It’s easy to think that all link-in-bio tools are the same. 

After all, what else are they for if not to put all your links in one place?

But that’s actually not true at all. 

Because if you take a closer look, you’ll find that some link-in-bio tools are perfect for some creators, but lacking for others. 

That’s why today, we’re comparing two super popular options: Taplink vs LinkTree. 

We’ll put them head-to-head and compare all their features, so you’ll know which one is the better choice for you. 

TL;DR Comparison: Taplink vs. Linktree

Taplink is a tool that lets you create a simple landing page and put it as a link-in-bio. It has plenty of design templates to choose from and is generally more aesthetically pleasing than LinkTree. It also has a relatively cheap Business Plan, which offers 0% transaction fees for sellers.

LinkTree is arguably the most popular link-in-bio tool, with an extremely simple design. If you want to get your links organized as fast as possible, this is the tool to use. Paid versions also have extra features and plenty of integrations. 

	Taplink	LinkTree
Platform Type:	Mini Landing Page	Link Management Tool
Best For:	People who want a nicer landing page, not just a list of their links	Anyone who wants a simple landing page for all their links (and wants some Social Media Management features)
Price:	Free = $0Pro = $6/moBusiness = $12/mo	Free = $0Starter = $8/moPro = $15/moPremium = $35/mo
Free Option:	With limited features	With limited features
E-Commerce Capabilities:	Integration	Integration
Email Capture
Booking / Calendar Integration:		Integration
Schedule Posting
Automatic Instagram Replies:
Analytics:
Customization:
Checkout / Payments:	50+ integration options	2 integration options
Transaction Fees	0% (Business Plan)*no payment options in other plans	12% (Free plan)9% (Starter & Pro)0% (Premium)

Taplink vs. Linktree: Pricing Breakdown

At first glance, Taplink looks slightly cheaper than LinkTree. But what do you get for the price? Let’s take a closer look.

Taplink pricing tiers:

• Basic (Free): Lets you create a simple link-in-bio page with basic elements like links, text, and a theme
• Pro ($6/month): Adds more features like images and videos, more advanced page design and customization, and has click analytics
• Business ($12/month): Everything in Pro plus tools for collecting leads (forms), selling digital products, accepting payments or donations, and removing Taplink branding

Linktree pricing tiers:

• Free: Gives you a basic link-in-bio page with unlimited links, embeds (videos/social), essential analytics, and even the ability to sell digital products or courses
• Starter ($8/month): adds customization (themes, colors), audience capture (email/SMS collection), link redirect tools, social media scheduling, and lower transaction fees for selling
• Pro ($15/month): includes everything in Starter plus advanced branding (logo, custom layouts), better analytics, featured/animated links, automation tools (like Instagram auto-replies), and integrations with email platforms
• Premium ($35/month): includes everything in Pro plus team-level features, unlimited automation and scheduling, priority support, and 0% transaction fees on sales

What the free plans actually give you

On Taplink’s free plan, you get a simple landing page builder with plenty of designs. You have more freedom to design your page how you like, unlike LinkTree (which is really just a list of links). 

You can choose from pre-designed themes, or you can create your own custom blocks and design how you wish. You also get unlimited links here, as well as simple page-view statistics.  

On Linktree’s free plan, the design is much simpler. It’s essentially just a place to list your links. Most meaningful integrations, including the payment processing features, are locked behind a paid tier. 

Who each paid tier is actually for

Taplink Pro at $6/month is great for creators who want their page to look professional before their first sale. You get the full theme library to work with, which includes tons of nice designs you can go for.  If you want a custom domain or a full range of payment processor options, you’ll need to go for Taplink Business. For digital product sellers, the Business Plan is the way to go. 

Linktree’s tier structure tells a different story. Starter at $8/month is a limited middle ground that gets you more links and basic customization, but still lacks the payment depth a seller needs. Linktree Pro at $15/month is where the platform becomes a lot better for monetization, but it already costs more than Taplink Business for fewer features. Linktree Premium at $35/month can be pricey, especially for solo creators. The dedicated support and advanced customization it offers solve problems that most solo creators simply do not have; it’s more for agencies.

Features That Actually Matter for Creators

Now let’s take a closer look at the features (and how to actually use them).

Templates

Taplink offers 100+ professionally designed page templates built by marketers and designers and optimized for conversion. With Linktree, the templates are super simple. It’s almost like starting with a blank canvas.

For a beginner, that blank canvas can be a trap. Some people spend a lot of time tweaking colors, rearranging blocks, and second-guessing layouts. Meanwhile, Taplink hands you a page that already converts. Their templates solve the “I don’t know where to start” problem that keeps beginners stuck for days, when they could be live in one afternoon.

Taplink has templates for all kinds of creators. Whether you’re a motivational speaker, digital product seller, or an online coach, all you have to do is replace the placeholder copy and images with your own. No need to redesign the page architecture from scratch. 

Themes: 380+ vs. 41

Taplink has 380+ themes, while Linktree only has about 41.

Having a professional theme is so important because studies show that 75% of people judge credibility based on your website or landing page design alone. 

While LinkTree’s 41 themes are all super professional, it can feel slightly limited. Especially when compared to Taplink, which has over 380 designs you can choose from. 

Payment processors: 53 vs. 2

Taplink integrates with 53 payment processors. Linktree integrates with 2. While most people should have no problems with PayPal and Stripe (LinkTree’s payment processors), you could run into problems if you have an international audience. 

Meanwhile, Taplink’s 53 payment processor options should cover you for most countries/regions around the world. 

Here’s a quick example. A creator selling Notion templates to an audience in India will find that a meaningful share of buyers prefer Razorpay over PayPal. A creator in the Netherlands selling digital planners may find that iDEAL bank transfer is the dominant payment method in their market (and it is not available through Stripe). There are several other cases like this. So if you’re selling internationally, you may like Taplink’s options.  For everyone else, Linktree’s 2 options should work just fine.

AI Page Builder

One super cool feature that Taplink has (but LinkTree doesn’t) is their AI-powered page builder. For beginners setting up their first monetized page, this lets you generate a functional, on-brand first draft without spending hours designing. 

All you have to do is describe your content niche and what you are selling, and the AI generates a page layout with placeholder copy, a suggested color scheme, and a block structure matched to your use case. You then swap in your real headline, your product image, your payment link, and your bio copy. The whole customization process takes 20 to 30 minutes for a first-time user. 

Custom Domain Support

Taplink supports custom domains on paid plans, while LinkTree doesn’t. A custom domain makes your bio link page an extension of your brand rather than a hosted third-party page. If you’re trying to build trust with an audience, custom domains actually help a lot. It is the difference between sending people to yourbrand.com/links and sending them to linktr.ee/yourbrand.

Integrations: Linktree’s legitimate advantage

Linktree has a much larger integration ecosystem than Taplink. If you’re already using a bunch of other tools, LinkTree makes it super easy for you to integrate them. Meanwhile, Taplink offers far fewer integration options, so you could find yourself forced to use different tools.  

Taplink vs LinkTree: Transaction Fees

If you’re selling a digital product, checking the transaction fees is super important. 

LinkTree charges 9% – 12% for their Free, Starter, and Pro Plans, and only has 0% fees for their Premium Plan. 

Meanwhile, you can only start accepting payment with Taplink’s Business Plan. Thankfully, there are no transaction fees there. 

So if you do the quick math, Taplink’s $12/mo Business Plan is far cheaper than LinkTree’s Premium (which goes for $35/mo). 

That’s why Taplink wins for transaction fees. 

Because even if you get LinkTree’s $8/mo Starter Plan, you’ll be forced to pay them 9% for every sale that you make.

So if you’re selling template packs, ebooks, Notion templates, digital planners, presets, swipe files, and mini-courses, or even physical products, you should probably go for Taplink. 

Some people who choose  Linktree often do not notice the transaction fee for months, because it comes out before they see the revenue. 

The payout arrives in their account already net of fees. There is no line item that reads “Linktree took $47 this month.” The cost is embedded in the transaction, invisible until you run the math yourself. 

When to Choose Taplink and When to Choose LinkTree

The decision between these two platforms is all about what you plan to do with your bio link page. If the answer involves selling something, the choice is straightforward. If the answer is purely link sharing with no monetization on the horizon, you have more room to weigh options.

Choose Taplink if:

• You plan to sell digital products directly from your bio link page, because 0% transaction fees matter from day one
• You are a beginner who needs a starting template rather than a blank-slate builder
• You create faceless content and want a professional-looking page without personal branding requirements
• You want an AI page builder to get your first draft live faster
• You have an international or niche audience that needs payment processor options beyond PayPal and Stripe
• You want a custom domain on your bio link page to build brand credibility over time
• You want to keep more of every dollar you earn as your monthly sales grow

Choose Linktree if:

• You only need a simple link hub with no direct selling, and a fast setup with low friction is the priority
• You use specific third-party integrations that Linktree supports
• You are already fully set up on Linktree, and your current sales volume makes the switching costs higher than the annual fee savings

In a nutshell, choose Taplink if you’re going to sell something. Choose LinkTree if you want a super simple platform that you can easily integrate with other tools. 

What about Other Tools?

If you’re planning to sell something, but aren’t too impressed by these two, you might want to check out other tools like Stan Store instead. 

Stan Store is a full digital storefront that replaces your entire sales infrastructure, not just your bio link page. Taplink and Linktree are bio link tools with payment capability bolted on, but Stan Store is a dedicated sales platform that also functions as a bio link. 

Other online store/link-in-bio tools you can check out include SamCart (for low-ticket digital products), SnipFeed (for courses), or Pensight (for coaches). 

Which Link-in-Bio Tool Should You Go With?

Taplink is the clear choice for faceless creators, digital product sellers, and beginners building their first monetized page.

Linktree is for someone who needs a simple, fast link hub with no selling involved. 

For creators  already sitting on Linktree

If you have been on a Linktree page for months and are wondering whether it is worth switching… 

…yes, if you plan to sell. 

The switching friction is a one-time event. You update your bio links across your platforms, rebuild your page in Taplink using one of the templates, and redirect existing traffic. Once you do that, you can start enjoying savings on your sales that compound over time. The longer you stay on a fee-bearing platform, the more you pay before you make the switch anyway. 

The Bigger Picture

However, here’s the brutal truth:

Even if you choose the BEST platform in the whole world, it won’t matter much if you can’t create viral videos, build a loyal following, and find a product offer that people actually want to buy. 

So instead of stressing over which of these link-in-bio tools is better, just choose one and spend more time growing your account and building an offer. 

Speaking of growing your account…

If you want to get your Instagram account up and running as fast as possible, then check out my AI Content Generator. 

With it, you’ll get templates, ideas, and tools that you can use to generate content that goes viral as fast as possible. 

Sign up for instant access here!

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Max Tornow
Founder, Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle

He’s helped thousands of creators across any niche and language turn content into views, followers, and income – with or without showing their face.

Over the past decade, Max has built multiple 7-figure brands, generated over $30M through content and social media, and coached creators worldwide to grow faster with proven systems, strategy, and human support.

→ About Max Tornow
→ About Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle

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I’m going to be super honest with you…

If all you want is a free link-in-bio tool, you shouldn’t stress too much about which one is “better.” 

Both Milkshake and LinkTree are awesome, free tools that allow you to gather all your links in one place. 

Milkshake has slightly flashier free designs than LinkTree, while LinkTree has a simpler, more straightforward approach.

However, things change when you want more than just a simple link-in-bio…when you’re actually looking to pay for extra features. 

Because that’s when these two tools become very different. 

In this article, I’m going to compare Milkshake vs Linktree head-to-head and compare all their features, so you can decide which one is better.

What’s the Difference Between Milkshake and Linktree?

Linktree is a link management tool. It launched in 2016 and currently has over 40 million creators on the platform. You get a simple vertical list of clickable links that’s clean, fast, and recognizable. Pricing ranges from a free plan (limited customization) up to $35/month for advanced features like email capture, unlimited post scheduling, and full analytics.

Milkshake is more of a mobile mini-website. Instead of a list, you build “cards,” swipeable sections that can hold links, text, images, YouTube embeds, and a shop. The whole thing is designed to be built from your phone. It’s mostly free, with optional upgrades if you want to remove the Milkshake branding or get extra features. 

Practically speaking, Linktree looks the same everywhere and is optimized for simplicity. Milkshake looks more like an Instagram Story page and is optimized for visual storytelling. Neither is objectively better; they’re built for different creator types.

