Gaming niches? Travel niche? Read below to find out how to make money off Instagram in 2022.

Have you ever wondered how people make money on Instagram, or how many followers on Instagram to get paid in this day and age. Well, the answer might surprise you.

The key to monetize Instagram is knowing the the right niche to make money – specifically the gaming niche, travel niche, and health and lifestyle niche.

A report on how to make money by Statista shows that the number of active Instagram users in 2021 exceeded over 1 billion people. The number of active users on the platforms today presents HUGE opportunities for anyone looking to launch a profitable online business or work from home online jobs – just as long you PICK profitable Instagram niches to make money (read below to get the complete list of Instagram niches to make money).

Millions of digital entrepreneurs launched their successful businesses on the platform just by picking the right Instagram niche. In the early stages of Instagram, it was mostly influencers who started to monetize Instagram from their hundreds and thousands of followers. Their name became a brand that turned their Instagram account into a full-fledged business. Without an unreasonable doubt, the reason for their success is picking the right Instagram niche. 

It didn’t take long until other people, besides influencers, became Instagram moguls. As Instagram monthly active users grow, so does the different business models to make money on Instagram. It was no longer a requirement to have tens and thousands of followers to monetize Instagram. People figured out that picking the right Instagram niche, and creating the right product or service on that niche, was the springboard to launch a successful business on Instagram. 

Today, people can launch an online store and use Instagram to promote their products, regardless of the audience size. Or people can create a brand where they position themselves as an expert or a thought leader and launch an online digital course or services for clients. The opportunities are endless, just as long as you know how to pick a profitable Instagram niche. 

But, truth be told. Launching a successful online business on the platform goes beyond picking the right Instagram niche. You need to have the right skill sets and approach to launch a profitable and sustainable online business. 

In this article, we’ll go over the different Instagram niches you can pick to help you get started with your online business and other information you need to launch your career as a digital entrepreneur.

Three Business Models To Get Your Instagram Niche Business Started

Before picking the right Instagram niche for your business, it’s crucial you know the different business models to monetize Instagram. Below are five different business models to choose from before you pick your Instagram niche. 

1. Make Money on Instagram with Dropshipping

how to monetize instagram with dropshipping
source: medium.com

Dropshipping is a retail fulfillment business model where an online store becomes the middle man between the customer and the supplier. When you are in the dropshipping business, your primary responsibility as the store owner is to find products to sell and market. Once a customer buys from your store, you are responsible for forwarding the order to the supplier, where the supplier then sends it to the customer who ordered from you.

For many Instagram entrepreneurs who pick dropshipping as their business model, the key advantage is not having to carry a physical inventory of the products. 

Choosing an Instagram niche is the first step to starting a dropshipping business. The rising popularity of dropshipping means it’s becoming harder to find niches that aren’t already saturated on Instagram. But new products and niches are emerging every week, so the opportunities are almost endless.

It’s much easier to start and attract customers to your new business by catering to a smaller subset of people like yoga, pets, or another passion niche because you can tailor your business to meet their specific needs.

To do: Brainstorm niche ideas, conduct popularity of keyword (Google keyword and Amazon search), research on Instagram on how people in the niche behave, then DECIDE ON A NICHE.  

2. Make Money on Instagram with Affiliate Marketing

make money on instagram with affiliate marketing
Image source here

Affiliate marketing is a popular online business model where you earn a commission for every sale or lead generation. As an affiliate marketer, your main job is to promote these products or services, with social media, blogs, and email marketing, as a popular choice for traffic sources. Affiliate marketing is a popular business model for many online entrepreneurs and digital nomads because it’s quite easy to get started and to maintain as an online business. Unlike dropshipping, affiliate marketing doesn’t require the extra work of researching suppliers and providing customer service. Once you sell a product or service, your job is done! No need to worry about happy or disgruntled customers on your end.  

