How social media influencers succeed

ATLANTA - When you think about social media influencers, the Kardashians might come to mind. But many ordinary people are making extra money by influencing us. 

TikTok star Addison Rae tops lists today as a mammoth social media influencer. She has 84 million followers who watch her goof around on camera. And that my friends, is lucrative.

A young, out-of-work factory worker in Italy Khaby Lame has 1.7 billion likes, and he doesn’t even talk on camera. He just pokes fun at folks who made easy tasks unnecessarily difficult.

We talked to Casey Adams, of the podcast, "Rise of the Young." about what an influencer is and how influencers make money.

"An influencer is someone that has a certain niche following for something specific, and they put out content consistently and build a following," he told the Fox 5 I-Team. 

Casey Adams also runs MediaKits to help would-be influencers and advertisers connect. That’s how you make money - when an advertiser reaches out and wants to be associated with your brand. For example, say you have a cooking show. A prominent cookware brand might want to pay you for ads on your page or post.

But first, they’re going to want to know about your numbers. They will want to know about you. Are you male or female? Explain your occupation. Detail your audience size and demographics. They want to know what kind of traffic you get, and your interactions.

You can find this information on some social media sites. But you’ll have to get them in a format that advertisers will want. MediaKits offers a template with real-time data. It’s free or there is a professional level coming soon. Other companies offer this service, too.

But here’s the key to success: Be your authentic self. Are you a good home decorator? Well share it like "Well Nested Home" on Instagram. She’s a wonderful local woman who is great at decorating. She has 64,000 followers.

Another Atlanta lady is really into fitness. It’s who she really is. Tinah Atlanta walks followers through her process. She’s building her following. And we’ve had "Pretty Frugal Diva" on the show. She knows where to find deals.

Most people like to do this for a little extra money, to get free products, or to make a dedicated living out of it. But be yourself, know your numbers.

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