11 Ideas On How To Make Money On Instagram In 2025

These days, it’s hard to go through Instagram without seeing someone promoting a product — whether it’s their own or from another brand. You don’t need to be a celebrity or have millions of followers to make money on Instagram in Nigeria. In fact, many people with small but active pages are already earning from it — right now in 2025.

Whether you’re running a small online business or growing as a content creator, Instagram gives you real tools to reach more people, build trust, and earn from your content.

In this article, we’ll discuss how to make money on Instagram in 2025 even with small audience.

Eleven (11) Ways To Make Money On Instagram In 2025

Affiliate marketing

One smart way to boost your product sales on Instagram is through affiliate marketing.

Affiliate marketing means working with people, called affiliates, who promote your products and get paid a commission for every sale they help you make. These affiliates could be influencers, content creators, or loyal customers who share your products using a special link or promo code.

When someone clicks their link or uses their code to make a purchase, the affiliate earns money, and you gain a new customer.

Instead of just paying influencers to post about your brand, affiliate marketing turns them into active partners. They now have a reason to keep promoting your products because they benefit directly from every sale.

This approach not only increases your reach on Instagram, but it also encourages more authentic and consistent promotion, since affiliates are now invested in your success.

Design merch for your personal brand

If you’re creating content online, why not make money by selling your own merch?

The good news? You don’t need to build a whole new brand or set up a factory. With the right idea and a few simple tools, you can start selling your own merchandise, such as t-shirts, mugs, hoodies, posters, or anything your audience would love.

Here Are Three Easy Ways To Start Selling Your Own Merch:

Print-on-Demand (POD):
This is the easiest way to get started. You upload your design, and the print-on-demand service prints and ships the products directly to your customers. You don’t need to worry about inventory or delivery.
White-Label Products:
You can also add your logo or personal branding to existing products. For example, a fitness influencer could sell branded resistance bands or yoga mats. It makes your merch feel more connected to your content.
Handmade Merch:
If you enjoy DIY, you can create your own items from scratch—like hand-printed shirts or custom crafts. This gives your products a personal touch and helps build a deeper connection with your fans.

Offer paid subscriptions

If you have loyal followers on Instagram, you can now earn a steady income by offering them exclusive content through paid subscriptions.

Instagram’s subscription feature lets you charge a monthly fee for special content that only your subscribers can see. This could include behind-the-scenes videos, personal shoutouts, private stories, or early access to your posts. Here’s How to Start Making Money with Instagram Subscriptions:

Switch to a Professional Account:
Go to your settings and change your Instagram to a Creator or Business account.
Turn On Subscriptions:
In your account settings, look for the Subscriptions option and enable it.
Share Exclusive Content:
Offer something valuable—like personal updates, tips, tutorials, or live Q&As—that your audience can’t get for free.
Promote Your Subscription:
Tell your followers what they’ll get when they subscribe. Use regular posts, stories, and reels to highlight the benefits.

Subscriptions can help you build stronger relationships with your fans while also giving you a reliable stream of income each month in Nigeria.

Sell photos online

If you love taking photos with your phone or camera, then you can turn that hobby into a real source of income by selling your pictures on Instagram.

Whether you’re using a smartphone or a professional camera, what matters most is the quality of your images. If you already have great photos saved up, you’re halfway there.

Selling your photos on Instagram is a creative and low-cost business idea, especially if you already love photography. Just focus on quality, and make sure your work is easy for people to buy or download.

Sponsored content

One of the easiest ways to earn money on Instagram in Nigeria is by working with brands through sponsored content.

In simple terms, this means a brand pays you to promote their product or service on your page. These sponsored posts can be photos, reels, or stories where you talk about or naturally use the product.

Brands love to work with Instagram creators because they already have a loyal and active audience. When followers see their favorite influencers using a product, they’re more likely to trust it and even buy it. Sponsored content can help you earn in these ways:

You promote the brand to your audience
Share your honest experience with the product or show how you use it in real life.
The brand gets more visibility and sales
Since your followers are engaged, they often take action—like visiting the website or making a purchase.
You get paid for the post or based on results
Some deals are one-time payments, while others offer commissions for each sale you help make.

Sponsored content works best when it fits naturally into your usual posts and when you only work with brands that your audience will care about. This way, you keep trust high and still make money promoting valuable products.

Sell used stuff

If you love fashion or decorating your home, you can make money by selling your used items on Instagram in Nigeria. Many people, including celebrities and influencers, already do this by hosting simple closet or home clear-out sales.

Your followers might love your style and would be happy to buy items you’ve already worn or used, especially if they’ve seen them in your posts before.

Create an Instagram Store

If you already run an online store or sell products in Nigeria, Instagram can help you reach more customers and make more sales.

Instagram gives you special tools—like shopping tags and the Instagram Shop—to promote your products directly inside the app. This makes it easier for your followers to find, view, and buy what you’re selling without leaving Instagram.

