Becoming an influencer is a unique opportunity open to anyone, regardless of experience or specific skills. The key requirement is knowing how to share content that captivates an audience and attracts brands. However, it’s important to note that building a career as an influencer takes time and dedication. In the initial months, your ‘salary’ comes in the form of likes, shares, reposts, and comments. This virtual currency can be a testament to your influence but requires consistent effort.
Despite the initial challenges, the rewards of influencing can be substantial if you keep the bigger picture in mind. Once you’ve built a solid follower base, the potential for earning real income opens up, ranging from a few hundred dollars to impressive sums for single collaborations. With perseverance, the possibilities are vast and varied.
How many followers do you need to know it’s time to make money? Let’s find out!
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Does the Follower Count Matter?
Yes and no. There is no clear rule that states how many followers you need to have in order to start earning money. At the same time, it’s highly unlikely for brands to partner with an account that counts only a few hundred followers. One thing we know for a fact is that you don’t need to see seven figures on your Instagram profile before you can get paid.
So, What’s the Secret Number of Followers You Need to Get Paid?
It may sound surprising, but as few as 1,000 followers may be enough to get your first monetization deal. The funds may not come from a brand but from other sources that we will cover in detail later in this article.
What matters is not how many people follow you but how many of them actually engage with your content. The average engagement rate should be about 2% to 3%, while 4% to 6% is considered high.
The number of followers you have may directly impact how much money you will make, but even with a smaller audience, you can create a decent passive income from your content.
To understand whether you can compete with other creators and if you can make a living on the platform, check out which tier of influencers you belong to at the moment.
Tiers of Influencers
Influencers aren’t only those who boast a million followers – on the contrary, they are the people who have an established community to whom they address their content. Belonging to one or another offers unique benefits.
Nano Influencers (1K – 5K Followers)
Nano influencers are beginners who have just started to establish their online presence and audience. They don’t typically earn much, yet they have a very high engagement rate because people love to see natural content with minimum advertising.
Nano influencers cherish their followers and often show appreciation by replying to comments, liking followers’ posts, and taking other actions are what make their small community feel special.
It is very easy to establish trust and credibility when you have up to 5,000 followers, but reaching this number can be tough at first.
Local businesses or brands love nano influencers because they can tap into a very niche market and attract local followers. In addition to that, collaborating with nano influencers is considerably cheaper than with higher-tier ones.
Micro Influencers (5K – 50K Followers)
Micro influencers still benefit from authenticity while connecting with a wider audience. Up to 50,000 followers is a number that still allows for personal interactions. Most of the influencers in this tier have already chosen their niche and started growing audiences who may benefit from their advice.
Similarly to nano influencers, micros also benefit from various collaborations and can receive more products or services in exchange for endorsements on the platform.
Thanks to the bigger audience, micro influencers can ask for a higher fee. While nano influencers usually have a steady stream of income from their jobs, micros can soon be able to make a living on Instagram.
Medium Influencers (50K – 100K Followers)
Medium influencers are those who have passed the threshold of 50,000 followers and got a hold of various collaborations with brands and companies, especially those in their direct market.
Medium influencers are usually people who have already left their jobs to dedicate themselves fully and professionally to social media. For some influencers, it’s not uncommon to hire a manager to help source promising collaborations and companies or brands that won’t negatively affect their reputation. With a bigger audience comes great responsibility.
Macro Influencers (100K – 1M Followers)
Macro influencers are the big players in social media platforms. You can see the difference in their profiles that sets them apart from lower-tiered influencers, and we don’t mean it in a bad way. Macros are professionals who know their audience, their price, and what works best for them.
With personal contact with followers and authenticity fading away, engagement also dips. Due to a higher number of endorsements, it’s becoming harder to tell whether a macro influencer’s review is genuine or not.
Despite this, macro influencers charge a hefty price for collaborations. They may also recruit multiple managers who can drive the price even higher for an ad on Instagram.
Mega Influencers (1M+ Followers)
Mega influencers are celebrities who have become famous for various reasons. Megas are not always the influencers who paved their way to the top from scratch but because of their outstanding accomplishments in professional life.
Mega influencers don’t have the time to chat with followers, so their engagement rates are the lowest despite their high follower numbers. Their fees for collaborations are often out of the budget for local brands and companies; hence, it’s quite common to see them featured in ads for household names.
