In the digital age characterized by unprecedented opportunities for income generation and personal branding, becoming an influencer and making money is a dream for many. From Facebook, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube to Snapchat, making money as an influencer requires strategy, a unique connection with your audience, and authenticity. In this article, we will explore seven pro strategies on how to make money as a macro-influencer or micro-influencer. 

How Do I Become an Influencer? The First Step to Making Money as an Influencer 

Influencers come in different sizes like mega-influencers (over 1 million followers), macro-influencers (500,000-1 million followers), mid-tier influencers (50,000-500,000 followers), micro-influencers (10,000-100,000 followers), and nano-influencers (1,000-10,000 followers). According to Statista, influencer earnings from social media marketing have appreciated by over 30% since 2019 with 2024 earnings estimated to be a record $24 billion. The steps to becoming a social media influencer and earning money include:

• Identify your target audience and niche: From fitness, lifestyle, fashion, technology, and travel to education and cooking, go for a niche you are passionate about and create content that resonates with you identified audience. Authenticity and consistency are the key to attracting loyal followers. Remember, choosing a niche is an ongoing process since audience preferences and trends evolve as you evolve as an influencer. 
• Enhance your social media content by investing in quality resources: You no longer need a professional camera to create content and make money as an influencer, a reliable internet connection, editing software, and a good smartphone are enough to get you started. 
• Create a content calendar: Plan and schedule your social media posts and ensure you engage your audience regularly to help build trust and loyalty. Pay attention to the content’s analytics. 
• Develop your content: To establish your presence and make money as an influencer, creating high-quality and relevant content is key. This entails identifying the format your content uses and then creating content that attracts the target audience. 

How to Make Money as an Influencer

There are seven strategies influencers can utilize to monetize your social media following. 

1. Brand Partnership Monetization/Sponsored Posts 

The most common method on how to make money as an influencer is sponsored posts. Under this monetization strategy, influencers partner with brands to promote their services or products through their content. Influencers are paid to make single or several posts on their YouTube channels, Instagram stories, TikTok videos, Snapchat posts, or tweets. 

Brands seek influencers with content aligning with their target market. Further, to land such deals, influencers must position themselves to be pitched by brands by creating authentic and engaging content. Making online on social media as an influencer through sponsored posts demands meeting the brand requirements through creativity, planning, and multiple revisions; therefore, time commitment is inevitable. 

An example of an influencer making money online through sponsored posts is Mr. Beast. Mr. Beast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, has over 500 million social media followers. He boasts over 320 million subscribers on his YouTube channel and over 9 billion views a year. Most of Mr. Beast’s videos are sponsored by brands which saw him make over $85 million on YouTube in 2024. Mr. Beast uses his influence to land brand partnerships and sell digital products on his social media accounts. 

Mr. Beast's Sponsored YouTube Video

2. Affiliate Marketing 

How Influencers Make Money through Affiliate Marketing 

The other secret on how to make money as an influencer is affiliate marketing. How does affiliate marketing work? The affiliate marketer (influencer in this case) pins the link to the sponsoring brand on their social media posts and when a follower clicks the link and completes a purchase, then earns a commission. Affiliate marketing is the easiest way to earn passive income. 

For instance, Charlie Chang makes money through affiliate marketing as an influencer from his YouTube channel with over 1.25 million subscribers. His social media niche is real estate and personal finance.  

Charlie Chang Using Affiliate Marketing to Make Money on His YouTube Channel

3. Selling Branded Merchandise to Your Audience to Make Money 

While influencers excel in promoting the products of other brands, some have mastered the art of branding and selling their merchandise. The best tip on how to make money as an influencer through this strategy is to create branded merchandise and then share it with your audience. This is an excellent marketing strategy for TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube influencers who want to make money using their popularity and power. 

An example of an influencer making money online through branded merchandise is Mr. Beast. The branded merchandise is sold through Mr. Beast store  but he advertises the products on all his social media platforms. 

Mr. Beast Promoting His Branded Merchandise on His YouTube Channel

4. Digital Courses and Workshops

Other than sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, and selling branded merchandise, influencers also earn money through digital courses and workshops. Another outstanding tip on how to make money as an influencer from digital courses and workshops is creating content in one niche. For instance, beauty influencers that create beauty content can create courses on how to use different products then earn after the audience subscribes to watch or study them. 

An example of an influencer earning money through digital courses and workshops is Miss Excel whose official name is Kat Norton. Miss Excel creates 15-second TikTok dances while showing Microsoft Excel hacks. She also launched her digital course, The Excelerator, where subscribers can access tutorials for as low as $297.

Miss Excel on TikTok

5. eBooks 

Other than creating original and unique posts, some influencers are experts in their respective niches. Writing and selling eBooks is another strategy on how to make money as an influencer. Such influencers leverage their loyal audience to sell eBooks through platforms such as Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. 

For instance, Mark Rober, a former NASA engineer, who has over 61.1 million YouTube subscribers makes money by selling eBooks. Using his expertise as an engineer, Mark Rober wrote the book “Stories From Dark Web” which he sells to his social media audience through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. 

