With over 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram has become a hugely popular platform for content creators, influencers and businesses to reach massive audiences. But an age-old question still persists – can you make money on Instagram simply from the views your posts and videos generate?
In this comprehensive guide, we analyze how Instagram pays creators, the average earnings per 1,000 views, and ways to maximize your Instagram monetization.
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Does Instagram Pay for Views?
The short answer is no – Instagram does not directly pay users or compensate them solely based on views or follower counts. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of ways for creators to monetize their audience and content on Instagram.
YouTube has long had a partner program where creators can earn a share of ad revenue based on video views. Instagram lacks any such built-in monetization model currently. Any compensation comes from third-parties like brand sponsorships, affiliate marketing or selling goods.
Instagram does provide various tools to help creators capitalize on their follower base, such as Instagram Shopping, badges on live videos, and branded content tagging. But the onus lies with creators to leverage these to earn money from their content. Views and likes alone don’t translate into direct Instagram payments.
How Much Does Instagram Pay for 1,000 Video Views?
While Instagram won’t directly pay creators for views or followers, they can still earn money from brands. A common way for influencers to value their Instagram content is based on Cost Per Thousand impressions (CPM).
This refers to how much an advertiser or brand will pay for 1,000 views or impressions of a post. Factors like audience demographics, engagement levels and content type impact CPM rates.
Typically, influencers charge between $5 to $10 per 1,000 Instagram views. Some key category averages are:
- Fitness: $7 per 1,000 views
- Travel: $8 per 1,000 views
- Food & Recipes: $5 per 1,000 views
- Fashion: $10 per 1,000 views
Nano-influencers can expect to be at the lower end of that scale, while celeb influencers with millions of engaged followers can command much higher CPM rates from brand sponsorships.
What About Instagram Reels and IGTV Videos?
For a brief period, Instagram did have a program called Reels Summer Bonus that paid creators for video views on Reels. Users could earn bonuses between $200 to $10,000 by hitting specific view thresholds on new Reels over a certain timeframe.
This program ended in 2022, so direct payouts per view don’t exist anymore. However, brands may be willing to pay higher CPM rates for sponsored Reels since they tend to get better engagement.
IGTV videos are eligible for Instagram Creator Bonuses if they are embedded on Facebook. Based on views, creators can earn $300 to $3500 from this program. But no bonuses are awarded for IGTV views on Instagram currently.
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Typical Instagram Creator Earnings Per 1,000 Followers
Follower counts play a major role in determining how much money influencers can make from brand sponsorships. Industry averages are:
- 1,000 followers: $10 per sponsored post
- 10,000 followers: $100 per sponsored post
- 100,000 followers: $250 per sponsored post
- 500,000 followers: $500 per sponsored post
- 1 million+ followers: $1000+ per sponsored post
So for a creator with 10,000 Instagram followers and a 10% engagement rate, they can expect to earn around $100 for a branded post that reaches 1,000 followers.
Note that these are estimates only. The actual post values depend on factors like audience quality, post engagement, brand category and partnership terms. But it provides a rough idea of typical Instagram influencer monetization.
Ways Creators Can Earn Money from Instagram
While Instagram doesn’t directly pay for content, creators have plenty of options to earn revenues through their audience. Some popular ways include:
- Promoting or Selling Own Products – Create shoppable posts using Instagram Shopping to sell your merchandise.
- Sell printed on demand products with your own custom designs. It is better to start with apparel like custom printed shorts, t-shirts, shoes, jeans, etc.
- Sponsored Content – Get paid by brands to promote their products or services through posts.
- Affiliate Links – Earn affiliate commission when followers click your links and make purchases.
- Brand Ambassador Programs – Get long-term sponsorships and ambassador roles with relevant brands.
- Instagram Live Badges – Followers pay to send badges during live videos and the revenue is shared with creators.
- Instagram Reels Ads – Earn a cut when your Reels are included by brands as ads.
Diversifying monetization strategies beyond branded content unlocks new earning potential.
Factors That Determine Instagram Money-Making Potential
If your goal is to start earning money from Instagram, some key factors dictate how much you can make:
- Followers – Size of your follower base impacts reach and sponsor appeal. But engagement also matters.
- Engagement Rate – Highly engaged followers make your account more valuable to advertisers.
- Content Quality – Brands seek creators who publish premium photos and videos that appeal to audiences.
- Audience Relevance – A niche, targeted audience is ideal rather than a generic follower base.
- Post Frequency – Consistently maintaining high visibility with regular posts keeps audiences engaged.
- Partner Appeal – Your personal brand and image should align with partners. Sponsors want genuine advocates.
While follower counts act as social proof, engagement and audience quality are bigger success metrics.
Instagram Money Calculator Estimates
To estimate your Instagram earning potential, you can use Instagram money calculators like those offered by Influencer Marketing Hub and Hopper HQ.
These calculators take into account factors like your follower count, average likes/comments per post, audience demographics, typical post frequency and engagement rates. Based on this data, they provide an estimated Instagram income range.
For example, an influencer with 50,000 engaged fashion focused followers could expect to earn $250 – $700 per sponsored post based on the calculator estimates.
These calculators offer a good benchmark to value your Instagram account and potential sponcon rates. But take the figures as general guidance only – real income depends on the brands you partner with and negotiated sponsorship terms.
Key Takeaways
- Instagram doesn’t directly pay creators for content views or followers. Compensation comes through indirect avenues like sponsorships.
- On average, influencers earn $5 to $10 per 1,000 video views from brands. Top creators with millions of engaged followers can command higher CPM rates.
- Follower count plays a major role in determining sponcon rates. Micro-influencers with just 1000 followers make around $10 per post.
- Consistently creating high-quality, engaging content and collaborating with relevant brands are key to Instagram monetization.
While Instagram lacks built-in monetization like YouTube, tons of earning opportunities exist for enterprising creators. With the right strategy, Instagram can become a lucrative platform to monetize your passion and talent.