How Do Bloggers On Instagram Make Money, And What Else To Do?
You're a blogger and post on Instagram but you aren’t seeing much growth or money from Instagram. You’d love to become a blogger on Instagram who makes money online consistently, but you aren’t sure how. Get ready to discover exactly how to give your blog and your passive income a significant boost (hint, hint, read until the end, I have a great pro tip that will transform your results!):
Do bloggers on Instagram get paid?
How much do bloggers on Instagram make?
How to find bloggers on Instagram?
Popular bloggers on Instagram
Is Instagram good for blogging? What else should bloggers on Instagram do?
Making money as a blogger can be challenging: constantly producing new content, growing your following, finding sponsors. And all of that being consistent, day after day. The reality is that many do all this and don't make any money at all anyway... Fact! Even with many followers or beautiful content.
I've put together this blog to show you exactly how bloggers on Instagram make money and share with you how I make money with my blog beyond Instagram!
Ah, and don't forget to grab your FREE Instagram carousel templates in Canva (my treat!), to have seamless carousel graphics to attract more leads to your blog and biz!
Full disclosure:This post may contain affiliate links that, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission from.
Don’t forget to pin this image!
There are a few key benefits to being a blogger on Instagram.
First, bloggers on Instagram can reach new people with each post. If you're a blogger, you can share your content in a new way. Instagram has an extensive reach, with more than 1.4 billion in August 2022.
Second, it's a great way to build relationships with other bloggers and influencers. You can connect with people in your niche and collaborate on projects. That's undoubtedly where Instagram is powerful, and bloggers on Instagram should leverage the platform for networking with other influencers, online entrepreneurs and bloggers on Instagram.
And third, it can be a source of income. There are different ways to make money on Instagram, and we'll cover them in this blog.
Instagram blogging is a good way to grow your blog but remember, it isn't the only way or the best way!...
"Whaaaaaaat?!! You must be joking, Isabel! So what's the point of this whole blog?" you must be thinking.
You're probably here because you have a blog and a presence on Instagram and are wondering whether you can monetise and how. Yes, you can! I've got you covered with this blog for that!
Now, I also want to go beyond answering those questions and disclose to you the way I make money online that will x10 your results and passive income. But more about this later, promised!
So you're here in the right place.
There are many advantages for bloggers on Instagram to put in the effort it takes and, indeed, several ways to make money by blogging on Instagram. So stay with me... and you'll get the answers you need.
If you’re a blogger on Instagram already, just skip this section. 😉
Let's first get some clarity as to what bloggers on Instagram really mean. I know, you can read in different ways, so let's get a bit of a definition here around the “bloggers on Instagram” concept.
Bloggers on Instagram are simply people who use the platform to share their blog content. This can include photos, videos, text, or a combination of all three. The key is that bloggers on Instagram share content that leads to their blogs.
For example, if you have a travel blog, you might share photos and videos from your trips on Instagram with a link to your blog posts about those trips. By doing this, you can drive traffic to your blog and grow your audience
It's a pretty simple concept, but it can be highly effective. And there are many ways to make money from it.
Now that we know bloggers on Instagram are people who share their blog content on the platform, let's take a look at where they are.
Bloggers on Instagram can be found all over the world, in all kind of niches. There are bloggers in every country, and they come from all walks of life.
There are lifestyle bloggers, fashion bloggers, travel bloggers, food bloggers, and more. And some, not all, are using Instagram to grow their businesses and make money.
You can identify yourself as a blogger on Instagram in the Instagram bio by choosing your activity as “blogger”.
However, many bloggers on Instagram won't identify themselves in their Instagram bios as "blogger". Why? Many online entrepreneurs have blogs as part of their content marketing strategy but describe themselves by their main money-making activity (for example, online coach, online educator, entrepreneur, mindset expert....)
First, blogging on Instagram doesn't mean your blog is actually on Instagram.
It usually starts with your blog outside Instagram.
There are several optimised blogging platforms. I use Squarespace for my website, and my blog and I love it.
Other blogging platforms are Blogger, Wix, Wordpress.com, Jekyll, Tumblr, Typepad, Weebly, Medium, Web.com, Ghost, WebPress.org, HubSpot CMS, Gator... You can get really confused by the array of options to host your blogs, so keep your choice simple.