To get started with affiliate marketing, you must first decide on your Instagram niche. Once you have this step figured out, you must join an affiliate program where you can select the product or service to promote and track the sales and commission. Every company that has an online presence has more or less, some sort of affiliate program. All it takes is to apply for the program, and you are approved, and you would then be able to promote the product or service!

A popular affiliate marketing strategy that you see on Instagram is liketoknow.it, where Instagram users can purchase their favorite influencer’s clothing. Liketoknowit provides a code for the influencers to post along with the outfit they are promoting, and they get a commission for every sale they generate. 

3. Make Money on Instagram by Becoming an Influencer 

Social Media Week Instagram Influencer image
Image Source: Social Media Week

How much do Instagram influencers make is one of the most common questions out there. Who knew ten years ago that being an Instagram influencer can potentially launch a multi-million dollar business?

Instagram influencers are mostly content creators who amass hundreds and thousands of followers and can leverage their massive following through different paid brand sponsorships. Influencers are typically paid for an agreed number of Instagram posts. The payment can range from a couple of hundred dollars per post, up to several thousand, mostly dependent on the audience size and engagement of the influencer. 

To become an influencer, you must create quality, engaging content based on an Instagram niche. Different types of Instagram influencers are lifestyle, travel, and beauty for starters. Influencers in these niches monetize their Instagram account by creating content based on brand awareness from the paid sponsored Instagram campaign. 

How to Monetize Instagram: 10 Instagram Niches to Make Money

Below is a list of today’s ten hottest niches on Instagram for you to monetize. I will go over each niche in detail, as well as the different types of business model for each, to help you decide the best niche for your online business.

Instagram Niche #1: Travel

how many followers on instagram to get paid

According to a report by The World Travel & Tourism Council, the travel industry is an $8.8 trillion market, employing 318 million jobs worldwide in 2018. 

With that big of a market, the travel niche is one of the most popular niches on Instagram. Many want to break into this niche for all the exciting content that travel influencers post. I’m sure that you’ve seen pictures from luxury travel influencers posting on their tropical Maldives resort swimming on their private villa, or adventure travelers going to some of the most exotic locations in the world. 

To make money off Instagram in the travel niche, it is essential to pick a sub-niche considering the different types of travel in the industry. You may choose from luxury travel, adventure travel, or Caribbean themed cruises for starters. Once you have selected your niche, you must create content centered around your sub-niche to better position yourself as a leader or expert in your industry. 

There are many opportunities for you to make money in the travel Instagram niche. If you choose dropshipping as your business model in the travel niche, you can research trending products in the industry and sell launch an online store, promoting your products on Instagram. If you decide to monetize your Instagram account as a travel influencer, you must first grow your Instagram page to have enough followers and strong engagement to pitch to tourism campaigns and secure paid Instagram sponsorships

Instagram Niche #2: Gaming Niches

Instagram gaming niche
Source: Fiverr.com

The gaming niches is one of the few sectors that is emerging due to COVID19. 

According to a recently published report, the gaming niches projects to surpass $200 billion in revenue by 2023. In the US alone, over 165 million Americans play video games, with a third of the American population having at least one gamer in their home. 

Over the years, the gaming niches have evolved from a household pastime into something more commercialized that encompasses different media types. The different types of video games that are popular today are personal computer games, console gaming, and mobile gaming. Considering its rapid growth, the gaming industry’s popularity made its way to Instagram, where some of the most popular gamer influencers have some of the most engaged fans across all Instagram niches. 

The gaming niche on Instagram is growing even during the COVID-19 era. This Instagram’s niche popularity is mostly due to the rise of mobile game developers advertising their games on the platform and more people staying at home. Instagram gamers tend to download the games when they see the ads because it’s highly visual and engaging.

To make money on the gaming niche, there are plenty of affiliate programs where you can earn a commission for every game download. Your primary responsibility as the affiliate marketer is knowing how to promote the game on Instagram for people to download. 

