How to make money on Instagram even if you are not a big star

If you have started to gather a fan base on Instagram, regardless of the pictures you choose to post, be they with food, nature or maybe just with your cat, chances are you can make money from your hobby.

Most people use the platform as an online journal or a medium through which they can keep in touch with friends. But it can be a profitable source of income if you learn how to attract sponsors. So, if you want to share your passion online and earn something from it, follow these tips and see where they take you.

Make your Instagram page attractive

In order to get from a few hundred followers to a few thousand, you have to choose a certain theme of the page and then make sure that your pictures stand out.

There are millions of people on the platform, so you need to give visitors a clear reason to follow you. Instead of trying to please everyone, develop a niche and make sure all your posts match your chosen theme.

Not sure which niche to go to? Think about your passions, what you are good at and how to take advantage of it, whether it’s fashion, sports, art, music or whatever you like.

The rest is limited to constant postings of quality photos, careful descriptions that tell a story and interaction with people, through questions, conversations and perhaps most importantly, to answer their questions and comments. HuffPost has even more tips on how to increase your fan base in this article.

It’s about quality, not quantity

Don’t worry if you don’t have a lot of fans before you try to monetize your page. Micro-influencers, who have less than ten thousand followers, are even sought after by sponsors and can earn between one hundred and one thousand dollars per post. In 2017, the average post was about three hundred dollars, reports AdWeek.

In the world of marketing, micro influencers are highly rated because people tend to trust them more. Moreover, 70% of millennials prefer their recommendations or those of non-celebrities, according to a 2016 survey of 14,000 people by Collective Bias.

“When you have a well-targeted audience that cares about your brand and what you offer, you’re more likely to buy from them,” said social media strategist Jenn Herman.

Choose the right sponsors for Instagram

If you want to be paid for your posts, you will need to contact the companies directly. “I always tell influencers: don’t wait for brands to come to you,” says digital marketing consultant Shane Barker. “Make an offer and contact the brands, explain why they need to work with you.”

It is useful to make a media kit, which explains your brand, who the followers are and why you would be the right choice for sponsorship. Although you can talk directly to companies by email or phone, you may be more likely to work with an agency for a fee.

Insert #ads among popular hashtags

Finding a way to include paid posts among the regular ones is an art in itself. Sabina Trojanova, who promotes the ecological travel of her 97,000 followers, does so with coupon codes. In a paid post, Trojanova sits on a bench with his phone in his hand and promotes a language app and adds the discount coupon to the description. To make sure people know it’s a paid post, she uses the hashtag #ad.

Another more subtle approach is to mention the brands in the post. That’s what Michelle Lewin, a fitness instructor with over 12 million followers, does. “I just tag brands, so I keep my fans, without being criticized for ‘selling myself.’”

Promote your own products

While sponsorship is the obvious way to monetize your Instagram page, you can also market your own products. For example, a Florida fitness trainer, Zoe Rodriguez, uses her account to promote her digital fitness books.

Tiffany Aliche, popularly known as Budgetnista, uses her Instagram account to promote her financial education classes. Although most of her classes are free, she earns money as a lecturer or from private seminars.

Be yourself

When it comes to sponsoring or selling your own products, don’t forget how you garnered so many followers. “Make sure the promoted product aligns with your principles and online character,” said Trobajana, an Instagram traveler.

“If you don’t believe in what you’re promoting, then it will be seen,” added Nicholas Kinports, a social media marketer. “The most profitable instagrammers start with mastered topics, talented hobbies, or neglected topics that should have more online content.”

The most appropriate sponsored content is not just another hashtag #ad, but a post that shows who you really are, says Sara Tasker, an instagram influencer in Manchester. Her account is a mix of landscape photos, product photos and intimate family photos. “People are looking for behind-the-scenes images and a sense of connection,” she said.

“Try to build a gallery that shows the love, joy and work you put in,” Tasker added.

Your Instagram account is a reflection of the inner person and deserves more attention to become something great.