Turning Instagram followers into commissions: a guide for makers
Updated · 7 min read
This guide is for makers who already post their work on Instagram and want more of that attention to turn into paid commissions. It suits small workshops in any craft: furniture, jewellery, ceramics, glass, leather, textiles, instruments and metalwork.
We cover what Instagram says about how it ranks posts, how to set up a profile that invites commission enquiries, what to post, how to build a short path from post to enquiry, and how to measure whether it is working.
We do not promise reach or follower numbers. Nobody outside Instagram can, and the platform changes its ranking over time.
Key takeaways
- Instagram's head, Adam Mosseri, says the app has no single algorithm: Feed, Stories, Explore and Reels each rank posts differently.
- In early 2025 Mosseri named watch time, likes and sends (shares by direct message) as the three signals that matter most, with sends slightly more important for reaching people who do not follow you.
- Research on "operational transparency" found that people value a service more when they can see the work behind it. Process posts put that to work.
- You can pin up to three posts or Reels to the top of your profile and add up to five links to your bio.
- The commission path should be short: post, profile, one link, a short enquiry form or a set of questions.
- Count enquiries and paid commissions from Instagram each quarter. Likes alone do not pay for materials.
What Instagram says about ranking
In "Instagram Ranking Explained" (May 2023), Adam Mosseri wrote that Instagram does not have a single algorithm. Each part of the app uses its own. For Feed, the signals include your activity (what you like, share, save and comment on), information about the post, information about the person who posted, and your history of interacting with them.
Two points matter most for makers:
- Explore and Reels reach new people. Mosseri says most of what people see in Explore comes from accounts they do not follow. For Reels, Instagram predicts how likely someone is to reshare a reel and to watch it all the way through.
- Some things reduce visibility. Mosseri lists low-resolution video, watermarks from other apps, muted audio, borders, mostly-text content and posts already shared on Instagram.
In a January 2025 video reported by Social Media Today, Mosseri named watch time, likes and sends as the three most important ranking signals. Likes were slightly more important for content shown to followers and sends slightly more important for content shown to people who do not follow you. He suggested creators watch average watch time, likes per reach and sends per reach.
For a workshop, "sends" is the useful word. A post that someone forwards to their partner with "this is what I meant for the hallway" is the start of a commission.
Why process posts work
Ryan Buell and Michael Norton described the "labor illusion" in a 2011 paper: across five experiments with online travel and dating services, people valued a service more when it showed the effort it was making, even when they waited longer. In later field and lab experiments in food service, Buell, Tami Kim and Chia-Jung Tsay found that when customers could watch the cooking and cooks could see customers, customer-reported quality rose by 22.2% in their models.
Those studies were about websites and canteens, so applying them to a workshop is our inference. The idea carries over: people value work they can see. Process posts let a future client see the skill and time that justify your price before they ever ask for a quote.
Set up your profile for commissions
Someone who likes a post usually taps through to your profile. In a few seconds it should answer: what do you make, do you take commissions, where are you, and how do I ask?
| Profile element | What to put there | Example (illustrative) |
|---|---|---|
| Name field | Your name or studio plus the craft | "Anna Kowal Ceramics" |
| Bio, line 1 | What you make to order | "Tableware and lighting made to order" |
| Bio, line 2 | Where and how far you deliver | "Glasgow studio, UK-wide delivery" |
| Bio, line 3 | Lead time or next opening | "Booking commissions for spring" |
| Links | Commissions page first, then shop or portfolio | Enquiry form, price guide, care guides |
| Pinned posts | How commissions work, a finished piece, a process post | See below |
| Highlights | Commissions, process, finished work, care | Grouped stories, kept up to date |
Instagram's Help Center says you can pin up to three posts to the top of your profile; TechCrunch's report on the 2022 launch notes that Reels can be pinned too. The Help Center also says you can add up to five websites to your profile under Edit profile, Links, a feature opened to all users in April 2023. Put your commissions page or enquiry form first.
What to post
A simple mix covers most needs. You do not have to post every day.
- Process. Short clips and photos from the bench: a ring being set, a bowl being thrown, a dovetail being cut, a hide being skived, a guitar top being thicknessed. Keep clips short and in good light. Real sound from the workshop is fine.
- Finished pieces. Clear photos of completed commissions, in daylight, with a line on materials and size. Ask the client before you show anything from their home.
- The commission story. A carousel from first sketch to delivery shows a future client what working with you is like.
- Answers to common questions. "How long does a commission take?", "Can you match an existing piece?", "What happens to my deposit?" These posts save you typing the same reply in messages.
- Materials and care. Where the timber, silver or clay comes from and how to look after the finished piece. Only state what you can back up.
Avoid what Mosseri says reduces visibility: low resolution, watermarks from other apps, borders and posts that are mostly text.
