The Truth Behind Instagram: How It Pays You and How To Get Paid

What Influencers Do To Get Paid on Instagram

When you see a sponsored post on Instagram, you might think the person behind the account is getting paid a ton of money to put that brand’s product in their feed. But the truth is, it’s not always about the money. Influencers are often as interested in your brand’s product or service as you are in featuring them in their feed. That’s because the goal of a sponsored post is engagement. It’s about getting real and genuine engagement through a post. An influencer has a built-in audience that trusts them and the product they recommend. As such, they can drive loads of traffic to a brand’s website and help it sell more products.

How Brands Pay Influencers On Instagram

The way brands pay influencers for sponsored posts differs depending on the platforms where the partnership takes place. There are also a number of ways brands can pay influencers. Here are a few of the most common. - Commission - The most common way brands pay influencers is by giving them a cut of the sales their post drives. For example, let’s say your brand sells high-end apparel. If you pay an influencer with a following of 100,000 people $5,000 to post one of your products in their feed, you’d be giving that person $5,000 of your product in exchange for 100,000 sales. - Revenue share - Some brands pay influencers with a percentage of their sales. Let’s say a new makeup product you’re launching with an influencer raises $1 million in sales. The brand might agree to pay the influencer $100,000. - Outright payment - In some cases, brands pay influencers to work with them. For example, let’s say you want to reach teens and millennials. In this case, you might start by partnering with an agency that represents teens and millennials. Once that agency puts you in touch with the right people, you’d have to come to an agreement with the influencers and make an offer based on the kind of content you want them to create.

How You Can Get Paid to Post on Instagram

Getting paid to post on Instagram is easy. All you have to do is build a following and make sure the content you’re posting is authentic and relevant. Once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to find brands that want to work with you. Send them a direct message, let them know you’d like to partner and find out what they have in mind. If you see an opportunity that interests you, all you have to do is work out the details. It’s important to remember that no matter how many followers you have and what kind of content you post, you don’t have to be an established influencer to get paid to post on Instagram. You just have to be authentic, engaged and interested in helping brands reach their audience.

The Bottom Line

When it comes down to it, the best way to get paid to post on Instagram is to be consistent and stay true to yourself. If you’re not authentic and you try to fake engagement, you’ll just end up looking fake. Plus, if you’re not genuine, it’s likely your followers will see right through your posts. Remember, being an influencer is a lot of work. You have to be thoughtful, creative and engaged. That said, if you put in the time and energy and stay true to yourself, you’ll find brands are eager to work with you.