If you hope to turn your passion for content creation into a career as an influencer, you’re probably wondering: How do you actually make money? It may feel like a minefield when you’re just starting out, but don’t stress. There are plenty of ways to earn money as a content creator, and most of your favourite influencers are building their income from multiple streams. Here are some of the best ways to do it.
Sponsored posts
This is the most obvious way for influencers to make money. At its core, being an influencer is about creating content that people want to watch and engage with, whatever your niche. Brands want to tap into that, and that’s where sponsored posts come in. Instead of building an audience from scratch, brands collaborate with creators who already have one, paying them to feature products in their content.
That may be a dedicated post or a mention within a video. If you’re a food influencer, for example, you may feature a new drink you’ve been sent as part of a “what I eat in a day” video. Rates can vary a lot, and you may not land a massive brand deal straight away. As you grow, though, so will your opportunities! “A small engaged audience beats a big, passive one every time,” Sierra Rogers writes for marketing agency Manychat.
Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is when creators share trackable links or discount codes and earn a commission when someone makes a purchase. A fashion influencer, for example, may share a link to trainers they bought on Asos and earn a small percentage of every purchase made through that link. It is one of the simplest ways influencers can make money. “You don’t create the product, you don’t ship anything, you don’t do customer service – you just connect people to something helpful,” creator Sarah Day Thompson says of the customer journey. Some influencers will use tools such as Linktree and Bitly to share multiple affiliate links too.
Selling digital products
Some creators make digital products. That could mean things such as e-books, guides, templates, or online courses. Digital products are a great way to make money because, once they’re made, they can be sold on repeat and come with a full profit margin. “When you start selling digital downloads to your audience, you can earn almost entirely passive income from just one product,” writes Influencer SEO. “And you don’t even have to leave your house to do it!”
Substack
If you already have a band of loyal followers and you like writing, Substack can be a great way to make money. The platform allows influencers to send newsletters directly to their followers, with the option to charge for subscriptions. “Creators love it because of the monetisation,” says influencer marketing agency Sidewalker Daily. Influencer Rosie Kellet, for example, has over 37,000 subscribers on her Substack, The Late Plate.
Merchandise
More interested in selling physical than digital products? Creating a range of merchandise is a great way to do it. You could go down the road of clothing, prints, or even your own personally designed plates or bowls, just as influencer What Willy Cooks has done with Pleasant Homeware.
The trick here is to think of something that works with your personal brand. Influencer Cripandip’s hungover takeaway videos, for example, were a hit with audiences. So now she has her own T-shirts with “hungover takeaway” printed on them.
User-generated content (UGC)
If you’re a creator, you probably know a thing or two about making videos. Making UGC is a great way to pick up some extra cash. It involves creating photos or videos for brands to use on their own channels, and you often won’t have to post them to your personal following. It also doesn’t depend on how many followers you have, so it is particularly great for beginners who have the skills but lack the audience.
Events
Events can be a great way to get out from behind the screen and connect with your followers. Some influencers may choose to speak on panels, host supper clubs, or organise their own meet and greets.
“The rise of events like live shows and meet-ups is helping creators foster deeper connections with their audiences,” Amanda Perelli and Sydney Bradley write for Business Insider. But you can also make money from them as well. Influencer Hannah Mai hosts supper clubs, for example, and charges her guests to attend.
Podcasts
It may seem like everyone in the world has a podcast right now, but it’s a natural step for influencers who already have a big audience and who are probably very confident speaking publicly – and one that can also make you money.
“Podcasts have helped more creators expand their businesses and make money,” Perelli writes for Business Insider. Influencer Unjaded Jade, for example, started her podcast Finding Casual Magic and achieved a 4.8 rating on Apple Podcasts. With an existing audience behind you, podcasting also makes it easier to attract sponsors, which is where the money comes from.
Livestreams
Creators who go live on platforms such as Twitch, Instagram, and YouTube can earn directly from their audience there and then. While watching, viewers can send tips or gifts – and there can be serious money involved. Sleep influencer Jakey Boehm, for example, earned $34,000 in one month from TikTok Live, where his fans pay to disrupt his rest by turning on neon lights or playing live music.
Being a brand ambassador
This is essentially the next step up from a one-off collaboration. Being a brand ambassador means forming an ongoing partnership, in which you agree to promote a brand regularly as part of your content and potentially at in-person events. It also means a regular income. Food influencer Gaz Oakley, for example, became a brand ambassador for Merchant Gourmet in 2021 – a role that involved making several recipes using the brand’s products while also being a face of its major campaigns.