How Much Money Can You Make As An Influencer?
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Social media has transformed our world, and now influencers are some of the most well-known celebrities.
They can have huge followings, from thousands to millions on media apps, like Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube. This leads us to the question, how much money can you make as an influencer?
The quick answer is that there is no limit to how much an influencer can make, as there is no set salary for this job, we get paid per deal, or per conversion. The long answer is that it also depends on who the influencer is, their following, and what they’re promoting.
I’ll cover more about how much influencers earn in this article, including the most common ways in which they make money. If you want to learn more about how influencers make money, keep reading!
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What Do Influencers Do?
Influencers make their money by influencing what other people buy. They promote products to their social media following through posts and affiliate links.
Influencing has fast become a career over the past ten years, as people on Youtube, TikTok, and Instagram can make a lot more money than the traditional 9-5 job.
But although it looks easy from the outside, there is actually more work involved than people assume.
To become an influencer and grow a following is one thing, but to maintain a career at it, and consistently create high-quality content is a whole other thing.
To make the big bucks as a social media influencer nowadays, one must become skilled at video production, lighting, sound, storytelling, copywriting, graphic design, email marketing, social selling, sales, networking, and more. (Good news – all of these skills can be learned!)
How Much Money Do Influencers Make?
Now we can get into the actual question, how much money do influencers make?
This depends, as the amount can cover a huge range. Some influencers that are just starting can earn a hundred dollars now and then.
However, people with larger followings, who post consistantly can earn thousands or even millions of dollars.
Generally speaking, micro-influencers with between 10,000 and 50,000 followers can make between $40,000 and $100,000 every year.
Influencers with millions of followers can earn much more, with tens of thousands of dollars for each post.
Some of the ‘top’ influencers can earn hundreds to millions of dollars each year.
For example, Kylie Jenner is known around the globe and makes a million dollars for every post. But she is an extreme example. You don’t need to be a member of the Kardashian family or be on a reality show in order to be successful as an influencer.
In fact, micro-influencers (creators who have an audience of 10k-100k followers) are actually in high demand. As they tend to have more engaged audiences, which brands love!
The Ways Influencers Make Money
Now you know how much influencers can make, we’ll cover the different ways in which they make money.
Influencers can make their income through many different streams, though they’ll choose the ones that suit them and their business the most.
1. Sponsored Content
This is one of the most popular ways that influencers make their income.
Sponsored posts are when businesses pay their influencers to promote their product on their social media page.
An influencer may share a service or product in an Instagram story, Youtube video, or blog post.
In most cases, the more followers a person has, the more money they can earn per post.
2. As A Brand Ambassador
Being a brand ambassador involves the influencer and their relationship with a brand.
Being a brand ambassador is like sponsored posts, but there are a few differences.
Sponsored posts can be one-off posts, but brand ambassadorships take place over a longer period.
An influencer usually signs up for a 6-12 month ambassador deal with a brand, though this period will vary.
Influencers don’t just talk about the brand on their social media, but they’ll often appear on the brand’s website or social media to promote the service or product.
3. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing occurs when influencers share a link to a product, then receive a percentage of the sale if someone clicks the link and purchases an item.
For instance, fashion influencers often share links to the clothes and accessories that they wear every day.
People who like the items will click on the links and purchase the apparel, contributing to that influencer’s income in the process.
The affiliate commission may only be a few percent, but in the case of influencers with many followers, their income can start to climb quickly.
4. Website Advertising
Bloggers have been advertising on their websites to make money from traffic for years. Bloggers who are known influencers can add ads to their websites.
They will make money when a visitor clicks on the ad, or while the ad is visible on the screen.
Bloggers who receive a lot of traffic to their websites can make a decent income from the sidebar and in-content advertising.
5. Digital Products & eCourses
A lot of influencers have created educational materials and digital courses that teach their followers about specific topics.
For instance, some travel bloggers have courses that teach their followers how to travel for less money.
Fashion influencers can do this as well, such as selling an eBook about making a workwear wardrobe.
Influencers can make thousands of dollars from selling eCourses.
6. Subscriptions And Donations
Tipping, subscriptions, and donations are all ways of making money as an influencer.
You may see this as ‘buy me a cup of coffee, or ‘donate to my start-up’. Or giving ‘gifts’ during an influencer’s livestream on TikTok. One popular example is the website Patreon.
This is like a membership system where followers sign up and pay a small amount to an influencer, usually in exchange for content.
This content tends to be exclusive to the influencer’s Patreon followers.
7. Selling Clothing
A lot of fashion influencers make their income by reselling the clothing they’ve previously worn.
Some of these individuals purchase more clothing than they need.
Reselling the items makes room in their wardrobe and allows them to share their looks with their followers.
These people may sell lightly used clothing and accessories on a different Instagram page or a specific website, like Poshmark.
8. Product Lines And Merchandise
Making their own or licensed products is a popular way for influencers to make their income. Some people create these items from scratch.
For instance, fashion bloggers whose blogs have become extremely popular may turn their website into a fashion line.
Some people also create t-shirts with their known slogans on them (merch), while others create makeup lines, skincare, and home decor. The opportunities are endless!
9. Live Event Sales
Influencers can also make their money from live events, both virtual and in-person ones. This could be in the form of a retreat, summit or conference.
Fashion influencers can choose to host a live closet sale where they go through their wardrobe and interact with their followers in real-time.
The followers can purchase used clothing and items they may have seen on their other social media pages.
How Much Money Can You Make As An Influencer – Conclusion
Now you know how much influencers can make!
This amount is a huge range, as smaller influencers occasionally receive hundreds of dollars per post, while larger ones can make five and six figures per post.
There are many ways for influencers to make their money, including sponsored content, donations, and making their products.
Quitting your day job to live as an influencer may seem glamorous, but influencing can involve a lot more work than a traditional 9-5!
The money can be enticing, but remember that reaching that level of fame takes time, effort, and determination, so try not to feel disheartened.
If your favorite influencer has a lot of followers, you might assume that their income is large too. That may be, but know that they are working extremely hard to maintain it.
