If you were to ask at least 10 individuals about their purpose for using Instagram, we are sure you are likely to receive diverse responses. Some would say they use it for entertainment, they use it as a distraction, some might loathe the fact they are so addicted to this app, some might say that they are Instagram influencers and it’s their workspace, and some might say they use it for their business. Yes, that is also a possibility now. Instagram is more than memes and sharing pictures. It has become a business platform. Which makes Instagram an ideal platform for a side hustle. 

Okay, but before we start discussing how to use Instagram for a side hustle and to generate many income streams, 

Let’s discuss why one needs multiple income sources

There are many people who do not rely on full-time jobs and prefer to be their own bosses, either by working freelance or by starting their own business. But some stick to full-time jobs because it gives them job security. Some feel the need to have more income streams because well, you make more money. And because if one income stream is shut you have more backups. The pandemic has proven this fact for most. So here’s Instagram to your rescue. 

If you must have noticed, many small businesses on Instagram came into the limelight during the pandemic. There are two possibilities that led to this phenomenon. 

• Since people were under quarantine they had more time to explore the internet and they started noticing these small businesses

OR

• These small business owners had a lot of time and no income sources since many lost their jobs during the pandemic, they resorted to using Instagram to side a side hustle. 

The second possibility is the reason why we can see so many Instagram thrift stores today. And to back up the first possibility we must tell you that some of these thrift stores already existed but were noticed only during the pandemic. The internet works in mysterious ways, doesn’t it? 

Why of all platforms is Instagram ideal for a side hustle?

Well, for one, it has a huge user base and many success stories. But let’s dig deeper and see how Instagram can help you to promote your business or side hustle. 

1. It’s great for content creation

When you plan to use Instagram for your business you are by default signing up for content creation. And for businesses content creation beats curation. Hence, you must focus on that. Every business owner, every brand on Instagram is a part of content creation. It’s the only to keep engaging with your followers. 

2. It has influencers

When we talk about content creation we are also talking about influencer marketing. One Instagram influencer marketing tip that you should always remember is to switch to an Instagram creator’s account or business account. These two features have many benefits that you must use for influencer marketing. 

Your business needs influencer marketing to boost awareness. You have to continue using social media marketing for your Instagram page but do not forget to combine it with influencer marketing. Always remember that it’s not always influencer marketing vs social media marketing because they go hand in hand. You need influencers to drive people to your page and you need social media marketing to keep them engaged. 

Today, there are many influencers who promote small businesses on Instagram. You can connect with them for brand collaborations. You can create a successful influencer marketing campaign for yourself without spending a fortune. 

3. It has reels

Reels rule Instagram today. Instagram supports many video formats which makes it easier for you to integrate video content into your marketing strategy. Reels can give your business major exposure. It is what makes ‘overnight success’ a reality. Even if you do not run a business but are looking to become an influencer, you have to make sure that you use reels. Many students, retired individuals, and full-time professionals who want to become an influencer use reels to get seen on Instagram. And believe us, it’s been working really well for them. 

4. It helps you promote your side hustle

“Yes, Instagram helps promote side hustle. We have established that”. Sure, we have but what we mean is that no matter if your business is on Instagram or not, you can still use it to drive traffic to where your business is. There are many influencer marketing tools like membership platforms available today. And people use Instagram to promote the main content that they create on these membership platforms. These influencer marketing tools come in very handy for small business owners as it helps to achieve more from an influencer marketing campaign with less budget. 

Instagram is one way to monetize your content. But there are many other platforms like Patreon, YouTube, Gumroad, that creators use as a side hustle. They use Instagram to promote these platforms instead of using Instagram directly to promote their business. One such platform is WORD Marketplace that most budding influences can use to find brand collaborations. An influencer has to start somewhere, right? This platform gives them that opportunity. 

With Instagram, you can transition your side hustle into a full-time job

Have you ever thought about starting a side hustle just so you can quit your current full-time job only to make your side hustle a full-time job someday? Does this make sense? It does to many students and many professionals. 

You will often come across many influencers who started using Instagram just to create content for fun, then they started getting brand collaborations on the platform and now they are full-time influencers with many other income streams. There are influencers that made it to OTT platforms by using Instagram as their side hustle in the former stages of their career. 

The opportunities that you can explore on Instagram depend highly on your niche. There are so many influencer marketing niches present today that are actually a product of side hustle. There are doctors, educators, skilled professionals, who have started posting content related to their knowledge and profession. The result is that now we have multiple streams of niches. 

There are full-time influencers who are business owners and use Instagram to promote their business. So if you want to start using Instagram to expand your side hustle or just to create a source of income, you sure can. If you are a working professional who wants to become a travel influencer without having to quit your job, you sure can! 

You can do everything in your capacity to explore your skills and Instagram is the right platform to have by your side when doing so.