11 Rules For Making Money On Instagram

I used to think Instagram was the scariest form of advertising because it's expensive.

Before anyone even watches your content, costs add up like:

• Content shoot ($500-$2,500)

• Content editing ($500-$1,500)

• Social media management

Even if you DIY all this stuff, you’re still looking at multiple full days of work. Which is time expensive.

Honestly, this constant cycle of investing without immediate return is why I avoided Instagram marketing for years.

Now, I've spent multiple 6-figures on this channel with zero fear following these 11 rules.

Let’s dive in:

1) The first 30 days is always learning time

Remember the last time you tried to learn something new and got it right the first time?

Me either. 

Social media algorithms work the same way. Kinda like a human brain.

They need time to wrap their “head” around your business and find people who want to book with you. 

This learning phase can take 30 days. Let it take that long. 

2) The second 30 days is finding what works

After the learning phase, dive into the numbers to see what did best. You’ll want to answer these exact questions:

• What posts got the most views, likes, comments or shares?

• What ads are driving the most bookings? (if relevant)

• Who is interacting with my stay? (couples, moms, influencers)

The goal here is to focus. Make more of the posts that work.

Example:

We just did this with a client. Here’s what we found:

• What posts got the most views, likes, comments or shares?: Aerial shots + people interacting around a bonfire

• What ads are driving the most bookings?: Same as above

• Who is interacting with the stay?: Couples and dads

Result: We made more posts using drones calling out couples and dads. Bookings have increased.

3) Always be driving traffic

If you don’t get enough website traffic from posting on Instagram, run a traffic Meta ads campaign. 

You won’t get many bookings here. 

Instead, think of this as giving the algorithm a 300mg energy drink backed by a motivational speech that is truly moving. 

You are incentivizing the algorithm (social media companies) with money to work harder and longer to find your perfect guest. 

We call this training the pixel. The data you get now, lasts forever. 

4) 80/20

80% of all your content should be what works. It’s okay if videos start to look similar. No one will remember. 

20% are the shower thoughts you want to test. 

5) Use actors

People like to see people doing fun things.

Show actors experiencing your stay in the most desirable way possible. 

• Cook colorful, healthy food

• Brew coffee and drink it on the deck

• Have a bonfire at sunset

• Make s’mores

• Etc…

Sell the experience. Not a place to sleep.

6) Start with outside hooks

We spend thousands of dollars each month testing visual hooks. 

Visual hook: The first 1-3 seconds of a content piece that MUST capture attention.

We focus on exterior shots for 80% of our clients. Like an ad literally won’t be approved if the hook is not an exterior shot of the property.

They work.

7) 7 day shifts

Analyze your content every 7 days to answer the same three questions:

• What posts got the most views, likes, comments or shares?

• What ads are driving the most bookings? (if relevant)

• Who is interacting with my stay?

Worst case, you build a habit of checking in.

Best case, you find a data point that 10x’s bookings.

It’s worth it.

8) If you're going to spend money on getting bookings from ads, don't stop spending until you've spent 3x the value of a booking

If you’re going to spend money on ads, don’t let yourself give up early.

I won’t call an ad campaign dead until I’ve spent at least 3x the value of a booking. 

Example: If a booking is worth $600, I won’t get nervous until I’ve spent $1,800.

Honestly, I rarely hit that limit. Once the first booking from ads come in, the next follow quickly.

But, it’s a good reminder for those days where impulsive gut decisions sound all too good.

9) Measure the micro KPIs

Most people don’t book from Instagram. Which can be discouraging. 

But, there are other actions they take that turn to a later booking. Like:

• Becoming a lead

• Viewing a property

• Starting the booking process

I call these micro goals. Track this stuff. After enough time you’ll start to notice how many micro goals equal a booking. This is called “funnel math.”

10) Callout your perfect guest

Put text on the screen that speaks to a specific person. (i.e. families or couples).

Example: The perfect city escape for couples.

These always perform well.

11) Just start

The best way to make money from Instagram is by starting.

• Post

• Post again

• Make better posts

• Then post those

Don’t let the lack of trying be the bottleneck in your marketing.

That's all for today. I'll see you in the next article.

P.S. Writing this from South Padre Island, Texas. Anyone else turn into a total child at the beach? Like I played in the waves for a solid hour straight.

Before you go

I spend about 10 hours writing this newsletter each week. The rest of my time is spent running Lodge Social.

Our marketing team will help you get more guests to like, share and book.

Work with me and my team here.

Links you might like:

1. Social media ideas for your hotel (Tremento)

2. Luxury amenities that boost your vacation rental income (Wander)

3. Good marketing advice (LinkedIn)

4. Is glamping a trend? Find out… (The Lodge Social)

5. Love this newsletter? Ask me anything (SURVEY)