this below to promote the product and your affiliate link:
Just remember this to be Add your affiliate link in the title of your Reel, these links are not clickable. Your best bet is still to direct viewers to your link in bio. You can even use a tool like Hootbio to share multiple affiliate links.
Promote a subscription
Instagram subscriptions are only available for creator accounts but allow you to create extra content for people who pay to view them. It’s like Patreon but only for your Instagram followers.
You can choose what you want to include in your subscription, but some of the options include:
- live broadcasts
- Stories
- Subscriber badges
- Posts, Reels and other exclusive content
- social channels
- Broadcast channels
Decide how much content you want to offer exclusively to subscribers, then go to your Instagram monetization settings and set up your subscription.
You can choose your price point based on the content you want to offer; You can start at $0.99 per month and go up to $99.99 per month.
If you plan to offer coaching and high-value educational content, you can choose one of the higher price points. If you just want to create an environment where you can connect with superfans, you can choose a lower price point.
Once you get enough subscribers, your Instagram subscription can be a great additional income stream. Using your Instagram Reels wisely can be one of the best ways to promote your subscription offers.
Create Reels that describe your subscription and the special content and interactions you will provide. A “Subscribe” button and an additional call to action will appear next to all your Reels, as you see below:
The more Reels you create, the more your followers will see the Subscribe button. Think of each additional Reel as an opportunity to convert a new subscriber.
Accept virtual gifts
Virtual gifts are available on creator accounts and can be accessed by viewers in the comments area. Viewers can click the gift box icon next to the comment box to access the giveaway interface:
Virtual gifts range from 10 to 300 stars. Instagram users can click here: add to balance Press the button to buy stars. Star packages are available in three increments:
- 45 stars: $0.99
- 140 stars: $2.99
- 300 stars: $5.99
When users send you virtual gifts, they’re not just a nice trinket. You can exchange these gifts for real currency at the exchange rate of $0.01 per star. Creators can get paid when the gift balance reaches $25 or more.
If you want to use virtual gifts as a money-making strategy, be sure to add a payment account. Otherwise, you risk losing your gifts.
Per Instagram’s policy, you will lose your ability to earn money with Instagram Gifts after 5 months or $500 in payments. After six months, you lose the right to redeem your payment.
Whether you’re an Instagram creator/influencer looking to increase your income or a business promoting your products and services, Instagram Reels can help you do it. Take advantage of the monetization features available in both account types and start making money.
Start building your Instagram presence using Moyens I/O. Schedule and publish posts directly on Instagram, engage your audience, measure performance, and manage all your other social media profiles from one simple dashboard. Try it for free today.