The Lucrative Life of an Influencer: Inside the Not-So-Glam Reality | by Dustin Copeland | Oct, 2023

Navigating the Highs and Lows of Trying to Profit from Online Fame

Scrolling Instagram, it’s easy to envy the lavish and fun lifestyle of a social media influencer. Who wouldn’t want their “job” to be taking cute selfies, reviewing products, and getting paid to party?

But is influencing actually as glamorous and lucrative as their curated feeds suggest?

As someone who has dabbled in influencer work the past few years, I’m going to give you the real tea. Shatter some of those assumptions and reveal the not-so-picture-perfect reality behind turning online clout into income.

There are definitely pros and cons…

First, let’s talk money.

Yes, top influencers make absolute bank through sponsorships.

But micro-influencers with under 50k followers are lucky to snag a few hundred bucks for dedicated branded content.

You have to grind for a long time before big bucks roll in. Most earnings get reinvested in props, equipment, or wardrobe too.

There’s also massive competition now.

Everyone wants to be a TikTok or IG star, so brands are inundated with aspiring influencers pleading for deals. Gaining relevance amid that saturation when starting out takes ridiculous hustle and some luck.

Now for the glamorous lifestyle…not so much. Behind the scenes is mostly negotiating rates, pitching brands, scheduling sponsored content, analyzing performance data, and debating if you can afford a social media manager yet.

It’s running a business, not…