Features Head-to-Head: Where Each Tool Wins

Here’s how these two tools stack up against each other: 

	Milkshake	LinkTree
Platform Type:	Mini Mobile Website	Link Management Tool
Best For:	People who want to build a super simple landing page for their Social Media	Anyone who wants a simple landing page for all their links (and wants some Social Media Management features)
Price:	Free = $0Lite = $2.99/moPro = $6.99/moPro+ = $10/mo	Free = $0Starter = $8/moPro = $15/moPremiums = $35/mo
Free Option:	With limited features	With limited features
E-Commerce Capabilities:	No direct checkout	Integration
Email Capture
Booking / Calendar Integration:		Integration
Schedule Posting
Automatic Instagram Replies:
Analytics:
Customization:
Checkout / Payments:		Integration

Milkshake vs LinkTree Pricing

Milkshake comes in 4 pricing tiers: 

• Free ($0) – Milkshake’s free plan gives you fun and easy site creation, free hosting forever, 30 days of analytics insights, unlimited links and cards, customizable templates, deep color and font customization, social links, and QR code sharing.
• Lite ($2.99/mo) – Allows you to get rid of Milkshake branding on your site. 
• Pro ($6.99/mo) – This plan gets you a bunch of tools like 365 days of analytics data, data export, contact forms, mailing list integrations, Meta pixel tracking, SEO tools, social sharing images, marketing campaign tools, the ability to hide cards, and priority support.
• Pro+ ($10/mo) – You get everything else plus a custom domain connection and Google Analytics integration for more advanced tracking and branding. 

Meanwhile, LinkTree also has 4 pricing tiers: 

• Free ($0) – LinkTree’s free plan gives you unlimited links, social icons and embeds, essential analytics, an SEO-optimized page, a unique QR code, and built-in monetization tools like Linktree Shops and digital product sales.
• Starter ($8/mo) – You can get custom themes, the ability to collect and manage subscribers, redirect links for promotions, social media scheduling, and reduced fees when selling digital products with LinkTree’s Starter Plan. 
• Pro ($15/mo) – The Pro gives you full customization with your own branding, featured and animated links, advanced analytics, automated Instagram replies, a link shortener with tracking, email integrations, and continued reduced seller fees.
• Premium ($35/mo) – Premium gets you everything plus concierge onboarding and priority support, unlimited social posts, team collaboration tools, unlimited Instagram auto-replies, and 0% seller fees with full commission on digital and affiliate sales

Head-to-Head: Which Tool Wins in Specific Situations?

Design and Customization

Milkshake wins on the free tier, and it’s not close. With Milkshake, you get full control over colors, fonts, and layouts for free. Linktree’s customization is mostly locked behind paid plans. On the free plan, your options are limited, which can be a problem if you want to build trust or sell something, because 94% of first impressions are design-related.

Pricing

Milkshake is free. Full stop. Linktree’s free plan exists, but it’s pretty bland and lacks customization. If cost is your problem, Milkshake is the way to go.

Analytics

Linktree wins here. You get click tracking, traffic source data, and performance metrics that actually help you understand what’s working. Milkshake’s analytics are basic; you’ll know if people are clicking, but not much more than that.

Monetization

Linktree wins on monetization. It supports direct product sales, tip jars, and payment links. Milkshake has a “shop” card, but you can’t process orders and payments on the platform. If you’re selling digital products or services directly from your bio, Linktree has better tools.

Ease of Setup

Milkshake wins for mobile-first creators. You can build your entire page from your phone in under 15 minutes. Linktree is also simple, but Milkshake’s drag-and-drop card system feels more intuitive if you’re used to building things on your phone.

Platform Fit

Milkshake’s swipeable card design mirrors Instagram Stories, so it feels native if your audience is on Instagram or TikTok. Linktree’s vertical list looks consistent everywhere, which makes it a better fit if you’re active across multiple platforms.

Milkshake vs LinkTree – Which One Converts Better? 

Here’s what I’ve noticed coaching creators: 

Milkshake’s card-based layout sometimes requires users to swipe through multiple cards to find your offer. That extra step creates friction. 

Meanwhile, Linktree’s vertical list makes all your links visible immediately, creating a” lower friction path to your CTA. Linktree’s format is more direct, which may help with conversions.

But there’s a flip side. Milkshake’s better visuals create more trust on first impression. If you’re a newer creator without a large following, a polished Milkshake page signals credibility in a way that a basic Linktree list doesn’t. 

That’s why I believe that Milkshake converts better on trust, while Linktree converts better on directness. 

Looking for more options for coaches? Check out my Pensight vs Stan Store comparison

Which One Is Right for You?

Choose Milkshake if:

• You’re just starting out and have zero budget to spend on tools
• You want a visually polished page without paying for Linktree’s premium tiers
• You’re building a faceless brand. Milkshake’s card templates create a professional, branded look without needing personal photos or a recognizable face
• Your primary platform is Instagram or TikTok, where the swipeable format feels native
• You’re in the early stage where building credibility matters more than tracking detailed analytics

Choose Linktree if:

• You’re already selling digital products or services and want built-in payment tools
• You need to know which links are getting clicks so you can optimize your content strategy
• You manage content across multiple platforms and want one consistent page that works everywhere
• You’re scaling up and want email capture, scheduling tools, and integrations with your marketing stack

If you have fewer than 1,000 followers and nothing to sell yet, use Milkshake. It’s free, it looks good, and it does everything you actually need right now. You can transfer to Linktree later when analytics and built-in monetization features become relevant to you.

FAQs

Is Milkshake completely free?

Yes. Milkshake is free to use with most features included. They have a cheap, $2.99/mo option to get rid of Milkshake branding, as well as more expensive tiers that give you more tools like email marketing, analytics, custom domains, and more. 

Does Linktree take a percentage of sales?

Yes, Linktree takes a commission cut on sales depending on which tier you sign up for. LinkTree takes 12% if you’re on a Free Plan, 9% if you have a Starter or Pro plan, and 0% if you have a Premium Plan. 

Can I use both Milkshake and Linktree at the same time?

Technically, yes, but there’s no practical reason to. Pick one and put that URL in your bio. 

Which is better for Instagram?

Milkshake. Its card-based design mimics the Instagram Stories interface, which makes it feel familiar to your Instagram audience. The visual customization also aligns well with Instagram’s design-forward culture.

Can you sell products with Milkshake?

Yes,  Milkshake has a “shop” card that lets you list products with prices and links. However, Milkshake cannot process orders or payments; it just shows you if someone placed an order, and it’s up to you to collect payment and send the product. If selling is your primary goal, go for LinkTree (or another platform like Stanstore, SamCart, or SnipFeed) instead. 

The Bottom Line

Milkshake wins for beginners, visual creators, and faceless content strategies, especially on a zero budget. Linktree wins for creators who are actively selling, need data to optimize their strategy, and are working across multiple platforms.

That said, I’ve seen creators with a basic free Linktree page make thousands of dollars a month because they knew what they were doing. And I’ve seen creators with beautifully designed Milkshake pages generate zero income because their offer was poor.

So instead of stressing over which tool is the best, spend more time working on creating an irresistible offer and a content system that showcases and sells that offer on autopilot. 

Want to create an offer as fast as possible?

Check out my AI Content Generator. 

With it, you’ll get tools, templates, and tons of ideas that you can use to grow (and monetize) your account as quickly as possible. 

So sign up here for instant access! 

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Max Tornow
Founder, Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle

He’s helped thousands of creators across any niche and language turn content into views, followers, and income – with or without showing their face.

Over the past decade, Max has built multiple 7-figure brands, generated over $30M through content and social media, and coached creators worldwide to grow faster with proven systems, strategy, and human support.

→ About Max Tornow
→ About Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle

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Looking for a platform for your Instagram shop? 

Two of the most popular options are Snipfeed and Stan Store. 

But with so many similarities between the two, it can be difficult to decide which one is better for you. 

In this article, we’ll go over all the details, the strengths and weaknesses of both platforms, and help you decide which one to choose.

Snipfeed vs Stan Store: TL;DR Comparison

SnipFeed is better for people who want a low-cost option for selling a product (particularly courses) for the first time. Stan Store is better if you want to set up a simple store as fast as possible.

Here’s the quick reference before we dive deeper:

Now let’s get into the details so you can make the right call for your situation.

What is Snipfeed?

Snipfeed is a link-in-bio tool that lets you monetize your account through tips, Q&A sessions, memberships, digital products, and courses. 

The platform has a cheap, $9/mo plan with basic features, but the real value is in the Pro plan at $29/mo. This already includes email marketing, which is a big deal if you want more sales.

Snipfeed Plans & Pricing

Snipfeed Starter ($9/mo): You get a basic link-in-bio platform with a fully customizable page with unlimited links, monetization tools, analytics, a custom domain with verification, and contact/email features. However, there is a 10% transaction fee for every sale. The Starter Plan is fine for testing the waters, but that 10% cut adds up fast once you start making sales.

Snipfeed Pro ($29/mo): This is where Snipfeed shines. You drop the transaction fee down to 2%, and get a bunch of features like professional templates, AI tools, custom emails, a media kit, analytics, multiple booking calendars, 5,000 emails, 600 SMS, and more. 

Snipfeed Pro Plus ($59/mo): Snipfeed’s highest tier gives you everything in Pro, and gets you unlimited emails, 2,500 SMS per month, and access to all sales funnels and automated workflows. This is for more serious businesses that are already making plenty of money from their products. 

Snipfeed Strengths

• Lower monthly cost compared to Stan Store. 

If you’re just starting and every dollar counts, the $9/month plan can be the difference between starting now (which you should do), or delaying more until you’re sure you can make your money back. 

• Email marketing is included at the $29/mo tier. 

Most creator platforms make you pay $99/mo or more for email. Snipfeed gives it to you at their cheaper Pro plan. 

• Flexible monetization beyond products. 

You can accept tips, run paid Q&A sessions, offer memberships, sell courses, and sell digital downloads. Stan Store focuses primarily on products and courses. If you want variety in how you make money, Snipfeed gives you options.

• Advanced course builder with progress tracking.

If you’re planning to sell courses, Snipfeed’s course builder is more robust than Stan Stores’s. Students can track their progress, leave reviews, and you get better engagement tools.

Snipfeed Weaknesses

• Transaction fees on all sales. 

Even at 2% on the Pro plan, you’re paying a percentage of every sale. This adds up very quickly if you’re doing well. 

• More complex setup with more customization. 

This is good if you like control, but it’s also a longer learning curve. You’ll spend 1-2 hours getting familiar with everything.

• Can feel overwhelming for absolute beginners. 

With more features comes more decisions. If you’re the type who gets stuck choosing between 12 design options, Snipfeed might slow you down.

What is Stan Store?

Stan Store is a creator store focused on helping you sell digital products, courses, and services from one clean storefront. It has fewer customization options, but it’s designed to be super simple and fast to set up.

The platform charges $29/mo for their Creator plan or $99/mo for Creator Pro if you need email marketing. The big selling point is zero transaction fees, which means you keep 100% of what you sell (minus payment processor fees).

I’ve reviewed Stan Store several times before (such as my Stan Store vs Linktree comparison) because it’s so popular. 

But how does it compare to Snipfeed? Let’s find out. 

Stan Store Plans & Pricing

Stan Creator ($29/mo): This gets you a full storefront, calendar invites and bookings, and the ability to sell unlimited products and courses. 

Stan Creator Pro ($99/mo): Adds email marketing, advanced analytics, discount codes and payment plans, affiliate marketing, and priority support. 

Stan Store Strengths

• Zero transaction fees. 

You pay $29/mo plus a small payment processing fee. This can save you hundreds compared to Snipfeed’s 10% transaction fee on their Starter plan.

• Simpler, faster setup. 

You can have your first product live in as little as 30 minutes if you know what you’re doing (1-2 hours if you’re new to the platform). The platform doesn’t give you 50 design options to choose from. Instead, it gives you easy templates that you can click and use, making it super easy for beginners.

• Clean, professional storefront with minimal effort. 

Stan Store looks polished right out of the box. You don’t need design skills or hours tweaking colors. It looks like a real business immediately.

Stan Store Weaknesses

• Higher monthly cost at $29. 

If you’re making your first dollar online, $29 feels like a bigger commitment than $9. It’s $20 more, and when you’re starting, every dollar counts.

• Email marketing requires the $99/mo upgrade. 

If you want to start automating emails (which every online store should eventually do, since email marketing has super strong ROI), you’re either paying $99/mo or using a third-party tool like ConvertKit, which adds cost and complexity. 

• Less flexible monetization. 

Stan Store is built for selling products, courses, and booking services. You can’t do tips, Q&A sessions, or memberships like you can on Snipfeed. 

Snipfeed vs Stan Store: Which Should You Choose?

This is where we get practical. These tools serve different needs, so let’s break down exactly when each one makes sense.

You should get Snipfeed if:

• You have a small audience (500-5,000 followers) and want the lowest possible monthly cost. Snipfeed at $29/mo has more features thanStan at $29/mo.
  
• You’re selling lower-priced digital downloads (templates, guides, blueprints) and need email marketing from day one. The combination of lower monthly cost plus built-in email at $29/mo makes Snipfeed the value winner for lower-ticket digital products.
  
• You want flexible monetization beyond just selling products. If you want to experiment with tips from your audience, run paid Q&A sessions, or offer monthly memberships alongside your digital products, Snipfeed supports all of that.
  
• You’re comfortable spending 1-2 hours on setup to access more customization. If you like having control over design and don’t mind a learning curve, Snipfeed gives you more options to make your storefront unique.

Meanwhile, you should get Stan Store if:

• You’re selling more expensive products, and zero transaction fees will save you money.
  
• You’re an absolute beginner who wants the simplest setup possible. If you get overwhelmed by too many options and just want to launch fast, Stan Store gives you just that.
  