Instagram Niche #3: Beauty

Beauty niche on Instagram

The beauty industry is one of the most profitable Instagram niches that can turn an influencer into a multi-million (or even billion ala Kylie Jenner!) entrepreneur. 

The beauty niche typically features how-to makeup tutorials, or makeup, or skincare trends, showcasing different makeup, hair, or skincare products. Beauty influencers who were able to showcase their makeup skills were the first to gain attention from the masses, where Instagram users became inspired to emulate their makeup techniques. Today, however, the shift in this Instagram niche is gearing towards a more authentic and realistic beauty standard. It means that you don’t have to be a makeup artist to start a beauty Instagram page. 

To get started in the beauty niche, you would first have to consider who your demographic is. Since the beauty niche on Instagram can range from late teens to pre-retirement age, honing, your target audience will mostly determine the type of content you will create. Will you focus on the age group 18-34, where the bulk of your content features trendy makeup and skincare routine, or women 45 and over, where the focus is primarily on anti-aging and skincare?

The types of business models that work well with the beauty niche on Instagram are affiliate marketing and a beauty influencer. For affiliate marketers, many affiliate programs offer incentives for selling skincare products. You would need to launch an Instagram page that features your affiliate products. Otherwise, you can also try the influencer route, where you create your brand that is highly focused on the beauty niche, with content that shows makeup and skincare tutorials. 

Instagram Niche #4: Health/Fitness

health and fitness instagram niche on Instagram

The health and fitness industry is an evergreen niche on Instagram, meaning it’s an industry that is relevant and can withstand time regardless of fluctuations or dip in the market. 

The COVID-19 pandemic also attributes to the recent surge of popularity of the health and fitness niche on Instagram. USA Today published a report on the rise of personal trainers who have shifted their gym workout plan into Instagram live sessions for people looking to maintain their fitness during the quarantine.  

To get started with the health and fitness niche on Instagram, you must first pick a segment of this niche to help you create content that speaks to a specific audience. Some of the segments in the health and fitness niche include weight loss, anti-aging, skincare, healthy eating, fitness, etc. 

The most significant advantage of launching an online business on Instagram in the health and fitness niche is not having to create a product. Like many of the niches listed here, you can start an online business using dropshipping and affiliate marketing. There are plenty of products in the health and fitness niche that is already available in the market – which is an advantage for newcomers since the risk in time and money is relatively low. 

Otherwise, you may look into the influencer business model to monetize this Instagram niche. Many successful health and fitness influencers gained a lot of followers from posting content with tips and strategies on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Once these influencers build their audience, they generally get paid collaborations from brands on the health and fitness niche. 

Instagram Niche #5: Food 

instagram food niche
Instagram Food Influencer Jamie Oliver

The food niche is another ‘evergreen’ niche on Instagram that will remain popular among its users and can withstand the test of time.

After all, who doesn’t love food?!

Getting started on this Instagram niche is quite simple: posting pictures of Instagrammable foods that tickle the visual senses and taste buds. But nowadays, it goes beyond posting pretty pictures of food and your favorite drinks; it’s also about knowing how to create a central theme to your content that builds on your personal brand. The food niche is one of the most popular niches on Instagram, so you need something to stand out from the crowd. 

To get started with the food niche on Instagram, remember that we eat with our eyes first, so the content that you produce must be highly visual. You must pick the right color, lighting, and high-quality images and videos t that will create the perfect aesthetic for your Instagram page. Considering we eat at least three meals a day, posting content consistently will also help you grow an engaged audience that will come to your Instagram page for inspiration on their breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals. 

Monetizing the food niche on Instagram could be quite profitable, given the niche’s popularity. Many food Instagram influencers eventually released cookbooks to sell to their audience, on top of collaborating with big brands in the industry for sponsored campaigns. 