Mark Rober's eBook on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing 

6. Collaborating with Brands 

Another effective strategy on how to make money as an influencer is collaborating with brands to promote their services or products. Brands seek influencers with a well-defined niche and approach them to help develop a new product or service. In this case, the influencer earns a commission depending on the agreement between the two parties.  

An example of an influencer earning money by collaborating with brands is Kayla Ryan who partnered with L'Oreal Paris to promote their new product named Magic Root Cover Up.

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Kayla Ryan on TikTok

7. Subscriptions 

The final yet one of the most effective strategies on how to make money as an influencer is offering subscription-based models. Through this technique, influencers create exclusive content or offer unique products to their audience who pay a recurring fee. Examples include offering unique videos, music, articles, or access to your community through subscriptions. 

An example of an influencer earning money through a subscription model is Hugwizzy who has over 211,000 YouTube subscribers. Those interested in subscribing to Hugwizzy’s community choose from 3-tiers and pay from $1.99 to $19.99 per month with each level offering unique videos and loyalty badges. 

Hughwizzy's YouTube Channel

We have discussed how to become an influencer and how to make money as an influencer. However, finding brands to partner with is not easy. 

The question in your mind right now must be how to I increase my engagement rates and optimize content marketing as an influencer? Well, let’s find out below. 

How to Become a Successful Social Media Influencer 

It is important to discover the best tips on how to become a successful social media influencer and make money. Becoming successful will be an exciting endeavor; you share your passions, inspire your audience, and then make money. Here are the best strategies on how to become a successful influencer and make money today:

Strategy #1. Create High-Quality Content

The most important strategy secret to becoming a successful influencer and earning money online is creating high-quality content. Creating authentic and unique content is what makes you successful since you are assured of a loyal audience and through that, brands will approach you due to your capabilities. High-quality content is informative, interesting, and relevant to the niche where it is posted. 

If you are making videos, ensure they are edited to excellence and if you are posting content, ensure it is error-free and optimized to the target audience. Undoubtedly, no follower or subscriber wants poor-quality videos and photos on their feed. 

Strategy #2: Consistency in Posting Schedule 

A successful influencer understands that his/her audience demands high-quality content posted regularly for continuous engagement. To become successful and make money as an influencer, you have to be consistent with your social media engagement and posting schedule. Your audience should know when you post or go live on social media for optimal engagement. 

Strategy #3: Create Engaging Content

Another hack to how to become a successful influencer and make money online is creating engaging content. Your audience should always be anxious about your next post or video. To do so, you must have a lot of information at your fingertips and make your content stand out from the rest. How do you create engaging content? To create engaging content, learn about the needs of your audience, be authentic, be creative, provide credible information, demonstrate thought leadership, and provide feedback to your audience. 

Strategy #4: Build a Loyal Community

Another strategy to become successful on social media and make money as an influencer is building a community. Strive to build relationships with your followers and build a family or a community with a shared purpose. With a strong community that engage with your content, brands will approach you to market their products and services. 

Therefore, brands look for influencers with very strong influence over their audience to advertise their products and services. The influencers make money using social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. How do you make money on these platforms? Let’s explore together. 

How to Make Money as an Influencer on TikTok 

Most Downloaded Mobile Apps in 2024 (Statista, 2024)

According to Statista, as of 2024, TikTok remains the most downloaded app globally with over 825.5 million downloads followed by Instagram with approximately 817 million downloads. To make money as an influencer on TikTok, you must use a combination of revenue streams like fundraising drives, accepting tips, sponsorships, and products. To monetize your TikTok account, you have to join the Creator Rewards Program which focuses on 4 key metrics:

• Audience engagement: Includes comments, likes, and shares which increase your content value in TikTok.
• Originality: This refers to the quality content unique to you as an influencer which shows your thought process in a manner that it resonates with the community. 
• Search value: This metric is assigned to content based on the most popular search terms. Your content must align with search topics that are in demand to increase their value to TikTokers. 
• Play duration: The play duration metric accounts for the finish rate and watch time. To achieve this, your content must be clear and engaging. 

How Much Money Do Influencers Earn on TikTok? 

Just like Instagram and other social media platforms, the amount of money an influencer makes depends on their profile, specifically the niche, target audience, engagement rates, play duration, and search value. You can make anything from $20 a video up to hundreds of thousands. 

Top Three Most Paid TikTok Influencers Today

1. Khaby Lame ($259,000 per video)

Once a factory worker in Italy during the COVID-19 lockdown, Khaby Lame became king in social media by pointing out overcomplicated life hack videos. His style has no language barrier, and he boasts over 162.4 million followers. 

Khaby Lame on TikTok

2. Charli D’Amelio ($247,000 per video)

Charli D’Amelio is the queen of TikTok who dances her way to the bank. She began creating content in her Connecticut bedroom with dance moves and created an empire including a clothing line, reality TV shows, and brand partnerships. With over 155.7 million followers, Charli D’Amelio earns approximately $247,000 per video. 