• You prefer paying a higher monthly fee ($29) to avoid transaction fees.
  
• You want a clean, professional storefront without needing customization. Stan Store templates look polished immediately. You don’t need design skills or hours of tweaking. 

Other Scenarios

Small Audience Creators (500-2,000 followers)

Snipfeed’s lower monthly cost ($9 or $29) makes it less risky when you’re just starting. You can afford to run it for 3-4 months while you figure out what sells.

Once you’re consistently making more money, Stan Store’s zero transaction fees may actually save you money despite the higher base cost. So run the math on your own numbers, don’t choose a platform just because it’s more popular. 

Faceless Content Creators

If you’re running a faceless Instagram account or YouTube channel selling templates and blueprints, both platforms support logo-based branding. 

However, Snipfeed offers more customization for non-personal branding. If you want full control over colors, fonts, and layout to match your faceless brand aesthetic, Snipfeed gives you that flexibility.

My Recommendation: Start With What Matches Your Product & Budget

There’s no universal winner here. Both tools support a proven monetization process, but neither one is a magic solution.

If you’re selling templates or guides and need email marketing included, get Snipfeed. The $9/mo Starter and $29/mo Pro price, plus built-in email makes it the value winner for lower-ticket digital products.

If you’re selling more expensive courses and want the simplest possible setup, get Stan Store. Zero transaction fees save you money at higher volumes, and the 30-minute setup gets you selling today.

Both platforms work. The tool matters less than having a content strategy and products people actually want.

So pick one, set it up, and start selling. You’ll learn more from your first sale than from researching tools for another week.

And if you want to see how other creator tools compare, check out these:

• SamCart vs. Stan Store
• Stan Store vs. LinkTree
• Pensight vs. Stan Store

• YouTube
• Facebook
• Instagram

Max Tornow
Founder, Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle

He’s helped thousands of creators across any niche and language turn content into views, followers, and income – with or without showing their face.

Over the past decade, Max has built multiple 7-figure brands, generated over $30M through content and social media, and coached creators worldwide to grow faster with proven systems, strategy, and human support.

→ About Max Tornow
→ About Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle

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• Instagram

There’s no such thing as the BEST platform for selling your products. Only the best one for your specific goal.

Both Pensight and Stan Store are solid creator platforms that let you sell digital products, courses, and coaching from a link-in-bio page. 

They’re also super similarly priced, making choosing between the two a lot more difficult. 

That’s why today, I’m going to show you the key differences between these two platforms, so you can choose the one that’s best suited for your needs.

TL;DR Comparison – Pensight vs Stan Store

Pensight is better suited for coaches. Its platform has several features designed specifically for coaches and course creators. Meanwhile, Stan Store is a simple link-in-bio store that’s extremely easy to set up (making it perfect for beginners). 

Pensight Overview

Pensight is a link-in-bio tool that’s designed specifically for coaches and course creators. It has plenty of features built for coaches that most other platforms don’t have.  

For example, when someone buys from you, they get access to a dedicated client portal where they can see all their purchases, book calls, and message you directly. 

Pensight Plans & Pricing

Pro Plan ($29/month)

The Pro Plan is where most people start if they have some budget. It contains a TON of features, some of the most notable ones include: 

• Unlimited courses
• Email automations
• Affiliate program
• Installment payment options
• Video call scheduling

Pro Plus ($99/month)

Pro Plus is for people who are serious about taking their business to the next level. It’s made for established coaches with multiple clients, and has everything in Pro, plus:

• Onboarding with a dedicated sales and marketing expert
• Free migration of your courses
• Biweekly call with a growth manager
• 1:1 support in building your products
• 1:1 marketing review

Pensight Strengths

• Integrated Client Management: Pensight has several client management features that are perfect if you’re selling coaching sessions. Clients can book directly, join video calls through the platform, and you can take notes after each session. 
• Better Value at $29: While Stan Store’s $29/month Creator plan is pretty basic, Pensight’s $29/month Pro plan includes email automations, affiliate programs, and discount codes. Those features cost $99/month on Stan Store.
• Custom Domain Hosting: You can host your Pensight page on your own domain (like shop.yourname.com) instead of pensight.com/yourname. This gives you a big boost in credibility. (Note: you have to purchase your own domain separately)
• Built for Coaching: If you’re selling multi-session coaching packages, group coaching, or high-ticket consulting, Pensight handles this natively. Stan Store doesn’t.

Pensight Weaknesses

• Less Polished Interface: For beginners, getting Pensight to look professional can be slightly challenging (especially when compared to other platforms like Stan Store, where almost everything is done-for-you). Smaller Community: Pensight has a relatively small community, so finding tips, tricks, and advice on how to use the platform can be more difficult. Learning Curve: More features = more to learn. If you’re not going to use the extra coaching features with Pensight, you might find that they just bog you down..

Stan Store Overview

Stan Store is a super popular Instagram link-in-bio tool. It’s incredibly simple, looks professional out of the box, and has a thriving community of creators sharing tips and tricks.

Where Pensight focuses on coaching and client management, Stan Store focuses on making it as easy as possible to start selling anything on Instagram. So if you’re selling templates, guides, presets, or simple courses, Stan Store can get you up and running fast.

Stan Store Plans & Pricing

Creator Plan ($29/month)

• Digital product sales Link-in-bio page
• Email capture
• Basic analytics
• Calendar booking integration
• Course hosting

This plan works for most creators selling straightforward products

Creator Pro ($99/month)

• Everything in Creator
  
• Email marketing and automations
  
• Affiliate program
  
• Upsells and bundles
• Installment payment options
• Discount codes and limited-quantity offers

You’ll need this tier for email marketing and affiliate features

Stan Store Strengths

Extremely Beginner-Friendly: Stan Store’s biggest strength is simplicity. You can set up a professional-looking storefront in under an hour, even if you’ve never sold anything online before. 

Beautiful Design & Customization: Stan Store pages look clean and modern. You can customize colors, fonts, layouts, and branding to match your aesthetic perfectly. 

Mobile-Optimized: Since most Instagram creators manage everything from their phones, Stan Store is built mobile-first. The creator dashboard and customer experience both work flawlessly on mobile.

Large Creator Community: Thousands of creators use Stan Store and actively share strategies, templates, and tips. You’ll find YouTube tutorials, Facebook groups, and tons of support resources.

Stan Store Weaknesses

Basic $29 Plan is Limited: Email marketing, affiliate programs, and installment payments all require the $99/month Creator Pro plan. Pensight includes those features at the $29 level.

Lacks Specialization: Stan Store caters to anyone who wants to sell products through their Instagram. But if you want something built specifically for something like coaching, you’ll find that it lacks more specialized features. 

No Custom Domain: Your Stan Store link will be stan.store/yourname. You can’t host it on your own domain like shop.yourname.com.

Pensight vs Stan Store – My Recommendations

In a nutshell, I’d recommend Pensight for people who are planning to sell coaching or courses. While StanStore works great for everyone else.

More specifically, I’d choose Pensight if:

• You’re selling coaching (1:1 or group sessions). 

Pensight’s integrated video calls, client portal, and coaching package functionality make it the clear winner for service-based creators.

• You want maximum value at the $29/month price point. 

Pensight’s Pro plan ($29/mo) includes email automations, affiliate programs, and installment payments. Stan Store charges $99/month for those same features.

• You’re comfortable with a slightly steeper learning curve. 

Pensight has more features, which means more setup time. If you’re willing to invest an hour or two learning the platform to access better functionality, then go for it. But if you want even more customization, I’d recommend checking out something like SamCart. 

• You want to host your store on your own domain. 

Custom domain support builds more brand credibility than a generic link.

That said, I’d choose Stan Store if: 

• You’re still testing your product offer.

If you’re not sure coaching is your main product, and you want to try selling other things like templates, video scripts, Lightroom presets, or other digital downloads, Stan Store’s easy setup is perfect.

• You want the absolute easiest setup process. 

Stan Store is more beginner-friendly. If you’re overwhelmed by technology or just want to start selling as fast as possible, Stan Store’s simplicity wins. However, I’d say that LinkTree is even easier to set up than Stan Store. So check out my full comparison of these two here. 

• You’re primarily building on Instagram. 

Stan Store is heavily optimized for Instagram. It feels natural in an Instagram bio and works seamlessly with Instagram creator workflows.

But always remember, neither Pensight nor Stan Store will magically make you money. They’re tools, not shortcuts to replace the work of creating a valuable offer. 

And if you want to see how other creator tools compare, check out these:

• Stan Store vs. LinkTree
• SamCart vs. Stan Store

• YouTube
• Facebook
• Instagram

Max Tornow
Founder, Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle

He’s helped thousands of creators across any niche and language turn content into views, followers, and income – with or without showing their face.

Over the past decade, Max has built multiple 7-figure brands, generated over $30M through content and social media, and coached creators worldwide to grow faster with proven systems, strategy, and human support.

→ About Max Tornow
→ About Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle

• YouTube
• Facebook
• Instagram

Both SamCart and Stan Store are great options for beginners selling their first digital product. 

The real question is…

What’s better for you? 

Because the truth is, one of these is clearly better than the other, depending on what you’ll use it for. 

Which is why today, I’m going to go over all the differences between these two, show you the strengths and weaknesses of both, and help you decide which one is better. 

TL;DR Comparison: SamCart vs Stan Store

SamCart is best for creators selling low-ticket digital products who want advanced checkout customization that can replace a sales page, while Stan Store is better for social media creators who need simple link-in-bio functionality with consultation booking.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison to help you decide quickly:

Platform Overview: SamCart vs Stan Store

Before we get into the details, let me explain what each platform actually does.

SamCart is a checkout-first platform focused on conversion optimization. It’s built for digital product sellers who want to maximize revenue per customer through advanced features like one-click upsells, order bumps, and A/B testing. Pricing starts at $79/month with no transaction fees. However, the monthly costgoes up depending on how much revenue you’re earning.

Stan Store is a link-in-bio social commerce platform. It’s built specifically for Instagram and TikTok creators who want a very simple setup for their online store. Pricing starts at $29/month for their Creator Plan, or $99/month for their Creator Pro plan, both with no transaction fees. Stan Store positions itself as the easiest way to monetize your social media following without any technical experience.

Note: while both SamCart and Stan Store don’t have native transaction fees, their payment partners (Stripe and PayPal) may charge up to 3.5% per transaction. 

Here’s how I think about it…

SamCart is a revenue optimization powerhouse for people who want to squeeze every dollar out of their traffic. Stan Store is a simplicity-first platform for creators who want to launch fast and collect payments without the headache.

Both integrate with major email marketing tools (ConvertKit, MailChimp, ActiveCampaign) and payment processors (Stripe, PayPal). Both work without needing your own website, but the similarities end there.

SamCart’s Checkout Pages Are a Game-Changer

This is the insight that changes everything for beginners, and it’s something most comparison articles completely miss.

Most creators think they need to create separate landing pages and checkout pages. But with SamCart, you can build everything in one place. The traditional workflow looks something like this:

Instagram bio → landing page with sales copy → checkout page = 3 steps

But SamCart’s checkout pages have extensive customization that lets you skip the landing page builder entirely for low-ticket products. Here’s the alternative workflow:

Instagram bio → SamCart checkout page with built-in sales copy = 1 step, 1 tool

Let me show you exactly what you can customize on a SamCart checkout page vs on Stan Store:

SamCart checkout pages include:

• Custom headlines and sub-headlines
• Bullet point lists for features and benefits
• Detailed product descriptions
• Product markup images (before/after, screenshots, mockups)
• FAQ accordion sections
• Testimonial sections
• Guarantee badges and trust signals
• Custom CSS and HTML for advanced users

Stan Store checkout pages include:

• Basic product title
• Simple description field
• Featured product image
• Price display

The difference is massive…

SamCart gives you enough space and customization to write persuasive sales copy directly on the checkout page. Stan Store’s checkout is bare-bones by comparison.

This is especially powerful for low-ticket products in the $7-$97 range. You don’t need a lengthy sales page for a $27 ebook or a $47 template pack. You need clear benefits, social proof, and a simple purchase button. SamCart’s checkout pages give you exactly that.

Traditional landing page builders like ClickFunnels start at $97/month.  If you can eliminate that subscription entirely by using SamCart’s checkout pages as your sales pages, you’re saving money even though SamCart costs more than Stan Store upfront.

Samcart can save you both money (no additional landing page tools needed) and time (no learning curve for complicated drag-and-drop page builders). You learn one platform deeply instead of spreading yourself thin across multiple tools.

Upsells, Order Bumps, and Sales Funnels

If your goal is to make more money per customer, this section matters a lot.

SamCart’s funnel features are significantly more advanced than Stan Store’s. Here’s what you get:

• One-click upsells: After someone buys, you can offer an upgraded version or complementary product with literally one click. No re-entering payment info. 
• Order bumps: Small add-ons that appear right before checkout (think “Add the workbook for $7 more”). 
• A/B testing: Test different headlines, prices, and layouts to see what converts better.
• Subscription Saver: Automatically recovers failed payments and reduces churn for subscription products.

