Instagram is no longer just about dancing trends or catchy transitions — it’s evolved into a major platform for creators, brands, and marketers to grow their audience and bank accounts. With Instagram projected to make up more than half of Meta’s U.S. ad revenue by 2025, it’s clear that the platform is doubling down on creators as key drivers of engagement and profitability.
But what does this mean for a social media manager or content creator? In short: opportunities. These are opportunities to turn your creativity into income, grow your personal or business brand, and connect with audiences in meaningful ways — all while monetizing your efforts.
This article has 9 creative ways to make money on Instagram in 2025 — whether you’re just starting or want to stand out with your reel strategy.
Instagram’s subscription feature allows you to create a steady income stream by offering exclusive content to your loyal followers. Subscribers pay a monthly fee to get subscriber-only reels, live sessions, or behind-the-scenes content.
To succeed with subscriptions, focus on offering value that your general audience doesn’t get. For example, a travel blogger could share detailed itinerary planning tips or hidden gems from their trips exclusively with subscribers.
Encourage your audience to subscribe by subtly promoting your content. Use regular reels to give a sneak peek of what subscribers can look forward to and that motivates them to join. For example, you could wrap up a public reel with a call to action like, “Interested in the complete recipe? Subscribe for exclusive content!”
Keep the exclusive offerings fresh and valuable to maintain subscriptions. This model helps you earn money and nurture a closer bond with your most engaged followers.
One of the best ways to earn money on Instagram is partnering with brands on Instagram reels. Companies are always looking to team up with creators who can present their products or services in a genuine and engaging manner.
To attract these brand deals, concentrate on cultivating a niche audience that’s highly engaged with your content. For example, if you’re a beauty influencer, make sure to consistently share makeup tutorials or skincare routines. When brands notice that your audience trusts your recommendations, they’ll be more inclined to collaborate with you.
When producing sponsored reels, it’s important to prioritize authenticity. Rather than pushing a hard sell, integrate the product seamlessly into your content. Always disclose when content is sponsored to keep your audience’s trust. With the right strategy, brand collaborations can become a substantial source of income while keeping your followers engaged and informed.
Social media can be a powerful tool to promote and sell your own products or merchandise. Whether you’re offering physical items, digital products, or even personal coaching sessions, Instagram provides a creative way to showcase what you have to offer.
Show your audience how your product comes to life, from selecting materials to adding the finishing touches. Sharing styling tips or behind-the-scenes glimpses of your creative process helps build a connection with your audience. These engaging videos highlight the craftsmanship and give potential customers a sense of the quality and care behind each piece.
Including a link to your online store makes it easy for viewers to explore and purchase your items. Highlight unique selling points to create a sense of urgency with limited-time offers. Also, share customer testimonials to build trust.
Affiliate marketing is yet another good way to earn some money from Instagram reels. All you need to do is help in promoting a product or service by sharing the unique affiliate link. When someone purchases through your link, you get paid a small commission for that sale.
If you want to succeed in affiliate marketing, then only promote products in your niche to the audience that they’ll benefit from. A tech influencer might review the latest gadgets and drop in the affiliate link page bio or captions. Fitness creators, for instance, could recommend their workout gear or supplements they like and illustrate how they integrate it into their routine.
Make those reels fun and informative about how you improve by using the product in your everyday life. Instead of just listing features, you can share how the product solves a problem or makes life easier. It’s advisable to say when you’re using affiliate links to earn your audience’s trust. If all is done right, then affiliate marketing could be a consistent stream of cash flow — while still adding value to your content.
Hosting exclusive paid events and workshops through Instagram reels can be a great way to make money from your knowledge if you’re skilled at something specific. These events can take the form of online challenges, question-and-answer sessions, tutorials, or more formal workshops.
Take, for example, a fitness influencer advertising a “30-day fitness challenge” over Instagram, charging fees to the participants, or a photographer who can show quick tips in a teaser reel and invite followers for a paid advanced photography workshop.
Make your events valuable and exclusive. Consider sponsorship or prizes to entice you further. Integrated payment capabilities make it easy to manage sessions and charges through tools like Zoom.
Livestreaming is a fun and interactive way to connect with your audience. With Instagram’s live badges feature, fans can support you financially by purchasing badges during your live sessions. These appear as heart icons next to their names and make them stand out in the chat.
Simply go live, and your viewers will have the option to buy one or more badges. Each contribution goes directly to your earnings and gives you a straightforward way to monetize your live content.
To use the Live badges feature, you’ll need a business or creator account and comply with Instagram’s partner monetization policies. You must be over 18 years old and have at least 10,000 followers to qualify. The feature is only available in certain countries, so you’ll need to be in a region where it’s supported. Once you’re eligible, you can activate the feature in your account settings and start earning directly from your livestreams.
Creator-focused funding platforms like Ko-fi, Patreon, and Kickstarter are great tools for turning your followers into supporters of your creative work. These platforms let you earn directly from your audience by offering exclusive perks or early access to projects in exchange for financial support.
You can promote these platforms through Instagram by asking your followers to contribute to your next project or provide ongoing support in exchange for perks, such as exclusive content or shout-outs. These platforms offer flexible funding models and help creators build a sustainable income by tapping into their audience’s support.
For example, a writer might use reels to share a glimpse of their upcoming book and direct followers to their Kickstarter campaign for exclusive perks like early access to chapters or signed copies.
If you’ve created a standout reel video that’s gone viral or offers unique value, consider licensing it to earn additional income. Licensing allows brands, media outlets, or other platforms to legally use your content in exchange for payment.
This strategy is especially valuable for creators who produce highly shareable or niche-specific content. For instance, a fitness influencer could license a popular workout tutorial to a fitness app or brand.
Licensing is a great way to monetize your existing work that allows you to earn passive income while maintaining creative control over new content.
If you’re an expert in your field, you can easily earn on Instagram by selling consulting or coaching services. Use reels to reveal tidbits of the skills that’d otherwise take you hours to teach while attracting a steady stream of clients ready to learn from you.
For instance, a social media strategist might record a couple of quick snippets on growing a social media following and invite the audience to book one-on-one coaching sessions for more in-depth strategies. A business coach might also use the same strategy by creating a few reels that explain possible traps every entrepreneur must avoid and present consultation packages with specific remedies.
Your reels should have live examples with past success stories and practical tips to bring out your capabilities. To spice it all up with a simple call to action, let’s say, “Want to take your skills to the next level? DM me for coaching details!”
If you want to become that person to your target clients, make yourself a trusted authority using Instagram’s huge audience combined with the dynamic nature of reels to develop meaningful client relationships and generate consistent income off of your know-how.
As Instagram keeps changing, reels are still a powerful way for creators and businesses to connect with viewers and earn money. You need to be consistent and understand what’s popular to do well on this platform.
Clipule can streamline your content creation with AI tools that save time and help you craft engaging clips that drive better engagement. In 2025, with the right strategy and tools, you can turn reels into a steady income stream while making a meaningful impact.