How Much Does Instagram Pay for 1,000 Views?

With over 2 billion monthly active users, Instagram is the fourth most popular social media platform in terms of active monthly users. It offers a space for creative expression and connection, and it's a promising avenue for individuals, users, and businesses to earn money. 

The potential earnings for 1000 views on Instagram are not fixed. It depends on factors such as your target audience, engagement rate, and the type of content you create.

In this article, we’ll discuss how much money you can make on Instagram for 1,000 views and what factors affect these earnings. I’ll also share tips to improve your content quality, engagement, and personal brand value to maximize your earning potential.

The Basics of Instagram Earnings

Instagram provides various avenues for brands and influencers to monetize their presence on the platform. You can create different types of content including Reels, IG Live, Stories, and Feed posts, and earn from them using different monetization options.

The Different Instagram Monetization Options to Earn Money

Before March 2023, Instagram had a bonus program that paid creators based on the number of views on their Reels. The Instagram Reels Play was an invite-only program where creators would earn based on the number of Reels they created per month and the number of views they got.

For instance, here are Kitty Parker's monthly Instagram earnings for some months, as per her post on X (formerly Twitter):

She earned an average of $200.56 per 20K-30K views, which is equivalent to earning $8.35 per 1,000 views.

Here’s how:

But Instagram discontinued their bonus program on 9th March 2023. Now influencers cannot earn on Instagram based on the number of views on their Reels.

However, here are the current monetization options available on Instagram:

1. Live Badges

When you go Live, your followers can gift you badges, which you’ll collect upon completing the Live session. Your followers could buy Badges for $0.99, $1.99, and $4.99.

Here’s an example of how a New York-based fitness creator, Charlee Atkins makes money from Live Badges on Instagram. She regularly takes free classes for her audience and they support her by buying Badges.

2. Instagram subscriptions

You can create exclusive content for your subscribers and earn money by selling subscriptions to your loyal followers. To be eligible, you must be over 18 years of age, reside in the USA, and have at least 10,000 followers.

Take a look at the example below from Lauren Makk.

The influencer has a substantial following on Instagram. She has a Linktree on her bio with many links leading to all her DIY designs. There is also a subscribe button for followers interested in getting access to her exclusive content.

3. Influencer marketing

This is where brands pay influencers and content creators to create sponsored posts to promote their products or services to their followers.

As an influencer or content creator, you get paid monetarily or are offered free products or services from the partnering brand. The compensation varies from brand to brand and depends on the collaboration type.

It can be a one-time sponsored post or an ongoing collaboration for a specific period of time (say, one week or 4 posts/month). Brands can also hire you as a brand ambassador, making you the face of the brand.

Here’s an example of a sponsored post by a Miami blogger, Sabine to promote a dress from Maxwell and Geraldine:

4. Affiliate marketing

You can also make money by promoting products, services, and courses with affiliate links on your bio and Stories. The partnering brand will pay you a commission on every sale made through your affiliate links or unique affiliate discount code.

5. Selling products or services

Businesses as well as creators can sell their products or services directly through Instagram. You can turn your followers into customers by offering physical and digital products.

Instagram also allows you to tag products on your feed posts and Reels.

The Role of Views in the Instagram Payment Equation

The number of views on your Instagram content doesn’t directly translate into earnings on Instagram. However, they help in determining your earning potential:

• More views = more engagement: Views help increase the visibility of your content, potentially attracting more engagement in terms of likes, comments, and shares.
• More views = greater audience growth: Engaging content with higher views leads to a growth in your followers, which in turn increases your Instagram account’s monetization potential.
• More views = higher chances of attracting brands: Higher views demonstrate a broader reach, making you more attractive to brands seeking partnerships.

Distinguishing Between Organic and Sponsored Content Views

Organic views are generated naturally, without any paid promotion or external influence. They come from your existing followers and users who discover your content through Instagram's algorithm or hashtags.

On the other hand, sponsored content views are the views you get by boosting your post’s reach through a paid ad.

Here’s an example of a sponsored post by Amazon Web Services. When users click on the words, “Learn More,” it will take them to their main Instagram account.

Running a campaign like this with Instagram Ads may cost between $0.20 and $6.70, depending on the ad model you select.

These views are a result of paid promotion to a targeted demographic of your choice, and they can help you reach both existing followers and potential new followers.

Which Key Factors Determine Your Instagram Earnings?

Various factors influence your earning potential on Instagram such as your account’s reach, engagement, and appeal to brands.

Let’s explore the key factors that influence your Instagram earnings in detail.

1. Engagement Rate

Your engagement rate is calculated as the sum of likes, comments, and shares you receive divided by the number of followers you have. It is an indicator of how actively your audience interacts with your content. 

A higher engagement rate translates to a more engaged and loyal audience, making you more appealing to brands.

For example, ROSE has 74.3 million followers on Instagram. She charges between $30,000 and $60,000 per post with an engagement rate of 7.4%.

2. Niche or Industry

The niche or industry you're associated with influences how much you can earn on Instagram.

