How to Get Sponsored on Instagram: Expert Tips for Creators

To get sponsored on Instagram, it’s important to set yourself apart from the competition and maintain a strong, consistent presence online. You can do this by establishing a unique brand identity and posting high-quality and unique content regularly, among other things.

Sponsorships are one of the best ways to make money on Instagram, especially for creators and influencers who have built their brand on the platform. Luckily, you don’t need any special skills to get sponsored on Instagram. In today’s article, we’ll share expert tips and best practices to follow to help you land sponsorships.

Let’s dive in!

What is a Sponsored Instagram Post?

A sponsored Instagram post is content uploaded to the platform that promotes a product or service in exchange for money. In addition to monetary compensation, the creator of the post may receive a free product or service in exchange for posting about it.

While sponsored posts are technically ads, they look just like regular posts and generate significantly higher engagement rates than traditional ads. When you click on a sponsored post, however, you’ll usually find a Paid partnership tag under the account’s username and an #ad or #sponsored hashtag in the caption.

Aside from better engagement, a study by Johnson et al. (2019) in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication found that Instagram native ads, or those that resembled normal posts, had more credibility than traditional ads. 

Given its effectiveness in reaching audiences, it isn’t surprising that sponsorships, collaborations, and other forms of influencer marketing continue to grow in popularity in 2024.

9 Expert Tips to Help You Get Sponsored on Instagram

If you’re wondering how to get sponsored on Instagram and get noticed by bigger, more established brands, here are some expert tips to follow:

#1. Establish Your Brand Identity

Establishing your brand identity early on will help improve your chances of getting sponsored on Instagram, as brands tend to work with influencers who have an easily recognizable persona online.

Do you want to post health-related content? Or is your focus solely on delicious desserts? Whatever you decide, you must establish yourself within your niche to develop a strong brand identity and create content that resonates with your audience.

After you have decided on your branding, it’s important to reinforce it in all your content on the platform. You can start by choosing a color palette that represents your brand or a specific Instagram font to use in your posts. Doing so will help you build a more unique brand identity and improve brand awareness and trust over time.

#2. Analyze & Understand Your Target Audience

Brands often collaborate with influencers to reach a specific demographic, so understanding your target audience is key if you want to get sponsored on Instagram. To learn more about your audience, you can monitor Instagram analytics to determine your main demographic, their active hours on the platform, and the kind of content they like best.

When you have a strong grasp of who your audience is and what they’re into, you can focus on creating content that generates engagement and interactions that can help solidify your presence on the platform further.

By knowing your main demographic, you’ll also have a much better shot at figuring out what kinds of brands are more likely to work with you, which will improve your chances of getting sponsorships.

#3. Craft Unique Posts

Creating unique posts can elevate your profile on Instagram and help you land collaborations. After all, brands won’t choose an influencer who simply posts what everyone else does.

If you want to get sponsored on Instagram, make sure to post a healthy variety of content, including Instagram Reels, Stories, and Lives. This will keep your profile fresh and appealing to both brands and general social media users.

A great tip to remember is that while posting about generally popular topics will help you gain visibility, it’s important not just to follow Instagram trends. Instead, think of how you can put your own spin on these viral challenges to stand out from the competition.

#4. Post Your Content Regularly

Posting content regularly is essential for maintaining visibility on the feed, but how often should you actually post? Based on our findings, you should post content on Instagram at least three times a week to keep your audience engaged and grow your following.

But even more important than the frequency of your posts is their timing. According to the Harvard Business Review, the best time to post on social media overall is early in the morning, as people are more receptive to information and have a higher desire to engage during this time.

You don’t have to follow this strictly, though. In fact, if you don’t generate much engagement during the morning, it’s best to refer to your account’s analytics to determine when your audience is most active and target those hours in your social media strategy.

You can use social media scheduling tools like Publer to make it easier for you to post content consistently for maximum visibility and engagement.

#5. Tag Brands in Your Posts

Once you have defined your brand and developed your own style of Instagram content, it’s time to make your presence known by tagging relevant brands in your posts.

Even if a brand isn’t sponsoring you yet, posting about their products and tagging them will help put you on their radar. Positioning yourself as an avid user of the brand’s products will also increase your chances of getting sponsored on Instagram, as it will make the collaboration seem more authentic.

To make this move more effective, try reaching out to smaller businesses first. If you immediately go for established brands like Adidas or Prada, chances are they won’t even see your post. Plus, these are already widely popular brands that don’t really need collaborations to reach a wider audience.

More niche brands, however, will benefit from the credibility and influence of popular creators, so they are more likely to look for influencers with whom they can collaborate.

#6. Use the Right Hashtags and Geotags

If you’re wondering how to get sponsored on Instagram with 1,000 followers or less, the answer is to use Instagram geotags and hashtags in your posts.

