Everything You Need to Know to Finally Profit from Your Reels Content
Instagram reels have exploded in popularity over the past couple of years and are now one of the best ways to make money directly on Instagram.
Reels allow you to create short, entertaining videos up to 60 seconds long. They can include audio, effects, stickers, filters, and more. Reels have a dedicated explore page where videos can go viral very quickly.
For businesses and influencers, Reels provide a huge opportunity to get discovered, grow your audience, and monetize your content. In this guide, I’ll go over everything you need to know about making money with Instagram Reels in 2023.
Why Instagram Reels are Great for Making Money
Here are some of the main reasons why Reels have so much money-making potential:
Huge reach potential – Reels can be seen and shared across Instagram as well as Facebook. One viral Reel can result in millions of views overnight.
Monetization features – Instagram now allows direct monetization such as ad revenue sharing for eligible creators. There are also native features like shopping and donations.
Engaging video content – Video content tends to be very engaging on social media. Reels are fun, entertaining videos that people love to watch and interact with.
Powerful discovery – There is a dedicated Reels tab that makes it easy for your videos to be found. Using the right hashtags, songs, and trends can help get your Reels discovered.
Opportunity to go viral – Reels have a “Featured” section where the most engaging content gets promoted. If you can land there, it can drive huge traffic.
Reels present a major opportunity for organic and paid growth on Instagram. For businesses, creators, or anyone trying to build an audience, focusing on Reels should be a top priority.
How to Create Engaging Reels That Get Views
You want others to like your content right?
The key to success with Reels is creating content that people actually want to watch, engage with, and share. Here are some tips:
Use popular music and sounds – Add music clips and sounds that are trending to help your Reel get discovered. Look at the Reels music library for top trending sounds.
Leverage trends and challenges – Stay up to date on the latest dance challenges, meme trends, viral jokes, etc. Integrate what is currently popular to capitalize on the interest.
Optimize hashtags – Include a mix of popular and niche hashtags so your content surfaces for search. Find trending hashtags using tools like RiteTag.
Post frequently – The more Reels you post, the more chances you have of going viral. Aim to post at least 1-2 Reels per day. Consistency is key.
Engage with viewers – Reply to comments, and encourage shares. Interacting with your audience helps boost engagement.
Monitor performance – Analyze which Reels perform best. Look at views, likes, comments, saves, shares, etc. Then make more content in those formats.
Improve quality over time – Watch other top-performing Reels for inspiration. Continually improve things like lighting, editing, effects, etc.
Spend time getting to know Reel’s best practices. Study others in your niche. With consistency and optimization over time, your Reels will start gaining more traction and views.
Ways to Monetize Your Instagram Reels
Once you’ve built up an engaged following on Reels, there are multiple ways to monetize your content and turn it into real money. Here are some of the top options:
1. Instagram Reels Ads & Bonuses
Instagram Reels ads allow you to earn a cut of the ad revenue from any Reels you create. You must have a certain number of followers and impressions to qualify:
- 10K+ Followers
- At least 600K total Reels views in the last 30 days
If accepted into the program, displays ads on your Reels and earn a 55% revenue share from those ads. Instagram also offers Reels Summer Bonuses where you can earn up to $10,000 based on performance. There are certain content categories that qualify for bonuses.
2. Instagram Creator Fund
The Instagram Creator Fund pays creators money for producing Reels that perform well. To qualify, you must:
- Have at least 10K Instagram followers
- Post content that follows Creator Fund best practices
- See at least 5K views on your Reels in the last 30 days
Eligible creators can earn money per view on their Reels based on region, content category, engagement, etc. This is an excellent way to earn direct income from Reels.
3. Affiliate Marketing
Include affiliate links directly in your Reels or link in the caption. When viewers click and purchase, you earn a commission. Great for product recommendations, reviews, linking helpful tools, etc.
The best affiliate programs to check out include Amazon Associates, ShopStyle, RewardStyle, ShareaSale, Skimlinks, and more. Use affiliate links for products that make sense for your audience and content.
4. Sponsored Content
Partner with relevant brands to create branded Reels promoting their products/services. Negotiate a fixed sponsorship fee or set up a revenue share model. This works especially well if you have a very engaged, niche audience that brands want to reach.
When creating sponsored Reels, use the #ad hashtag so that it’s properly disclosed as paid content. You can tag the brand directly in your Reels as well.
5. Promote Your Products or Services
Drive sales for any products, online courses, or services you offer by promoting directly via Reels. For example, briefly showcase your offerings, share customer testimonials, do tutorials, etc.
Include a strong call-to-action and link in your bio. Instagram also allows you to add links to Reels which makes driving conversions seamless.
6. Clubhouse/Audio Reels
Record audio content through Clubhouse or directly in the Reels audio recorder. These are essentially podcast clips designed for video.
Add relevant imagery and text overlays to make them more engaging on video. Promote your audio content and invite followers to tune in for more.
You can also promote a donation link or paid subscription service for access to more audio content. Repurpose existing podcasts into short Reels clips.
7. Go Live
Go live directly within Reels to engage your audience in real time. Share exclusive behind-the-scenes content, Q&As, tutorials, etc.
During the live broadcast, promote products, paid services, donation links, etc. You can also generate revenue through gifts and stickers.
The replay will remain on your profile as a Reel that keeps working for you even after the live ends.
8. Link in Bio
Your Instagram bio is prime real estate. Ensure your link goes to a converted landing page or sales funnel to drive revenue.
Send traffic there consistently via Reels, posts, and stories. Build an email list, promote offers, or direct them to shop.
Having this resource captures leads and sales outside of Instagram as well.
9. Paid Partnerships with Individuals
In addition to formal brand sponsorships, you can also partner directly with individuals who have an audience they can promote your Reels to.
For example, collaborate on a co-branded Reel. Have them post the content natively on their own profile and share it with their followers.
Compensate them with a fixed fee, free products, or an agreed-upon revenue share of sales generated.
10. Instagram Badges
Instagram Badges allow followers to formally show their support. Fans can purchase Badges directly from your profile. One Badge is $0.99 and a pack of 3 is $1.99.
You earn a commission between 70-80% of Badges purchased after app fees. Badges help formalize fan funding and generate recurring income as people repurchase them each month.
Set up Badges once you hit 600K+ total Reels views in the last 30 days and have at least 5K active Instagram followers.
Advanced Reels Strategy Tips
Here are some additional professional strategies to take your Reels game to the next level:
Batch produce Reels – Create 5-10 Reels in a batch based around a theme to maintain consistency. Schedule them out over time.
Partner with influencers – Have influencers in your niche reshare your Reels to their audience for expanded reach.
Recycle top content – Re-share your best-performing Reels, spacing out at least 3-4 weeks between posts.
Cross-promote – Share Reels preview clips linking to full YouTube videos. Promote your Reels feed via stories and feed posts.
Run ads – Double down by running Instagram Reels ads for your best organic performing content.
Save audio – Upload popular audio used in viral Reels to easily reuse them yourself. Always credit the creator.
Gather user-generated content – Ask followers to create their own Reels with a branded hashtag to integrate their content.
Go vertical – Optimize for mobile and the Reels player by filming vertical video.
Conclusion
Making money from Reels requires patience, consistency, reliable tracking of results, and creative testing. But the effort is well worth it. Reels open up multiple avenues to generate revenue directly from your content.
The opportunities on Reels will only continue to grow over time. Getting started now with the right strategies positions you for long-term success monetizing with Reels.