My criteria factors for my blogging platform are to have:
a robust and fast platform,
great control for personalisation,
SEO-integrated functionality,
in-depth analytics and
a stunning, modern design.
Squarespace delivers these beautifully!
Certainly, you could consider your feed on Instagram or your Instagram Stories a way of blogging or telling a story. The various definitions of a blog by the Cambridge Dictionary are pretty broad:
"a regular record of your thoughts, opinions, or experiences that you put on the internet for other people to read."
"a website on which one person or group puts new information regularly, often every day."
"a record of news, people's opinions, photos, and videos about a particular subject that someone puts on the internet and adds information, pictures, etc. to regularly"
However, bloggers on Instagram most of the time have their blogs outside Instagram on their website. If you are one of them, you know exactly this already. If you aren't yet, remember that blogging on Instagram is better to start outside Instagram. Why?
Having a blog on your website provides you complete control, and you aren't dependent on algorithm changes!
The exciting thing about using Instagram to share your blog content is that you can use the platform's various features to make your content more discoverable and grow your audience.
Bloggers on Instagram use the platform to share photos, graphics and videos to link to their blog posts, using:
The Instagram Stories "link" sticker: when you share a story from your blog post on Instagram, you can use the "link" sticker to add a link to your story. The drawback of this method is that your link will only be visible for 24h.
Instagram highlights: You can choose to add your Instagram Story with the link to your latest blog to your Instagram highlights so that it remains accessible through your Instagram account.
The Instagram bio: you can include a link here. You have various approaches to maximise the potential of the Instagram bio:
Option 1 - Link to your blog only: If you want to keep it simple and quick, you can decide to link in the Instagram bio to your blog menu page. Once someone lands there, they can see all your blogs. You could also link to your latest blog and change the link every time you publish a new blog. The disadvantage of this option is that you can only use one link (so only one blog).
Option 2 - Use Tailwind or Linktree for multiple links: Alternatively, you can use one of these services to create a page with multiple links. This way, you enter the link to this page on the Instagram bio. When people land on it, the page offers links to various important pages you have decided to include (your latest blog, website, online shop, offer, or freebie, for instance).
Option 3 - Create your own page with multiple links: You can create your own website page (instead of Tailwind or Linktree) and benefit from complete creative freedom on how it looks, as I have done on my website. Check it out here. You can read my blog to know how to achieve this here: Smart Instagram Bio Ideas To Grow For Free Your Website Traffic & Social Media Game. Check it out here.
Instagram hashtags: While hashtags have less weight on Instagram than before, they help make your content discoverable through related content. So when you post on Instagram to provide visibility to your blog, hashtags in the caption can help increase the visibility of your Instagram content. However, hashtags aren't a magic wand and success on Instagram depends on many more factors.
Instagram geo-tags: Consider geo-tags another way to signal to Instagram how to show your posts. People might be interested because of the geo-location you have added.
Let me be super honest: none of these methods is ideal for making your blogs discoverable on Instagram.
And that's because Instagram isn't a content search engine like Pinterest, Google or YouTube.
That's precisely why, later in this blog, I will share how I boost my blog reach for years organically (no ads involved!).
Here is how I use the Instagram Highlights and I’ve designed my own Instagram smart bio to drive traffic to my blog:
So let's now assume you've set up your blog already on your website and what you want is to use Instagram to your advantage.
If you want to become a successful blogger on Instagram, there are a few things you need to do.
Let's start just with a bunch of things you've heard a million times:
Create content that is high-quality and interesting to your audience. This will help you attract followers and get them to click on your links.
Activily provide visibility to your content. This can be done through shoutouts from other bloggers or by guest posting on other accounts. You can also choose to promote with Instagram ads. However, I don't recommend you do that until you have a solid content strategy that makes you grow organically on Instagram (meaning without ads).
Be active and engaged with your followers and other bloggers. This means commenting on their posts, as well as responding to their comments on your posts.
But this isn’t enough, I’m afraid to say. I know many still give the above as the basis for success on Instagram.
Maybe years back. No longer now!
But why this isn't enough for bloggers on Instagram? Why should you do far more than this?
Simply put, there are soooooo many just following the same basic strategy that it doesn't make you stand out. So while the above points are important and still relevant, let's look at how bloggers on Instagram grow today.
