How Influencers Earn Money in 2025

How influencers earn money is one of the most searched terms online. Yet, few influencers start off their career journey with money in mind.

For most, their foray into the influencer world starts with true passion and a desire to build an audience around the content they create. Yet, there comes a point in every influencer’s life when money does enter the picture. What once was a hobby quickly becomes more – a career and a source of income.

So, how do they do it? How influencers earn money, turning engagements and impressions into cash, seems like a forbidden science, but we’ve broken it all down into easily digestible steps. 

Read on to find out the many ways influencers can earn money from their content and how you can join in on the fun. 

WHAT IS AN INFLUENCER 

Before answering how influencers earn money, it is important to define what an influencer is.

Often thrown wildly around the internet, an influencer is an online content creator who has the power to sway and influence consumer purchasing decisions. This is what makes them so valuable to brands and thus what allows for the monetisation of their content — one simple recommendation from the right influencer can turn your brand from underground to cult classic. 

It is important to distinguish influencers from content creators — whilst both make content that is posted online, a content creator does not receive any monetary compensation for their posts. Their content is purely for entertainment purposes, whilst an influencer will take on brand partnerships, collaborations, and more. 

HOW INFLUENCERS EARN MONEY

How influencers earn money from the internet is far simpler than it seems.

This age-old question haunts consumers and brand marketers alike. In reality, it is quite simple. Let’s break down the most popular ways an influencer might earn a commission from their content. 

Sponsored Content and Posts 

Perhaps the simplest process on this list of how influencers earn money, influencers are able to earn money through sponsored posts on their channels. 

A sponsored post is a piece of content that a brand pays an influencer to publish on their account. Sponsored content is typically used to promote products, services, or the brand itself, and sees the influencer speak positively about their experiences with the company. 

@lydiamillen

Ad How drinking chocolate changed my life with the ALL-NEW Velvetiser @Hotel Chocolat paid partnership

♬ original sound – Lydia Millen

For brands, this is a simple and sure-fire way to expand their reach. Consumers view the recommendations of their favourite influencers as gospel — they lean on these figures like they would a close friend or family member, and thus view their suggestions as trustworthy. As such, sponsored posts lead to more eyes on your brand and, if successful, lots of new purchases. 

Brand Partnerships, Collaborations, and Ambassadorships 

Beyond sponsored posts, brand partnerships are an excellent way of forming a long-term relationship with influencers. If a brand is particularly happy with the work of an influencer or the success of their sponsored posts, then they may offer them a partnership or collaboration. 

@vans

inside the vision. a dream made real by@sza. full video pinned to our profile. Artistic Director: @sza Videographer: @notmrblu Stylist: Alejandra LaPilusa

♬ original sound – Vans – Vans

Partnerships and collaborations typically are more long-term, and will see the influencer create a series of sponsored content for the brand rather than a standalone post. Often, the influencer will become the face of the brand’s latest campaign and join their formal team of brand ambassadors. 

In recent years, collaborations have become especially popular, which involve the brand and influencer working together to release a limited series of products inspired by the creator. 

Affiliate marketing 

Particularly popular in the fashion and beauty industries, affiliate marketing allows influencers to earn revenue from the links, purchases, and leads their content drives for a brand. 

How influencers earn money via affiliate marketing revolves around conversions. Influencers are given unique affiliate codes and links, which the brand then tracks the success of. The more conversions these lead to – be that sign-ups, clicks, purchases, etc. – translates to how much the influencer gets paid. The amount of money an influencer can earn through this process is determined by the brand’s commission rate, product price point, and the influencer’s audience size and engagement rate. 

Popular affiliate programs include Amazon Associates, Shopify Affiliate Program, LTK, Clickbank, and ShareASale. 

Ad Revenue From Blogs, Vlogs, and Podcasts 

Ad revenue is one of the simpler and successful answers to how influencers earn money.

@katiesteckly

Facts you might not know about YouTube Adsense 👇🏻 ⚖️ YouTube shares 55% of ad revenue with creators It’s by far the best revenue-sharing program on social media – YouTube actually pays the majority of ad revenue to creators. So, if an advertiser pays YouTube $1 to be shown on your video, you’ll be $0.55 and YouTube will get $0.45. 💵 Your revenue in YouTube studio =/= what you get paid If you’re eagle eyed, you might have noticed in my income steams report YouTube amounted to $43,737 – but here the total is more like $54K – that’s because YouTube actually withholds tax. This will change depending on where you live, but for me it was about 20%. This is something I don’t often see creators talking about – so I was really confused at first because I couldn’t figure out why the deposits in my account where different than my estimated revenue in YouTube studio. That’s why! Keep that in mind when you’re considering your goal revenue, and how Adsense fits into that. Got more questions about YouTube Adsense and how it works? Let me known in the comments!

♬ Perfect (Exceeder) – Mason & Princess Superstar

Ad revenue refers to the commission an influencer earns from viewers interacting with the ads placed on their content from third-party ad networks. The amount earned is based on measurements such as views, impressions, clicks, etc., rather than actual payments from the advertised brands. 

To benefit from ad revenue, influencers usually join an advertising network such as Medavine or Google Adsense, which puts ads on their content and then pays them a portion of the revenue generated.

Personalised Merchandise and Branded Products 

One of the most popular ways for influencers to connect with their audiences and make a profit is through merchandising.

Popularised by YouTubers in the early 2010s, merch can be anything from t-shirts to pencil cases. Merchandise is usually promoted by the influencer on their channel, encouraging their audience to buy products if they are fans. 

@iansomerhalder

My merch collection with @@Blank clo is now available to shop for a limited time!! I had so much fun creating this, and can’t wait to match with you all. Link to shop in bio or go to iansomerhalder.shop 📸: Ben Biondo

♬ original sound – Ian Somerhalder

However, merchandising is one of the more controversial answers to how influencers earn money. There is a fine line between creating merch for profit alone and enjoying the profit as a side benefit. Many influencers have fallen into the trap of creating merch purely to make a buck — promoting products that are egregiously overpriced and of terrible quality. Be sure to put genuine time and effort into merch lines and create products that consumers will actually value. 

Paid Subscriptions, Exclusive Content, Memberships 

Many modern influencers have begun to turn to subscription-based earnings for their careers. Paid subscriptions, exclusive content, and memberships create a consistent and dependable line of income for influencers – this is highly more appealing than having to depend on sporadic sponsorships and ad revenue.

Some popular subscription-based platforms include Shopify, Patreon, YouTube, Twitch, Substack, Memberful, and Podia. 

Events, Workshops, and Public Appearances 

A wonderful way of meeting up with fans and fostering your audience is through in-person meetups and events. 

@somebassgirl

Had to make a part 2 cause there are so many queens who are just the nicest people ever🥹 #dragqueen #dragrace #dragcon #rpdr #lgbt

♬ original sound – ⸆⸉

Whether a small in-person workshop shop an appearance at a large-scale conference, public events mean ticket sales plus the chance to sell more merchandise to excited fans. Yet, more than this, appearances are a fantastic way to foster closer relationships with fans. Through signing autographs, chatting with fans, and answering their questions, influencers can tend to their community and up engagement significantly.

Direct Payments 

Many social media platforms now compensate influencers for creating and sharing successful and creative content. This allows influencers to not only earn money from brand deals, giving them more stability and making their career far more livable. 

The TikTok Creator Fund is an excellent example, allowing influencers from certain countries to earn money based on high views and engagement. The higher their numbers, the higher their reward.

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE, and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs.

@sociallypowerful