A few years ago, one of my friends was suddenly starting to create more Reels. This got me curious because she’d hardly ever created content before. That’s when I found out about Instagram’s Reels Play Bonus – the invite-only bonus program where creators could make money based on how their Reels content performed. Said friend was ramping up her Reels creation efforts in the hopes of earning an invite.
But in 2023, Instagram stopped extending new Reels Play deals and renewing existing ones in the U.S. and India. There went my friend’s dream of making money from her Instagram content…or so I thought. Digging deeper, however, I found that there were plenty of other ways for creators to make money through their Instagram Reels.
Curious to find out how to monetize Instagram Reels or how much Instagram Reels pays for sponsored content? Read on to find out.
Before we break down how much creators can earn from Instagram Reels, it’s important to understand how Reels monetization works. Let’s first look at the two main ways that creators can earn from their Instagram Reels.
Instagram might have abandoned the original Reels Play Bonus program, but it’s still handing out various bonuses to creators with high-performing content. This includes an invite-only seasonal bonus program, which allows creators to make money based on the performance of their Reels and regular Feed posts.
Creators who are a part of this program will see different bonus opportunities depending on the season. For example, Instagram may offer a spring bonus opportunity at the start of spring or a New Year’s bonus at the start of a new year.
Under this program, your earnings depend on the bonus plays or views your content receives.
Additionally, Meta also offers a Breakthrough bonus for creators who are new to Instagram or Facebook. This is an application-based program that allows accepted creators to earn money across their Reels, longer videos, photos, and even text posts.
Another option for creators to make money through Instagram Reels is by leveraging partnership ads. This allows brands to run paid ads in collaboration with creators. The ad will show up in people’s Feeds featuring the handles of both partners.
Influencers may create original ad content specifically for this promotion. Or the brand can pay to boost an influencer’s existing organic content to maximize reach. This is a great way to ensure that the influencer content reaches far beyond their existing audience. So the partnership could have an even bigger impact, generating a higher influencer marketing ROI.
For creators, this also means an opportunity to earn more. Since ads featuring creators could come across as more authentic and trustworthy, they could result in higher conversions compared to ads without creators. By establishing these benefits early on in the negotiation process, influencers could possibly land more lucrative deals.
Now on to the more pressing question – how much do Instagram Reels pay for sponsored content? This depends on a variety of factors, such as the performance of your content and the type of bonus.
Some reports claim that creators were typically earning $100 to $200 per month as Instagram Reels Play Bonus back in 2022. The limit was up to $35,000.
One creator reported that she was earning about $2 to $5 for Reels that got 400-500 views. When one of her Reels hit 14,000 views, her bonus instantly jumped to approximately $50. But even though her next Reel received significantly more views, her earnings ultimately slowed down after the $100 threshold.
Other creators also expressed their concerns about Instagram paying less for new bonus opportunities. One creator on Reddit explained how he only managed to get a bonus of $29 for a video that generated 4 million views. But back in 2022, he would get paid $100 for every 1 million views.
Another Instagram creator calculated that Instagram was only paying her $0.14 for every 1,000 views, which resulted in a total earning of about $7 for her. Other creators are also noticing this drop in Instagram payouts, with one Reddit user explaining that a Reel that earned $30 to $40 with 400k views earlier would only bring in around $5 today.
The Breakthrough bonus is slightly different, as it rewards creators not based on content performance but based on their ability to hit specific milestones, such as the number of Reels shared and the number of unique days shared. This bonus is mainly intended to draw in TikTok creators to the platform and get them to create content.
One creator explains that influencers may be able to earn at least $500 per month through this program, provided that they’re accepted. Some may even be able to make as much as $5,000.
Judging from these experiences, it’s safe to assume that there’s no knowing exactly how much Instagram Reels pay for sponsored content. And the payout is slightly unpredictable if you’re solely going to rely on it for passive income. In fact, many influencers have been experiencing lower pay even for Reels that get a ton of views.
Alternatively, a more lucrative and predictable way to get paid for sponsored content is through brand partnerships. Whether it’s through a regular paid partnership or a partnership ad, influencers stand a better chance of generating sustainable income when they partner with a brand. Plus, it gives them more control over the payout since they can negotiate payment before entering into the partnership.
With this option, the payout depends largely on the influencer pricing, which may be negotiated with potential brand partners. In other words, Instagram doesn’t control how much you get paid for the Instagram Reels you create as sponsored content.
According to some reports, influencers may charge anywhere between $10 and $10,000 per post on Instagram. The actual rates vary depending on factors such as niche and follower size.