Instagram isn't your family and friends' Facebook account, where you post any life-related content, especially if you want to be a blogger on Instagram to make money online.
Pick a niche, meaning choose a subject you're going to be known for, the more specific, the better. Create content on Instagram about it.
Avoid having content that covers too many different subjects.
For instance, let's imagine you have a blog about newborn baby parenting tips for new parents. Having content on Instagram about keto food for weight loss, baby stuff, fashion trends, home decor, personal finance, travel, yoga, social media and crafts... will confuse Instagram, and it will not understand your account. As a result, it will not be shown to the right people who would have been interested in your blog posts.
Don’t forget to check out more of my content, packed with Instagram hacks, and step-by-step tutorials: Here it is:
The Ultimate Insta Reels Tutorial To Explode Your Instagram Reach & Engagement The Easy Way
Smart Instagram Bio Ideas To Grow For Free Your Website Traffic & Social Media Game
How To Create A Seamless Instagram Carousel In Canva For Free (& Get 5 FREE Carousel Templates!)
151 Easy Instagram Story Ideas For Online Entrepreneurs And Small Business Owners To Attract Leads
Make sure you optimise your Instagram bio (Instagram profile) so that when your ideal leads land on your Instagram profile, they immediately get what you're about, and you bring them to your blog or freebie sign-up page.
ESSENTIAL!
You can’t imagine how many Instagram bios aren’t optimise for biz!
Here are a few pro tips to optimise your Instagram blogger bio:
Think about using keywords in your username and your bio in general related to your blog niche
Describe what you do (and add any social proof)
Say how you can help your audience (benefits to them)
Drive them to take action: sign-up for your freebie, go to your blog, get your product (more accessible if it's a low-cost-entry one)...
Plus add highlights to show:
how to get started
your products
testimonials and social proof (if you have)
your blog (yeap, this is where bloggers on Instagram showcase their blogs and link to them!)
All successful bloggers on Instagram make extensive and smart use of their Instagram bios.
You have less than 2 seconds when someone decides to look at your Instagram profile to capture their attention and convert them to a follower, or even better, attract them to your blog and your email list.
So spend some valuable time getting this right.
I get it. Knowing how bloggers on Instagram grow requires understanding what Instagram post format to use.
Much is said about Instagram reels and the must-do video needs on Instagram these days.
I don't disagree, however...
Not everything is about Instagram reels for bloggers on Instagram!
Surprised?
Every format on Instagram exists for a reason.
You should be using ALL for maximum results. Yeap, all. I know you might be like me and absolutely dread the idea of going live on Instagram. That's ok! It all comes with time.
Let's look at how bloggers on Instagram use some of the key Instagram format:
Use a mix of both, particularly carousels! Surprised? Just look at the number of carousels that the Instagram Explore page gives you versus reels. Sooooooo many more. So what to use when?
Bloggers on Instagram looking to grow their accounts and make money from their blogs use both formats.
INSTAGRAM REELS: They create content for reels when it makes sense, for instance, if they want to show a tutorial, a how-to post, behind-the-scenes, Q&As, Product reviews or a talking video, but also use regular posts to show other aspects.
Reels help you reach non-followers and therefore are great for followers acquisition.
Some bloggers on Instagram focus a lot more on reels, but if you're just starting, don't feel like you need to do this as a must.
INSTAGRAM CAROUSELS: Instagram carousels are great for bloggers on Instagram who want to show multiple images or educate their audience through a set of carousel graphics. Carousels are a great option if you want to break up your content into smaller chunks.
Carousels are fab to provide in-depth value. They help nurture your Instagram audience and demonstrate your expertise.
Instagram Stories have significantly reduced their reach lately, and you may think there is little point in them.
Instagram Stories are perfect for bloggers on Instagram who want to show a more personal side of their life or who want to share quick updates that don't warrant a whole post.
Stories are also great for promoting your blog content, running polls or quizzes, and driving traffic to your website.
In a nutshell, Instagram Stories are a faaaaantastic way to enhance your connection and engagement.
There is no right or wrong answer regarding using Instagram reels vs Instagram posts or stories. The important thing is that you're creating engaging and relevant content for your audience.
Instagram Lives aren’t for everyone. I get it totally. I was there too.
You might still need to find the confidence on video to jump live on an Instagram Live.
