Wouldn’t it be nice if you got paid just by posting on Instagram while you’re in your class doing whatever the hell you’re doing?
“Yes, Dredd! That would be great!”
Yes, I agree too.
However…
Instagram influencers don’t just sit around and post some sponsored post and wait for the big money to keep flowing in. They actually do a lot of other things to make money using their Instagram accounts.
And in this post, I’m going to show you 5 ways to make money using Instagram while in college, so that extra money could help pay your tuition, take your bae out to lunch or dinner, or maybe treat your parents to something nice. Plus, you get to brag about it to your friends as well.
5 Ways to Make Money Using Instagram While in College
1. Sponsored Posts.
Yes. I mentioned it earlier but this is the most common way influencers make money on Instagram. This probably was even the first. Selling shoutouts are an effective way to reach new followers for a brand, and it’s an awesome opportunity that you can cash in on.
When doing sponsored posts, you need to make sure that the page/product/service you’re promoting is something that you believe in as well. That way, it’s easier to promote it to your audience.
Plus, it also helps if you have a strong influence on your audience. Let me say that again..
Strong Influence. Not Huge Followers.
When you have more influence on your audience, they are more likely to follow whatever you say to them on your posts, whether you want them to follow the other page, comment something, tag a friend or buy a product.
Having a strong influence makes your page more appealing and more in-demand for shout buyers, and they will be more willing to pay higher, usually around $100-$1000 per post, than on pages with huge followers with weak influence.
I sponsor posts on one of my pages occasionally and make at least an extra $50-100 per month. And it doesn’t take that much time to schedule and publish one (less than 15 mins).
2. Sell Products.
What I really like about Instagram is that it’s a very visual platform. So, it’s easier for people to see what products you’re offering. And a lot of fashion businesses use Instagram as a product catalog too like Kay Jewelers.
Instagram can also be more personal when it comes to sharing images because it is used as more of a friend-to-friends photo sharing rather than as a purely product-centric platform.
You can use Shopify, Etsy, TeeSpring, or your own website, link it to your page, and sell whatever your product is. I have seen pages who sell their products using Instagram make around $1000 per month to as high as $10,000 per month just like this student from the University of Southern California.
3. Sell Services.
If you’re good at something and you want to share that skill with others, you can sell your services on Instagram by turning your page into a portfolio like Art of Visuals and Sam Kolder.
You can post your work, the results your customers have, maybe even some tips that you can share, and many more things.
If you’re a good photographer or videographer, show off your work! Post your best portraits, landscapes, short films, or whatever. Link your website into your bio. Just don’t forget to leave your contact info behind so that clients can reach out to you.
4. Consulting.
If you’re reading this post, you’re most likely around the same age range as I do. I’m still 22, and what else do we do best but be on our phones most of the time, scrolling endlessly on meme pages and cat or dog videos on YouTube.
Use the knowledge you have about social media and offer consulting to businesses or brands who don’t even know what social media is.
You’d be surprised as to how many local businesses actively look for different ways to promote their business online.
Sadly, these business owners do not have the time or technical skills to even bring their businesses online. This is an opportunity for us young entrepreneurs to cash in.
I do consulting for some brands and businesses and I personally make around $300-$400 per month in profit.
5. Affiliate Marketing
This is by far the easiest method to start making money using Instagram while in college. Not only do you even need to have a huge following, most of the time, you can start making money without any investments or products to buy.
If you don’t know what Affiliate Marketing is, it’s basically getting paid by promoting products that you don’t own to people who are interested in buying said products.
All you have to do is start a fan page about a specific thing that you like like meme shirts, makeup kits, pet toys, fantasy books, football team, and the list goes on. Then, you find an affiliate program like with Amazon Associates, ClickBank, CJ Affiliate, or the NBA Affiliate Program. Put your affiliate link on your bio. Post content. Then, find and engage with users.
I do this as well on the side, and make at least another extra $100 per month promoting products and services that I personally use.
Learned Something New? Don’t Forget to Share this Post and Check the Links Below!
– My YouTube Channel
– The Affiliate Marketing Course I Took