Ever wondered how a micro-influencer can earn full-time sustainable income?

I bet you have!

As a full-time micro-influencer, one of my most popular questions has to do with the secret behind making a substantial income with a smaller audience.

I'm pulling back the curtain to share my 2023 influencer income report, unveiling the eight income streams that collectively make up my “salary” as a self-employed creator, if we want to call it that.

For those new to my journey, I transitioned from a 9-5 job to pursue content creation full-time in 2021. I started a blog and Instagram account in 2012, a YouTube channel in 2017 and a TikTok in 2019, so this leap was about a decade in the making.

100% of my yearly income comes from content creation, and this is something that I am truly proud of as a small content creator with fewer than 100,000 followers across all platforms.

Let’s get into the breakdown of my income streams by percentage from smallest income streams to my top-earning revenue stream of 2023.

2023 Income Breakdown

1. One-on-One Consulting: 1%

What this income stream entails: Customized sessions for influencers and content creators seeking personalized guidance.

I made less from consulting this year compared to last year which reflects a shift in strategy. I raised rates and introduced a new interest form to ensure I was fielding serious inquiries from creators who are ready to invest in one-on-one services.

2. Platform Incentives: 1%

What this income stream entails: Getting rewarded by platforms for posting content, whether it’s through bonuses, reward payments or tipping.

This income stream dropped from 30% in 2022 due to the discontinuation of major incentive programs like Pinterest Creator Rewards and Instagram Reels bonuses. The TikTok Creativity Beta Program remains, but I am keeping expectations low for 2024.

3. Affiliates: 1%

What this income stream entails: Receiving a commission for sales of products and services placed through links I’ve shared with my audience.

As a micro influencer, my performance in regards to affiliates is tied to audience size and varying commission rates. Some recent shifts I’ve made heading into 2024 include focusing primarily on lifestyle content for LTK (rather than collages) and establishing an Amazon storefront.

4. Patreon Membership: 3%

What this income stream entails: My membership is a monthly paid resource vault with exclusive content for creators with tiers ranging from $1 to $5.

I plan to keep the core content of the Patreon membership the same across the board and I want to focus primarily on marketing the Patreon to attract more new members in 2024.

5. Digital Products: 4%

What this income stream entails: I earn income from evergreen digital products I’ve created that I sell on my own website including a pitching e-book, invoice template, campaign wrap-up report, and more.

This was a relatively small income stream for me in 2023 but the money I made from it was entirely passive as the products were up to date and I didn’t launch any new products this year. However, I have new ideas for digital products I plan to explore in 2024.

6. Ad Revenue: 11%

What this income stream entails: passive income from ad networks from blog posts and YouTube videos.

I love ad revenue because it is purely passive and all I have to do is maintain my weekly posting schedule for YouTube and the blog to make money. My priority with ad revenue for 2024 is to maintain a focus on long-form searchable content.

7. Education: 15%

What this income stream entails: I earn money through education whether it’s a paid workshop for a company or cohort, my pre-recorded SEO workshop that I sell on my website, and my digital course, The Influencer Income Accelerator.

Plans for 2024 include relaunching the digital course and exploring more workshop opportunities.

8. Brand Deals: 59%

What this income stream entails: working with a brand to create content promoting their products and services to my audience.

Surprisingly this became the top income stream for 2023, accounting for 59% of my total revenue. A shift towards being more selective with brand partnerships and saying no to a lot of brand deals that were not aligned or didn’t pay well to focus on the deals I was genuinely excited about really made this the top income stream.

I should also mention that 8% of my income is in a bucket that I call other. This is for any extra income I wasn’t anticipating earning in 2023.

Things in the other category this year included Poshmark sales, freelance writing assignments and paid research studies.

Income Trends and Takeaways

Income can vary throughout the year, so it’s important to take a look at the distribution of when you make the most money in your business.

The final quarter of 2023 is where a staggering 45% of my overall income for the year came from.

This concentration of income earned in Q4, especially when it came to brand deals, underscores the inherently seasonal nature of the influencer industry.

Much like businesses experiencing peaks during specific periods, such as fall for apple orchards or Mardi Gras for bakeries, the influencer world witnesses a surge in activity during holiday campaigns and year-end festivities.

Reflecting on the quarterly breakdown, Q3 followed closely, comprising 29% of my total income and Q1 accounted for 18%.

This pattern reinforces the importance of strategically managing money to navigate the ebbs and flows of a content creator's fiscal year.

(I’ve always wanted to use the word fiscal in a blog post as an ode to Confessions of a Shopaholic and now I’ve found my use case.)

Q2 was my lowest-earning quarter of the year accounting for a mere 8% of the total income—a reminder that establishing diverse income streams is so key for maintaining stability during those slower months of the year.

Have a Mix of Income Streams

Passive income, derived from ad revenue, affiliates, my membership, and digital products, made up a commendable 19% of my total earnings.

This highlights the value of evergreen content and products that generate revenue without necessitating continuous active engagement.

Specifically, digital products and ads emerged as purely passive income streams, requiring minimal intervention but yielding consistent returns.

Make it stand out

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Revenue Isn’t The Only Form of Growth

My total income for 2023 was 18% less than what I made the previous year.

It could be easy to get down on myself about this, but looking back on this year as a whole I’m not surprised to see this stat and even more than that—I’m okay with it.

The beginning of this year presented a lot of challenges including a three-month span where I didn’t take on a single brand deal, with the first half of the year dominated with questions about a potential recession and inflation being at an all-time high.

This is reflected in Q2 being my lowest-earning quarter of the year.

Despite the dip in revenue, this period also marked a significant year for me of personal growth and skill development.

I worked less this year because of our wedding. I planned our wedding as well as my bridal shower and bachelorette party (yes, I am a Virgo AND only child if you didn’t catch that lol) all of which required my time and focus.

Beyond the money of it all, 2023 was characterized by pivotal personal moments, including my wedding, which led to a more intentional focus on physical and mental health.

The conscious decision to prioritize my own well-being (including learning to make matcha lattes at home), commit to regular workouts with our Peloton bike, immerse myself in meaningful reads both fictional and career…these things make me a better person which will in turn make me a better business owner.

I learned new skills planning a wedding that aren’t measurable like communication with vendors I hired and planning large-scale events.

Final Thoughts

Remember, success is not always measured in revenue alone but also in personal growth, skill development, and overall well-being.

While the financial landscape for influencers can be unpredictable, finding a balance between active and passive income streams is key to long-term success.

As we move into 2024, I'm excited about the potential for growth and continued evolution in the world of content creation.

Each year this industry gets more legitimate and produces more money and it’s never been a more exciting time to be a creator.

What was your top-earning income stream for 2023? Let me know in the comments!

yours,

Austen

A Deep Dive into My 8 Income Streams (2023 Revenue Breakdown)