Stan Store’s funnel features are much simpler:

• Basic upsell offers (not one-click)
• Discount codes
• Payment plans
• Affiliate program

If you’re selling a $47 course and want to upsell a $97 course upgrade or add a $27 coaching call, SamCart’s one-click upsells make that seamless. The customer already trusts you (they just bought), and one-click upsells have dramatically higher conversion rates than asking someone to enter their payment info again.

Stan Store can technically offer upsells, but the experience isn’t as smooth. It’s more like “here’s another product you can buy” rather than a strategic post-purchase funnel.

There’s a trade-off here, though. SamCart’s advanced features require more setup time and strategy. You need to think through your upsell sequence, write copy for order bumps, and potentially run A/B tests. Stan Store is faster to launch, but leaves money on the table if you’re serious about maximizing revenue per customer.

If you’re selling a $7 ebook and don’t have any upsells planned, this doesn’t matter much. But if you’re building a real business with multiple product tiers and backend offers, SamCart’s funnel capabilities are worth the extra learning curve.

Pricing and Total Cost of Ownership

Let’s talk about what this actually costs, because the sticker price doesn’t tell the full story.

SamCart pricing:

• $79/mo up to $3,000 in revenue
• $109/mo up to $4,000 
• $129/mo up to $5,000 
• $219/mo up to $10,000
• $319/mo up to $20,000 
• $399/mo up to $30,000 
• $429/mo up to $40,000 
• $499/mo up to $50,000 
• $649/mo up to $75,000 (with VIP services)
• $849/mo up to $100,000 (VIP)
• $999/mo up to $500,000 (VIP)
• $1,299/mo up to $1,000,000 (VIP)

Stan Store pricing:

• Creator: $29/month Creator Pro: $99/month 

Stan Store’s unique advantage: Built-in consultation booking. If you sell coaching calls or consultations as a primary revenue stream, Stan Store’s integrated calendar is a huge time-saver. SamCart doesn’t have this, so you’d need to integrate Calendly or a similar tool (which adds another subscription).  Stan Store’s other big advantage is the lower barrier to entry when you’re just starting.

If you’re making less than $1,000/month and want the absolute lowest entry price, Stan Store’s $29 plan wins. If you’re planning to scale beyond $5,000/month and want advanced revenue optimization, SamCart’s features become more valuable than the price difference.

My Recommendations: Which Platform Should You Choose?

I’m not going to give you a wishy-washy “both are good for different people” answer. Let me be direct about who should choose what.

Choose SamCart if you:

• Are selling low-ticket digital products like courses, ebooks, templates, or workshops in the $7-$97 range
• Want to maximize revenue per customer with upsells and order bumps
• Are a beginner who doesn’t want to learn multiple tools (you can skip landing page builders entirely)
• Are willing to invest 5-10 hours learning the platform upfront to avoid juggling multiple subscriptions later
• Plan to scale beyond $5,000/month in revenue, where advanced features really matter
• Don’t need consultation booking as a primary feature (or you’re fine using Calendly separately)

Choose Stan Store if you:

• Are primarily a social media creator on Instagram or TikTok who wants simple link-in-bio monetization
• Sell consultations or coaching calls as your main revenue stream and need built-in booking
• Want the absolute fastest setup possible (you can launch in 1-2 hours with Stan Store’s simpler interface)
• Are testing your first digital product and want minimal upfront investment at $29/month
• Prefer simplicity over advanced revenue optimization features

Tool-to-tool, Stan Store is simpler and faster to set up. It will take you 1-2 hours to get your first product live. SamCart will take you 5-10 hours to master all the features.

But when you look at total workflow complexity, SamCart can actually be easier for beginners. Why? Because you’re learning one platform deeply instead of trying to figure out how a landing page builder AND a checkout tool work together.

In teaching hundreds of students through Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle, I’ve found beginners actually appreciate having sales copy and checkout in one place. It’s one less tool to master, even if that one tool has more options. You’re not dealing with integrations, not tracking down broken links between platforms, and not paying for two subscriptions.

Which Platform Should You Go With?

The honest truth is that there’s no such thing as the BEST platform. 

SamCart is a conversion optimization powerhouse for product sellers who want to maximize revenue. Stan Store is a streamlined social commerce platform for creator-based businesses. They serve different business models.

If you’re a beginner selling digital products and you’re willing to invest the time upfront, I recommend SamCart for most people in my audience. The checkout-page-as-sales-page approach saves you money long-term and gives you more control over your customer journey.

But if you’re primarily booking consultations and need something you can set up during your lunch break, Stan Store is the smarter choice.

And click here if you want to see how Stan Store compares to other tools like LinkTree.

Stan Store vs. SamCart FAQs

Can you use SamCart without a website?

Yes. You can link directly from your Instagram bio, TikTok profile, or any social media to your SamCart checkout page. Because SamCart checkout pages have extensive customization (headlines, bullet points, FAQs, images), they can function as standalone sales pages. This is particularly effective for low-ticket products where you don’t need lengthy sales pages. You don’t need a website, domain, or any technical setup beyond your SamCart account.

Does Stan Store have upsells like SamCart?

Stan Store offers basic upsell functionality and discount codes, but not the sophisticated one-click post-purchase upsells and order bumps that SamCart provides. If maximizing average order value is critical to your business model, SamCart’s upsell features are significantly more advanced. Stan Store’s upsells require customers to essentially make a second purchase rather than adding to their existing order with one click.

Which platform is better for beginners?

It depends on what you’re comparing. Stan Store has a simpler interface and faster setup (1-2 hours to launch). However, SamCart can actually be easier for beginners in terms of total workflow because its checkout pages can replace separate landing pages, meaning one less tool to learn overall. If you’re willing to invest 5-10 hours upfront to learn SamCart, you may save time long-term by not having to master a separate landing page builder. For absolute speed to market, Stan Store wins. For total simplicity of your entire tool stack, SamCart often wins.

Can SamCart replace ClickFunnels or landing page builders?

For low-ticket products in the $7-$97 range, yes. SamCart checkout pages have enough customization (headlines, sub-headlines, bullet points, images, FAQs) to serve as sales pages for simple digital products. For high-ticket products ($500+) or complex sales funnels requiring long-form video sales letters and extensive storytelling, you’d still want a dedicated landing page builder. But for straightforward product sales (courses, templates, ebooks, small workshops), SamCart’s checkout pages are sufficient and save you from needing a separate tool.

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Max Tornow
Founder, Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle

He’s helped thousands of creators across any niche and language turn content into views, followers, and income – with or without showing their face.

Over the past decade, Max has built multiple 7-figure brands, generated over $30M through content and social media, and coached creators worldwide to grow faster with proven systems, strategy, and human support.

→ About Max Tornow
→ About Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle

• YouTube
• Facebook
• Instagram

One of the biggest myths about Instagram is that you need to be an “influencer” to be successful. 

So many people think that you have to film yourself, put on your brightest personality, and show your face to have any chance of growing an account. 

In reality?

There are thousands of faceless Instagram accounts that are raking in thousands of dollars on the platform. 

Yes, showing your face is a way to be more personal and earn trust…but it’s not the only way.

And certainly not the only way to make money on Instagram. 

Here’s a simple, 4-step process that faceless accounts use to go viral, gain followers, and monetize their accounts.

How to Make Money on Instagram Without Showing Your Face – My 4-Step Process

Step #1: Choose Your Style

How much of yourself do you want to show? 

Sure, you’re not showing your face, but how will you make your videos from there?

There are generally three levels of faceless accounts on Instagram:

• Human Made and Partially Personal – content where you might show your hands or body, just not your face. People typically use their real voices for voiceovers. It’s still you and personal, with your face out of shot. 

• Hybrid AI – content where you show stock videos or screen recordings, paired with voice narration. Voice narration may be AI and even some of the stock images or videos might have some AI help.  

• Full AI – content that’s 100% AI. You’re not on camera at all, and you don’t use your real voice either, relying on AI to fully represent you. 

Picking a style you’re comfortable with is important.

For hybrid AI content, you can grab stock footage from sites like Pexels and Pixabay for free, or Storyblocks and Adobe Stock for more options. 

For full AI Instagram accounts, you can use AI-generated image tools to create your videos. My favorites are Dall-E, Midjourney, and Adobe Firefly. 

Whatever the case, before you go and start creating content, you’ll first need to do this next step…

Step #2: Choose a Faceless Niche

Some niches only do well if there’s a face attached to it. 

But, there’s plenty of options for a niche that doesn’t require a visible person. 

Avoid niches where your personality needs to shine, like lifestyle niches.

Instead, look for niches that:

• Are highly visual 
• Solve specific problems
• Create curiosity
• Are very entertaining 

Highly visual niches like cooking, DIY home improvement, or artwork work great when they’re human-made, even without a face. Since they’re highly-visual, the person behind it doesn’t matter too much. Which is why accounts such as @noellecurtis.art are doing very well even without a face.

Problem-solving niches like dating advice, negotiating skills, or online business advice do great with hybrid or full AI. When people have a problem they need solutions to, they don’t really care who is giving them the advice. You can see how well accounts like @hermindset.era are doing with stock footage + advice captions. 

Curiosity niches are the ones where you talk about interesting facts (even if they aren’t super useful). The topics of these videos are so interesting, once again, it doesn’t matter who’s presenting it. Think of accounts like the super popular @ZackDFilms (and all the people trying to copy him). Hybrid and Full AI styles work perfectly with these types of niches. 

Entertaining niches are great if you can find a repeatable format. It’s very possible to make people laugh, smile, or send reels to their friends without showing a face. These work with any style, but they’re especially great if you’re doing full AI, such as my student @letscreate_ai, who blew up on TikTok and Instagram using our templates.

Step #3: Get Followers

You picked a niche and style, now how do you actually go viral and get followers? 

While the principles are mostly the same no matter if you’re actually in the videos or not, there are some unique things you need to be aware of if you’re going faceless. 

You’ll want to:

Create a Repeatable Format

One disadvantage of faceless content is that it’s much harder to genuinely show your personality. 

But there’s a workaround. 

Replace personality with consistency. 

Find a format that does well or goes viral, and keep repeating that format until people recognize you for it. 

A lot of people don’t follow if they see one good reel. But if they keep seeing you pop up in their feed, they’re eventually going to follow because they know you put out good content. 

If you can get to the point where people know it’s your account just based on the visuals, format, or story, that’s how you know you’ve brought your personality in, even without showing your face. 

Post Every Day

Posting every day is important for all accounts. 

But for faceless accounts, it’s even more important. 

Posting every day not only exposes your content to more people, but it also helps you find out what content works faster. 

Remember, finding content that works is critical, so you can use it as a repeatable format. 

So don’t get too attached to your content. 

Yes, make sure there’s quality. But quantity beats quality when you’re first starting out. 

Borrow From Accounts That Work

Go to Instagram search, type in a keyword related to your niche, and see what’s going viral. 

Then check the account that posted it, and look for ideas there. 

You don’t want to just copy their content. Instead, look at the structure, think about how their posts make you feel, and look at how they’re interacting with their followers. 

Do this for a couple of keywords, and you’ll have a bunch of new ideas that you can try. 

Learn the Essentials

Even though this isn’t specific to faceless accounts, it’s still critical to learn the essentials of what makes viral content.

Your hook, the first three seconds of your video, has to be the most attention grabbing part of your reel. The hook is what stops people’s scroll. If your hook isn’t interesting enough, people will keep right on scrolling. 

For faceless accounts, use the most interesting visual paired with text on screen in your hook.

The tension in reels is what makes people stay until the end. Don’t you hate it when you stop scrolling because someone is about to show you how to cook the best Thanksgiving turkey, but then that person goes on to talk about their personal life? 

That’s them losing the tension. 

So cut out any part of your reel that isn’t necessary. Once you’ve hooked someone in, only feed them what they’re interested in so they’ll stay until the end. 

The emotional payoff is what gets people to like, comment, save, and share your video. For faceless accounts, make sure your ending is inspiring, helpful, or gets a laugh out of people. If people send your reel to their friends, there’s a much bigger chance you’ll go viral. 

Step #4: Monetize

Monetizing a faceless Instagram is tricky because it requires you to build trust enough that people will want to buy from you. 

Remember, Instagram doesn’t pay you for views. 

So what do you sell and how?  

Here are some specific strategies for faceless accounts (some with help from AI) that are proven to make money…

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is one of the easiest ways to monetize on Instagram. 

Find brands with affiliate programs, get your special link, and if people buy using your link, you’ll get a commission. 

So if you’re doing artwork, you can find brands that sell paintbrushes, paint, and other painting materials. 

If you’re a dating advice account, look for a dating advice course and partner up with them. This can be great because digital products typically give bigger commissions. 

If you’re making entertaining AI reels, you can even partner up with the AI tools you use to make your videos. Chances are, people watching your content will want to make something similar for themselves. 

Digital Products

Instead of promoting an affiliate product, why not make your own product instead? 

Digital products like ebooks, courses, and templates all work well for faceless accounts that teach specific things like dating advice or language lessons. 

If you’re known for giving good advice, they may want a more complete guide. That’s where your ebook or course comes in. 

Not every niche lends itself to digital products, especially if your account is for entertainment or driving curiosity. 

