As more creators emerge, the social media market is saturated with people earning money through uploading content. Is there enough room left for new earners? If so, where to start?
With more and more people signing up to social media platforms, it seems there aren’t many people left who don’t spend hours scrolling through an abundance of content. From photos of your friend’s dinner, to a photo of your colleague’s dog, there is a lot of ‘normal’ content.
There is also a lot of content that is different from the norm, but is in fact, arguably becoming the new norm. This content I’m referring to is that uploaded by influencers and content creators. It’s your reels, and still photos used for advertising purposes.
For influencers, social media is how they earn money. It is their livelihood and many will argue back and forth whether it is considered a real job or not. However, that’s not what I’m here to do. Instead, I’m going to break down some way you can earn money through socials.
Easy ways to earn money through social media
When I say easy, I don’t mean these methods are so simple anyone can do them. They do require effort. They’re not something that will be handed to you simply because you use social media. That’s not how it works. There is more to it.
Instead, they’re simple because they don’t require hours of work and lots of equipment to get started. You can earn money using these methods as a side hobby while still keeping your day job. Other earning methods would require social media being your full time employment.
1. Arrange sponsored posts and earn commission
If you can get in with the right brand or business, you could earn money by promoting products and services that they offer. Also known as sponsored posting, it is a way of making money through social media with minimal effort.
Brands will pay to sponsor social media posts. These posts will appear across relevant pages and act as adverts for the company. Whenever a user clicks on these adverts, you as the uploader will be paid for this. It is a commission based payment.
You won’t be paid a lot of money up front. However, it doesn’t require much more than posting a still image using a product. Anyone could do it, and you’ll earn over time. The downside is, it’s unlikely you’ll be offered this with a handful of followers.
There’s even an option to have sponsored tweets. You can simply write a few words about a product instead. Typically, photos have more of an engagement factor though, so if you are a small account, you’ll likely want to start on the media based platforms.
2. Review affiliate products
Affiliate programs allow you to earn whenever someone interacts with your content. In a similar way to sponsored posts however they have their differences. While sponsored posts earn each time the post is clicked on, affiliate posts require a unique link.
You’ll probably see affiliate links mostly on Instagram, followed by TikTok. The type of content is often product based, usually clothing or beauty. Creators upload a photo, video, or even story and tag their affiliate link.
If someone views your post, clicks on your link and then purchases the product, you will earn a percentage of the sale. This percentage is always discuss prior to the link being created. It isn’t often a huge percentage, but the more affiliate links you have, the more you’ll earn.
How to make money on Instagram without being an influencer
While being an influencer certainly helps, anyone can earn money through Instagram. You don’t need to strike lucky with a specific brand, or have a high number of followers to be noticed. Instead, you can make money on your own.
You need to know where to start, and more importantly have a plan. Not all ideas will work for everyone. You’ll need to try a few things out before finding one that naturally works for you. Pick a niche, and decide how you want to start selling.
1. Start your own small business
Products or services, you can earn money online by selling your own content. Of course, this content must follow Instagram’s policies. Whatever your niche is, find a market for it. Perhaps you create art, why not sell digital prints?
Or, you might offer a course or service that could benefit others, you could sell this through Instagram and other social platforms. As you grow your accounts, your business will grow too. It only takes one person to see it, for a domino effect to happen.
If you haven’t already, check out our information on Pay Links. They’re a completely free marketing tool we offer. You can easily sell your digital products online, and they’re hassle-free. Place your link into your social bios and start promoting your work.
2. Share knowledge
Knowledge is power, remember that. Look for a gap in the market. Do you have information on a topic that could benefit others? Is that topic saturated, or, is it not spoken about often? You don’t want to spend time investing in a topic that has been over-done.
If you have knowledge on a niche, why not create short, engaging video content. Get ahead within that market. Show people why they should be following you. Stay relevant by uploading often and with new information each time.
You might be sharing knowledge free of charge to begin with, but the more you share, the more you grow. As you grow, it’s likely you’ll start to be noticed by individuals or companies that can and will invest. Also, social platforms pay for large views.
How many followers do you need on social media to make money?
It varies, which I know isn’t what you want to hear, but, if you’re already at a point where you’re considering earning money through social channels, it’s likely you know a little about how they work. If so, you’ll know there’s never a one rule fits all.
You’ll need to have enough data behind you to drive sales for a brand or business. They won’t consider you if you can’t show them that. Typically, a brand will start to work with social accounts once they hit 1,000 followers.
However, more followers usually means more money. Platforms will value your account higher if you have more followers to share it with. Even if what you’re sharing is great quality, a brand will still want the views guaranteed from the beginning.
It’s been said, if you really work at it, you can earn 100,000 per year from as little as 5,000 followers. Although, that number does seem quite high so perhaps don’t walk into it thinking it will be easy to achieve. It will take finding the right people and brands.
Whatever path you decide to go down, ensure it’s the right one for you. In order to be successful and to earn from your posts, you need to be dedicated. Nothing will fall into your lap, it’s for you to achieve yourself. Be patient.
