Like most social media sites, Instagram lets users make money from their posts. However, they only do this if you fit their eligibility criteria. Your only options outside of this are to set up a brand deal or sell products directly. In this blog post, we look at Instagram monetization requirements for the site’s built-in money-making features.
How Many Followers Required for Instagram Monetization?
You need at least 10,000 followers to monetize your content via Insta’s official channels. This is the case no matter how much engagement your photos and videos get.
10,000 followers acts as a type of social proof. It shows IG (and other profiles) that your content is building value for their website. Insta then repays this by letting you access their monetization tools.
Technically speaking, nano influencers can get sponsorships with as few as 1,000 fans. You can share an affiliate link to earn money for driving sales, for example.
Navigating Instagram Monetization Requirements for Specific Content Types
Instagram has a lot of rules for which photos and videos can earn you money. Naturally, the site won’t want to pay you for posting certain types of content. Here’s what IG won’t fully monetize:
- Static image polls and videos without motion
- Photos/videos that show misleading information
- Unoriginal footage from movies or TV shows
- Videos that loop to artificially boost the runtime
- Inflammatory discussions of sensitive issues
- Depictions of questionable/dangerous activity
- Overuse of strong or vulgar language
- Anything else violating IG’s Community Guidelines
You need to be mindful of everything you share. Even if your profile ticks every box, the content you’re posting could leave you ineligible. For many of these issues, you’ll still earn at least some money. However, this will likely be a lot less than what you’d otherwise make.
Sponsors will also have a number of specific content requirements. They might ask you to state a product’s name in full a certain number of times, for example. You’ll only get payment once the sponsor is happy with your ad read.
Content encouraging people to click a link also won’t be eligible for monetization. This means an affiliate partner can’t earn money from Instagram and sponsors at the same time.
What Are the Requirements for Instagram Monetization?
Even getting 10,000 fans and posting high-quality content that follows Insta’s rules won’t always be enough. You also have to meet the site’s specific eligibility criteria. Here are the requirements for Instagram’s built-in monetization features:
- Be 18 years or older.
- Have a professional account.
- Live in an eligible country.
- Set up a payout account.
- Don’t use bots to grow on IG.
- Maintain your followers.
Instagram can deactivate monetization on your account at any time. This means breaking any of the site’s rules could put a stop to your payouts. Similarly, if you go below 10,000 followers, your monetization will end.
An affiliate marketer is exempt from these rules, to a point. You could promote products while on a personal account, for example. That being said, using bots or losing followers puts your deals at risk.
Ways of Monetizing Your Instagram Content
IG has a number of official and unofficial ways of earning money. You could mix these together or focus on getting the most out of a single feature. The options available to you include:
- Subscriptions: This lets you share exclusive content behind a paywall. Users will pay a monthly fee to access Insta posts and stories nobody else can see.
- Badges: People can support you during live broadcasts with special badges. Make sure to thank these users personally; they might even buy several at once.
- Gifts: If your Reels impress users, they can buy you Gifts with “stars.” These convert to real money — and you can actually earn them with only 500 followers.
- Bonuses: IG is slowly rolling out bonuses for reaching view goals on your Reels. These payouts depend on your account’s popularity and your video’s growth.
- Sponsorships: Content creators can also partner with businesses to promote their new products. They might pay you per the number of views your content gets.
- Affiliates: Similarly, you could share an affiliate code and earn money whenever people use it. Instagram even offers its own route for setting up these deals.
- Direct selling: Finally, brands can even sell products entirely via Insta. According to IG, 70% of shoppers look to the site when deciding their next purchase.
Setting Up Monetization on Instagram
If you’re going the official route, you’ll need to use Instagram’s Professional Dashboard. This will be readily accessible whenever you go on your profile. From here, you can set up subscriptions, badges, product sales, and more.
You can set your own price for IG subscriptions. This lets you determine exactly how much your exclusive posts are worth. Think about your content’s target audience here. How much are they likely to pay?
You can change your subscription prices at any time. As of 2024, Insta doesn’t take a cut of this revenue. However, Apple and Google take 30% of any in-app purchase. IG badges, meanwhile, use fixed prices. They’re available for $0.99-4.99, depending on how many someone buys.
As for sponsorships, you can use Instagram’s Creator Marketplace. Alternatively, you can reach out to brands on your own via DMs or even email. If you’re popular enough, you’ll likely already be on their influencer databases.
Before you accept money from Instagram, you’ll need to set up a payout account. This will form part of the onboarding process when you start using IG’s monetization tools. You’ll then have to add your details and connect a bank/PayPal account.
Are There Separate Instagram Reels Monetization Requirements?
For the most part, you can monetize your Reels without any extra worries. This is quite different from YouTube, where Shorts-focused channels need 10 million views to become Partners.
However, there is a Reels-specific form of monetization with more relaxed requirements. Even a user with 500 followers can start making money from Insta’s Gift feature. However, you’ll still need to have a professional account.
You will get $0.01 per “star,” with Gifts being collections of these stars. Five hundred stars should net you $5, for example. Instagram takes a share of this.
Using Insta’s Subscriptions Feature
Instagram Subscriptions are effectively bonus content for your biggest fans. If you’re setting this up, you’ll basically need an extra content plan. The content you set up exclusively for Insta subs could include:
- Lives
- Stories
- Posts
- Reels
- Social channels
- Broadcast channels
You might choose to give subs early access to your new posts this way. Alternatively, you could give them a behind-the-scenes look at every piece of content. Subscribers will also get a purple badge on their comments that shows their status.
Once you enable subscriptions, you can promote them across your channel. You could link it in to your story with a Subscription sticker, for example. On top of this, you could give your posts their own Subscribe buttons. Here’s how:
- Tap your profile pic on the bottom right.
- Click on Professional Dashboard.
- From here, press Subscriptions.
- Under Manage, click Content Settings.
- Click the Add Subscribe Button toggle.
A Subscribe button will then appear on your posts and Reels. This will also appear next to the Follow and Message buttons on your Insta profile.
Monetize Your Content With Extra Followers
Navigating Instagram monetization requirements can be tricky. You may still have a long way to go before you reach them. With GoRead.io, you’ll get more real followers to help your growth.
Our team will make sure your posts thrive in IG’s algorithm. This might even help you find future subscribers. Try GoRead.io today, and you’ll soon be ready to make money on Insta.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I monetize my Instagram?
Give yourself a professional account. This should let you access the Professional Dashboard. In here, you’ll be able to set up payouts. You will have to connect a bank or PayPal account first, however.
Are there separate Instagram monetize requirements for different post types?
Generally speaking, Instagram’s monetization criteria are the same across each format. IG Gifts are the main exception here. However, the main difference here is that you’ll only need 500 followers rather than 10,000.
Can Instagram ban you from monetizing?
If you break Insta’s terms at any point, they could cancel your monetization. For minor violations, this most likely won’t last forever. You’ll then be able to re-apply, hopefully without issue.