Build a short enquiry path
Most lost commissions on Instagram are lost in the gap between "I love this" and a real enquiry. Make the path short and predictable.
- Post. Every few posts, end the caption with one plain line: "I make these to order. Commission details are linked in my profile."
- Profile. The bio says you take commissions and the first link goes to your commissions page.
- Commissions page. Explains your process, lead times, a starting price and how deposits work. See how to price handmade work.
- Enquiry form or message. Asks the same five things: what they want, size or quantity, timing, budget range, location.
- Reply. Answer within a day or two with next steps. See responding to commission enquiries.
When someone messages you directly, a saved reply helps. An illustrative example:
Thank you for getting in touch. I would love to hear more. Could you tell me roughly what you have in mind, the size, when you need it and a budget range? Commissions currently start from £X and take about Y weeks. If it is easier, the form linked in my profile asks the same questions.
Move serious enquiries to email or your form, so the details, sketches and approvals stay in one place.
Work with people who send you work
Interior designers, stylists, shops and other makers often find suppliers on Instagram. A designer who saves your posts may come back months later with a project. Make it easy for them: a highlight on trade enquiries, a note in your bio if you work with the trade, and a link to a page with specification details. See working with interior designers and architects.
Past clients matter too. With their permission, tag them or share their photos of the piece at home. Their friends see your work in a setting they trust.
Measure what matters
Instagram's own insights show reach, likes, shares and watch time. Use them to see which kinds of post travel. For commissions, add three numbers of your own:
- Enquiries from Instagram, by asking every enquirer how they found you.
- Commissions won from Instagram, and their value.
- Visits to your commissions page from Instagram, by adding UTM tags to your bio link. Google Analytics recommends utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign, for example utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=bio.
Review once a quarter. If Instagram brings many enquiries but few wins, the gap is usually price expectations or fit. Put a starting price on your commissions page and see whether the mix improves.
Privacy and permissions
Ask before you post a client's piece, during or after the build, and agree what you will show. Never show names on cut lists, delivery labels or anything that reveals where someone lives. If you film in a client's home during fitting, ask first and ask again before posting.
Sources
- Instagram Ranking Explained, Adam Mosseri, Instagram (31 May 2023): no single algorithm, Feed and Explore signals, Reels predictions, factors that reduce visibility
- Report on Adam Mosseri's ranking signals video, Social Media Today (22 January 2025): Mosseri on watch time, likes and sends as the top signals, likes per reach and sends per reach
- The Labor Illusion: How Operational Transparency Increases Perceived Value, Management Science 57(9), 2011, Buell and Norton: five experiments showing visible effort raised perceived value
- Creating Reciprocal Value Through Operational Transparency, Management Science 63(6), 2017, Buell, Kim and Tsay: field and lab experiments in food service, 22.2% increase in customer-reported quality
- Pin a post to the top of your profile on Instagram, Instagram Help Center: pin up to three posts
- Add a website to your Instagram profile, Instagram Help Center: up to five websites under Edit profile, Links
- Report on Instagram's pinned posts launch, TechCrunch (7 June 2022): pinning up to three posts or Reels
- Report on multiple links in Instagram bios, Tubefilter (18 April 2023): up to five links in bio for all users
- URL builders: collect campaign data with custom URLs, Google Analytics Help: UTM parameters for tracking visits from the bio link
Questions this guide gets asked
How often should a maker post on Instagram?
Often enough that you can keep it up for a year. For most small workshops that is one to three posts a week plus occasional stories from the bench. Consistency matters more than volume. Instagram describes its ranking in terms of how people respond to posts, such as watch time, likes and shares.
Do I need a lot of followers to get commissions?
No. Commissions come from the right people seeing your work and finding it easy to ask. A few hundred engaged local followers, past clients and interior designers can bring more work than a large audience that only likes photos. Measure enquiries and wins, not follower counts.
Should I put prices on Instagram?
A starting price or range helps people decide whether to ask, and it filters out enquiries that will not fit your budget. Put it on your commissions page and link to it from your bio, so you can update it in one place. Exact quotes still come after a conversation.
What should I pin to the top of my profile?
Instagram lets you pin up to three posts or Reels. A good set for a commission workshop is one post explaining how commissions work, one strong finished piece, and one process post that shows your skill. Change them when your offer or lead times change.
How do I handle enquiries that arrive as direct messages?
Reply with a short, friendly message that asks the same few questions every time: what they want, size or quantity, timing, budget range and where they are. Then move serious enquiries to email or your enquiry form so the details are kept in one place.
Can I post a client's commission while I am making it?
Ask first and agree what you will show. Some clients like being tagged, others want the piece kept private until it is delivered. Leave out names, addresses and anything that shows where they live.