Instagram Niche #6: Fashion

fashion instagram niche

The fashion industry is a 38 billion market (as of 2019, according to a report by Statista) in the U.S. alone. With that big of a market, it’s no surprise that this Instagram niche has launched countless successful online entrepreneurs into the millionaire club by having a dedicated Instagram page in the fashion niche. Even though the competition in this niche is highly competitive, there are many sub-niches that any newcomer with the right strategy can take a slice of the market share. 

To get started with the fashion niche on Instagram, you must first identify your sub-niche. Some examples are everyday apparel, designer or high-end, kids, women’s, men’s, footwear, accessories – the list goes on! However, you must select a sub-nice which guides you on the content you will post on Instagram. Having this sort of direction will help build your fashion brand, and know the types of products you would sell, or know the types of potential brand collaborations.

Monetizing this Instagram niche can go in different directions. You may go the dropshipping route and launch an online store to sell fashion products. You may go the Instagram influencer route if you have highly engaged followers that would align with potential brand collaborations. 

Instagram Niche #7: Lifestyle

Instagram lifestyle influencer
Instagram Lifestyle Influencer Lyss

The lifestyle Instagram niche is all about being able to aspire and inspire other people. It’s a popular Instagram niche because it intersects with other high-interest niches such as travel, fashion, beauty, food, and more. Instagram accounts in the lifestyle niche typically inspire and curates content based on personal interests and everyday activities. 

The key to starting a lifestyle Instagram niche account is to produce highly personalized content and speak to your lifestyle. People follow lifestyle bloggers and influencers as a source to get inspiration on how to lead a particular lifestyle, so expect to curate content that inspires people to emulate. 

Influencers who monetize the lifestyle Instagram niche tend to have different types of brand collaborations and sponsorships, ranging from fashion to tourism campaigns. Lifestyle influencers tend to have more authenticity in their approach to delivering their content, which is the reason many brands tend to look for influencers in this niche to form a partnership. 

Instagram Niche #8: Business (Make Money Online)

best instagram niche make money

With the number of online entrepreneurs booming in the past decade, many launched a business or making money online Instagram niche accounts to teach people the ropes and strategies on how to do it. 

The making money online niche mostly focuses on motivational and aspirational content, where the goal is to get your followers to take action to pursue their dreams. They mostly act as motivational speakers in some ways, or gurus, urging the importance of acquiring the right knowledge to replicate the same success. 

To get into the business, or make money online niche on Instagram, ensure that you have a product to sell to your followers. The product can be consultation services, where you help clients from start to finish on how to execute their strategy. Consultation services typically are higher ticket items, because it requires more time from you with helping your students. Otherwise, you may create a digital product, such as an online course or digital marketing pdf ebooks, that you can sell in higher quantity but for a lower price point. 

Creating a digital product and the marketing efforts that go along with it require a lot of investment in time and energy. If you don’t have the time or the resources to create a digital product, there are plenty of affiliate programs for many digital courses, where you can get a commission for every sale you generate. The advantage is that you don’t have to spend your time creating the product. Just promote and sell, and the rest is taken care of!

Instagram Niche #9: Pets/ Animals

instagram pet niche

The pet and animal niche on Instagram is experiencing explosive growth, reflecting the amount of Instagram accounts dedicated to their furry little friends. The pet industry market size is an estimated 99 billion dollar market, with different sub-niches that you can select from to start your online business with this Instagram niche. 

To get your Instagram started with the pets and animal niche, you must select a sub-niche in the industry where you can position yourself as an expert. The following sub-niches in the pets and animals industry are:

  • Pet Grooming
  • Dog Walker
  • Pet Trainer
  • Pet Sitting. …
  • Organic Dog Treats and Foods. …
  • Pet Photographer. …
  • Doggy Day Care. …

There are many ways you can start an online business in this Instagram niche. You can pick dropshipping as your business model and launch an online store. Many suppliers and wholesalers carry pet products, and it would just be up to you to market these products with your branding. Otherwise, you can go the influencer route (yes, there are pet influencers who have millions of Instagram followers!). You can do paid collaborations and partnerships with some of the biggest brands in the industry. 

