The constant growth of social media has made influencer marketing a popular choice for making money online.

Similar to affiliate marketing, companies pay influencers to market their products and services. The main difference is that influencers aim to influence people’s purchasing decisions rather than simply bringing in leads.

How much money influencers earn depends on their social media account’s following and engagement rate. Therefore, to become a successful influencer, you must develop a strong personal brand and become an authoritative voice within your niche to attract sponsors and advertisers.

There are many ways to make money online as an influencer.

YouTube influencers should sign up for the YouTube Partner Program. A YouTube channel must have at least 1,000 subscribers and no active violations of community guidelines to be eligible.

The most popular method of YouTube monetization is through advertising revenue. Alternative methods of monetization include channel subscriptions, Super Chat, Super Stickers, Merchi, Sponsorship and YouTube Brand Connect.

Influencers work to establish and promote their personal brand, which can include developing a unique voice, aesthetic and message. The goal of influencers is primarily to build trust and credibility with their followers, while generating engagement and increasing revenue through brand partnerships and other collaborations.

Influencers have a huge footprint online. Even small influencers with a few thousand followers can provide significant opportunities to reach an engaged audience.

It’s also worth researching how successful influencers interact with their fans and grow their communities.

If you don’t know Alexa Chung from Alex Stohl, don’t worry – I’ve done the research, so you don’t have to. These are the top social media influencers in various categories that can help you gain more visibility for your brand.