Top Ways Influencers Make Money
The influencer marketing sector has boomed over the past few years, and in more ways than one. Not only do more people want to become an influencer, brands’ influencer marketing spend has also been increasing year after year.
As a brand, it helps to know what some of the popular ways influencers make money are, as this can guide your offer to them when approaching them for their services.
Here’s a look at the top ways influencers make money.
Ways influencers make money: top six revenue sources
Topping the list of the most popular ways influencers make money is sponsored content. This is how nearly all influencers earn an income, with more than four out of every five (81.8%) of them citing this as a source of revenue. This refers to a collaboration where a content creator teams up with a brand to endorse their product or service. Under this model, compensation for the creator typically includes a fixed payment, a percentage of sales, or a combination of both.
The second-most popular way influencers make money is through affiliates. Nearly one in five (19.2%) of them say it’s one of their sources of income. This is when an influencer promotes a product and earns a commission for every purchase carried out via a unique referral link.
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This is followed by ads, which 14.2% of creators name as an income source. Paid content subscriptions and creator funds also rank among the top ways influencers make money, with 11.7% and 10.3% listing them as sources of income, respectively.
The sale of merchandise rounds out the six most popular ways influencers make money—4% of them say it’s one of their revenue sources.
Ways influencers make money: top platforms and types
Instagram is influencers’ go-to social media platform when publishing sponsored content. Whether it’s Reels, Stories, or a regular post on their feeds, around 98% of creators share sponsored content on their Instagram accounts.
Incidentally, Instagram also ranks among the fastest-growing social media platforms in the US and is one of the top social media marketing platforms among brands.
TikTok is also a popular platform for sponsored content, with 89.6% of creators opting to post videos there. This is followed by Instagram Live and Facebook posts, with 69.1% and 68.9%, respectively.
If you’re engaging with social media influencers, it would help to know what the average influencer engagement rates are on different platforms to better gauge your campaign results.