How Many Instagram Followers Do I Need to Make Money?

More than just a place to share snippets of your life, Instagram can actually provide a way for many content creators to make a living. With brand collaborations, sponsorships, and sharing details of your eCommerce store, you can turn Instagram into a viable career, as long as you've got the engagement for it.

So, you're wondering: How many Instagram followers do I need to start making money? The short answer? Fewer than you think. The long answer? It depends on your niche, your engagement, and how you’re showing up for your audience.

Let’s break down exactly how follower count plays into making money on Instagram and why it’s not the only number that matters.

Let’s put it simply:

You can start monetising at around 1,000 followers, as long as you have trust and engagement.

If people listen when you recommend something, click your links, save your tips, or share your posts, you’re already influencing, whether you’ve hit 10K or not.

That doesn't, however, mean that everyone will start making money at 1000 followers. Making money on Instagram requires dedication, reaching out to brands, and having excellent engagement on your posts. Followers alone won't do the work, which means if you choose to purchase followers, it's good practice to opt for likes and views packages, too.

When brands are looking at working with you on Instagram, they'll take into account more than just your follower count. If your follower count is large but you don't have other engagement, you might be less likely to bag a sponsorship deal than a smaller account with better engagement.

Here's what matters aside from followers:

If your posts get likes, comments, saves, and shares, brands take notice. A small account with a 10% engagement rate can be more valuable than a big one with 0.5%.

Are you a travel guru, skincare lover, vintage style queen, or ADHD life-hack wizard? Niche audiences are often more loyal and, often, more profitable.

People need to trust you. If your followers know you only share what you truly love, they’re more likely to buy what you recommend. That’s gold for brands, who can capitalise on that trust.

Good lighting, clear messaging, confident storytelling are important. You don’t need studio-level photos, but your content should show intention. Great creators get noticed.

You don’t have to post daily, but you do have to post consistently, ideally a few times a week. Brands want to work with creators who are active and engaged, not random. Our guide to the best times to post can help you with this.

There’s no magic number that gets you paid on Instagram (and it doesn't offer a creator program that pays per views like TikTok) but most creators start getting paid opportunities around 1,000 followers, especially if they have a strong niche and good engagement.

That said, brands don’t just look at follower count. They care about how engaged your audience is (likes, comments, saves), how aligned your content is with their brand, and whether your followers actually trust your recommendations. In fact, nano influencers (1K–10K followers) are increasingly in demand because they feel more relatable and authentic, so don't be disheartened by a small follower count.

Generally, brands prefer to work with pages with at least 1000 followers, but you can definitely start eyeing up monetisation with 500 followers. At this point in your journey, focus on posting consistently, engaging with your audience, and making high-quality, authentic content.

There's no one specific follower count you need before you can start making money, but brands generally won't work with content creators with fewer than 1000 followers. That's why buying a follower package can give you a head start, and following it up with a likes and views package that assures the brand that you have trust and connection with your followers.