Making it as an Instagram influencer

You’ve probably seen celebrities posting sponsored photos on Instagram — but it doesn’t take global fame and millions of subscribers to get the attention of advertisers. “Microinfluencers” with just tens of thousands of followers have been able to turn their accounts into a business too, particularly when they have a tight-knit audience that trusts their taste.

So what’s life like when you’re trying to turn an Instagram account into a business? To find out, my colleague Becca Farsace sat down with Janea Brown, an Instagram influencer with around 30,000 followers who’s spent the last year trying to build an audience. Brown charges $2,500 to $4,500 for sponsored content, and has found some success so far; she says sponsored posts account for about 5 percent of her current output.

For now, the advertising still isn’t enough to turn her account into a full-time job. But her numbers are growing, and with them comes more opportunity to find advertisers willing to reach out to a dedicated audience.