In a world where side hustles and online income are booming, Instagram Reels have emerged as a powerful tool to grow your audience and sell digital products without needing a website or fancy tech skills.
In this case study, we’ll explore how Priya, a 23-year-old freelance designer, made ₹18,000 in just 7 days using nothing but Instagram and a simple 1-hour digital product.
Let’s break down exactly what she did, why it worked, and how you can replicate her strategy step-by-step.
💡 Step 1: Identifying a Profitable Idea
The first step Priya took was finding a pain point in her audience. She noticed many small creators and freelancers struggled with creating visually appealing Instagram content and didn’t understand design basics.
So, she created a 1-hour mini-course titled:
🖥️ “Design Basics for Instagram Creators – How to Create High-Converting Posts & Reels”
She didn’t overthink it. The product covered:
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Font and color psychology
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Canva hacks
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Basic design do’s & don’ts
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Templates included
📌 Key Tip for You:
Don’t wait to be an expert. Teach what you already know or recently learned. Even if you’re 2 steps ahead, someone needs that knowledge.
✅ Other beginner-friendly product ideas:
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“30 Reels Hooks for Coaches”
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“Instagram Growth Checklist”
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“How to Edit Reels on CapCut”
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“Beginner’s Guide to Personal Branding”
🎬 Step 2: Creating the Digital Product
Priya used Canva to design her slides and Loom to record her voice and screen. It was a pre-recorded video, so she didn’t have to show her face or be live.
🧰 Tools she used:
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Canva (Free): to make the presentation
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Loom (Free plan): to record her screen + voice
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Google Drive: to host and share the final video
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Google Forms: to collect payments and deliver access
📌 Important Advice:
Keep it simple. A digital product doesn’t mean complex tech or platforms. All you need is:
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Some knowledge
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A recording tool
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A place to share the link
📲 Step 3: Making Reels That Sell (Without Selling)
Priya didn’t just post, “Buy my product!” Instead, she made valuable Instagram Reels that:
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Solved quick problems (e.g., “3 fonts that make your posts look premium”)
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Showed results (e.g., “Before & after using my Canva layout”)
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Used curiosity (e.g., “Most beginners make this Reels mistake…”)
✅ Her Reels included:
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Value-first content
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Text overlay + music
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Short hook (3 seconds)
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CTA: “DM me ‘Design’ to get my 1-hour class”
📌 Example Reel:
🎥 Reel Caption:
“Most people mess up their Instagram layout because they don’t follow this 1 rule 👇
Want my design secrets? DM ‘Design’”
This call-to-action drove people to her DMs without sounding like a sales pitch.
📤 Step 4: Selling Through DM + Google Forms
Instead of building a website or sales page, Priya used DM conversations and Google Forms.
Here’s what her sales flow looked like:
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👤 Someone DMs her “Design”
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💬 She replies with:
“Hey! I’ve made a 1-hour crash course on Instagram design + templates. It’s ₹299. Fill this Google Form and you’ll get access instantly.”
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📄 Google Form includes:
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Name
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Email
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UPI ID or screenshot of payment
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Delivery email confirmation
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📧 After payment confirmation, she sends a Google Drive link with the video and bonuses.
🔥 Result:
She sold to 60 people in 7 days at ₹299 each = ₹17,940 (~₹18K)
📌 Pro Tip:
Use Google Forms for order collection and UPI for payment. Keep it beginner-friendly. You can automate later.
🚀 Why This Strategy Worked
Let’s break down why Priya’s method was so effective, even with zero ad spend or complex systems:
1. Low Price, High Value
At ₹299, her product was affordable. It was easy for her audience to say yes without overthinking.
2. Simple Funnel
She didn’t make people click away to a website. Everything happened on Instagram + DM, making it frictionless.
3. Relatable Reels
She didn’t try to be perfect. Her Reels felt real, helpful, and easy to understand. That builds trust fast.
4. Direct CTAs
Telling people to DM her with a word like “Design” made it easy to track interest and respond quickly.
✍️ How You Can Start – Step-by-Step Guide
Here’s a simplified roadmap you can follow:
✅ Step 1: Choose a topic
Pick a skill you know that others want to learn:
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Editing Reels
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Using ChatGPT
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Freelancing tips
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Instagram growth hacks
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Budget travel planning
✅ Step 2: Create a simple digital product
Use Canva or Google Slides to make:
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A checklist
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A 1-hour tutorial
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A Notion template
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A Google Sheet planner
Use Loom or Zoom to record your voice if needed.
✅ Step 3: Create 5-7 Reels
Structure your Reels like this:
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Hook (0-3 sec): “Most beginners fail because…”
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Tip or info (3-15 sec)
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CTA (15-20 sec): “DM me ‘XYZ’ for my mini-course”
✅ Step 4: Use Google Form for orders
Ask for:
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Name
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Email
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Payment screenshot
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Auto-response or manual reply with delivery link
✅ Step 5: Post consistently
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Post 1 Reel per day for 7 days
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Reply to DMs quickly
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Use Stories to showcase feedback, testimonials, and urgency (“Only 10 spots left!”)
💸 Potential Earnings
Let’s say you price your product at ₹299 and sell to:
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10 people = ₹2,990
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50 people = ₹14,950
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100 people = ₹29,900
And that’s just from Instagram, without ads, websites, or paid tools.
Imagine doing this every month with new Reels and products!
📢 Real Feedback Priya Got
Here’s what some of Priya’s buyers said:
🗨️ “I loved how beginner-friendly it was. I finally understood color theory!”
🗨️ “I used one of your Canva tips and my post reached 3K+ people!”
🗨️ “Best ₹299 I’ve spent. Felt like a 1-on-1 coaching.”
This kind of feedback helped Priya:
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Build trust
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Get repeat buyers
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Create a community of learners
🔑 Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need to Be an Influencer
What Priya proved is that you don’t need 100K followers to earn from Instagram. She had just 1,900 followers, but made more in a week than most part-time jobs.
All it takes is:
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A skill
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A short digital product
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Valuable content
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Consistent engagement
So, if you’re scrolling Instagram every day, why not use it to start your own mini income stream?
The best time to start is now — and the best platform to start on is the one you’re already using: Instagram.
🧠 Recap Checklist
✅ Find a skill or solution you can teach
✅ Create a simple, helpful product (30-60 min)
✅ Make Reels that offer value and curiosity
✅ Drive traffic to DMs using a clear CTA
✅ Use Google Forms and UPI to collect and deliver orders
✅ Engage, respond, and post daily for 7 days
If Priya can make ₹18K in 7 days, so can you — all you need is the right strategy and a little confidence.
