If you’ve ever wondered how to make money as an influencer on social media, keep reading! One of my most-asked questions is how I am able to earn money from what I share on Instagram, TikTok, and other online outlets. This year, I took my blog full time and earn a full time salary from what I share online. In this post, I am going to break down the most common ways to earn a full time income from posting on social media.
Affiliate disclaimer: Some links provided in this post are affiliate links. I may earn commission at no extra cost to you if you choose to purchase from the links provided. You can read my full disclaimer HERE. As always I appreciate your support!
Affiliate Links
You may have noticed that I have an affiliate disclaimer right above this paragraph. That’s because I use affiliate links to earn commissions on products or services that you might buy! This is a passive way to earn income as an influencer. When first starting out, I recommend signing up for affiliate programs that align with your personal brand. Here’s an example: since I share primarily fashion and lifestyle content, LIKEtoKNOW.it is a great affiliate program for clothing and accessories. (if you would like to be referred to LTK, please message me on Instagram!)
I also have an Amazon Storefront that people can shop, as well as other links that people can shop through. There are many affiliate programs out there for all kinds of products and services! A quick google search will help you come across some that may be a good fit for you. If you end up being a part of several affiliate programs, I recommend creating a landing page on your website where your followers can access all of your links/discount codes in one place. I have a separate landing page for Instagram and TikTok, so that I can share relevant links to each audience.
Whitelisting Your Content to Make Money as an Influencer
Another way to earn money as an influencer is through whitelisting. This means that a company or brand uses your account to run ads. You don’t have to post anything- the brand uses your account as a platform for sharing about different deals, items, programs, etc. The reason I love whitelisting is because I do not have to do anything to earn money! It’s another passive stream of income. I will say that you need to build a strong relationship with a brand before whitelsiting takes place. Be patient and try to continue working with the same brands to build trust and respect!
Working With Brands
The most common way to earn money as an influencer is by working with brands. Typically, a brand will pay in exchange for social post or series of posts that have been collectively agreed upon. There are many ways to go about this, but from my experience it’s best to work directly with the brand. There are influencer platform websites that can connect you with brands, but usually these websites take a portion of payment. You may end up earning less money through these websites than if you were to work with a brand directly. However when you are first starting out, using influencer platforms is the way to go! A favorite of mine is obvious.ly. I still use this platform and think the pay rate is fair!
If you are interested in another perspective of how to successfully run an influencer business, I recommend taking this course by Living Lesh. Use discount code EARLYACC15 for 15% off (limited time only).
Content Creation
Similar to working with brands in exchange for a social post, there are opportunities to earn money through content creation. I have created content for brands that never get posted to my own feed. If you are a full time influencer, I recommend taking on content creation projects as additional income. Many businesses are looking for TikTok style videos that they can post directly on their own feed. I use Cohley to find content creation jobs. These are usually not very time consuming and have a good pay rate.
Utilizing Bonus Opportunities on Social Media
The final way to earn money as an influencer is to utilize Bonus opportunities on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Not everyone has access to Bonus programs right away, so be sure to post consistently to be considered for opportunities. Instagram Reels Bonus offers payouts for the number of views your Reels receive. Facebook also has a similar program. TikTok has the creator fund, which allows you to earn based on video performance and content creation. Instagram Badges allows you to earn money from viewers while Live. There are many ways to earn free money through social media creator funds, so be sure to take advantage of that!
The Bottom Line: How to Make Money as an Influencer
You need to have multiple streams of income to successfully make money as an influencer. I categorized the income I made in 2021 to create a visual for you:
As you can see, the bulk of my income in 2021 came from Brand Collaborations. However, I am grateful for the other streams of income because each month varies. As an influencer, you do not have a guaranteed salary. The money you earn comes down to the number of revenue streams you have, the quality of your work, and your ability to negotiate with brands. As a reminder, everyone starts from $0! When I first started blogging in October 2019, I didn’t make any money until January of 2020. My first month of earning, I made $38. Fast forward to now, and I always earn at least 100x that amount monthly! It takes time to build your personal brand and create relationships, so be patient! I promise it will pay off in the end.
If you have any questions on how to start making money as an influencer or would like to read more about this topic, let me know in the comments! Always happy to answer your questions. I hope this post inspires you to start taking your social media seriously 🙂
much love, Ashley Marie
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