My Journey to Earn with Instagram Reels: A Beginner's Live Experiment
Let’s be honest – you’ve probably watched those Instagram Reels where people make money from short videos and wondered, “How do they do it?” I’ve been wondering the same thing. I see the potential, but I also have the same questions as you: Where do I even start? Which products should I promote? And how do I create Reels that people actually want to watch?
This post isn’t a guide from a proven expert. This is the start of my public experiment. I’m not here to promise you results; I’m here to document my own. After a lot of research, I’ve created a step-by-step plan that I believe is the right way for a beginner to start.
In this article, I am sharing the exact roadmap that I am going to follow to try and earn my first affiliate commission from Instagram Reels. Follow along with me, and let’s see what a real beginner’s journey looks like.
Table of Contents
Why I'm Betting on Instagram Reels for Affiliate Marketing
From my research, the power of Instagram Reels seems undeniable. With billions of users, the algorithm can make a single video go viral overnight. For a beginner like me without an established audience, this feels like the fastest way to get eyeballs on my content. My goal isn’t to become a huge influencer, but to test if this is a viable side hustle.
The plan is to leverage the visual nature of Reels to show products in a real and authentic way, rather than just talking about them. Let’s see if this theory holds up in practice.
My Step-by-Step Plan for This Experiment
Here is the 7-step plan I’ve created for myself. I will be executing this plan over the next few weeks and will share my results in follow-up posts.
Step 1: Choosing My Niche (My Thought Process)
This feels like the most critical first step. I know I need to balance what I’m interested in with what is actually profitable. After researching, I’ve learned that niches where you can visually demonstrate a product’s value (like beauty, fitness, or gadgets) work best for Reels.
For this experiment, I have decided to start with the (Children E-books and many more) niche. My reasoning is that I’m already interested in tech, and it’s easy to show how a cool gadget works in a short video.
Step 2: The Affiliate Programs I Plan to Join
According to my niche, like every beginner, my first step was to apply for Amazon Associates program. I had already created an account.
But, here I want to share my first mistake or learning with you. Amazon’s policy is that you have to make 3 sales within 180 days of creating an account. For a completely new blogger who has no traffic, it is almost impossible to achieve this target.
The same thing happened with me. Due to not getting sales on time, Amazon closed my account. See their email:
From this I learned a very important lesson: Just creating an affiliate account is not enough. Before that you must have good content and some traffic.
So, my plan is different in this new experiment. I will focus on making high-quality reels and building an audience for the first 3 months. When my site starts getting some traffic, then I will apply for Amazon Associates again. I will definitely share its entire process with you.
Step 3: Setting Up My Instagram Profile for This Experiment
For this experiment it was important to have a clean start. So, my first task was to create a completely new Instagram profile, just for this purpose. This is the profile I have just created. As you can see, it is completely new, with 0 posts and 0 followers. I am starting my whole journey from here.
Now my next task is to optimize this profile well. This is my future plan:
Profile Picture & Bio: I will put a clean profile picture related to my niche and write a clear bio, like: “Testing the Children E-book to boost your productivity. Follow my live experiment!”
Link in Bio: I will set up a Linktree or a link to my site in its bio, where I will list the products I have tested.
You can follow this experiment of mine live on my new Instagram page [@mylittlelearnersshop]. I will update all these changes soon after completing them.”
Step 4: My Content Plan for the Reels
This is the creative part. I won’t just be posting random videos. My content strategy will be based on these three ideas:
Problem/Solution Reels: Show a common work-from-home problem (e.g., messy cables) and present a gadget as the solution.
Unboxing & First Impression Reels: I plan to order a few small gadgets and film my real-time unboxing and setup experience.
“30-Second Review” Reels: Quick, honest reviews of children products highlighting one key feature.
My goal is to post 3 Reels per week to stay consistent.
Step 5: How I Plan to Use Links
Since Reels don’t have clickable links, my entire strategy depends on a clear Call-to-Action (CTA). In every Reel, I will verbally and textually say: “Full review and product link are in my bio!” My plan is to track clicks on my bio link to see which Reels are working best.
Step 6: My Engagement Strategy
To build trust, my plan is to reply to every single comment on my Reels. I’ll also ask questions in my captions to encourage people to engage. Building a small, engaged community feels more important than having thousands of silent followers.
Step 7: How I Will Track My Progress
I will be using Instagram’s built-in Insights to track views, reach, and engagement for each Reel. I’ll also use Amazon’s affiliate dashboard to track link clicks and any sales. I plan to post a “Month 1 Results” article on this blog to share all the data transparently.
Advanced Strategies: My "Dream Big" Goals
While I’m still working on the basics, I’ve also researched what the pros do to scale their income. This is my “dream big” section. If my initial experiments are successful, here’s a look at the advanced strategies I could aim for in the future.
Seasonal Campaigns: My research shows that planning content around big holidays (like Diwali or Christmas) or shopping events (like Black Friday) can lead to big affiliate sales. In the future, I plan to create special Reels for these occasions.
Collaborations: It would be amazing to one day partner with other creators in my niche for a joint Reel. This seems like a great way to reach a new audience.
Product Launch Partnerships: I’ve seen big creators get early access to new products. My goal is to build enough trust and authority so that one day, a brand might offer me a partnership for their new launch.
Legal and Ethical Rules I Will Follow
This is a really important topic that I’ve been researching. To build a long-term, trustworthy presence, I know it’s crucial to follow the rules. Here are the key legal and ethical points I will be strictly following during my experiment:
FTC Disclosure: My research shows it is a legal requirement to disclose affiliate links. I will always be transparent and will clearly write ads or Affiliate at the beginning of my captions for any promotional Reel.
Honest Recommendations: This is my biggest personal rule. I will only promote products that I genuinely believe are good and would use myself, even if it means passing on a commission.
Instagram’s Rules: I will regularly check Instagram’s own policies on branded content to make sure my account stays safe and compliant.
Final Thoughts - My Instagram Reels Journey Starts Now
So, this is it – my complete roadmap for trying to make money with Instagram Reels. This plan isn’t based on my past success, but on my current research and a commitment to trying.
My journey starts now, and I know the most important step is implementation, not just planning. I believe that if I stay consistent, focus on providing genuine value, and remain honest about my results, I’ll have some interesting lessons to share with you all.
Every successful affiliate marketer started exactly where I am right now. I’m excited to take action and see where this path leads. I invite you to follow along and learn with me.
FAQs
1. What is the minimum number of followers I need to start?
From all my research, the biggest myth is that you need thousands of followers. The experts say engagement is more important. So, my strategy is to start with 0 followers and focus on creating value. We’ll see how it goes!
2. How important is it to put disclosure (like ad)?
This is 100% necessary and legally mandatory. My research shows this is a legal requirement (FTC rules in the US, and similar rules elsewhere). To build trust, I will always clearly label my affiliate posts at the beginning of the caption.
3. Is it necessary to show your face in reels?
This is something I was worried about too! But my research shows it’s not necessary. For my experiment, I plan to try several “faceless” Reel ideas like product unboxings (showing only my hands), screen recordings, and aesthetic shots of the products.
Disclaimer:
The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only. The results from online earning strategies can vary greatly and depend on individual effort, market conditions, and other factors. Please do your own research before making any financial or business decisions.
Mehra
Mehra is the founder of EarnGears.com, a platform where he is documenting his live journey of building an online income stream from scratch. He is experimenting with blogging, SEO, and AI tools, and shares all his learnings – both successes and failures – with his fellow beginners. Join him on this journey to learn and grow together.
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