Some niches, such as the tech and automotive industries, are more lucrative. They attract higher-paying brands due to their target audience's purchasing power and market demand.

Here’s a chart showing Instagram influencer earnings by industry:

3. Follower Count and Authenticity

A higher follower count broadens your reach and increases your value to brands.On average, Instagram pays $100-$250 per post for 2K-5K followers.

However, having a large follower count doesn't always guarantee engagement or conversions.

Therefore, to attract lucrative brand partnerships, it is essential to be authentic and build trust and credibility.

Remember, genuine engagement and relationships with your followers are more valuable to brands than inflated follower counts or fake engagement.

For example, the popular fitness apparel brand, Gymshark pays their influencers between $100 and $5,000 depending on their reach and number of followers:

• Micro-influencers get paid $100-$500
• Mid-tier influencers could receive $500-$5,000
• And top-tier influencers can ask for $5,000 or more

4. Audience Demographics and Geographic Location

Different regions may have varying market demands and advertising budgets. Influencers in regions with a strong presence of potential advertisers or a high cost of living may command higher rates.

For instance, influencers and content creators in the USA, Canada, Australia, and the UK earn better than influencers from other regions. That’s because of the varying purchasing power of people in these geographical regions.

Similarly, how much your audience demographics align with the demographics of a brand’s target audience matters. A brand is likely to pay you more if you have an influencing power on their target buyers.

5. Content Quality and Relevance

Instagram is all about high-quality visuals and captions. Appealing content stands out and captivates your audience. It’s also more likely to be shared, increasing your visibility and attracting high-value brand partnerships.

Relevant content resonates with your audience, resulting in higher engagement and more attention from brands.

To plan your content better, create a content calendar for the coming two weeks or a month in advance. You can also easily schedule your posts for Instagram in advance using Vista Social.

This social media management tool lets you schedule your content to 13 networks – all from one dashboard. Isn’t that great?

Striking a balance between these key factors can help boost your Instagram earnings and ensure you become a successful influencer on the platform.

The Future of Instagram Earnings

Instagram holds a lot of potential in the future for creators to earn through various avenues. As long as you have over 5,000 followers, you can negotiate with businesses and earn by marketing their products or services on your account.

You can also take over their official account to drive your followers to the brand’s account. Instagram takeovers could be a great source of income.

As the platform continues to grow, emerging influencer marketing trends, alterations in Instagram payment models, and evolving social media marketing strategies will shape the way you increase your earnings on Instagram.

The Emerging Trends in Influencer Marketing to Promote Earnings

Influencer marketing on Instagram is witnessing several trends that are influencing the way influencers and brands collaborate, ultimately impacting earnings:

• Micro-influencers and niche markets growth: More brands are embracing micro-influencers because their engagement rates are higher. They’re able to run better-targeted campaigns that result in higher engagement and more conversions.
• Focus on authenticity: Authenticity in content creation is gaining prominence. Audiences appreciate genuine and transparent communication from influencers, leading to increased trust and long-term relationships with their followers.
• Video content dominance: Short-form and long-form video content are becoming increasingly popular. Instagram Reels provide influencers with opportunities to go viral easily and monetize their accounts through sponsored video content.

The charts below demonstrate how Instagram engagement increases with video content:

Changes in Instagram's Payment Models and Policies to Support Creators

Instagram is likely to refine its payment models and policies to compete with TikTok. Creators on TikTok earn more from gifts on Live videos because it's not as restrictive as Instagram.

For instance, on TikTok, you only need to have 1,000 followers to go Live, and you can earn from countries where the app is legal.

Instagram may also enhance its advertising potential by offering more advanced targeting options to advertisers to ensure a higher return on investment (ROI), leading to an increase in ad spending on the platform.

Evolving Instagram Marketing Strategies for Increasing Earnings

To increase your earnings on Instagram, you can:

• Diversify revenue streams: Make more money by using Instagram for affiliate marketing, selling your merchandise, offering online courses, and providing consulting services in addition to publishing sponsored posts for brands.
• Increase engagement: Focus on building a highly engaged and loyal audience by responding to comments, hosting Live sessions, and encouraging interactions. A more committed following can help you maximize your earning potential on Instagram.
• Collaborate with influencers and brands: Collaborating with other influencers or brands for joint campaigns can help expand your reach and earning potential.

For example, Don Allen has increased his earnings from Instagram by creating sponsored posts, selling subscriptions, hosting a podcast, and selling his artwork.

Ready to Make Money on Instagram?

Instagram presents a promising opportunity for individuals and businesses to earn money through various methods.

To maximize your Instagram earnings, you should adopt a focused approach that emphasizes quality content creation, improved audience engagement, and solid personal brand building.

Creating high-quality, authentic content that resonates with your target audience will help you build a loyal following that actively engages with your posts. This will help enhance your visibility, grow your following, and increase your value in the minds of brands looking for partners.

Ready to level up your Gram business? Start creating great content today and schedule your first batch of posts with Vista Social to save time.