For those still interested in learning how Instagram bonuses work, you may also want to know what factors affect the final payout. Based on the experiences of creators highlighted above, the actual payout amount is unpredictable. However, the following factors will play a role in your Reels revenue.
The biggest factor that Instagram considers when deciding how much bonus creators are eligible to earn is the number of views. The number of bonus views you receive on your Instagram Reels will count toward the content performance, which ultimately affects the revenue you earn.
Keep in mind that Instagram doesn’t consider every single view when calculating your payout. Repeat views are excluded and so are views from users who aren’t logged in. Additionally, content viewed from the creator’s profile won’t count as a bonus view. In other words, Instagram only considers the number of unique views from users who are logged in to calculate how much bonus you can earn.
Another factor that comes into play when determining your bonus payout is the demographics of your audience. Factors like age and country are considered when adjusting your earnings.
Although Instagram doesn’t specify how these factors are considered or why, it implies that creators may earn more if they manage to reach audiences in a specific region and within a specific age group or vice versa.
Additionally, Instagram adjusts your earnings based on engagement factors. It considers metrics such as likes, comments, shares, and where people consume your content to decide on the final payout.
Although Instagram doesn’t specify how it considers these engagement factors, it’s safe to assume that higher engagement counts will contribute to higher payouts and vice versa.
Keep in mind that Instagram only considers original content for Reels bonus. This means that any content that you repost from other platforms or users will not count toward your total bonus payout.
Additionally, content that’s created in partnership with other brands and/or creators will not be considered either. This means that the views or engagement that you get for any sponsored content that you create – branded content, boosted content, and collaborative Reels – will not count toward your bonus payout.
As I mentioned earlier, Meta takes a slightly different approach to calculating the Breakthrough bonus for creators on Instagram and Facebook. Based on the experience of the influencer highlighted above, Meta sets milestones that creators need to achieve to earn a Breakthrough bonus.
This includes challenges like sharing 10 Reels across 10 unique days over a given period, for example. For this bonus, the number of views you get on your Reels will not affect the final payout. Some creators report earning $1,500 after hitting these milestones.
With the above factors considered, you can get a fair idea of how the quality of your content and your posting strategy can determine your Reels earnings. Let’s break down some of the best practices that will help you maximize revenue from Instagram Reels.
The first thing you need to do is ensure that your content is original and high-quality. You want to provide some sort of value – whether it be educating your audiences or entertaining them – to attract more viewers. Address topics that people are curious about, offer a unique take, share practical tips, or get really creative with how you present the information.
In other words, you need to create content that people would want to watch. This is an essential first step to ensure that you’re attracting more views that will eventually impact your Reels performance and bonus payout.
The more Reels you post, the better your chances of earning more. For seasonal bonuses, Instagram will consider the most recent 150 pieces of content during the 2-week bonus period. And your Reels will continue to make money until the end of the bonus opportunity. Similarly, Breakthrough bonuses require creating a certain number of Reels over a given timeframe.
With these factors considered, posting frequently and consistently is an essential step to maximizing your Reels earnings. Let’s say you create 150 pieces of content during the 2-week bonus period, out of which 100 are eligible to earn. Even if each post only brings in $5, you still manage to earn a total of $500 (minus or plus any relevant adjustments).
But say you only create 40 pieces of content, out of which 30 are eligible to earn. Even if each post manages to bring in $10, you still only end up with $300.
With Instagram counting engagement factors when adjusting your bonus payout, it’s important that you encourage your audience to interact with your content. While the quality of the content itself is important for this, a little encouragement could drive even more engagement.
Ask questions and give them prompts that could inspire them to comment on your post. Here’s an excellent example from an influencer who specializes in home and cleaning content.
She posted a creative Reel that showcased a “magical” transformation to fall décor. In the caption, she asks the audience if their partners love the autumn season as much as them. This simple question serves as a conversation starter, prompting hundreds of comments from enthusiastic viewers.
Finally, it’s also important to be strategic and use data to inform how you create Reels. Check your post-level insights to see what resonates most with your audience. Which ones get views and which ones drive the most engagement? Based on this, you can see what content works and create more of it.
For example, if you find that your informative Reels tend to get more views than your aesthetic ones, you may want to focus on this type of content.
Instagram bonuses may be unpredictable and often temporary. However, it’s worth giving a shot since many creators have managed to earn hundreds of dollars through the Reels they created. Make the most of the tips and ideas I shared above to earn more from your Instagram Reels.