With over 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms for both individuals and businesses. As an influencer or content creator, many wonder if they can start earning money with just 50,000 Instagram followers.
Can you make money on Instagram with 50k followers?
The short answer is yes, it is possible to make money on Instagram with 50,000 followers. However, how much you earn can vary greatly depending on factors like your audience, engagement rate, niche, and monetization strategies.
While some influencers with 50k may only make a few hundred dollars, others can potentially earn thousands per month. But in most cases, 50,000 followers alone is not enough to make a full-time income. Most experts recommend having at least 100k-500k followers before expecting to earn a livable wage from Instagram.
What affects your Instagram earnings potential?
Here are some of the key factors that impact how much money you can make with 50,000 Instagram followers:
- Niche and audience: Niche and target audience play a big role. For example, influencers in lucrative niches like fashion, beauty, and lifestyle can typically earn more as brands in those verticals have larger budgets.
- Engagement rate: This measures how well you engage your audience. The higher your engagement (likes, comments, shares), the more appealing you are to advertisers.
- Post frequency and consistency: Posting high-quality content consistently helps keep your audience engaged.
- Sponsored content: Creating sponsored posts and collaborations with brands is one of the most lucrative ways to monetize a following.
- Leveraging other platforms: Expanding your influence to other platforms like YouTube and TikTok can boost monetization.
- Monetization strategy: The more monetization options you leverage, the more money you can make (affiliate links, online store, etc).
What is a good engagement rate on Instagram?
Engagement rate is the percentage of followers that like, comment, or save your posts. This helps gauge how well your content resonates with your audience.
| Engagement Rate | Level |
|---|---|
| 1-3% | Below Average |
| 3-6% | Average |
| 6-10% | Good |
| 10%+ | Excellent |
As you can see, the higher your engagement rate, the better. For an account with 50k followers, an average engagement rate would be around 2,500-3,000 likes per post. But top creators in certain niches can achieve over 5-10% engagement.
Monetization options for 50k Instagram followers
Here are some of the main ways influencers with around 50,000 followers can earn money:
Sponsored content
Creating sponsored posts, stories, and videos for brands is one of the most popular and direct ways creators monetize Instagram. Average earnings can range from $100 to $500+ per sponsored post depending on your niche and engagement levels.
Affiliate marketing
You can earn commissions by promoting certain products or services and driving traffic to a brand’s site through special affiliate links. Affiliate programs exist through sites like rewardStyle, CJ Affiliate, Impact Radius, etc.
Selling products
You can earn money by selling your own digital or physical products. For example, creators might sell custom merchandise, online courses, ebooks, or services.
Instagram shopping
The Instagram shopping feature allows you to tag products in your posts and have followers purchase items directly within the app. You can earn commissions on the products you sell.
Brand sponsorships
Beyond one-off posts, bigger brands may pay you an ongoing sponsorship fee to be their brand ambassador and regularly feature/promote their products.
Consulting & advising
Some brands hire influential Instagrammers to help consult, advise, or collaborate on influencer marketing campaigns and product development.
Licensing content
You can also earn money by licensing your Instagram photos and videos out to third parties for use in commercials, promotions, etc.
How much money can you make with 50k Instagram followers?
While earnings vary greatly, here’s a rough breakdown of potential average monthly income with 50,000 engaged followers:
- Sponsored posts: $500 – $2,000
- Affiliate commissions: $100 – $500
- Product sales: $200 – $2,000
- Brand sponsorships: $500 – $2,000
Factoring together these income streams, influencers with 50k followers have the potential to make $1,000 – $5,000 per month. However, top influencers in lucrative niches could potentially earn over $10k/month.
But it’s important to note that 50k followers is still at the lower end for monetization. Most full-time influencers don’t start earning a livable income until they reach 100k-500k followers and high engagement.
Tips to make money with 50,000 Instagram followers
Here are some tips to boost your earning potential with 50k Instagram followers:
- Post high-quality, consistent content in your niche
- Engage and interact with your audience
- Track analytics to optimize content
- Leverage money-making features like shopping and IGTV
- Partner selectively with relevant, reputable brands
- Consider expanding to other platforms like YouTube and TikTok
- Leverage affiliate programs to promote products
- Offer sponsors long-term partnership opportunities
- Diversify your monetization strategies
- Maintain an authentic voice as your following grows
Frequently Asked Questions
How many followers do you need to get paid on Instagram?
There is no definitive follower threshold required to earn money on Instagram. However, most influencers need at least 10,000-100,000 engaged followers before brands will consider partnerships. Earning a livable full-time income usually requires 100,000-500,000+ followers.
How much do Instagrammers with 100k followers make?
On average, influencers with around 100,000 followers can make anywhere from $200 to $5,000 per sponsored post depending on their industry and engagement levels. Their overall monthly income can range from $1,000 up to $30,000+.
How do Instagrammers with 1 million followers make money?
Influencers with 1 million+ followers have many lucrative ways to monetize their audience. Average earnings for creators in this tier include:
- Sponsored posts: $5,000 – $20,000+
- Affiliate commissions: $5,000 – $50,000
- Product sales: $10,000 – $100,000+
- Brand sponsorships: $10,000 – $100,000
Their total monthly income can range from $50,000 up to $500,000+ in some cases.
What types of accounts are brands looking for?
When partnering with influencers, brands typically look for accounts that:
- Have high, engaged follower counts in their target demographic
- Post high-quality, consistent content
- Have an authentic voice/personality
- Align with their brand image and values
- Engage followers through captions, comments, stories
- Have excellent visual aesthetics and photography/videography skills
Conclusion
While monetizing a 50,000 follower Instagram account is possible, it requires commitment, strategy, quality content, and engagement. For most, 50k followers alone is not enough to earn a full-time living. But by actively growing your audience, partnering with brands, and leveraging money-making features, you can start to generate meaningful income from Instagram.