Charli D’Amelio on TikTok

3. Bella Poarch ($151,000 per video)

As a commander of an army of 94.3 million TikTok followers, Bella Poarch initially served in the U.S. Navy. She created a unique niche by blending gaming culture, unexpected creativity, and perfect timing. She earns $151k per TikTok video. 

Bella Poarch on TikTok

How to Make Money as an Influencer on Instagram

Instagram Logo

As noted above, Instagram has approximately 817 million downloads making it the second most downloaded mobile app after TikTok in 2024. Instagram allows influencers to make money through several revenue streams such as:

• Badges on live videos 
• Creating advertisements on content like videos
• Creating brand collaborations and branded content
• Creating an Instagram shop to sell your products or merchandise 

How Much Money Do Influencers Earn on Instagram?

 Just like TikTok, the amount of money influencers make on Instagram depends on the size of their audience and engagement rates. The average amount also depends on influencer activities like:

• Affiliate programs
• Subscription services
• Selling branded merchandise
• Brand promotion
• Selling digital products like online courses and workshops. 

Here are some tips on how to make money as an influencer on Instagram:

• Create high-quality content
• Collaborate with relevant influencers to optimize your audience reach
• Use the relevant and right hashtags
• Have engaged and dedicated followers to help you build a community
• Give back to your followers. Offer free contests and products. 

Top Three Most Paid Instagram Influencers Today

1. Cristiano Ronaldo: 645 Million Followers ($3.23 Million Per Post)

Popularly known to some as the GOAT (greatest of all times) of football, Cristiano Ronaldo is also the king of Instagram. With over 645 million followers, Cristiano is one of the influencers making serious money on Instagram. 

Cristiano Ronaldo on Instagram

2. Lionel Messi: 504 Million Followers ($2.59 Million Per Post)

After his strategic move to Inter Miami Football Club, Lionel Messi’s following skyrocketed making him one of the influencers earning millions on Instagram. With over 504 million followers, Messi earns $2.59 million per Instagram post. 

Lionel Messi on Instagram

3. Selena Gomez: 429 Million Followers ($2.55 Million Per Post)

Selena Gomez is a star on Instagram. Other than being a musician, Selena Gomez makes money through mental health and beauty advocacy on Instagram. As a successful influencer on Instagram, Selena owns Rare Beauty and earns over $2.55 million per post.  

Selena Gomez on Instagram

How to Make Money as an Influencer on YouTube

YouTube is another social media platform in which you can make money as an influencer. YouTube allows different content formats like shorts and short and long-form videos. According to Forbes, YouTube pays over $500 million to influencers annually through the YouTube Partner Program whose benefits include: 

• Chanel memberships
• Inclusion of super chat and super stickers after subscribers pay for their chat to be highlighted
• Ability to run video ads 
• Ability to sell branded merchandise 

How to Make Money as an Influencer on YouTube: Tips to Becoming Successful

Here are some hacks you should always have about YouTube monetization:

• Create authentic and engaging content
• Create a linked AdSense account
• Join the YouTube Partner Program 
• Post regularly and engage your audience

Top Three Most Paid YouTubers Today 

1. Mr. Beast 

Mr. Beast has really mastered how to make money as an influencer on YouTube. Mr. Beast has over 500 million social media followers. With over 320 million subscribers on his YouTube channel and over 9 billion views a year, he made over $85 million on YouTube in 2024. Mr. Beast uses his influence to land brand partnerships and sell digital products on his social media accounts. 

Mr. Beast on YouTube

2. Jake Paul 

As a semi-professional boxer, Jake Paul creates content on music, his daily life with his family, and boxing training videos. Jake boasts 20.9 million followers and in 2024, he earned approximately $45 million. 

Jake Paul on YouTube

3. Mark Fischbach (Markiplier)

With 37.1 million followers, Markiplier has also perfected how to make money as an influencer on YouTube. He creates gaming, sci-fi, tech, and humor videos. His convivial content tone makes him maintain a loyal audience which earned him over $38 million in 2024. 

Markiplier on YouTube

Bottom Line 

We have reviewed top tips on how to make money as an influencer on social media platforms. To become a successful influencer and earn good money, choose a niche, create and post high-quality content, engage your audience, and seek opportunities like affiliate marketing, selling branded merchandise, and selling subscriptions for courses and workshops even before brands approach you. With these strategies and dedication, you will evolve into a full-time influencer making millions of dollars on social media. However, it is important to remember that becoming a successful influencer takes a lot of time and dedication. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much money do influencers make per post?

The amount of money influencers make per post is dependent on factors such as engagement rate, the social media platform, audience size, and audience location. Some earn $20 per post while others make over $2 million per post. 

How can you establish a loyal audience or community as an influencer? 

As an influencer, you should create original, engaging, and authentic content for your subscribers and followers. Remember to show professionalism and consistency in posting content. 

What are the benefits of influencer marketing to a brand?

Advantages of influencer marketing include increased brand awareness, increased social media followers, increased sales, some influencers accept lower advertising costs, and getting feedback on your product from followers. 

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