In 2024, there are several ways to make money as a social media creator. Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok all offer monetization programs that you can participate in once you hit a certain amount of followers (or subscribers) and meet other eligibility requirements. You can also monetize your social media with affiliate marketing, which doesn’t require you to meet the same conditions.
In fact, you can start affiliate marketing no matter how many followers you have. Read on to learn how you can start earning a profit from your social media accounts.
Instagram Monetization Eligibility: Everything You Need to Know
When it comes to making money on Instagram, there are several routes. You can make money directly on the app through Instagram’s monetization opportunities, or you can make money via brand partnerships and affiliate marketing.
To earn an income from Instagram’s in-app features, your account must meet certain criteria. Currently, there are four in-app monetization opportunities: subscriptions, reel ads, badges, and opening an Instagram shop.
Instagram Subscriptions
Instagram subscriptions allow you to offer bonus cont ent behind a paywall. Loyal followers will pay a small monthly fee to support you and access additional content.
The Instagram monetization eligibility criteria for their subscription feature specifies that you must:
Have a professional account
Have at least 10,000 followers
Be at least 18 years old
Reside in an eligible country
Comply with Instagram’s policies, community guidelines, and terms of use
Share accurate information
Have authentic engagement that is not boosted by bots
Once you meet the above criteria, you can set up an Instagram subscription on your professional account. Find out if you’re eligible for subscriptions by visiting your account settings.
On Instagram, navigate to your professional account dashboard. You will see a button that says, “Set up subscriptions” if you are eligible. If it’s not there, then you aren’t yet eligible to use subscriptions.
Reel Ads
Instagram is now considered a video-sharing app, so creating Instagram reels is one of the best ways to grow your following and reach. Additionally, you may be able to make money with your reels using ads.
There are a few eligibility requirements to post Instagram reels ads, including that you must:
Comply with Instagram’s monetization policies
Have a professional Instagram account
Live in the United States
Be at least 18 years old
Once you receive an invite and meet the above criteria, Instagram partners will be able to place advertisements in your reels. This monetization feature rewards you based on performance. The better your reel performs, the more money you can make.
Instagram Badges
Did you know that you can make money by going live on Instagram? When you enable Instagram badges on your live videos, viewers can purchase “badges” to support you. Badges are essentially ways for your viewers to gain more recognition and make their comments and questions more visible to you as the creator. Instagram creators keep 100% of the revenue they make from the badges purchased by their viewers.
Another perk of Instagram badges is that it helps you engage with your audience. Since they are purchased live, you can thank them in real-time on your live video.
To qualify for Instagram badges, you need to have at least 10,000 followers and a professional account. You must also be 18 years old or older and comply with Instagram’s monetization policies and community guidelines.
Instagram Shop
Want to make money by selling merch and products to your Instagram followers? Now you can do it directly on the app through Instagram Shops. You can promote your shop items on your posts and reels, which makes it easy for your followers to shop directly from your feed.
In order to be eligible for an Instagram shop, you must have a professional account, be located in an eligible market, and comply with Instagram’s monetization policies.
Make Money on Instagram Through Affiliate Marketing and Brand Partnerships
You can also make money on Instagram by partnering directly with brands. Affiliate marketing allows you to share affiliate links and discount codes with your audience. When your followers shop from your links or use your code, you’ll receive a payment from the brand.
Unlike in-app monetization opportunities, you do not have to meet Instagram’s eligibility rules to get started with affiliate marketing or brand partnerships. For example, you can have any amount of followers on your Instagram account to post affiliate links, rather than needing to meet Instagram’s 10,000 follower requirement for their shop.
Many brands want to partner with nano influencers who have smaller Instagram accounts with highly engaged audiences. If that’s you, you can reach out directly to brands to pitch yourself for a partnership or ask for an affiliate code.
The easiest way to connect with brands is to use an affiliate platform like Mavely. With Mavely, you can easily create shoppable links from more than 1,200 brands and start selling on any channel right away, including on your Instagram account. You can also create your own personal Mavely MyShop store, along with a variety of other influencer tools to help you manage and monetize your account so that you can start earning an income as an Instagram creator. Depending on your eligibility, Mavely may also tap you for creator campaigns for brands that fit your niche and follower size.
YouTube Monetization Rules
For YouTube creators, you can monetize your YouTube account with ads that play before your videos. To qualify, you must comply with the YouTube monetization rules and meet the following requirements:
You must have at least 1,000 subscribers
You must have at least 4,000 hours of watch time on your videos in one year OR one million views on your YouTube shorts within a three-month period
You can also make money on YouTube with affiliate marketing. If you talk about products or brands in your videos, you can offer your subscribers affiliate links and codes in your video descriptions. Additionally, you can seek out brands that will sponsor your videos for a set rate.
As long as you have an engaged following, there are no subscriber or watch time requirements you need to meet to get started with YouTube affiliate marketing and sponsorships.
Facebook Group Monetization Requirements
If you run a successful Facebook group, you may be able to monetize it. Facebook offers a paid partnerships feature, but you must meet the following requirements:
You and your brand partner must follow Facebook’s group guidelines and community standards
Have an established presence in your Facebook group
Live in an eligible market
Create eligible content
You can also monetize your Facebook groups by charging a subscription fee to participate in the group.
Another option is to share affiliate links and discount codes for products that the members of your group would appreciate. For example, if you run a Facebook group for photographers, you can share affiliate links to camera gear.
TikTok Monetization Requirements in 2024
TikTok is a booming social media app that has recently introduced several ways to monetize your account. To utilize the in-app monetization opportunities, you can apply for the TikTok creator program. To get in, you must meet the following criteria:
Be 18 years or older
Have at least 10,000 followers
In the past 30 days from when you applied, you must have at least 1,000 video views
Post at least three videos in the previous 30 days before you apply
Follow TikTok’s community guidelines
Have a creator account (not a business account)
Live in an eligible country
If you get into the creator program, you can use several monetization tools, including the creator fund, marketplace, tips, and more.
You can also take advantage of affiliate marketing on TikTok, and you do not have to meet the above requirements. Instead, you can share affiliate links and codes with your audience.
Mavely can help you find brands, products, and promotions across categories including technology, beauty, homegoods, and more so that you can start making money on social media through affiliate marketing.
Make Money on Social Media with Mavely
Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok offer several ways to make money within their apps, but they all come with eligibility requirements. If you want to make money sooner, affiliate marketing is an accessible and lucrative place to start. Sign up for Mavely to connect with great brands and create a profit from your social media. As the Everyday Influencer Platform, everyone is eligible to join Mavely and start sharing shoppable links right away, with no application.
Mavely’s creator courses, dedicated account managers who are industry experts, and real-time analytics help you continue to learn and improve.