For that try something else, such as…

Print on Demand Shirts

If your style becomes recognizable, you can start selling designs on shirts, mugs, journals, and other physical items. 

You can either make your own products or you can go the easy route and print on demand. 

Print on demand is easier because you don’t have to worry about inventory and shipping. Just design the shirt, and the print on demand platform like Printful, Printify, or Gelato will handle the rest. 

However, this only works if your account becomes super recognizable or you know how to design catchy shirts. So focus on that if you’d like to earn using this method. 

Sponsored Posts

Most brands want to work with real people. But they also care about follower counts.

If you can show brands a strong follower base that matches their ideal customer profile, you can get brand collabs even running a faceless account. 

The trick here is targeting a specific group of people. 

If you only post simple painting videos, your follower base will likely have lots of beginner painters. This makes you valuable for companies selling painting equipment for beginners. 

If your followers are super engaged with your tech updates account, tech companies might want to promote their product launch through you. 

But if your followers are a mixed bag with people of all ages from all over the world, it can be much more difficult to get sponsored. 

4 Proven Tips for Making Great Faceless Instagram Content & Growing Your Account

Tip #1: Use Motion to Replace Your Face

Faceless Instagram accounts are the polar opposite of talking-head accounts. 

Because here, it’s all about motion. 

The more you study successful faceless accounts, the more you’ll realize how much movement they have. 

You’ll realize that the graphics never sit still. The stock footage cuts every 2 seconds. Or, you’ll notice a clear progression from start to finish. 

So either make plenty of movement in your clips, or use fast cuts 2-3 seconds per clip to keep people hooked. 

Tip #2: Use the STRONGEST Visual Hooks

There are people who instantly scroll away from reels that are clearly using stock images or AI. 

However, if you can find or generate a clip that’s so attractive, even these people will stop to check it out. 

Visuals are critical for faceless accounts.  

So study the accounts that are doing well, and try to replicate how they catch attention in the first three seconds. 

Tip #3: Use Text on Screen

Aside from visual hooks, using text on screen is another great way to get people to stop scrolling. 

And just like the visual hooks, you’ll want your text on screen to be jarring. 

Don’t just write things like “3 Money Saving Tips,” go for something more hard-hitting like “3 Reasons You’re Still Broke.” 

Tip #4: Aesthetics, Aesthetics, Aesthetics

Successful faceless accounts usually have a consistent aesthetic throughout their reels. 

Once they find a style their audience likes, they stick with it. 

So try and find yours. 

Is it bright and cheery? Sad and melancholic? 

Maybe it’s slow and inspirational? 

Again, visuals are extremely important. So find an aesthetic, and keep it consistent. 

Don’t Know How to Use AI To Create Content?

Creating a faceless Instagram account makes for some unique challenges. 

You have to learn the platform, the algorithm, how to go viral, and how to monetize all with a BIG handicap. 

But it is possible with these tips. 

And…you can speed up the process. 

AI can fill in the gaps to help you make content and even give yourself an identity outside of your personal one. 

But that can be an additional challenge on top of creating an Instagram account that will need your full attention. 

That’s why I’ve developed an AI content generator that’s complete with tools, templates, and ideas that’ll get your account off the ground running as fast as possible. 

It’s the same platform one of my students used to get 564k views from a few videos, all without ever showing his face. 

So if you want instant access, sign up here today! 

• YouTube
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Max Tornow
Founder, Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle

He’s helped thousands of creators across any niche and language turn content into views, followers, and income – with or without showing their face.

Over the past decade, Max has built multiple 7-figure brands, generated over $30M through content and social media, and coached creators worldwide to grow faster with proven systems, strategy, and human support.

→ About Max Tornow
→ About Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle

• YouTube
• Facebook
• Instagram

Selling on Instagram DMs can be awkward and sounds like the fastest way to deter followers. 

People might tell you you’re awesome and thank you for the amazingly helpful content you always put out. 

But when you try to get them to buy…they stop responding at best, and get angry at you at worst.  

Or maybe you’ve been using a DM script you’ve found online, only to find it sounds unnatural, robotic, or worse, it loses you followers. 

But before you give up on Instagram DM’s, know that they are still one of the best ways to sell on Instagram (I use them all the time to great success). If you aren’t using it, you could be missing out on a lot of potential clients. 

The secret is knowing how to sell on Instagram DMs properly, without being dull, pushy, or overly salesy. 

In this article, I’ll go over the 5 steps for success on Instagram DMs, so you’ll have a simple, effective, and scalable way to make money on the platform. 

Before We Begin: Who is Selling on Instagram DMs For?

Before I jump into the strategies, let me warn you…

…selling on Instagram DMs is not for everyone! 

It works great for: 

• Products/businesses that require high trust (coaches, consultants, freelancers, agencies, 1:1 service providers)

• Customized offers (done-for-you services, custom packages, retainers, brand collabs, high-ticket programs) 

• People who haven’t figured out their target audience yet (if you don’t have a clear ideal customer profile, dialed-in brand messaging, or a proven offer to scale; selling on DMs can help you figure this out.)

But if you have a low-ticket product or offer, you generally want to avoid DMs since they just add another step to the buying process. 

If you have a physical product or are monetizing in some other way, you may want to try a different approach. 

How to Sell on Instagram DMs: The 5-Step Strategy I’ve Seen Work Year After Year

Step #1: Warm Up Your Audience

If there’s one thing you should NOT do, it’s cold-sell your product or service in DMs. 

Nobody, I repeat, NOBODY wants to receive a cold offer on Instagram. 

They’ll either ignore your DM. Or worse, they might mute, unfollow, or even block you. 

So warm up your audience first and build trust. Remember, this is social media. So be social first. 

If they follow you and interact with your content, there should already be some trust. The next step is to send them a DM. 

You can:

• Talk about something you have in common (scan their profile, and find something you have in common)
• Compliment them for something they’ve posted on their profile
• Ask them how they feel about something you posted (especially if they liked/commented on it)

Avoid mentioning your product in the first message, since it’ll come off as salesy. 

The point is to make a connection. 

But also be careful not to fall into another trap, which is sending DMs just to build a connection (and not sell anything). 

Which leads us to our next step…

Step #2: Guide The Conversation to Your Product

Always remember that you’re sending DMs because you want sales, not to make new friends . 

Once the conversation gets going, you’ll want to steer them towards your product. 

• If you’re a life coach, ask them about the biggest problems they’re facing in their life right now.

• If you’re a freelancer, ask them about the roadblocks they’re facing in their business.

• If you’re a fitness coach, ask people what’s holding them back from reaching their fitness goals. 

Again, don’t rush to mention your product. If you do, you’ll feel disingenuous. 

Instead, listen to their problems and struggles first, and be empathetic. Make them feel seen and heard, and let them know that they’re not alone in this. 

Then, ask them if they’ve ever used a product or service like yours before. 

If they haven’t, this is a great time to explain the benefits that they’ll enjoy with it. You already know their problem, so you can make the benefits super specific to them. 

If they have already used a product or service like yours, ask them how they feel about it and why they stopped. This will bring out their objections that you can counter in your offer. Let them know how your product or service is different. 

Speaking of which…

Step #3: Make Them an Offer They Can’t Refuse

By this point in the conversation, you should have someone who is almost ready to buy. 

They follow you, trust you, connect with you, share their problems with you, and know what you sell. 

All that’s left to do is to nudge them over the edge with an irresistible offer. 

Show them exactly how your product or service can help their exact situation. Then show them why you’re qualified to help them, testimonials from former students/clients, and then make it easy for them to sign up by giving the exact next steps they need to take to seal the deal. 

If you’re selling a high-ticket product or service ($3,000+), the approach is slightly different. 

Offer them a freebie first, like an ebook, a mini course, or a free consultation call. 

If they like it, get them on a sales call, and close the deal from there. This saves you from wasting your time on people who aren’t ready to buy your product yet. 

Do this right, and there’s a MUCH better chance you’ll land a deal than if you cold-sell, or DM without intention to sell. 

Step #4: Follow Up

What if they say no?

What if, after all the time and effort going back and forth in DMs, they don’t want your offer?

Well, don’t give up just yet. Don’t be hurt or take things personally. 

The truth is, most people don’t say “no” because they’re not interested. They say no because they’re busy, they’re not 100% sure, they’re overwhelmed, or they just don’t like rushing (especially if it’s for a high-ticket program). 

So follow up with people who don’t say yes right away, because these are hot leads. 

If they were unsure about your offer, you can send them a simple DM like:

“Hey! Just wanted to check in. Curious what your thoughts were after our last chat?”

If you were on a call with them, try to schedule another call before you put the phone down. Setting a date and time greatly increases your chances of getting that follow-up call. 

Even if they say “no” outright, still keep them in the loop. 

You already know their problems, so follow up, ask them how their business or life is going. Don’t bring up your offer, but don’t let this lead forget about you either. Keep the connection alive.

Because trust me, when their pain comes out again, there’s a big chance they’ll DM you. 

Step #5: Create a Script Guide, NOT a Script

If you’re going to DM hundreds of people (which you should do), you’re going to burn out if you don’t come up with a repeatable system. 

That’s why it’s important to have a script guide, but NOT a script. 

Don’t write one script, then copy and paste messages to different people. 

Not only is that impersonal and leads to low answer rates, but Instagram might also flag your account for spam if you send the same message to dozens of people.

Instead, create a script guide on what to say next. So all you have to do is personalize it a bit and send. 

Here’s a sample you can build off of: 

• Open naturally
  • Reference their content or interaction.
  • “Saw your comment on ___. Curious what you think about that?”

• Uncover the problem
  • Ask what’s not working or what they want to improve.
  • “What’s been the biggest challenge with ___?”

• Qualify the lead
  • Check if they’re actively looking for a solution.
  • “Is this something you’re trying to fix right now?”

• Ask permission to pitch
  • Transition without pressure.
  • “I help people with this. Want me to explain how?”

• Present + follow-up
  • Tie your offer to their problem, then follow up if needed.
  • “Just checking in! Got any questions?”

Remember, these are just examples to get you started. 

Play around with it, and once you start sending DMs, you’ll notice a pattern of what works for your specific target audience. You can tweak your script guide using this information. 

Ready to Sell on Instagram DMs?

Selling on Instagram doesn’t have to be awkward or overly salesy. 

Done right, you’ll hit that sweet spot where your messages genuinely help people achieve their goals and get you PAID. 

So don’t be afraid. 

Start reaching out to a few people today, take note of how they respond, and use that to build a proven script guide. 

From there, all that’s left to do is to scale and continue growing your business. 

Need more help selling your digital product on Instagram?
Read my complete guide on how to do this next!

• YouTube
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• Instagram

Max Tornow
Founder, Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle

He’s helped thousands of creators across any niche and language turn content into views, followers, and income – with or without showing their face.

Over the past decade, Max has built multiple 7-figure brands, generated over $30M through content and social media, and coached creators worldwide to grow faster with proven systems, strategy, and human support.

→ About Max Tornow
→ About Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle

• YouTube
• Facebook
• Instagram

Have you ever tried reaching out to a brand on Instagram, only to get ghosted?

Or tried to promote your ebook on the platform, only to get zero sales?

Making money on Instagram can feel daunting at first. 

But if you look around you, you’ll find new creators popping up, going viral, and making a living off the platform every day. 

If they can do it, what’s stopping you from going for it? 

Perhaps it’s because you don’t know how? 

Well then… let’s change that. 

Today, I’m going over exactly how to make money on Instagram. 

I’ll show you the 3 critical steps to get started, as well as the 6 different ways you can monetize your account. 

How to Make Money on Instagram (Based on Helping Thousands of Students)

Step #1: Pick a Specific Group of People to Help

This is a principle you NEED to understand if you want to make money on Instagram:

You have to pick a very specific group of people to target.  

No matter how you plan to monetize, this is always the first step. 

Whether you want to target home cooks on a budget, ladies trying to improve their fashion, travelers who enjoy cruises, or couples who are raising young children, it doesn’t matter. 

All that matters is that you focus on a specific group of people. 

When you have a clear target audience:

• Creating content becomes easier (because you know exactly who it’s for)
• You get more loyal followers (because you don’t post things they’re not interested in)
• Monetizing becomes easier because you can sell or promote products that you know your followers are actually interested in. (Plus, brands with products aimed at your target audience will be eager to work with you.)

So if you already have an account, stop posting random posts and start targeting everything at your chosen audience.

And if you’re just getting started, even better! You can make the entire account hyper-focused on your people. 

But how do you choose which people to help? How do you pick a profitable niche?

Ideally, you’ll want a niche that:

• You know more than most people about the topic

You don’t need to be the best in the world. 

As long as you know more than the average person, that’s good enough. 

• People spend money on

For example, “entertainment” isn’t generally a great niche for monetizing. 

This is because people watch entertainment on Instagram to be entertained; they don’t necessarily buy anything from what they watch. 

However, a niche like makeup is very good for monetization. Makeup tutorials feature all kinds of products that people would love to get their hands on (which is why there are lots of highly-paid makeup creators). 

• You’re passionate about

This isn’t 100% necessary, but being passionate about your niche is a huge help. 

