One of the most common questions we receive on Instagram is “how do you afford to travel so much?” or “how do you make money?”. We’ve done stories about it before, but we wanted to really dive deep into the different ways influencers make money online. We know many of you have dreams of travelling the world and working online, and we want you to know it is possible! If becoming an influencer has ever crossed your mind, but you aren’t sure exactly how to make money doing it – we’ll help get you started. 

We have such an amazing community online that we are so incredibly grateful for. We are always fully transparent about what we do and want to give helpful information that can help you follow your dreams! So, while this isn’t an exhaustive list (there are likely more), here are 5 ways influencers make money online.

1. Sponsored Posts

You’ve likely seen sponsored posts many times on Instagram, as this is one of the most common ways influencers make money online. A sponsored post is when an influencer teams up with a brand or business, and posts about their product – sometimes tagging them or linking their account. Brands often reach out to influencers for sponsored posts because it’s a great way to bring brand awareness, build their own following, and get their product or business in front of the right audience. As an influencer, you are able to introduce new products to your audience that they may be interested in (bringing value) while also creating income so you can continue creating content online.

Every influencer will set their own rates for a sponsored post or will work with the brand to determine the budget and cost and will decide mutually on the agreed upon rate for posting. The rate can be anywhere from $100 to thousands of dollars. The rate you charge will depend on your industry, size of your following, quality of content, engagement rates and a variety of other factors.

It’s also important to mention that in order to work with brands, you do not need hundreds of thousands of followers. Micro-influencers with anywhere from 10,000 and up are incredibly valuable to brands as well. Don’t be shy to put yourself out there!

2. Digital Products (Presets, E-Books, Templates)

Having a passive income is a great way to make money as an influencer, as you can continue to spend time creating fantastic content, while selling digital products online that can provide a steady income stream. Many influencers make money by selling presets. As a content creator, you become very skilled at editing photos and selling presets makes it easy for your audience to edit their own photos like a pro!

Other digital products can include e-books. If you have a lot of knowledge to share in a particular niche, writing an e-book is a great way to earn money while providing value for your audience. For example, if you’re a personal trainer that loves fitness – why not write an e-book sharing your knowledge?

Website templates are another income source for many influencers. If you’re great with technology and able to create functional, aesthetic templates you can sell them online and help others make their online dreams come true.

3. Content creation for brands

As an influencer, you become skilled at creating beautiful content that tells a story. If you love photography and can create high-quality photos, companies will reach out to hire you for content creation. That may mean you take product shots, or you incorporate the product into your lifestyle and take photos that can be posted on their social media or website, or you film videos talking about their product. 

If you’re great a making fun, viral TikToks – that is a marketable skill that brands will pay for!

For us, we often create content for hotels or certain destinations. We can provide them with photos of their property that are fully edited by us, and they then receive the rights to use the photos as they please – whether it’s in an advertising campaign, website, or on their socials.

If you’re interested in working with brands and creating content, start learning all about photography and practice, practice, practice!

Another way to create content with brands is through writing. If you love blogging and writing is your passion, you can reach out to brands to write captions, blog posts, or any other type of written promotion. If you have a blog, you can write about their product along with the photos you create.

4. Affiliate marketing 

Chances are you have, at some point in your life, clicked on an affiliate link. If you’ve never heard of affiliate marketing, it basically means as an influencer, you team up with an online retailer and promote their product. The brand will provide you with a code or link that you can share with your followers. If they purchase anything using that link, you will receive a commission. 

The great part about affiliate marketing is, like sponsored posts, you have complete control over what you share with your audience. We will only work with brands we truly love and if we wouldn’t purchase the product ourselves, we wouldn’t promote it to our audience. Likewise, if you’re an influencer and you find a product you love and want to share it with your audience, you can reach out to see if they have an affiliate program. 

5. Commercial photography

Commercial photography is in high demand. If you have camera equipment, editing skills and the ability to capture great photos – commercial photography can provide you with a steady income stream on the side. There are so many options for commercial photography, from food, fashion, product to travel. 

Making money online is becoming more and more accessible and there are many ways you can make money as an influencer. When you find a job you love, it’s truly the most amazing feeling. When we decided to travel full time and pursue our dreams, many people said it wasn’t possible. But with hard work and dedication, anything is possible. We honestly believe that!

We hope this helps! If you have any questions below about making money as an influencer, leave us a comment below.