Multilingual Instagram Reels: How to Monetize Your Videos in 5+ Markets

Last year I ran an experiment that completely changed my perspective on Instagram. I took one of my Reels that had gotten 80,000 views in Italy - a tutorial on how to organize your desk for remote work - and dubbed it into English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Within three weeks, that single piece of content had accumulated over 1.2 million views across all accounts combined.

It’s not luck. It’s math and strategy. And in this article, I’ll show you exactly how to replicate this approach.

🚀 Why Instagram Reels is Different from TikTok

Before diving into strategies, it’s important to understand what makes Instagram a unique opportunity compared to TikTok. Many creators think they’re interchangeable platforms, but they’re not.

Instagram has an integrated ecosystem that TikTok doesn’t have. When someone discovers you through a Reel, they can immediately see your Stories, visit your profile, click the link in bio, and interact with your posts. It’s a complete funnel within the same app.

The Instagram audience also tends to be slightly older and with greater purchasing power. For creators selling products, courses, or services, this demographic difference is crucial.

💰 The Instagram Monetization Model in 2026

Instagram has finally launched a serious monetization program for Reels. Here’s how it works in 2026:

Reels Play Bonus: Performance-based payments for your Reels. Requirements vary by country, but generally you need:

• 10,000+ followers
• 100,000+ Reels views in the last 30 days
• Active professional account

Creator Subscriptions: Your followers can subscribe for exclusive content. Works in all major markets.

Live Badges: Donations during live streams, available globally.

Affiliate and Shopping: Tag products directly in Reels with commissions.

The key point is that all these tools work better with more followers. And the fastest way to increase followers is to reach new language markets.

💡 The Multi-Account Strategy for Instagram

Unlike YouTube where you can use Multi-Audio on a single channel, Instagram requires separate accounts for each language if you want to maximize reach. Instagram’s algorithm is highly localized - it shows content in the language the user uses.

How to Structure Your Accounts

Main Account (native language):

• Your main brand
• Original content
• Most engaged community

Secondary Accounts (one per target language):

• Consistent username: @yourname_en, @yourname_es, @yourname_br
• Same visual branding
• Translated and optimized bio

Which Languages to Choose

For Instagram, the most strategic markets in 2026 are:

Language	Instagram Users	Average Ads CPM	Competition
English (US)	170M	High	Very High
Spanish	140M	Medium	Medium
Portuguese (BR)	120M	Medium-low	Low
Hindi	230M	Low	Very Low
German	32M	Very High	Medium

My advice for starting: English + Spanish + Brazilian Portuguese. They cover over 400 million Instagram users with manageable competition.

📝 The Dubbing Process for Reels

Reels have specific characteristics that make them ideal for AI dubbing:

• Short duration: 15-90 seconds means very fast processing
• Prominent audio: Voice is often the central element
• Vertical format: Already optimized for global mobile

Here’s the workflow I use:

Step 1: Select the Right Reels

Not all Reels deserve to be dubbed. Ideal candidates are:

• Practical tutorials: “How to do X” works universally
• Personal storytelling: Stories that emotionally connect transcend cultures
• Tips and hacks: Short, actionable advice
• Before/After: Visual transformations with narration

Avoid Reels that are too tied to local trends, regional memes, or specific cultural references.

Step 2: Prepare the Audio

For optimal results:

• Record with good audio quality (even a smartphone is fine, but in a quiet environment)
• Speak with natural pauses between sentences
• Avoid background music that’s too loud and covers your voice

Step 3: Dub with NovaDub

The process is simple:

1. Go to NovaDub
2. Upload the original Reel
3. Select target languages
4. Wait 1-2 minutes for processing
5. Download the dubbed versions

NovaDub uses ElevenLabs technology, the best on the market for voice quality. The generated voices are incredibly natural - I’ve shown dubbed Reels to friends without telling them it was AI, and no one noticed.

Step 4: Optimize for Each Market

Once you have the dubbed videos, customize for each market:

Captions: Don’t translate literally, adapt. Use native expressions and local hashtags.

Hashtags: Research trending hashtags in each country. #fyp becomes #parati in Spanish, #viral in Portuguese.

Posting times:

• USA: 11:00 AM-1:00 PM and 7:00-9:00 PM EST
• Spain/Latam: 1:00-3:00 PM and 8:00-10:00 PM local
• Brazil: 12:00-2:00 PM and 7:00-9:00 PM BRT

📊 Real Numbers: What to Expect

After six months of multilingual strategy on Instagram, here are my results:

Starting situation:

• Italian account: 45,000 followers
• Earnings: ~€200/month (affiliate + collaborations)

After 6 months:

• Italian account: 58,000 followers (+29%)
• English account: 67,000 followers
• Spanish account: 41,000 followers
• Portuguese account: 35,000 followers
• Total: 201,000 followers
• Earnings: ~€1,100/month (+450%)

The jump in earnings isn’t proportional to followers because international brands pay more for collaborations, and affiliate marketing on Amazon US/UK has better commissions.

💸 The Costs: How Much to Invest

Let’s do the math for a creator publishing 5 Reels per week:

• 5 Reels × 1 minute average × 3 languages × 4 weeks = 60 minutes/month
• With NovaDub’s Creator plan (€49 for 50 minutes) + some extra minutes: ~€60/month

ROI: Investment of €60/month to potentially go from €200 to €1,000+ in monthly earnings. The return is obvious.

⚡ Advanced Tips for Multilingual Instagram

Smart Cross-Promotion

Occasionally, create a Story on your main account saying “If you speak English/Spanish, follow me also on @yourname_en/@yourname_es for content in your language!”

Local Collaborations

Look for local creators in target markets for duets or collaborations. A Brazilian creator with 50K followers mentioning you can bring thousands of new followers.

Market-Exclusive Content

Occasionally, create exclusive content for a specific market. A Reel about “best cafés in New York” only for the English account, for example. This rewards followers and makes each account unique.

Separate Analytics

Use Instagram Insights for each account separately. You might discover that certain types of content perform better in some markets. My tech tutorials crush it in English, while lifestyle content does great in Portuguese.

✅ Action Plan: Start This Week

Days 1-2:

• Create secondary Instagram accounts (2-3 languages)
• Set up consistent bio and branding
• Sign up on NovaDub

Days 3-5:

• Select your 5 best Reels
• Dub them in your chosen languages
• Post on the new accounts (1-2 per day)

Weeks 2-4:

• Dub every new Reel you publish
• Start engaging with the local community (comment, reply, follow similar creators)
• Analyze which content performs best per market

Month 2+:

• Scale what works
• Consider collaborations with local creators
• Evaluate adding a fourth language

🎯 Conclusion

Multilingual Instagram Reels is no longer optional - it’s a necessity for anyone who wants to grow seriously on the platform. With over 2 billion monthly active users, limiting yourself to one language market means giving up 95%+ of your potential audience.

AI dubbing has made this expansion accessible to everyone. What used to require thousands of dollars and weeks of work now costs a few dozen euros per month and takes minutes per video.

Creators who adopt this strategy now will have an enormous competitive advantage. The time to start is now.

Try NovaDub free with 2 minutes of dubbing included and discover how easy it is to reach a global audience with your Reels.

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