By Ryan Eaton
Ever since the emergence of social media, a new trend has come along with it: influencers. In an online world, that hasn’t entirely taken shape yet, these internet celebrities have become full-time social media moguls. Which raises some questions like how much do they make and how stable of a job is it?
To answer the first part of that question, we have to take a closer look at each of the platforms the influencers are using. Influencers on different sites receive payments in different ways. For example, a YouTuber will receive money from ad revenue off of their videos. This is why YouTube celebrities like PewDiePie or Jake Paul have quickly gained a lot of wealth off of their large followings. PewDiePie’s net worth is estimated to be around $20 million. In contrast, Instagram’s top users are paid per post, sometimes through ads or sometimes by the app itself. Through sponsored events or affiliate posts, some accounts are able to make thousands of dollars for each picture they put out. Kim Kardashian, for instance, makes around $500,000 each time she posts.
Though not everyone makes a fortune off social media, many content creators do. The earners on social media mostly come from YouTube and Instagram and probably contain names you’re familiar with. On YouTube, many of the top names post video game content while adding their own personal twists of humor. Accounts like DanTDM, PewDiePie, VanossGaming, and Markiplier are some of the highest earners on the site, raking in anywhere from $12.5 to $16.5 million a year. The other type of lucrative YouTube accounts are more vlog-oriented, following the lives of ‘YouTubers’ who make a collection of miscellaneous videos. YouTubers like Jake Paul, Logan Paul, KSI, and Tyler Oakley are the highest earners of this kind.
Instagram’s highest earners are typically big-name celebrities who get paid large amounts of money per post. Selena Gomez, Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, and Cristiano Ronaldo are all celebrities that have followings so large they are paid anywhere from $150,000 to $500,000 per post. Other accounts have gained popularity as fitness bloggers. People like Kayla Itsines, Jen Selter, and Michelle Lewin can make six figures per sponsored post.
It’s evident there’s big money in social media, but it’s only collected in the hands of a few users. This could mostly be attributed to the business models many big users have set up. Multifaceted and wide-ranging variations of their brand have made them accessible and relatable to almost anyone on social media. Some influencers have set up multiple accounts, making it easier to reach specific groups. With Instagram just recently breaking 1 billion users, it seems like influencers have a never-ending reach. Social media influencers, though new and still rapidly developing, have already found a way to profit and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
Still interested? Read more surprising statistics about social media here!
