There's nothing pervier than a peek into someone else's finances - especially when it comes to the world of influencers.
Why? Well. Because we're nosy.
It's also helpful to understand how the industry works - considering influencing on social media is a relatively lucrative business, it's fascinating when creators share just how much they bring home every month.
Watch: Four money hacks that don't cut out your daily cup of coffee. Post continues after video.
In saying that, you'd be hard-pressed to find a content creator willing to share just how much money they actually make. For years, it's been a tightly kept secret.
But one influencer who is all about financial transparency is @lovefreshpaint, with over 219,000 followers on Instagram and almost 96,000 on TikTok.
The account is run, owned and operated by Crystal, who is a stay-at-home mum and full-time nail content creator.
In a new post to Instagram, Crystal shared she wanted everyone to know that there are endless opportunities available online.
"I shared a post like this last year, and felt I should come back and do it again, because I have grown a lot as a creator, and I don’t mean my following, I mean in my confidence and business mindset," she wrote.
"It took me almost two years to be confident in scaling my income to where my mentors said it should be, but in 2022 I was ready and I am so grateful to have gone on this journey because it has meant that I can stay home with my babies and still bring in an income. Sometimes I still can’t believe I get paid to do what I’ve been doing for fun for years."
Read more: What My Salary Gets Me: A 27-year-old lawyer and content creator on $127,000 a year.
Crystal has been a content creator for more than seven years, but says making niche content like hers means she doesn't make us much money as other influencers.
"I’m sure many of you will ask how to do this too, and I am happy to share, but you need to know that this doesn’t happen overnight," she wrote.
"I’ve been creating content for seven years, and yes, my following is large, but you don’t need a huge following to earn money as a content creator.
"My advice to those of you aspiring is to start a niche account and begin creating content. In time, brands may reach out to you, and the key is in knowing how to identify the things you should be paid for, and knowing how to value those opportunities appropriately."
Crystal shared she made US$53,681 in 2022, $17,079 in 2021 and $4,783 in 2020.
She went on to break down the costs, explaining how much she took home each month:
- $1,754 in January
- $11,811 in February
- $2,083 in March
- $2,801 in April
- $947 in May
- $2,487 in June
- $3,266 in July
- $3,898 in August
- $5,797 in September
- $2,908 in October
- $12,875 in November
- $3,054 in December.
Crystal went on to say that brand partnerships are not the only way to earn money - but through platform incentive programs, affiliate programs, digital sales and more too.
In a statement to Mamamia, Crystal explained that she chose to share her earnings because she's a big advocate for sharing information in a bid to inform others.
"A lot of content creators don't realise that there are so many ways to monetize the things they're already doing, and struggle to navigate their brand deals. I'm passionate about teaching them what I've learned along the way because I was once that person that needed a mentor to navigate it all myself."
Feature Image: Instagram @lovefreshpaint.
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