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Influencers share how to make money with affiliate marketing and the networks they use

By Nathan McAlone and Sydney Bradley
Kara Harms stands in her apartment with house plants
Kara Harms is a full-time blogger who earns part of her income through affiliate marketing. Whimsy Soul
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All those links on Instagram Stories or below a YouTube video aren't all for the convenience of the viewer — they're how many influencers make money from affiliate marketing. 

What is influencer affiliate marketing? When someone makes a purchase on a website after clicking through a trackable link or using a specific code, the influencer who posted it can earn a commission from that sale in what's called affiliate marketing. 

Influencers often use affiliate marketing as a way to earn income outside of sponsored posts or ad revenue on videos.

From brands like Amazon or Revolve to affiliate marketing platforms like LTK or MagicLinks, there are a handful of ways for influencers to earn a commission from promoting products on social media.

"There's a very low barrier to entry to using affiliate programs," influencer Kara Harms previously told Insider. "That's why it's such a powerful tool for all content creators, but especially new ones, to monetize their content quickly and effectively."

Here are 9 top platforms influencers used to make money from affiliate links

There is often no minimum follower count needed to make money from affiliate marketing. This is one reason it's become popular among  "nano" and "micro" influencers (with between 1,000 and 100,000 followers) to start making money and working with sponsors as content creators.

Check out 7 top brands that work with micro influencers on Instagram, TikTok, and more

How lucrative affiliate marketing is for an influencer depends on several factors such as their following size, engagement, and which industry they are in. It also depends on the commission rates brands and platforms put in place.

For instance, some finance influencers can make a decent portion of their income from affiliate links alone. They might work with investing apps like Robinhood or Acorns.

One personal-finance influencer, Tori Dunlap, told Insider she made more than $200,000 in eight months. Other influencers say they earn a few hundred dollars here and there. 

Some influencers even text their followers with links to their favorite products as a way to drive sales. Social media platforms themselves have tried to dabble in affiliate marketing as well, such as Instagram's short-lived native affiliate program that had some creators earning hundreds of dollars until it ended in August 2022.

Insider has talked with many influencers and industry experts about affiliate marketing. Here's a rundown of what they told us they have earned.

How much do influencers get paid from affiliate marketing?

We spoke with a handful of influencers about how they incorporate affiliate links into their content. Several detailed their monthly earnings. They ranged from about $50 per month to more than $25,000 per month.

Here's how much money 11 creators make from affiliates:

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Nathan McAlone
Nathan is the media and advertising editor for Business Insider and was previously the entertainment editor, as well as an editor and reporter for the tech section.He runs BI's media business team, which primarily covers the creator economy and the business of social media, the evolution of streaming, and the future of advertising.He edits the  CMO Insider newsletter, which features exclusive reporting on marketing and the creator space.He has overseen several award-winning projects at BI.He coedited Jason Guerrasio's feature on the rise and fall of MoviePass, which won a New York Press Club Award and a National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award from the Los Angeles Press Club.BI's reporting on MoviePass served as the basis for the HBO documentary "MoviePass MovieCrash." Nathan is interviewed in the documentary and was a consultant during production.He's worked on other stories that have won or been finalists for NAEJ Awards from the LA Press Club.They include:He mainly edits the work of reporters Lucia Moses, Lara O'Reilly, Dan Whateley, Sydney Bradley, and James Faris.Nathan graduated from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications with a master's degree in journalism in 2015, and from Columbia University in 2011.
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Sydney Bradley
Sydney Bradley has been covering media and tech for Business Insider since 2020. She breaks news and writes extensively about Instagram and Facebook, as well as new social media startups, dating apps, the creator economy, venture capital, and tech culture.She regularly contributes to BI's "After Hours" series, where our reporters dive into the social scenes shaping tech, media, and finance.Sydney's reporting on Instagram was nominated as a finalist for the 2021 Los Angeles Press Club National Entertainment Journalism Awards.She graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in American Studies. You can follow Sydney's work on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram at @sydneykbradley.Have a tip? You can also contact her via encrypted messaging app Signal (@sydneykbradley.123), encrypted email (sydneykbradley@proton.me), or standard email (sbradley@bjinnox.com). Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here’s our guide to sharing information securely.
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