Instagram has become a massive platform for sharing photos and videos, with over 300 million users and 70 million posts every day. It’s no surprise that many Instagram users are capitalizing on this by making money from their engaged followers. What’s inspiring is that most of these users are regular people who have built up their followers over time through consistent posting and interacting. If you love Instagram and have a sizable following, here are five ways you can start making money on the platform.

1. Sell your Instagram photos to brands:
If you have high-quality photos and love taking pictures with your mobile device, you can license them to brands looking to use them for their own purposes. Foap is an online photography marketplace where you can sign up for free, build your portfolio, and attract buyers. You can browse through missions by companies looking for specific photos and earn money if your submission is chosen. Foap takes half of the $10 cost per photo, but you can still earn a significant amount if your photo is popular.

2. Earn commissions for selling other companies’ products:
Another way to make money on Instagram is by promoting and selling products or capturing leads for other companies. Peerfly is an affiliate network that allows you to sign up for free and promote various offers. You can earn a commission when users click on your unique URL and enter their personal information or make a purchase. Selling products is not the only option; you can also earn money by capturing leads, which is easier than making sales.

3. Capture email subscribers and refer them to affiliate links:
If you are successful at capturing leads for affiliate networks like Peerfly, you can consider building your own email list. MailChimp is a popular email list-building service that allows you to gather up to 2,000 email subscribers for free. Create landing page forms and email templates to send purchase links to your subscribers. Instead of sending leads to another company’s email form, you’ll be sending them to your own. This allows you to build a relationship with subscribers and sell to them repeatedly.

4. Join a multi-level marketing company:
Instagram is a great platform for network marketers to showcase their products and build a team. If you have a substantial fitness following, Team Beachbody is an MLM company to consider. You can post photos of your healthy meals, workout routines, and offer inspiration to followers. Include your network marketing website or product link in your bio and provide contact information for inquiries. Network marketing on Instagram requires hard work and investment, but it can be a lucrative home business.

5. Connect with advertisers for sponsored posts:
If you have a large following and great engagement on Instagram, you can reach out to advertisers willing to pay you to promote their brand to your audience. However, this option is only viable if you have tens of thousands of followers or more and can generate many likes and comments within minutes of posting. The Mobile Media Lab is a suggested tool to connect with advertisers for sponsorship deals.

In conclusion, if you have a good number of engaged followers on Instagram, there are various ways you can start making money. Selling photos, promoting products, capturing leads, joining an MLM company, and getting sponsored by advertisers are all viable options. Remember that it takes time and effort to see real results, but with persistence and dedication, you can start earning hundreds or even thousands of dollars from this social platform alone.