Know that they are a VERY powerful way to build authority and provide extra value to your audience.
They’re fantastic for collabs with other bloggers on Instagram and they definitely establish trust between you and your followers.
Plus remember that they show an uncut version of you. Your audience LOVES that!
And when things don’t go as expected, remember that your audience will be super understanding because you’re live.
Try it and you’ll see. They’re less scary that you might think!
I will keep it pretty short and sweet. You've read so many times: daily and consistent. Some even go one step beyond and say, "and at the same time of the day".
Well, maybe the Algorithm (hahaha!) is trained to this frequency and, yes, it will help to follow the above, BUT...
Above ALL, your content needs to be great and what your audience wants to see it.
If you burn yourself posting every day for the sake of it, you might end up spending less time understanding deeply what is the correct type of content your audience looooooves.
That’s where many go wrong. They keep on posting every day and get desperate not to see growth.
The reason isn’t the algorithm.
The reason is your content vs your audience insterests and needs.
I have stopped posting on Instagram for several weeks, sometimes even months. That has been absolutely fine. Surprised?
To make money online, you want to ensure you constantly grow your email list. Social media and Instagram is a way to reach new audiences, but there are better, complementary ways I will be sharing with you later on in this blog.
Hashtags are no longer the answer to all your hopes. They are no longer the #1 Instagram growth strategy.
What does work, and not many talk about, is keywords.
What????
Exactly, I mean precisely that. Keywords.
Why? You’re just simply helping the algorithm understand what your account is all about to show it to the right people. This is even more true when it's difficult to tell what niche you're in from the images/videos you post.
Plus, to get your audience to take the action you want, always, always, always, finish with a Call To Action (CTA). This will help leave no doubt about what to do next for your audience.
Growth for bloggers on Instagram isn't any different to any other niche. There isn't one magic hack.
It's the combination of a well-thought-through content strategy that will make the real difference.
Get ready to grow your Instagram account!
Here are a few pro tips:
Understand your audience's struggles and dreams and talk about these points. It isn't about you but them.
Connect with your audience meaningfully. Don't reply to comments with emojis. Talk to them with personal thoughts.
Show up on camera. When you make it personal, the connection is much easier.
Don't try to make it too perfect. Imperfection is much easier to connect with, and content becomes easier to create.
Tell your story in the context of how it relates to your audience's ambitions and dreams.
Create incentives for your audience (freebies, challenges, Instagram giveaways...).
Collaborate with other accounts to reach new audiences.
BE YOU. Have your own voice, opinions, and style. Repeating what others say doesn't make you stand out.
Have a plan for making money. This includes figuring out which monetisation method will work best for you and your blog — more about this in the next section.
Be patient. Growing on Instagram takes time, whether you're a blogger on Instagram, an influencer on Instagram or an entrepreneur on Instagram. So don't expect overnight results.
Now that we've covered what bloggers on Instagram are and how to start blogging on the platform let's look at how bloggers on Instagram make money.
There are several ways bloggers on Instagram can make money, and you can too!
Sell your products or services
Use affiliate marketing
Instagram Subscriptions
Digital collectibles on Instagram
Get paid with Instagram Bonuses
Collaborate with brands and Instagram Creator Marketplace
Earn with Instagram badges in Instagram Lives
Run ads on their website
Let's take a look at each of these in a bit more detail.
If you have a product or service to sell, whether it's physical or digital, you can market it on Instagram.
You can use the platform to:
show off your products,
give people a behind-the-scenes look at your business and products, and
build up a community of potential customers
Bloggers on Instagram can make money selling their knowledge, like e-books, online courses, consulting or coaching. The knowledge industry has completely transformed and exploded thanks to the very advanced online tools that exist today. If you have expertise in a particular area, you can share your knowledge with others through Instagram.
You can also set up a shop on Instagram, although I recommend that you drive your audience to your website (or e-commerce shop). Instagram has enhanced its shopping features, and you can now:
Add product tags on Instagram Reels
Tag collections in Instagram Stories
Tag products during Instagram Lives.
There are a few things you can do if you're selling products or services on Instagram that will make a real difference to your results:
Affiliate marketing allows bloggers on Instagram to make money by promoting other people's products or services. Bloggers on Instagram earn a commission when someone clicks on an affiliate link and makes a purchase.