Instagram Niche #10: Home 

The home niche is a compelling niche on Instagram, given that 47% of its worldwide users are women. Many turn to Instagram to find inspirations on how to decorate their living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom, with many accounts offering simple DIY tips and tricks on how to give their home a new makeover. 

To get your Instagram started in the home niche, you must have an eye for aesthetically looking interiors, and a few crafty know-hows that you can share with your followers. Curate content that can teach a few tips and tricks that can help your followers glam up their home.

The most popular business model in the home Instagram niche is affiliate marketing, where you can sign up for Amazon’s affiliate program to receive a commission for every home item they sell. For others, they start an online store through dropshipping, where they create their brand selling home item products. 

Skillsets to Make Money On Instagram

Once you’ve picked a niche and a business model, it is time to start your Instagram niche account. Make sure you have the following checklist to ensure your Instagram online business is off to a good start. 

1. Build a brand 

Whether you have an online store, an affiliate marketing, or an influencer in your chosen niche, your brand must stand out from your competition. 

The basics of having the right Instagram profile picture, or creating a central theme to your Instagram page (like using the right Instagram filters and presets), is a part of creating a brand. But more importantly, establishing yourself as an authority figure in your Instagram niche is the most crucial of it all. When you are an authority figure, you have more influence on what you have to say, which helps you sell whatever you are trying to sell. 

2. Understand the Instagram Algorithm 

To truly succeed in having an Instagram niche business account, you must understand the Instagram algorithm to maximize your organic reach on the platform. Since the changes in the Instagram algorithm a few years back, users are experiencing a decrease in organic reach that affects their content’s visibility and engagement. 

However, there are still ways to ensure that you are maximizing the reach of your content. Understand that Instagram wants to improve user experience on the platform by making sure that the content you post, and the comments you share, have real value to the platform. 

Practice posting regularly (daily if possible), engaging with your followers by replying to their comments and direct messages, posting on stories, and being active overall. 

3. Learn how Sales Funnels Work

how to make money off instagram

Learning how sales funnels work is a critical part of being a successful online entrepreneur. 

Sales funnels allow you to guide your potential customer into the sales process. Only a (very) small percentage of your visitors will ever buy from the first viewing of your content. Many would have to consider what you are selling first before they commit to a purchase. Having a sales funnel lets your sales lead to go on every step of the sales journey, and allows you as the business owner to retarget your lead if they have shown a certain amount of interest. 

We have a digital marketing course that teaches how sales funnels work. It shows you our blueprint on how we were able to launch a digital marketing course and an ebook to sell over six-figure in sales using sales funnels and launching ads on Instagram. 

4. Learn how to Launch Paid Ads on Instagram

Launching paid ads on Instagram is almost a non-negotiable for every online entrepreneur. Paid ads allow you to reach Instagram’s billions of worldwide users through interest targeting, which helps reach users who are not following your account but would more likely be interested in your content. 

Our Digital Marketer Elite Course will teach you step-by-step on how to launch ads on Instagram, giving secrets and strategies that are used by top advertisers in the world to sell whatever to whoever on Instagram. 

5. Analytics

Knowing your Instagram analytics gives you insights on who your target audience is and gives you a better understanding of their demographics. 

Having this critical information allows you to create content that is specific to your target audience. You may have the best content on Instagram in your industry, but your content would be completely ignored if they are not relating to the right audience. 

Know your audience key demographics (sex, age group, country) through Instagram analytics and use that as a guide on the messaging of your content. 

Conclusion 

There is no denying that anyone with the right strategy and approach can make money on Instagram. As long as they pick the right Instagram niche, business model, and develop necessary skill sets to launch their business, they can also join the millions of other online entrepreneurs who started their business through Instagram. 

The platform has billions of worldwide users and is continuing its growth even after all these years. So figure out your niche first, and create a strategy, and then execute. You could very well be on your way to becoming an Instagram entrepreneur!