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The advent of the internet has revolutionized many services and jobs in ways one could never have imagined. For example, transition of banking from in-person onto the internet has taken many years but has become indispensable in terms of convenience. In recent years, internet has also allowed the transition of work from the office into the into the home where it is considered the “norm” for many workers.

The internet has also ushered in the era of social media and this article looks at the monetization of these services. The most popular social media platforms as of January 2024 are (Source: Statistics & Data):

Monetization of the internet is directly related to ad revenue. In the last 10 years, social media advertising spend has steadily increased replacing “legacy mediums” such as newsprint, television and radio (Source: Statistica).

CREATION OF NEW GENRE OF JOBS: The Advent of Social Media Influencers

Google defines an influencer as an “individual who has a substantial and engaged online following, leveraging their credibility and authority to influence the opinions, behaviours and purchase decisions of their followers through various media platforms.” Ads are typically “injected” at opportune times in social media. This ad placement is paid by an advertiser and split between the social media platform and the influencer. It is very difficult to come up with original content or post on a regular basis for the average individual.

SO, HOW MUCH CAN YOU MAKE AS AN INFLUENCER? Revenue Its complicated as there are a multitude of ways to monetize your brand.

• User Generated Content: this is content created and shared by our audience which can include photos, videos, testimonials and reviews to help promote a brand. This is typically ad revenue by the social media platform based on the number of impressions or views. For 1 million impressions, earnings could be $1K – $2K.
• Partnerships and Sponsored Content: creation of posts that showcase the brands in a positive manner. Earnings are $10 to $100 per 1000 followers per post. Its reported Cristiano Ronaldo can earn $50K USD for a promoted post.
• Affiliate Programs: any followers who click on an affiliate link will generate a commission. Commission rates are 5% to 20% per sale.
• Online Merchandise: if you have a social media presence, the selling of merchandise can add to your bottom line.
• Premium Deals to Subscribers: special “perks” like early access to products/services, special discounts or personalized shout-outs to your subscribers.
• Your Are Limited Only by Your Imagination: there are an endless ways to monetize the internet. You can create online courses, sell your expertise, consult/coach/mentor, create a paid community or subscription and make digital products are a few ideas that monetize

According to Shopify in an article published on Jan 8, 2025, influencer pricing gathered through surveys are:

• Nano-Influencers (.5K – 10K followers): $10 to $100 per post
• Micro-Influencers (10K – 50K followers): $100 to $500 per post
• Mid-Tier Influencers (50K – 100K followers): $500 to $5,000 per post
• Macro-Influencers (100K – 500K followers): $5,000 to $10,000 per post
• Mega-Influencers (500K+ followers): $10,000+ per post

• Nano-Influencers (1K – 10K followers): $5 to $25 per post
• Micro-Influencers (10K – 100K followers): $25 to $125 per post
• Mid-Tier Influencers (100K – 500K followers): $125 to $1,200 per post
• Macro-Influencers (500K – 1,000K followers): $1,200 to $2,500 per post
• Mega-Influencers (1,000K+ followers): $2,500+ per post

YouTube has the highest payout rates due to the retention of the viewer’s attention for extended periods offer multiple opportunities for brand promotion.

• Nano-Influencers (10K – 50K followers): $20 to $200
• Micro-Influencers (50K – 100K followers): $25 to $500
• Mid-Tier Influencers (100K – 500K followers): $125 to $1,200 per post
• Macro-Influencers (500K – 1,000K followers): $1,200 to $2,500 per post
• Mega-Influencers (1,000K+ followers): $2,500+ per post

DON’T QUIT YOUR DAY JOB! Being an influencer is currently a top pick of 57% of Gen Z’s in America in 2023 (Source: Morning Consult). Unfortunately, the chances of fame is very remote. You might get your “15 minutes of fame” but to ride it out for 40 to 50 years might be a stretch. According to Jake Perez in a LinkedIn News article:

JUST HOW POPULAR IS ELON MUSK ON X? From his latest post, he has over 218M followers. His last pinned post as of April 1 has received 68M views, has 279K likes, 13K comments and reposted 33K times.

Cristiano Ronaldo is the most-followed person across social media platforms at 1 billion! Rounding out the top five as of 2025 is Selena Gomez at 687M, Justin Bieber at 596M, Taylor Swift at 548M and Ariana Grande at 510M

(Source: Exploding Topics).