Here are a few pro tips:
Ensure you're promoting products or services relevant to your niche and that your audience will be interested.
Know the affiliates you're promoting. Don't lose credibility by pushing a product you know nothing about. That will damage more your brand and credibility than the income you'll generate.
Use affiliate links sparingly, and disclose that you're using them.
Don't spam your followers with affiliate links. If your account becomes a constant ad for affiliates, your audience will tune out.
Use Instagram Stories to promote affiliate products or services cleverly. Do tutorials, unboxing, how-to's, reviews, and amazing hacks, behind the scenes. All of this sells far more than just pushing features on a marketing graphic.
You can now also set up Instagram Subscriptions on your Instagram account. What does it mean?
You can generate monthly recurrent revenue from your audience by creating exclusive content and benefits for them. Instagram now supports creators with Instagram Subscriptions to create deeper connections with your more engaged audience.
Instagram has enabled a range of functionality with Instagram Subscriptions:
Instagram Lives: Only your Instagram subscribers will be able to access these Instagram lives
Instagram Stories: As an Instagram creator, you can give access to these Instagram Stories only to your subscribers.
Instagram Badges: You'll see a badge against comments made by your subscribers.
Instagram Subscriptions aren't for everyone, and most of your audience and followers will only want to see your free content.
However, remember that bloggers on Instagram and other creators can now leverage this new revenue generation functionality on Instagram.
For more information, check out the details here.
You can earn bonuses when you create the best, most engaging content on Instagram.
What are Instagram bonuses? It means getting paid for your content!
Now, having said this, don't get over-excited about this. The levels of engagement required for this are very high, and only very large accounts are seeing revenue from here.
Collaborating with brands is another way bloggers on Instagram can make money. You can work with brands to create sponsored content, run ads, or collaborate on other marketing campaigns and get a commission on any sales.
Instagram has made this more accessible now with Instagram's Creator Marketplace (available in the US only at this point).
When collaborating with brands on Instagram, remember:
Make sure the brands you work with are relevant to your niche.
Don't work with too many brands. It's better to collaborate with a handful of brands you build a strong relationship with than to be thinly scattered.
Use Instagram Stories and Reels to promote your collaborations with brands.
When you do an Instagram Live, your audience can buy Instagram badges to support you.
Sounds good? Yessssss, it is!
Another way bloggers on Instagram can make money is by running ads on their websites. You can join for an ad network like AdThrive or Mediavine or work directly with brands to run sponsored posts.
This is where it becomes paramount to drive your Instagram audience out of Instagram into your website. While this is possible, Instagram isn't the best-geared platform to achieve this. Everything on Instagram is done for your audience to remain on the platform and not go outside.
That's where Pinterest excels! More about this later.
There are different ways bloggers on Instagram can make money as you’ve seen.
As a blogger on Instagram, you can promote affiliate products, sell your products and services, collaborate with brands, run ads on your website, set up Instagram Subscriptions, and much more.
The best way to make money on Instagram is to create high-quality, engaging content relevant to your niche and that your audience will be interested in.
You don't need to choose one unique way to make money online. You don't need to invent something totally new. In fact, there are two fundamental realities of making money online as a blogger on Instagram:
It's totally ok that others sell similar products or services to yours. Selling and inventing are two different things. You don't need to invent something new to sell. What will make someone buy from you, not someone else, is you!
Most entrepreneurs make money online with multiple revenue streams, not just one. What's essential is to build your audience, start with one revenue stream and then expand from there.
Once you start, you'll learn. You'll understand what works best. You'll see new opportunities. You'll optimise. You might even pivot to something different later on.
Everything can happen when you start. YOU CAN!
Yes directly with Instagram Subscriptions, Instagram Bonuses and Pinterest Badges (explained above).
And indirectly by using the platform to make money outside the platform. Some bloggers may get paid by brands to post sponsored content, while others may use affiliate links to generate commission from sales when people click a link on Instagram and purchase. Bloggers can also make money by running ads on their websites.
Let's be clear. The money you can make directly on Instagram is limited unless you have a large account. Despite the various monetisation features that Instagram is launching to earn from the platform, the money made directly on Instagram remains very limited for small-medium accounts.
So your money-making ability as a blogger on Instagram is very much dependent on your ability to drive your audience outside Instagram... and that isn't that easy on Instagram! So don't miss my Bonus Tip section below.