Leverage User-Generated Content

One smart way to grow your online presence and make money on Instagram is by creating user-generated content, also known as UGC.

UGC is when regular users create and share photos or videos that feature a brand’s products or services. Many brands love this because it feels more real and relatable than traditional ads.

How You Can Make Money With UGC:

Create Content Featuring Brands
Take high-quality photos or videos of yourself using a product. Share it on your page and tag the brand.
Encourage Your Followers to Join In
Run giveaways or promo campaigns where your followers share their own content using the brand’s hashtag or product. This builds engagement and shows brands you can drive action.
Get Reposted by Brands
If a brand likes your content, they may repost it on their official page. This can increase your visibility, grow your followers, and lead to paid collaborations or free products.

User-generated content is a growing trend in e-commerce and influencer marketing. It’s simple to start, doesn’t require a huge audience, and can lead to real income as brands look for creators they can trust.

Monetize Reels

If you enjoy making short, fun videos, Instagram Reels can help you turn that creativity into real income.

Instagram allows creators to earn money from Reels through ad placements and special bonus programs. One of the main programs is called the Reels Play Bonus, which pays you based on how well your Reels perform. How To Start Earning From Instagram Reels:

Create High-Quality, Engaging Reels
Make short videos that are fun, clear, and based on popular trends. Use eye-catching visuals and include music or sounds that are currently trending.
Apply for the Reels Play Bonus Program
Once your account meets Instagram’s requirements, you can apply for this bonus program through the Professional Dashboard in your app.
Keep Track of Your Results
Watch how your Reels perform. Look at views, likes, and shares. Use this data to improve your next videos and earn more.

Sell digital products

One of the easiest ways to make money on Instagram is by selling digital products. These include things like eBooks, art prints, music, templates, online courses, or design guides.

The best part? You don’t need to worry about packaging or shipping. Once your digital product is ready, you can sell it over and over again with little extra work. How to Make Money on Instagram by Selling Digital Products:

Create Products Your Audience Needs
Think about what your followers would find helpful—like step-by-step tutorials, printable designs, or useful tips in eBook format.
Use eCommerce Tools to Sell
Upload your digital items to platforms like Gumroad, Sellfy, Payhip, or Shopify. These tools let people buy and download your products easily.
Promote on Instagram
Use posts, Reels, and Stories to show what your product offers. You can also share customer reviews, behind-the-scenes creation moments, or demos to build interest. Money is made on Instagram in so many ways.

Digital products are a smart way to earn passive income, especially if you already have a loyal audience. Once it’s created, it keeps making money without extra cost or effort.

Offer exclusive webinars or workshops

Another great way to make money on Instagram is by offering paid webinars and online workshops. If you have knowledge or skills that your followers want to learn—like fitness tips, social media tricks, or business advice—you can earn by teaching them in live sessions.

Webinars allow you to share value and build trust with your audience while earning income at the same time.

Types Of Content Most Effective For Sales On Instagram

If you want to succeed and sell more on Instagram in 2025, you need content that grabs attention.

This means writing clear, smart captions and using high-quality pictures or videos. Every brand should think about its goals and who it wants to reach when creating an Instagram marketing plan.

A strong Instagram feed should include:

Product images

Your products or services should be the main focus on Instagram. If you can create video posts, photos, and Instagram Reels that make your products look good and grab attention quickly, you’ll get more views and likes. This can bring more people to your sales page.

User-generated content (UGC)

User-generated content is a great way to boost sales. That’s because people trust other people’s opinions more than ads. UGC builds trust and community, which helps customers feel confident about your product. You can get lots of UGC by working with influencers or fans.

Hashtag challenges related to your brand, product, or service can also increase UGC and grow your page. Unboxing videos are one of the most popular and effective types of UGC to boost sales.

How-to guides and tutorials

How-to guides and tutorials are a smart way to show what makes your product or service special. They let you tell a story about how people can use your product. They’re also helpful for customers who just bought something from you, which can lead to more good reviews and happy feedback.

Product demonstrations

Instagram Reels that show your product in action or highlight its main features can help increase sales. These Reels should look attractive and match your brand’s style. Partnering with popular creators can make these posts more powerful because they usually have more followers than your brand’s page.

Product feature highlights

Short videos like Instagram Stories are great for showing your product’s key features. Stories can also appear on other Meta apps like Facebook, giving you more visibility.

They’re also helpful because you can add links in Stories to send people straight to your products or website.

The best content for selling on Instagram is content that grabs attention, helps your audience, and keeps them interested. This kind of content usually gets more likes, comments, and shares.

Conclusion

Making money on Instagram is very reliable these days. With many platforms available, Instagram gives creators and influencers different ways to earn income.

To start making money using the tips shared in this article, focus on posting interesting and regular content. That’s how you build a loyal audience.

By kingkentus