The difficulty of making money with ads is why most social media stars diversify their income streams. That means they earn money from several different sources. For instance, YouTubers can post links for products in their content. Every time someone clicks on a link and buys an item, the creator earns a small percentage of the sale. YouTubers also sell channel subscriptions and their own merchandise, like T-shirts and baseball caps.
But the main way creators make money is by teaming up with other brands to sell stuff. Maybe you’ve noticed that your favorite gamer always guzzles a particular sports drink in their videos. They may or may not love the taste of the drink—but they are probably earning money by consuming it on their channel.
Such brand deals make up 70 percent of YouTube creators’ income, according to Goldman Sachs. These partnerships can take different forms. A company might fund an entire video themed around a product, for example, or supply free goods for a creator to unbox.
“I’ve worked with some really cool brands,” LeBlanc says. “They’ll send you clothes, and you get to try them on and film about it. I feel like a lot of my creative juices get to flow, because I’m like, ‘OK, this is for somebody else, so it has to be even better than what I’m putting out for myself.’”
Brand partnerships are one of the main ways that creators make money on the platforms TikTok and Instagram as well. Paying creators can be worth it for brands. The research firm NCSolutions found that 66 percent of 12- to 27-year-olds in the U.S. have bought a product after seeing it featured in a creator’s content.
The more followers an influencer has, the more money they can charge brands. So-called nano creators—those with 1,000 to 10,000 followers—charge brands $20 to $250 per post, according to Viral Nation, an influencer marketing firm based in Canada. Meanwhile, mega creators, with more than 1 million followers, can charge more than $10,000 for a single post.
Subscriber engagement—regularly liking, commenting on, and sharing content—is another important factor. The more engaged a creator’s subscribers or followers are, the more money a creator can earn, says Joe Gagliese, co-founder of Viral Nation.
“You could have millions of followers, but if they aren’t actively engaging with your content, your influence is limited,” Gagliese says. “In contrast, a smaller creator with a highly engaged audience can have a much greater impact.”
