Today’s post is a bit of a departure from my usual beat, as I’m sharing my tips for being successful as a micro influencer.
I haven’t really touched on this topic before because I honestly didn’t feel like I had anything of value to share. BUT I’ve been able to grow my income over the last few years without being a slave to the social media rat race and without gaining thousands upon thousands of followers.
I decided to share this because I’ve seen a lot of content with a similar theme that ends up pitching an MLM or a course. Those things are great, of course, but I wanted to provide another perspective and a route that has worked for me.
We’ve seen what works for many creators: post reels and videos every day, eventually go viral, repeat. Cue follower growth, brand deals, etc. etc. When that’s not happening, it’s easy to feel discouraged—especially when you are spending so much time brainstorming, shooting, and editing content.
What I’ve learned is that I don’t have to follow that same cookie cutter formula to grow and build a personal business, and I thought I’d take a moment today to share some tips for how I make money as a micro influencer and a few mindset shifts that have worked for me.
My Tips for Being Successful as a Micro Influencer
Lean in to being normal
I like to think that one of the reasons my readers enjoy my content is because I’m a “real” person, not a glamorous influencer with tons of brand deals and a lavish lifestyle. (Now, don’t get me wrong! It sounds fun, but that’s not the case for the average person—or me). My advice? Embrace your current stage! Shift your mindset out of imposter syndrome and into owning your relatability.
Invest in other platforms
When most creators abandoned their blogs a few years ago to focus on socials, I made the decision to double down on my blog. I optimized my website for SEO, and my traffic and income began to grow.
If you’re not up for building out a blog at first, consider Pinterest or YouTube. A lot of these other platforms rely on search, so you’re getting eyes on your content that actually want to be there, rather than having to “sell” something to your followers over and over again. And ideally, those eyes turn into loyal readers–a win win!
Accept that no one is going to ask you to do this
No one is going to beg you to start posting, and it might feel like *crickets* when you do. But once you start “putting in the reps,” you’ll get into a flow and find your voice, and that’s when the magic happens.
Don’t sleep on affiliate programs
The majority of my income comes from affiliate programs. This means that if someone clicks on a link I’ve shared (either here on my blog or on IG) and ends up making a purchase, I earn a small commission.
I am part of an affiliate network (LTK) that allows me to link from a huge number of popular websites, but I have also joined several individual affiliate programs of brands that I love. It’s easy to be envious of those landing sponsored content, but I’m here to tell you that those small commissions do add up.
Invest in the brands you really love
Wear it, tag them, promote them, join their affiliate program if they have one…even if they don’t even know you exist! Building long term partnerships with the brands I love has opened up opportunities for me to land sponsored collaborations that wouldn’t have otherwise been available to me.
Choose a “shtick” and be consistent
In my case, the “shtick” is my Friday morning newsletter. Not only is writing the newsletter my favorite part of my weekly workflow, but I think it makes me stand out as a creator because not that many people are doing emails anymore. I never miss a week, and this has forced me to flex the same muscle over and over again. At this point, it feels automatic.
Quality over quantity
I truly do not stress about growing on socials anymore. Instead, I focus on providing as much value I can to the readers who ARE here. I try to respond to every DM and email and take every piece of feedback to heart. As they say, you only need “1,000 true fans” to build a sustainable business and that has definitely been the case for me!
How to make money as a micro influencer
To wrap up the post, I thought I’d share a quick list of micro influencer revenue streams. Not all of these may be for you, but I thought a rapidfire list might help spark some ideas if you’re looking to make money as a micro influencer.
Micro Influencer Revenue Streams
I always say my income is a “little bit of this, a little bit of that.” It’s all about diversifying and setting your business up in a way that will earn you passive income as you continue creating.
Affiliate Programs:
I’ve already covered this, but affiliate programs are a great way to make money as a micro influencer. I recommend joining a network such as ShopMy or RewardStyle (LTK) so you can start sharing links from a variety of websites. I also recommend joining direct affiliate platforms for specific brands too–not only because those commissions can be higher but because it’s a great “foot in the door” with brands. A lot of times, brands will opt to sponsor content with existing affiliates because they are familiar with your work and know your content will convert.
Sponsored Collaborations:
Creators and brands can work together on sponsored content in the form of blog posts, Instagram reels, stories, or static feed posts, TikTok videos, and more. In these collaborations, the brands will pay a creator a flat fee for posting. It’s not as easy to land sponsored content as a micro influencer, but it’s not impossible. I recommend putting together a straightforward media kit on Canva with your rates and just practice pitching brands as much as possible.
*One tip I do have is to stay away from creating content in exchange for free product. I have done it in the past, and it’s fine if the product is really expensive or something you wouldn’t want to spend your own money on, but it’s a slippery slope and I’ve been much happier since I stopped accepting those types of deals.
UGC:
Brands will sometimes pay creators for User Generated Content to use on their own channels. I know of a bunch of creators who exclusively do UGC which is a great way to earn an income without worrying about building a personal brand, if that’s something you’re not into.
Paid Subscriptions:
Many creators use Substack or even Instagram subscriptions to put a certain amount of their content behind a paywall. Readers or subscribers pay a monthly fee for access to this content.
Ad Revenue:
A portion of my income comes from the ads you see on my website. Networks such as SheMedia and MediaVine place display ads on blogs and work with retailers to fill the ads. If you’re getting regular traffic to your blog, this is a fabulous way to earn a passive revenue stream.
E-Books or Digital Products:
This is another really popular way to earn money online as a creator, and you don’t need to have a massive following to do so. Many creators sell their digital products (think worksheets, packing lists, guides, etc) on Etsy, their own websites, or another digital marketplace.
Consulting:
Some creators charge for consulting in their area of expertise, be it styling sessions, travel planning, sleep consultations, etc. The options are endless!
Thank you so much for checking out my advice on making money as a micro influencer. If you’re just starting out, I know it’s easy to get discouraged, but keep going. You got this!
I hope this was helpful, and I’d love to hear from you if you have anything to add!
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