How to become a successful social media influencer and make money from it 2022

There are a range of ways that social media influencers can generate income and it is not uncommon for a number of tactics to be used to create multiple revenue streams. We’ve rounded up the top three approaches for anyone starting out.

#1. Sponsored posts

One of the most common starting points for influencers to earn cash is via sponsored social media or blog posts.

A sponsored post is when a brand works with an influencer to produce a one-off, or series of posts, that feature the products or services of the brand, which are then shared with the influencer’s followers. 

The focus of the posts could be promoting new products and services from the brand, sharing content created by the brand, or perhaps helping the brand to branch out and attract a new audience.

Important to note: the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) has guidelines around the disclosure of sponsored social media posts, particularly when someone is receiving payment for the collaboration. It pays to be across the Influencer Marketing Code of Practice. 

#2. Affiliate marketing

With affiliate marketing, an influencer will include a link to a brand’s website, usually to a specific product or service that has been highlighted within the influencer’s content (this could be on a social media post or within a blog article). If the reader clicks on this link and then subscribes or purchases via that link, the influencer will receive a financial ‘cut’. This arrangement will be agreed between the brand and influencer and set up as either a pay-per-sale or pay-per-click or lead. 

This can be accurately tracked by both the influencer and brand to see how many sales or leads are being generated on any given day/week/month/year. While it might not be a big money earner for an influencer, having a number of affiliate marketing agreements can quickly add up. 

It is important that the products and services influencers are linking to are genuinely aligned to the content focus, or it will appear to be out of step and forced, reducing the influencer’s credibility with their followers. 

#3. Digital products

Broadly speaking, digital products are relatively cheap to produce and compared to physical products, easier and cheaper to store and distribute. They are often downloadable documents that you receive access to once you have made your payment, or you might receive a login to access online content for a fixed period of time, sometimes including access to any future updates. 

Digital products could include printables such as workout schedules and meal plans, or journal prompts and habit tracking charts, depending on your content focus. Other options might be ebooks, online courses or guides. 

Once influencers gain more of a following, they might embark on other revenue making ventures including:

• Becoming a brand ambassador (receiving retainer payment from the brand)
• Creating a podcast (charging a download fee, brand partnership)
• Running webinars (sponsored by a brand and/or fee to view)