Learn how influencers get paid on Instagram, how much they earn, and how creators land brand deals, affiliates, and direct income—even with small audiences.
.avif)
TL;DR
TL;DR
If you’ve ever wondered how influencers actually get paid on Instagram, you’re not alone.
From the outside, it looks simple: post content, gain followers, get paid.
In reality, influencer income is far more nuanced — and far less tied to follower count than most people think.
In this article, we’ll explain how influencers get paid on Instagram, what brands really care about, and how creators can get paid even without massive audiences or viral posts.
No. Instagram does not pay influencers directly for posting content.
Influencers earn money through:
Instagram is the platform that enables visibility, not the source of payment.
Influencers typically get paid in one (or more) of the following ways:
Brands pay influencers to create content featuring their product or service.
Payment can be:
Stories and Reels are often used for:
Reels can increase reach, but Stories and DMs often drive conversions.
Instead of a fixed fee, influencers earn a commission per sale.
This model rewards creators who can:
Affiliate income is often more scalable than one-off brand deals.
Many influencers earn by:
In this case, Instagram is the acquisition channel — not the business itself.
There’s no fixed rate, but here are rough benchmarks (very approximate):
That said, these numbers don’t reflect earning potential, only deal pricing.
Some small creators earn more monthly through affiliates or DMs than larger creators relying only on sponsorships.
Follower count is often the first filter, but rarely the deciding factor.
Brands care about:
Creators who can show:
Are significantly more valuable than creators who only show reach.
This is why monetization strategies built around conversations and conversions outperform visibility-only approaches.
Most creators don’t “get discovered” — they position themselves.
Common ways influencers land their first deal:
Brands respond faster when creators can show outcomes, not just aesthetics.
Relying only on brand deals is risky because:
This is why many influencers diversify income with:
Owning the conversion layer gives creators leverage.
Many influencer campaigns break at the same point: after engagement.
People comment:
Creators who reply quickly and guide those conversations convert attention into revenue.
Some influencers use tools like Inrō to:
This allows influencers to monetize both sponsored and non-sponsored content more effectively.
Yes.
Brands increasingly work with:
Because:
Smaller creators who handle DMs well often outperform larger accounts in ROI.
If you want to get paid on Instagram, focus on:
Brands pay creators who can drive results — not just impressions.
Influencer income isn’t about being the biggest account in the room.
It’s about:
The creators who understand this don’t just wait for deals — they build systems that turn attention into revenue, with or without sponsorships.
Make more money, capture more leads, and sell more products with automation.
No. Instagram does not pay influencers for posting content. Income comes from brands, affiliate programs, or selling products and services.
Pay varies widely based on niche, engagement, and performance. Some creators earn a few hundred euros per post, while others earn thousands — or more through affiliates and direct sales.
Yes. Nano- and micro-influencers often work with brands because they have higher engagement and more targeted audiences.
Brands care about relevance, engagement quality, and conversion potential — not just follower count.
Influencers increase income by diversifying revenue streams, responding to DMs, guiding conversations, and tracking conversions instead of relying only on brand deals.
Join automations strategies and Instagram Insights weekly
By entering your email address above and clicking Subcribe, you consent to receive marketing communications (such as newsletters, blog posts, event invitations and new product updates), and targeted advertising from Inrō from time to time. You can unsubscribe from our marketing emails at anytime by clinking on the "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of our emails. For more information about how we process personal information and what right you have on this respect, please see our Privacy Policy.
Attract more leads, target them with DM marketing, and automate your interactions on Instagram!
.png)
.png)
.png)