You’ll naturally be excited when talking about your niche, and people will be able to tell. Passion has a way of drawing people in that pure knowledge simply cannot. 

It’s also more fulfilling to build something based on something you love. 

And if things get tough?

You’ll have so much more energy to keep going and working through the challenges (rather than giving up if it doesn’t make you the money you want right away). 

Step #2: Pick a Monetization Method

There are 6 main ways to make money on Instagram, all with different pros, cons, and ways to get started. 

Not sure which one to pick? 

Let’s go over each of them one by one. 

Note: you don’t have to pick only one of these. You can mix and match strategies for more earning potential. 

1: Sponsored Content

• Pros: Relatively easy to start
• Cons: Can push followers away (if done incorrectly)
• Best For: People who want to make their first money on Instagram

Sponsored content is when you strike a deal with a brand for specific deliverables. This can be 1 post, or a combination like 3 reels, 1 carousel, and 5 stories. 

This is arguably the easiest way to earn your first money on Instagram because it’s low-stakes for the sponsoring company, and doesn’t require too much effort on your part. 

However, keep in mind that not every brand will be willing to pay for a sponsored post. If you don’t have a lot of followers yet, most brands will offer you freebies in exchange for posts (rather than payment). 

This isn’t a bad thing, but it’s important to know how much you can charge for a sponsored post depending on your follower count. 

Here’s a quick chart (note: there’s a LOT more that goes into this, so I highly recommend checking out my full guide on how much to charge for sponsored content: 

Finally, many brands are actively looking for creators to work with on a short-term basis. So even if you aren’t good at reaching out to brands yet, they might be the ones to reach out to you. 

However, the main downside of this strategy is that if you accept sponsors that aren’t aligned with your audience’s interests, your posts could push them away. 

Also, if you strike a deal with tons of deliverables (like 10 reels focused on the brand), it can come off as sleazy, and you might lose followers. 

So use this monetization technique carefully. Make sure to mix in sponsored posts strategically with your regular posts. And try to do these sponsored posts in ways your followers will enjoy. 

You can read more about how to get sponsored in my full guide here. 

But one last thing…

If you do a sponsored post well, it can pave the way for this next monetization technique: 

2: Brand Deals

• Pros: Long-term way to earn money, high earning potential
• Cons: Requires negotiation
• Best For: Creators who have a loyal following

The terms “brand deals” and “sponsored content” are often used interchangeably. 

But while sponsored content is a more short-term deal, a brand deal is a long-term partnership that may include:

• Exclusivity – not taking deals from your brand partner’s competition
• Usage rights – the brand has the right to reuse your content
• Long-term ambassadorship – you’re a brand ambassador, meaning you represent the brand even in content that’s not directly paid for. You can even represent the brand offline.

Brand deals are also long-term. Contracts usually run for months (or even years) at a time. 

As expected, these are more difficult to score than sponsored posts. 

Like sponsored posts, there’s no magical follower-count that unlocks brand deals (it’s much more important to build a loyal follower base of people interested in the same thing). 

However, since this is a long-term partnership, proving that you can grow an account will help with your negotiations. You may want to show potential brand partners how quickly you’re growing your account (and how much engagement your posts are getting). 

Because of this, you may struggle to land a deal with less than 1,000 followers (still possible, but difficult). 

Another thing you can do is to start by asking for a sponsored post. 

Then, if your followers react well and buy the product, you can then pitch a long-term brand deal. 

Again, brand deals are much more about negotiation. Show why you are a good fit, and you could land yourself a great deal. 

This isn’t the easiest way to monetize, but it’s one of the highest-paying methods out there. So if you’d like to learn more about how it’s done, read my full guide here. 

3. Affiliate Marketing

• Pros: Very easy to start, no negotiation required
• Cons: Lower income potential
• Best For: People looking for the easiest way to make some income from Instagram

Affiliate marketing on Instagram is not as lucrative as traditional affiliate marketing. 

That said, it’s arguably the easiest to make some money on Instagram.

That’s because lots of brands already have affiliate programs (yes, even some of your favorite brands). All you need to do is sign up, start promoting the brand, and you’ll get commissions anytime someone buys using your special link. 

There’s usually little to no negotiation required. Affiliate programs just have their terms and requirements. As long as you stick to these, you’re essentially free to promote the product however you want. 

That said, affiliate marketing doesn’t usually give you the biggest payouts. You typically get 5 – 10% commission for physical products, while digital products average around 20 – 50%. 

A 10% commission on a $100 product is only $10 for you. So you’ll need a ton of your followers to click on your link and buy the product to make a significant amount of money. 

This could push you to heavily promote your affiliate link to the point where you overdo it. When that happens, people start unfollowing you, because they followed for your content (not for getting sales ads for a product that’s not even made by you). 

So strike a balance. 

Sprinkle in your links every once in a while, but never overdo it. 

Because done right, it can be a nice way to make some money from your account. Read more about how to do it properly here. 

4. Subscriptions

• Pros: Paid for your content, recurring income
• Cons: Requires a super loyal audience
• Best For: Accounts focusing on causes, challenges, or entertainment.

Instagram Subscriptions are one of the most fulfilling ways to earn on Instagram because people literally PAY you to make special content. 

Plus, Subscriptions are built into the platform already. You can turn on subscriptions for Instagram anytime you want, and you never have to work with any third-party tools. 

However, it’s also one of the most difficult methods to make a decent amount of money. 

You’re directly asking your followers to pay for more content, and you’ll now have to make both free content and premium content. 

Instagram is also a free platform, which can be. Nobody opens Instagram thinking that they’re going to spend money to see something. 

Finally, most creators only charge $1.99 – $9.99 for subscriptions. It’s a monthly subscription, so you’ll get recurring income. But you’ll still need a decent number of subscribers to make a healthy amount of money from this model. 

Given that most people go to Instagram for free content, this model works better for accounts focusing on:

• Causes – saving endangered animals, removing trash from the sea, feeding impoverished communities, etc. Your followers may want to contribute to your cause, and subscribing is an easy way to do this. 
• Challenges – making a perpetual stew, counting down 1356 days, not cutting your hair until Manchester United win 5 games in a row… these are all challenge accounts where followers can directly support the challenge by subscribing.
• Entertainment – comedians, skit makers, celebrities… These people can all charge for more entertainment or behind-the-scenes content. 

You can still go for subscribers if your account focuses on something else. However, you may struggle to find exclusive content ideas to share. 

But if you’re up for the challenge, then read my guide on getting subscriptions on Instagram. 

5. Selling Digital Products

• Pros: High earning potential, super fulfilling
• Cons: Challenging to create a good digital product
• Best For: Coaches, people with knowledge they want to share

Selling digital products is one of the best ways to make money on Instagram. 

If you know a lot about a topic your audience wants to learn more about, why not convert that knowledge into an online course, an ebook, or even swipe files or templates?

The secret to selling digital products is demonstrating your expertise in your content. So much so that your followers will want to learn more directly from you. 

Accomplish this, and people will gladly buy your product. 

The first challenge of digital products is actually creating the product. Making a course, writing an ebook, or designing templates is a completely different skillset from growing an Instagram account (unlike brand deals, where you’re essentially just posting content – something you’re already good at). 

The second (even bigger) challenge is getting people to buy your product. 

If you’ve already chosen a specific group of people to help, then you’re off to a great start. Now the next steps are to: 

1. Strategize – if you’re selling a high-ticket product ($3,000+), the strategy that works is giving away a freebie first, then getting people to book a call with you. If you’re selling a low-ticket product ($20 – $300), the key is to get sales on autopilot. 

2. Create – create content that showcases your expertise. The key to selling digital products is to become the authority in your niche, so that people want to learn more from you. When people see how knowledgeable you are, and how good you are at explaining things, they’ll be happy to buy your product. 

3. Explore a Chatbot – my secret technique for getting more sales and engagement. Get a ChatBot like ManyChat, so that when people comment a specific phrase, they’ll instantly get a DM with your course/product. Chatbots can also handle simple FAQs, so people get the answers they’re looking for right away.  

I strongly believe selling digital products is one of the best ways to make money on Instagram (in fact, that’s exactly how I make money). 

So if you’d like to learn my tried and tested ways to make this method work, check my full guide here. 

6. Selling Physical Products

• Pros: High earning potential, super fulfilling
• Cons: All the headaches of selling physical products (manufacturing, shipping, returns, refunds, customer complaints, etc.)
• Best For: Niches with plenty of accessories (makeup, fashion, babies, cooking, etc.)

You might think that you need an enormous following before you can sell a physical product. 

While that certainly helps, you can still sell even with 1,000 or fewer followers.

When selling physical products, it’s not so much about demonstrating your expertise (like with digital products); selling physical products is more of a show-don’t-tell strategy. 

Strategically place your product in your reels, show people how it’s used without hard selling, or show how nice/easy your life is with the product.

You can do a reel directly promoting the product once in a while. But focus your content on creating a sense of FOMO for not having the product. 

This is because people hate ads. 

If all you’re doing is showcasing your product and pushing people to buy like an infomercial, people aren’t going to follow you. 

You’ll also want to set up a chatbot. This way, if anyone sees your product and is interested, all they have to do is comment a keyword, and they’ll get a DM with a link to where they can buy it. 

If you’d like to learn more about the nuances of selling physical products, read this guide next. 

Step #3: Create Content For Your People

Once you’ve chosen your target audience and your monetization method, all that’s left to do is create content that’ll draw in your people. 

But how do you do this properly?

Because there are so many people out there who create a TON of content, but never make a single cent out of it. 

I have a complete guide on how to get more views on Instagram, but to start, you’ll want to find out what content they want to see. 

So go to Instagram search, type in a keyword related to your niche, and check out which videos are going viral. 

Take note of what hooks they use, the types of videos they make, the topics they focus on, and how they interact with the comments. Use these ideas for your own content as well to gain more followers. 

Then, you’ll want to mix in a few posts talking about your product, your brand deal, affiliate product, or whatever monetization method you’ve chosen. You may even find opportunities to make faceless content.

The rule of thumb is that 70-80% of your posts should be purely value for your followers, while 20-30% should be direct “sales,” telling people to do the thing that’ll get you paid. 

This cadence lets people know that you have a product to sell, but it isn’t annoying or overdone. People will still enjoy the main content that they followed you for. 

For the most part, good content is good content no matter what monetization method you’ve chosen. 

However, there are some tiny differences in how to do content depending on your chosen method: 

• Sponsored Content – If you’re going for sponsored posts, positioning yourself as either an expert in your niche or someone who is extremely relatable is the way to go. Brands work with creators whom people either trust or relate to. 

• Brand Deals – Similar to sponsored content. However, you’ll need to build a solid reputation if you want long-term brand deals. Always post consistently, work on getting great engagement in your posts, and work on growing your follower count for better brand deal opportunities. 

• Affiliate Marketing – The most successful affiliate partnerships are the ones where you actually use the product you’re promoting. If you actually trust the brand, promoting them will come naturally to you. You can also be completely honest and much more lively, which is likely to draw more people to the product you’re promoting. 

• Subscriptions – Be interesting. Subscriptions work when people want more of you or your mission (more even than the free content you’re posting). Or, make sure the reward for subscribing is worth it (such as allowing people to help decide the content of your account). 

• Digital Products – Authority, authority, authority. Digital products are all about positioning yourself as the authority and making people want to learn from you. So give the best advice and tutorial on Instagram, show people you can help them solve their problems, and they’ll be eager to grab your digital products. 

• Physical Products – Soft sells and lifestyle. Showcase how amazing life is with your product. Create a sense of FOMO for people who don’t have it. Yes, you can hard sell once in a while. But too much hard selling comes off as salesy. So keep it soft, keep your content interesting for your audience, and sales should come. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Making Money on Instagram

Can you make money on Instagram?

Yes! Instagram is one of the preferred social media platforms for content creators to make money. 

This is because of how many people use Instagram, as well as how many brands are willing to spend on brand deals on Instagram. 

How many views do you need to get paid on Instagram?

Instagram doesn’t pay most people for views on Instagram. 

The Instagram Bonuses Program is an invite-only program where creators get a share of ad revenue. It’s not available for most people on Instagram. 

I highly recommend working on a different way to monetize your account, rather than growing it and hoping you’re invited by Instagram for the Bonuses Program. 

What’s the single best strategy to get paid on Instagram?

Selling digital products and brand deals are my top 2 ways to get paid on Instagram. 

They have extremely high earning potential and aren’t as difficult as other monetization methods. 

Anybody with expertise in a topic can start selling digital products, while people who have a big and engaged audience on Instagram are super attractive to brands. 

How do beginners get started making money on Instagram?

1. Pick a group of people to help
2. Choose a way to monetize
3. Grow your account by posting content your target audience loves

From there, it depends on your monetization technique. 

How many followers do you need to make money on Instagram?

There’s no magic number of followers to start making money. Making money on Instagram depends more on the quality of your followers rather than quantity. 

If you have 100 loyal followers who all share a specific interest, you can already sell them digital products, physical products, subscriptions, or get them to buy a product via your affiliate product. 

Sponsored posts and brand deals will be more difficult with a small follower base. But if you can prove your followers are their target customers (and show good engagement numbers), they may work with you despite the lower numbers. 

