How I Make Money as a Nano-Creator

I'm not TikTok famous. I don’t have a blue checkmark on Instagram, nor am I a LinkedIn Top Voice.

But I have a modest following across all three platforms, which I have been able to monetize.

I’m what some influencer marketers might call a nano-influencer, comfortably in that under-10K follower range. (I prefer the term nano-creator, but potato, potahto.)

It’s not a full-time income — this year, I’ve netted around $3,000 directly from my content. But that’s if you don’t consider the spin-off work that has come from my social media presence, like freelance writing gigs and podcast hosting.

Since I create content outside of my full-time job at Buffer and don’t spend more than a couple of hours a week on it, I’m pretty proud of that.

Even more so because I haven’t been focused on it for very long. I started getting a bit more serious about monetizing my work in 2024, a little over a year ago.

I’ve always loved creating content and had already built up a modest following on Instagram and a growing one on LinkedIn. I’d also just started experimenting with TikTok (you can read more about how I got to my first 1,000 followers on TikTok here).

In that short time, I’ve learned a lot about monetizing as a nano-creator. I thought I’d unpack some of that here.

So: if you’ve ever wondered whether it’s possible to turn a small, engaged audience into income — it is! You don’t need a massive audience, but you do need strategy, consistency, and a strong, authentic voice.

Let’s talk about it.

Why nano-influencers have a unique advantage

I’m not rushing to ‘beat the algorithm’ or ‘maximize my growth.’ That’s because I feel like I’ve found a sweet spot in the nano-influencer category, at least for my bandwidth.

I have the capacity for around three posts across platforms per week. This, I’ve found, is enough for modest growth on Instagram and TikTok, and moderate on LinkedIn.

Keeping within this cadence — and therefore, follower range — also allows me to actually connect with the folks who enjoy my content. I can thoughtfully respond to messages and comments, rather than post and ghost.

Which means my engagement rate is really good, if I do say so myself. For example, the engagement rate for my last sponsored post on Instagram was around 5.8%. According to Buffer’s Instagram Benchmarks data, the median engagement rate for my follower category is around 4.1%.

Many brands find the higher engagement rates that smaller creators can offer to be far more beneficial than dizzying follower counts.

That’s not the only reason to partner with nano-creators, either. Let’s review them all:

• High engagement rates. As I unpacked above, a smaller audience usually means a tighter-knit community.
• Authenticity. People follow nano-creators because they’re relatable. We’re not “influencers” in the celebrity sense — we’re friends who happen to share tips, reviews, or behind-the-scenes peeks.
• Cost-effectiveness. To be candid, we’re more budget-friendly for brands that don’t have much money to spend on influencer campaigns. For a brand, working with 20 nano-creators might bring better ROI (return on investment) than one big influencer.

The main ways I make money as a nano-influencer

There are loads of ways to monetize on Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and beyond. Think affiliate programs, brand partnerships, or even direct monetization on the platform.

I’ve not fully explored all of them yet, so this overview is not the be-all and end-all (definitely check out the guides linked above for more ideas). Rather, it’s a look at what’s working for me right now.

Brand partnershi