How to make money on Instagram with a small account

You make money on Instagram by selling what your followers already see in your posts, and FanShop gives you a free shop to do exactly that.

The known routes and their hurdles

Instagram pays creators through a handful of routes. Brands pay for sponsored posts and stories, affiliate links earn a cut of what your followers buy, subscriptions let fans pay monthly for extra content, and badges bring tips during a live. The hurdle on each of them is reach. Brands want numbers before they reply, and the platform's own programmes open only above a minimum reach that changes from year to year.

Underneath those routes sits a simpler one. Your followers see what you wear in every post, and some of them want exactly that piece. FanShop gives you a free shop where they can buy it, with no follower minimum.

Why a small account sells well

Brand deals scale with reach. Selling your own pieces scales with trust, and a small account often has more of it than a large one. Your 800 followers know the jacket from your last reel and the sneakers from your gym stories, and they have watched you long enough to want something real from you. On FanShop you list those pieces, put the link in your bio or a story, and the people who already care buy them.

From post to listing

Your grid is already the catalogue. The listing adds the price tag.

• The jacket from your most saved reel
• Sneakers from your gym or running stories
• The cap from your profile picture
• A dress or shirt from a travel carousel
• Gear from a challenge or a collaboration

Photograph the piece as it is today, name the post it appeared in and describe its condition. A person at FanShop approves the listing, and it goes live in your shop.

How you get in

1. Apply in the browser. A person reads your application.
2. You get your invitation by email and set up your shop.
3. You verify your identity once (18 and over).
4. You list your pieces, each one is approved by a person.
5. On a sale you download your prepaid label, pick a parcel shop and drop the parcel off. FanShop is the sender on the label, your name and address stay private.

FanShop is in pre-launch. Creators apply now and build their shops, buyers arrive at launch. Your story announcing the shop can go out the day the doors open.

What a sale pays and when

You enter the amount that should land with you, and the shop price is calculated from it. FanShop keeps 30 percent of the shop price. The buyer pays shipping at checkout, parcels ship across the EU, and returns go to FanShop rather than to you.

Payouts go out once a month to your bank or Stripe account. A sale becomes due 14 days after confirmed delivery, which is the buyer's statutory withdrawal window. The minimum payout is 10 euros, and smaller amounts roll into the next month.

Common questions

Does FanShop need a minimum number of followers?

No. There is no follower minimum, no monthly fee and no joining cost. FanShop keeps 30 percent of the shop price when a piece sells.

Can I link my shop from Instagram?

Yes. Your shop has its own address under your name. Put it in your bio, share it in a story, or mention it under the post where the piece appeared.

Do I have to pay tax on this?

For most creators this is relaxed. Selling things from your everyday life is usually treated as a private sale, and the rules depend on the country you live in. Under EU platform rules, FanShop reports nothing to the tax office as long as you stay under 30 sales and 2,000 euros per year. If you sell regularly, a quick word with a tax adviser settles it. This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Full details are on our Notes and FAQ page.

What can I sell, and what stays out?

Pieces you have personally worn, used or owned: clothing, shoes and gear. New merchandise, reselling and underwear stay out, nothing sexual is listed, and presentation is always clean.