As a rule of thumb, you can start pitching to brands as early as 1,000 followers. 

Ready to Make Money on Instagram?

Instagram is still one of the top social media platforms to make money. It just takes a bit more than just views to start earning. 

But now that you know how to get started and the six best ways to monetize, what are you waiting for? 

Start targeting a specific audience, grow your account, get those sponsored posts (or start selling your product), and start earning from your hard work growing your account. 

Want to speed up the process? Well, there’s a ”secret” way to do that… AI. 

To learn how to use AI to get started, speed up the process, and make money from Instagram as quickly as possible, check out my AI Content Creator next.

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• Instagram

Max Tornow
Founder, Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle

He’s helped thousands of creators across any niche and language turn content into views, followers, and income – with or without showing their face.

Over the past decade, Max has built multiple 7-figure brands, generated over $30M through content and social media, and coached creators worldwide to grow faster with proven systems, strategy, and human support.

→ About Max Tornow
→ About Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle

• YouTube
• Facebook
• Instagram

No matter what your niche is, there are opportunities for you to start selling physical products. 

You can start making real money, just like my student @chloemorganofficial did. She’s a dance music artist who started selling nail products and makeup on Instagram, and very quickly earned her first $500. 

That’s why today, I’m going to give you a complete guide on how to sell on Instagram, including:

• How to choose a product that sells well on Instagram
• How to set up a shop and start selling
• How to properly market on the platform (so your followers don’t abandon you)

How to Sell Products on Instagram in 7 Easy Steps

For this guide, I’m focusing on how to sell physical products. If you’re selling a digital product like a course or an ebook, check out my complete guide on how to sell digital products on Instagram (it’s very different from selling physical products). 

But if you’re going for physical, then follow these 7 steps:

Step #1: Choose a Product Your Audience Wants to Buy

Whether you’re starting from scratch or you already have an Instagram account with a decent following, the first step remains the same: 

Find a product people want to buy, not a product you want to sell. 

I’ve seen so many people make the mistake of selling something they like, but that their main follower base isn’t interested in. 

Imagine trying to sell a travel backpack to your audience of home cooks. No matter how many followers you have, almost none of them will buy because they’re the types of people who stay at home. 

In a less extreme example, selling something like a premium knife can fail if your audience is the budget-conscious type. 

So, how do you find out what your audience wants to buy? 

A few ways: 

• Spy on Competitors – check what accounts similar to yours are selling. This should give you an idea of what kinds of things people in your niche buy. Don’t copy your competitor’s product, but you can use it to get some of your own ideas. 

• Pay Attention to Comments – if you’re a home cook, you might notice people asking you what knives you’re using. If you have a pet account, people might want to get their hands on the same accessories your dog has. Comments like these show you what you have that your followers are interested in buying for themselves. 

• Find a Common Problem – find a common problem in your niche, and try to find a product that fixes it. Head to Reddit or other places your audience hangs out, and read what problems they have. If there’s a product that fixes it, that could be your product idea. 

If you already have a product but don’t yet have an Instagram account, even better. Because this allows you to target the types of people who will buy your product from the get-go. 

Step #2: Decide How To Sell Your Product

Next, you’ll need to decide how you’re going to sell your product. Because nowadays, you don’t necessarily need to sell using traditional methods. 

Here are some ways: 

• Traditional – You hand-make or manufacture the product, create an online store, and sell items on your Instagram. 

• White-Label – You sell a product made by another company, but it carries your brand name, packaging, and pricing. You usually order products in advance, which gives you more control over quality, branding, and customer experience.

• Drop Shipping – You sell products under the supplier’s brand, but you don’t keep inventory. When someone orders, the supplier ships the product directly to the customer, making it easier to start, but with less control over branding and shipping times.

Whatever you choose, you’ll need an online storefront. Here are some popular options: 

• Shopify – the most popular online store builder today. Shopify allows you to easily create a shop, list your products, and sell all in the platform. Just add links to your shop on your Instagram profile. 

• Etsy – not a traditional store builder, but a platform that allows you to list and sell your products. Etsy is especially popular with people selling more arts and crafts types of items. 

• Wix – a super beginner-friendly website builder that also allows you to create an online store. Not as flexible as Shopify, but a good option for people who want an easy way to do it themselves. 

You can link to your online shop from your Instagram. 

Or, you can set up an Instagram shop. You don’t need this to start selling. Most accounts using Instagram shop typically have a whole catalog of items to sell. But if you’d like to display your products on the platform, here’s how:

How to Set Up an Instagram Shop 

1. Switch to a Business Account
   • Open your Instagram profile.
   • Click on Menu, Settings, and then Account.
   • Click on “Switch to Professional.”
   • Choose Business account.

2. Connect to a Facebook Page
   • Instagram will prompt you to connect to or create a Facebook page.
   • This is required because Instagram Shop is managed through Facebook’s Commerce Manager.

3. Set Up Commerce Manager
   • Go to Facebook Commerce Manager (on PC, this doesn’t work on mobile).
   • Click Get Started and choose Create a Catalog (recommended for digital products).
   • Name the catalog.

4. Upload Product Catalog
   • In Commerce Manager, add products to your catalog (manually, via spreadsheet upload, or via a partner like Shopify).
   • Include the product name, price, descriptions, and how you deliver the digital product (e.g., link after purchase).

5. Connect Your Catalog with Instagram
   • In Commerce Manager settings, go to Business assets → ad and sales channels.
   • Add your Instagram account so Instagram can access your catalog.
   • This enables shopping tags.

6. Submit For Review
   • On Instagram, go to Settings → Business → Shopping and follow prompts to sign up for Instagram Shopping.
   • Instagram/Meta reviews your account.
   • You can check the review status in Shopping settings.

7. Connect Your Catalog After Approval
   • Once approved, go back to Settings → Business → Shopping.
   • Select the catalog you created.

Tap Done to activate your Instagram Shop.

Step #3: Create & Optimize Your Account (NOT a Store Account)

Here’s a secret:

Even if your whole point of creating an account is to sell items, avoid making your account a store or brand account. 

Very few people follow stores and brands (unless it’s a major brand). People are much more likely to follow and engage with you if you show up as a relatable person rather than a store that’s out to sell them something. 

That’s why this is how I recommend setting up your account: 

• Username – use either your name or a combination of words showing what niche you’re in. Personal names have the advantage of being more personal and relatable, while niche words’ advantage is that people immediately know what you post about. 

• Picture – avoid logos! Again, the more real and relatable you are, the easier it is to get followers. So choose a good headshot of your face. It doesn’t have to be overly professional, but it should show you’re a real person. 

• Bio – a quick and simple bio that shows who you are, what your account is about, and what value you provide for your followers (not yet your product) 

• Link – this is where you add your product. Give it a simple title that describes exactly what it is like, “My Spice Mix,” or “Baby Clothes,” and link it to your shop. 

If you already have an account, make these tweaks because they’ll help you in the long run. 

Even if you have already started a brand account, but aren’t getting sales yet, it’s not too late to change your username, picture, details, and go to a more approachable personal account. 

Step #4: Grow Your Instagram Account With the Right Audience

Growing your account is NOT just about getting more followers. 

Even if you have a million followers, you still won’t be able to make a single sale if you don’t capture the right audience. 

If you want to sell a product, follower count isn’t that important. There’s no magic number like 1k followers where you “unlock” sales. You can start selling when you first start, given that you attract the right type of followers. 

So how do you find the right people, the people interested in your product? 

Here are some ways: 

• Niche Down – build an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) for your product, then target that specific group of people on your Instagram. Your ICP should include things like age, gender, location, income range, and also things like goals, pain points, and buying habits. 

• Find Out What Content Your ICP Watches – one of the easiest ways to do this is to head to search, and type a keyword related to your niche. Watch the viral reels in that search, and take note of the hook, tension, payoff, and CTA of those videos. This should give you an idea of what your target audience watches. 

• Speak Their Language (not yours) – mirror how your target audience talks. Use the same words, questions, and frustrations they use in comments, DMs, and captions. Because once your audience feels like you “get” them, they’re far more likely to follow (and eventually buy). 

Once you have content that your ideal customer enjoys, you’re ready to start selling. 

Step #5: Soft Sell Your Product

Now, before you go all in and make dozens of reels about your product, stop. 

Because people HATE ads. 

Nobody opens Instagram to watch ads. It’s called social media, so keep your content as social as possible. 

The right way to “advertise” your product is to soft-sell it. 

Create your normal content, the type of content that got you followers in the first place. But make sure to place your product somewhere in the reel.

Take a look at how these creators do it: 

• @Fitgreenmind – a cooking creator that focuses on vegan recipes. She naturally includes her spice mix product in her regular videos (like this), so it never comes off as salesy. 

• @Jamesllewis – an artist selling painting materials. He posts his art in a way that showcases his incredible paintbrushes and paints. Check the comments on any of his reels, and you’ll always find people asking about them.  

• @Crusoe_dachshund – a pet account selling various clothes and products. There are tons of product placements on their reels, all while rarely ever pushing people to buy. It’s super subtle, but very effective because people would love to have the same items for their own pets. 

Of course, you can make a couple of dedicated reels showcasing your product. You can pin these to your profile so anyone who goes to your account can see them. 

But don’t make this your main content. Keep on posting reels and carousels that keep your followers happy and bring new followers in as well. 

Step #6: Get a Chatbot

Chatbots are the secret weapon that works wonders when you’re selling on Instagram. 

Not only do they make your life so much easier, but they also bring up your account’s engagement and bring in new followers and new leads on autopilot. 

There are plenty of chatbots you can choose from, but the most popular one is ManyChat (I’m not affiliated with them, but I use this tool all the time). 

Have you ever seen those creators who say things like “Comment ‘GOAL’ and I’ll send you my roadmap.” And if you comment “goal” in their reel, you automatically get a DM from them with a link to their product? 

That’s a chatbot at work. 

This makes it extremely easy for your followers to find your product, and can also automatically answer any frequently asked questions. 

Finally, Chatbots are an algorithm cheat code. 

Not only do you get a lot more comments, but people sending you DMs is also a big boost for your account in Instagram’s algorithm. 

Step #7: Boost Your Sales With Advanced Strategies

If your product isn’t successful, you might need to spend some time rethinking it, or maybe try another way to monetize your account. 

But if your main follower base loves it, buys it, shares it, gives you positive feedback, and maybe even buys it again, then you know it’s time to scale. 

There are several ways you can expand your reach on Instagram, such as: 

• Boosted Posts – Instagram lets you run ads on your reels to reach an even wider audience. However! I would use this sparingly. If a reel doesn’t perform well organically, it won’t perform too well even if you throw money behind it. Instead, boost your best-performing reels, since those are what actually capture people’s attention. 

• Influencer Partnerships – an underrated way to get your product in front of more people. Find other creators in your niche, and partner up with them to have them promote your product. You can send them one for free to try out. Or if your business is really booming, you can even start paying influencers to promote your product for you. 

• Use Other Platforms – Instagram is a great place to start selling. But if it’s doing so well, you should probably get on other platforms too! Repurpose your content and start posting on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or even Pinterest (depending on your product). Instagram is awesome, but there are thousands of people you aren’t reaching if you only stay on one platform. 

Frequently Asked Questions About How to Sell on Instagram

Do I need a certain number of followers before I can start selling on Instagram?

No, you can start selling as soon as you start your account. 

However, having a strong follower base greatly increases your chances of success. When people already trust you and see you as an authority in your niche, they’re far more likely to buy your product.

Can I sell physical products on Instagram without an Instagram Shop?

Yes, you don’t need an Instagram Shop to start selling. 

In fact, a lot of creators selling products on Instagram don’t have Instagram shops. They simply build their shop on another platform like Shopify, then link their shop in their Instagram bio. 

How much money do I need to start selling physical products on Instagram?

Technically, $0. But that depends on the tools you’re planning to use. 

The beauty of selling on Instagram is that you don’t need to spend anything to get started. 

That said, you may need to pay $19/mo for a Shopify store. You can sign up for a free ManyChat account, but if you’re getting plenty of inquiries, you can also grab the $15/mo Pro version. 

Then just add the cost of actually producing your product, and that’s how much you need to spend to start selling. 

How often should I post when I’m trying to sell products?

Every day. 

You want to post on Instagram every day to get as much reach as possible. Posting every day also teaches you faster what your audience interacts with (and what they ignore). 

However, you should only hard-sell your product a few times. 

Most of your content should have creative ways to include your product in your reels (a soft-sell). Make your viewers naturally curious about the product without sticking it on their face and telling them to buy it. 

Do Instagram ads work for physical products?

Yes, but not in the way you might think. 

Instagram ads are not a magic solution if you aren’t getting views, followers, or sales. 

If a reel performs poorly organically, it’s not going to perform much better if you chuck a hundred dollars at it. 

That’s why the best strategy for Instagram ads is to promote reels that already did well organically. 

This means that the hook, tension, and payoff are proven to work for your target audience. All you need to do is pay for a little boost to show it to more people. 

Ready to Sell on Instagram?

Selling a physical product is one of the most exciting and fulfilling ways to monetize your Instagram account. 