Geotagging, or the process of tagging the location on your social media posts, is an effective way to catch the attention of local brands and potentially score a partnership. Local businesses often don’t have the budget or capacity to work with macro-influencers, so they often look for smaller creators to promote their products. 

Meanwhile, Instagram hashtags help connect your content with users who are searching for specific topics and make your content more discoverable overall. We find that the trick to using hashtags is to be as specific as possible. The more niche your hashtags are, the better chances your posts have of being seen by the right brands and audiences.

Publer has a convenient hashtag analysis tool that can help you find the best hashtags to use in your posts. Once you have a list of relevant hashtags, you can use them all in one go, as Instagram allows a maximum of 30 hashtags per post. Just make sure to hide the hashtags on your posts so as not to overwhelm your audience.

#7. Create a Portfolio

If you really want to highlight your value and get sponsored on Instagram, you need to make a portfolio. This should include a compilation of all your best content and its corresponding metrics, along with important details about your brand and some previous collaborations if you have any.

A portfolio is a great way to show brands what you can bring to the table and why they should collaborate with you. Aside from your credentials, keep in mind that brands usually work with influencers who they personally like, so it’s also important to let your personality shine through.

#8. Optimize Your Instagram Bio

After making a portfolio, the next best thing to do to boost your chances of getting sponsored on Instagram is to optimize your Instagram bio.

Aside from using keywords for discoverability, consider adding your phone number or email to your bio. This way, when different brands view your profile, they can quickly find essential details about you and have the means to contact you easily.

You can also promote a blog or an external website in your bio. However, Instagram only allows you to add one link at a time, and changing it constantly to match your new offers, blog content, and more can be quite a hassle.

Luckily, Publer offers an easy solution for you: the Link in Bio feature. This allows you to host all your links on a single page that you keep in your Instagram bio. If you’ve used platforms like LinkTree, it’s pretty much the same thing, except with the added bonus of Publer’s analytics.

#9. Pitch a Sponsorship Deal

Rather than waiting for brands to come to you with offers, you can directly pitch a sponsorship deal. Even if your efforts don’t immediately result in brand deals, being proactive will allow you to create a positive impression.

To help you succeed in getting sponsored on Instagram, it’s important to develop a rapport with brands first by commenting or interacting with them regularly. If they already know who you are and what your content is like, they’re more likely to respond! 

If you’ve never pitched a brand before, it’s never too late to start. You can reach out to brands on Instagram or even via email and phone calls. 

The key here is to highlight what the sponsorship looks like for both parties. What do they get from you? What do you want in exchange? This could be as simple as a cash payment or even free products.

4 Effective Steps to Secure an Instagram Sponsorship

As we mentioned, you don’t have to wait for brands to offer you collaborations; you can take the initiative and ensure that you secure a sponsorship.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to get sponsored on Instagram by pitching to brands.

#1. Set Your Rate

Before you start contacting brands, the first thing you should do is determine your rates. While this doesn’t have to be a set amount, it’s important to have a general idea of your minimum range that corresponds to your influence and value, as this will make it easier for you to negotiate pricing later on.

Brands can get thousands of emails a day, so it’s important to present them with all the details they need to know right away, including your rates. This will make them more inclined to read your entire email and increase your chances of getting sponsored on Instagram.

#2. Research Potential Sponsors

Next, you can start researching potential sponsors in your niche that you are interested in collaborating with or that may seem interested in one. 

To do this, start identifying brands that have existing collaborations or that often interact with influencers. Then, consider what value you can provide to these brands. 

Is it more engagement? Is it higher brand awareness? Knowing these things is important, as it will help you craft a more compelling pitch and ultimately get sponsored on Instagram.

#3. Write a Catchy Email Pitch

Once you have a list of potential brands, you can start actively pitching them for sponsored collaborations. Successful pitches should be interesting, informative, and concise. While it’s important to be thorough in your email, no brand will want to read through long paragraphs about why they should work with you.

In a few simple lines, you should be able to communicate your value and convince brands to sponsor you on Instagram. While this is definitely easier said than done, the best thing you can do to perfect your pitch is to practice.

Don’t be discouraged if your first few emails don’t get any responses. Instead, keep refining your pitch and sending it out to brands until you get responses.

#4. Negotiate & Close the Deal

When you get replies from brands you contacted, the last step to getting sponsored on Instagram is to negotiate and close the deal. 

We don’t recommend accepting their initial offer unless it’s a particularly good one. Instead, ask them what their specific goals are with the collaboration and what their budget range is.

Usually, the bigger the influencer, the higher their rates. However, even if you are a smaller creator, don’t be afraid to negotiate for a price that you feel reflects your value, especially if you can meet or exceed their needs.