The money bloggers on Instagram make across their various platforms, mainly outside Instagram, varies depending on the blogger's niche, audience size, and engagement rate. Some bloggers may make a few hundred dollars per month, while others may make thousands of dollars per month.
The best way to maximise earnings is to focus on creating high-quality content relevant to your niche that your audience will be interested in and define intentional ways to bring your audience into your email list to nurture it directly and convert it into warm leads and customers.
Why do I say that? Never forget this fact: Only 2-3% of your followers see your content! Fact!
So you want to bring them into your email list to bring this up considerably!
The easiest way to find bloggers on Instagram is to use the search function and look for hashtags or accounts that relate to your niche. For example, if you are looking for travel bloggers, you can search for hashtags like #travelblogger or #travelgram.
Another great way to find bloggers on Instagram is to use the "Explore" feature and look at the accounts that pop up in the "Suggested for you" section.
You can also find bloggers on Instagram by looking at who your favourite bloggers are following. Simply go to one of your favourite bloggers' accounts, click on the "Following" tab, and scroll through the list of accounts they are following.
Some famous bloggers on Instagram include:
Chiara Ferragni (@chiaraferragni)
Janni Deler (@jannid)
Aimee Song (@songofstyle)
Amanda Steele (@amandasteele)
Emma Hill (@emmahill)
Frankly, this is not the best list or THE one list.
I'll even go one step further and say, totally disregard the above. Hahaha!
What really matters is finding bloggers on Instagram for YOUR niche and seeing what works and drives the best engagement from YOUR audience.
The answer to this question is yes, but...
Instagram is a good platform for bloggers because it has a large user base that helps you get your content to a large audience easily visually.
However, is it the best platform for bloggers? No.
Really.
Keep on reading! I've been hinting this to you throughout this blog. Here is why!
I like Instagram. I use Instagram. I post on Instagram, but...
Instagram isn't my strategic platform for making money online.
Why?
There are many reasons, but if I had to single out one, it's this: Instagram isn't a content search engine.
Why does this matter?
When you post on Instagram, the active life of your content is... LESS THAN 24h! And that's why you need to post to be seen, day after day, constantly. That's why there is so much standard advice about posting daily.
There is a better way.
A way where your content is searchable and discoverable for years, not hours!
That's publishing your content on a content search engine, such as Google, YouTube and Pinterest.
Just look carefully. Most 6-figure and 7-figure online entrepreneurs create content in a content search engine, not just social media or Instagram!
And Pinterest is the easiest by far to rank on.
Pins on Pinterest link to your blogs, shop, website, YouTube channel, and e-commerce platform. Wherever you want!
Each pin on Pinterest is discoverable and clickable for years! 🎉
Pinterest is the one with the highest user buying intent. That means leads that convert!
So my bonus tip here is to use Pinterest to grow online!
It might not feel simple if you haven't done it before. So I invite you to watch my free workshop: Grow Online With Pinterest in Just 2 Hours A Week.
Use Pinterest to get traffic to your blog and subscribers to your email list!
What next?
Time to take action! I love giving you in my blogs very specific and easy actions to take so that you can put immediately into practice what you’ve learned in this blog. Choose one action and do it today. Don’t put it off. You’ll feel fab!
Don’t forget to comment and tell me:
A HUGE thank you for being here with me until the end.
It is an absolute privilege to know that you read and find value in my blog!
Don’t forget to pin this blog on Pinterest. Just hover over the pin below and click the Pinterest logo!
Thanks soooo much for helping me share it!
Hi! I’m Isabel
For years and years I have created and produced content, in particular visual content. You can find me very often with my cameras and tripod out and about!
My passion: to help you with your online presence and drive business growth through my blog and visuals collections (marketing templates, styled photos & video).
Ah, I have also worked for 24+ in the corporate world, leading quite a mix: transformation, marketing, coaching, sales, productivity, programme management, investments and product management.
I love sharing all these skills with you in my blog.
I am also founder of Agavea Properties, our family holiday rental business. My husband and I lead it with the passion with one goal in mind: serving our customers to create a memorable holiday experience for them.
So there you have it, that’s me! Ah... I almost forgot, my happy place is by the sea.
Thanks for being here with me!