And when people start leaving positive reviews of your product?

You’ll feel the rush telling you all the hard work was worth it. 

So what are you waiting for? 

Start researching and brainstorming a product your audience wants, follow the seven steps above, and start selling on Instagram! 

Need help getting more followers before you start selling?

Read my full guide on how to go viral on Instagram next! 

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Max Tornow
Founder, Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle

He’s helped thousands of creators across any niche and language turn content into views, followers, and income – with or without showing their face.

Over the past decade, Max has built multiple 7-figure brands, generated over $30M through content and social media, and coached creators worldwide to grow faster with proven systems, strategy, and human support.

→ About Max Tornow
→ About Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle

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Affiliate marketing on Instagram isn’t going to make you a million dollars. 

Promoting affiliate links on Instagram isn’t as lucrative as traditional affiliate marketing on blogs and websites. 

However…

It’s a great way to make some money from your Instagram account. 

All without having to worry about sales fulfillment, inventory, refunds, and returns. Most of the time, you won’t have to negotiate a deal with brands, making affiliate marketing one of the most hassle-free ways to make a side income. 

In this article, I’m going to show you how to get started with affiliate marketing. I’ll tell you how to set everything up, what to avoid, and how to earn as much as possible.

Can You Do Affiliate Marketing on Instagram?

Short answer? Yes. 

All you need to do is: 

1. Partner up with a company, and get a special affiliate link
2. Promote your special link on Instagram (preferably by showcasing the product)
3. When someone clicks on your special link and buys the product, you get a commission
4. Rinse and repeat

However, there are a lot of differences between affiliate marketing on Instagram versus traditional affiliate marketing. 

The strategies for making things work on this platform are unique. 

So let’s take a closer look not only at how to use affiliate links on Instagram, but how to actually convert your followers into buyers. 

How to Get Started with Affiliate Marketing on Instagram in 4 Steps

Here’s how to do affiliate marketing on Instagram for beginners in 4 steps:

Step #1: Narrow Down Your Audience

The secret to success is targeting a very specific audience. 

Even if you already have an Instagram account, you’ll want to rework your content to target this specific group of people. 

Don’t pick a super broad niche like photography, gardening, or travel, or try to appeal to everyone interested in these broad topics.

Instead, get specific, like photography for newbies, gardening for seniors, or budget travel. 

Narrowing down your audience not only makes it easier for you to attract followers (you’re not up against industry giants), but it also helps you connect with people more. When people see that you’re like them, they’re far more likely to trust your product recommendations. 

Now… There are two things to consider when choosing a niche. 

First is to pick a niche that has a high buyer intent. 

Some audiences love to consume content, but they don’t intend to ever purchase anything online. While other audiences actively look for tools, products, and courses, fully prepared to spend on these. 

For example, niches like entertainment have a lower buyer intent than something like travel. 

People watch entertainment to be… well… entertained. But people watch travel content to find out new places they can go and visit themselves (and spend a lot of money while doing so). 

Niches with high buyer intent usually have many companies offering affiliate programs, making it easier and more profitable for you to go after these niches. 

Some niches with high buyer intent include: 

• Personal Finance – people who watch personal finance content are typically the kinds of people who sign up for credit cards, budgeting apps, investment platforms, insurance products, and other finance-related software. 

• Travel – airlines, tour providers, hotel booking apps, travel insurance, eSIMs… There are countless things travelers purchase, and tons of companies offering affiliate programs. 

• Online Business – people who want to start an online business usually invest in courses, website hosting, website builders, and other online tools to help grow their business. 

• Beauty/Skincare – while there aren’t too many high-ticket skincare products, this is a niche with high sales volume. Promote skincare products, cosmetics, hair treatments, or beauty devices, and you might get plenty of affiliate sales. 

• Parenting – parents are always on the lookout for things to purchase for their babies. Whether that’s baby gear, sleep solutions, or monitoring devices, the buyer intent for baby content is high. 

The second way is to pick a niche that YOU personally enjoy. 

If you ask me, I’d say that this is the right way to do affiliate marketing on Instagram. 

Why? 

Because building an account about something you actually enjoy is so much more fulfilling. You’re also far more likely to stick around for the long run. 

Finally, people will feel your passion for the niche too. 

When you’re posting content every day about something you don’t actually care about, your content will come off as dull, uninspired, and unoriginal. You might still get followers, but you’ll struggle to get that spark that causes people to closely follow you and your work. 

But if you’re passionate about the topic? 

Your posts are fresh, inspired, and have a unique spin that people won’t find anywhere else. People will be much more likely to follow you, and when you recommend a product? People will go and grab it because they trust you. 

Step #2: Build Your Follower Base

Before you start applying for affiliate programs, it’s a good idea to build a strong Instagram follower base. 

Even if you already have an account, you still want to get it to a place where affiliate marketing will make sense (and money). 

That way, when you start applying for affiliate programs, you’ll already have something to show, and brands will be much more likely to accept your application. 

I have a complete guide on how to reach 1k followers (which you can read here), but in a nutshell, here’s how it’s done: 

1. Find out what type of content your target audience wants

Open Instagram search, type in a keyword related to your niche, and watch and save the top 10 – 15 reels there that are doing well. 

Repeat this process with several keywords in your niche, and you should have a bank of ideas that your audience already enjoys. 

The great thing is, once you start saving these reels, it signals to Instagram that this is the type of content you enjoy watching. So the next time you click on the explore tab, you’ll be spoonfed with viral ideas in your niche! 

2. Use viral video templates

The cool thing about Instagram is you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. 

There are several templates that do extremely well, no matter what the niche is. So if you’re struggling to find content ideas, just take a template and adjust it to your niche. 

Some viral template ideas include:

• Listicles – top 3, 5, or 10 lists. Everybody loves listicles because they’re easy to consume and are exciting to see what’s at #1. 

• Authority hacks – take someone that everyone in your niche knows (eg, Mark Cuban for financial advice), and talk about what people can learn from this authority figure. 

• Simple clip, simple text – a short video with a simple clip and a text that’s relatable, funny, or interesting. This is the hottest format on Instagram right now. Pair it with trending audio, and there’s a good chance you’ll go viral because of how shareable these reels are. 

• Controversial opinion – this is a great way to find your tribe. Share an opinion that others will disagree with, but what your core follower base agrees with. This is a great way to be relatable and build a loyal following. 

Also, be a student whenever you use Instagram. Don’t just watch for entertainment, but pay attention to the formats that keep popping up, because you can use them in your own content as well. 

3. Avoid beginner mistakes

One common mistake I see starters making all the time is being afraid to copy. 

Again, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel for Instagram. If you see an idea working extremely well for a creator, copy it. 

Add your own spin, of course, but there’s nothing wrong with “stealing” someone’s idea on Instagram. 

On the flip side, another mistake I see beginners making is not having any originality. 

These people go to the other extreme and just copy anything that’s doing well. It’s so important to add your own spin to things because that’s how you get loyal followers. 

It’s a balancing act. 

Don’t skip ideas that are clearly working, but don’t be a copycat either. 

Another mistake I see so many beginners making is not knowing how to balance quality and quantity. 

I firmly believe that you should post every single day. 

Not only do you reach more people and give yourself more chances to go viral, but posting every day also teaches you what your audience responds to, and what doesn’t work as well. 

Too many beginners post only 3x a week, and their progress is painfully slow. 

However, I’ve also seen people pushing hard to post every day without caring about quality at all. 

Again, it’s a balancing act.

Spend a few extra minutes to give your reel the quality it needs to go viral, but try as much as possible to post every day anyway. 

4. Don’t ignore your community

As you start getting views and followers, you’re bound to start getting comments and DMs as well. 

It’s critical that you don’t ignore these, especially if you’re planning to promote an affiliate product later on. 

This is because people who interact with your account are the main people you’re marketing to. 

If you answer their questions with confidence, they’ll start seeing you as an authority in your niche. If you’re warm and friendly to them, they’ll naturally start to like you and pay more attention to what you have to say. 

Build trust, and these people will be the first to buy when you start promoting a product.

Step #3: Pick a Good Affiliate Partner

When you have a healthy amount of followers, it’s time for the fun part: choosing an affiliate partner.

Whether you already know who you want to partner with, or you want to find out which brands have affiliate programs in your niche, follow these steps. 

First, don’t try to get as many affiliate partners as you can and promote all of them. 

If you promote dozens of brands, you’ll have a harder time converting your followers, and people aren’t going to trust your recommendations as much. 

As much as possible, go for a few high-quality affiliate partners you can trust. 

The best affiliate partner is a brand that you personally use and trust. 

Find a partner like this, and marketing them will come naturally to you. You can be honest with your praise, and your followers will feel it too. 

However, the reality is that not all your favorite brands will have affiliate programs. 

But don’t fret!

There are other ways to find great partners. Such as: 

• Searching in Google – type in “brandname + affiliate program.” If the brand has an affiliate program, it should pop up in the search. There, you can learn their requirements and learn how to sign up. This is what you should do if you already know who you want to partner with. 

• Joining an Affiliate Platform – affiliate platforms like CJ Affiliate, Awin, Rakuten Advertising, Impact, and others make it easy for you to find brands that have affiliate programs. These platforms also make contacting and applying to the programs much easier. You can also search these platforms for your preferred brand (sometimes a Google search won’t bring up their program). 

• Check Your Competitors – try spying on your competitor’s Instagram accounts to see who they’re promoting. If they have affiliate links, there’s a big chance you can contact the brand and get your own too. 

But don’t just sign up for the first (or biggest) affiliate program you find. 

When looking for partners, there are several things you need to check first:

• Niche Fit – this is probably the most important criterion when choosing a partner. I’ve seen so many people trying to promote products that don’t fit their audience at all. If you do this, you won’t get any sales, and you could lose followers as well. So pick a brand you can see yourself and your followers actually buying and using. 

• Company Reputation – some of the highest-paying affiliates are from the shadiest companies. AVOID these. Yes, you might be able to make money, but if your affiliate partner scams your followers, you’ll lose all your credibility. 

• Commission Rate – generally speaking, digital products and subscriptions offer higher commission rates than physical products. If you’re promoting a lesser-known brand, look for something that provides at least 5% commission (hopefully, higher). If it’s a very well-known and trusted brand, you can get away with 2% (because sales volume is higher with trusted brands). 

• Cookie Window – a cookie window is the amount of time an affiliate link can track a buyer after they click it. If someone clicks your link today and buys within that time window, you get commission. Cookie windows can be short (24 hours) or long (30 – 90 days). Once the cookie expires, you won’t get paid for the sale. So the longer the cookie window, the better it is for you. 

Once you find a brand that you want to work with, then apply for it. 

Most affiliate programs will have you put in your info (such as your account), and also give you space to write a message to the company. 

In this message, try to highlight how your followers match their target customer demographic. Give me as much proof to showcase this because if you can prove this, they’re far more likely to accept your application. 

Step #4: Promote Your Affiliate Links Properly

One painful mistake I see creators making with affiliate marketing is overpromoting. 

They push their affiliate links so hard, you’d think they own the company. 

They post about it all the time; it’s as if the brand is paying them for ads. 

And guess what?

People hate ads. 

If you do this, you’ll lose your credibility, followers, and your Instagram account will start falling away. 

Instead, here’s how to promote your affiliate links on Instagram: 

• Subtle Product Inserts – try to place the product you’re promoting naturally in your reels. You can show yourself using the product, or even just place it in a super obvious place in your reel. People will naturally ask about it, and only then do you send them your affiliate link. 

• Pinned on Profile – you can make 1-2 reels dedicated to the product you’re promoting. Then, pin this dedicated reel to your profile. That way, whenever someone checks you out, they’ll see the product you’re promoting (without you having to constantly make reels about it). 

• Post in Carousels and Stories – reels reach new audiences, while carousels and reels are mostly shown to your current followers. Again, don’t overpromote. But once in a while, add your links to your stories or carousels, so that the people who follow and trust you can easily find them. 

• Link in Bio – of course, adding your affiliate link to your bio is key. You can add it directly to your bio, or you can use a free links tool like LinkTree if you have multiple affiliate links to promote. 

• Link in Reel – if you pay for a Meta Verified badge, you can directly add links to your reels (depending on the tier you purchase). This makes it super easy to promote your link, and if the reel goes viral, spread it to hundreds of thousands of people. You can read about Meta Verified requirements here. 

Ready to Start Affiliate Marketing on Instagram?

Affiliate marketing won’t make you a million dollars on Instagram. 

But it’s one of the easiest ways to make a nice side income while building an Instagram account you can be proud of. 

And if you find a brand partner that matches your content and account perfectly, you could even go on to ask them for a brand collaboration instead (hint: there’s more money in brand collabs). 

So if you’d like to learn how to do that next, then read my full guide here!

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Max Tornow
Founder, Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle

He’s helped thousands of creators across any niche and language turn content into views, followers, and income – with or without showing their face.

Over the past decade, Max has built multiple 7-figure brands, generated over $30M through content and social media, and coached creators worldwide to grow faster with proven systems, strategy, and human support.

→ About Max Tornow
→ About Smartphone Freedom Lifestyle

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• Instagram