The perfect photos and endless collaborations make megas less credible and trustworthy, but again, that’s not always the case.
How Many Followers Do You Need to Get Paid Big?
Now to the big question—how much can you actually earn, from nano influencers to mega ones?
- Nano influencers: You can expect to get paid about $25-$100 per post if you have a small number of followers. With about 5K followers, you may ask for about $100 or more.
- Micro influencers: With a follower base of up to 50K, micros can charge anything from $100 to $500 per post.
- Medium influencers: As almost a professional in your niche, you can set your price at about $1,000 and go as high as $5,000 per post.
- Macro influencers: It’s hard to say how much exactly you can get paid per post as a macro influencer, but it will be a lot! Your fee can start at $5,000 and go as high as brands can afford.
- Mega influencers: Mega influencers have inane fees per post that can reach a million or even go above.
An average influencer can expect to earn about $3,000 per month, while nanos and micros would start with a smaller income of about $1,500 per month.
How to Make Money on Instagram as an Influencer
By now, you probably know that to get followers, you need to be active and post consistently so that your audience keeps growing. Prioritizing aesthetics and engagement with followers will keep the engagement rate high and convince brands to cooperate with you.
However, you shouldn’t limit yourself to ads and endorsements – there are multiple ways to create passive income as an influencer:
#1 Become an Affiliate Marketer
If there is a brand or company that matches the interests of your audience perfectly, become their affiliate marketer. During the partnership, you will promote products or services with a unique link that will yield commissions for you.
Every time a follower clicks on the affiliate link and purchases a product, you get a percentage. If you have a large audience who trust your choices, they won’t think twice about the purchase, especially if you provide them with a unique promo code.
Your promo code can even be pinned in your profile description as the first post that users see or in your Stories.
Search for affiliate opportunities in affiliate marketplaces like Amazon Associates, and start earning commission right away.
#2 Monetize Your Products
One of the best things you can do as an influencer is to sell your products, whether tangible or intangible.
For tangible products, if you have your own brand or you want to sell your used items like clothes, you can easily add a unique link to your profile or open an Instagram shop.
Intangible products work similarly, but you will need a dedicated platform where you can share your knowledge. For example, you can create a course, tutorial, or a masterclass.
#3 Enable Live Badges
If you are no stranger to live streams, it’s a good idea to enable Instagram badges and let your viewers express their gratitude by purchasing badges. The system works similarly to the one present in Twitch and TikTok.
Make sure to remind your followers about going live or set a reminder that everyone can follow and get notified when the time comes.
#4 Link to Your Other Social Media Platforms
Instagram is great for posting short posts, including Stories and Reels, but if you are active on other platforms where you share in-depth information, why not let your followers know about it?
This way, you will grow your audience on both platforms and be able to generate income from two places at the same time.
If you are not benefiting from other social media platforms, it may be the right time to take advantage of them.
#5 Earn from Subscriptions
Instagram influencers can earn monthly income from subscriptions on the platform. If you have a strong follower base who would love to get access to exclusive content from you, this opportunity is not to miss!
You can create exclusive live streams and stories for your most engaged fans, highlighted by a distinctive purple ring. This feature allows you to connect with your followers on a deeper level, offering content that feels special and intimate.
Additionally, you can host exclusive chats with up to 30 subscribers at a time. Use this opportunity to discuss topics you’re passionate about, share your best life hacks, or simply bring your community together.
Final Words
Becoming an Instagram influencer is an exciting journey with the potential for significant financial rewards. While the number of followers is important, it’s the engagement and connection you build with your audience that truly matters. Even as a nano influencer, you can start monetizing your content with as few as 1,000 followers, opening the door to diverse opportunities, from affiliate marketing to exclusive subscriptions.
Success on Instagram requires patience, creativity, and consistent effort. By understanding the different influencer tiers and exploring multiple income streams, you can carve out a profitable niche, whether you’re sharing authentic stories or offering valuable insights.
The key to success isn’t just in numbers but in meaningful interactions that keep your audience coming back for more.
No matter where you are in your influencer journey, the potential to grow and thrive on Instagram is vast. Partner with SimplyGram to help you connect with like-minded people who will appreciate your content and help your account reach new heights.
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