4 Best Practices on How to Get Sponsored on Instagram

Once you know how to get sponsored on Instagram, it’s vital to follow these best practices to keep your good standing as an influencer and secure even more collaborations in the future:

#1. Maintain a Good Relationship With Your Sponsors

If you want to get sponsored on Instagram continuously, it’s important to maintain a good working relationship with your sponsors. 

Communicate with them regularly to ensure that you are both aligned on the goals and direction of the collaboration. You can also show initiative by sharing your insights and ideas about the partnership.

#2. Always Be Professional and Courteous

From your email pitch to the actual collaboration, remember to always be professional and courteous when dealing with brands. Promptly respond to any emails or messages you get and give updates about your progress on your sponsored posts. It’s also crucial to meet the deadlines you agreed on while maintaining high-quality content.

If you can’t make a specific post, relay this to the brand and suggest ways to compromise. Maintaining your professionalism will enhance your reputation and help you get sponsored on Instagram for free, as brands will want to work with you.

#3. Make Your Instagram Profile Visible

Making your Instagram profile more visible on the platform will help you catch the attention of brands and potential sponsors. One way to do this is by tagging them in posts, but if you want to take it one step further, you can craft posts specifically highlighting or reviewing their products.

When brands see the time and effort you spent in making the content, they may repost it on their page or even reach out to you with sponsorship deals.

#4. Stay Updated on Instagram’s Latest Changes

By keeping up with all the latest updates on the platform, you can show brands that you are an excellent candidate for sponsorship. Make sure to leverage any new content formats or features in your posts and adapt your strategy to ensure that your content stays relevant and competitive.

How to Disclose a Paid Partnership on Instagram

To disclose a paid partnership on Instagram, you need to switch to an Instagram business or creator account. However, if you already have a business account and can’t find the option to add partnership labels, you may need to turn on Branded content manually.

Here’s how you can do so:

Go to your profile and tap the three-line icon in the upper right corner of the screen, then click Settings and privacy.

Click Business tools and controls.

Then, tap Branded content and select Set up branded content tools.

If you’re eligible, you’ll see the following screen. Simply click Enable and you can start using partnership labels on your sponsored posts.

To create a sponsored post, craft an Instagram post, as usual, then click Next.

On the final screen, tap Partnership label and ads.

Then, click on Add paid partnership label and search for the brand you are collaborating with to add them to the post. If you have a partnership ad code, make sure you use it so the brand can boost your Instagram post.

Lastly, click Done to share your sponsored post.

Note: You can follow the same process when posting a sponsored Instagram Reel, Story, or Live.

Why Should You Disclose Paid Partnerships on Instagram?

You should disclose paid partnerships on Instagram because the platform takes down sponsored posts that don’t disclose their commercial partnership to protect its users. The Federal Trade Commission also imposes the same rule for influencers, and failure to comply can result in potential fines and liabilities.

Aside from legal compliance, research by Saternus et al. (2022) in Electronic Markets found that ad disclosure greatly improves the credibility of an influencer, especially for heavy social media users. Therefore, it’s in your best interests to be transparent with your audience.

3 Important Things to Consider Before Getting Sponsored on Instagram

Getting sponsored on Instagram can be extremely exciting, but before you sign any contracts, here are some important things you should consider:

• The brand itself. Make sure that the brand you collaborate with is one that you genuinely believe in and that shares your values as a creator. Authenticity is key to maintaining trust with your audience, and promoting a product just for the sake of the partnership may alienate some of your followers.
• The sponsorship terms. Before agreeing to the sponsorship, thoroughly review the terms and conditions of the contract to ensure that there are no misunderstandings regarding the content expected from you, the posting schedule, and the compensation.
• The impact on your brand. The sponsored post will affect not only the brand but also your image as a creator, so it’s crucial to be selective about the businesses you collaborate with. Before agreeing to the partnership, think of how it will impact your brand in the long term.

Key Takeaways

• A sponsored Instagram post is paid content that creators upload on the platform. This features a paid partnership tag to disclose its ad status.
• To improve your chances of getting sponsored on Instagram, it’s important to have a well-defined brand identity, a consistent posting schedule of unique content, and an optimized Instagram bio, among other things.
• You can also be proactive about getting sponsorship deals by pitching to brands yourself. To do this, you should determine your rates, research potential sponsors, and write a compelling email pitch.
• If you are already getting sponsorships on Instagram, some best practices to remember include always being professional when dealing with your sponsors and staying updated on the platform’s latest changes to maintain a competitive edge.
• Before accepting sponsorship deals, you should always consider the type of business you will be working with, the sponsorship terms, and the collaboration’s impact on your brand.