I asked 3 social-media influencers what it takes to make real money on Instagram, and they all pointed to the same trait

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August 22, 2018 7:46 PM

Business Insider sat down with three social media influencers, Jeanne Grey, Sai de Silva, and Krystal Bick, to talk about what it takes to be an influencer, and they said patience is the No. 1 quality — here's why.

Business Insider sat down with three social media influencers,
They all started blogging and influencing as a side hustle while working 9-to-5 jobs and now make up to six figures promoting brands on Instagram.
Grey, de Silva, and Bick all agree: Patience is the No. 1 quality it takes to become a successful influencer. They also said it's important to remain authentic.

Reaching a million followers on Instagram doesn't happen overnight. Influencers have to build an audience over time to stand out and eventually — hopefully — make money.

Business Insider recently sat down with three influencers, Jeanne Grey, Sai de Silva, and Krystal Bick, to talk about what it takes making a living promoting products and brands on social media. Each of them started blogging and influencing as a side hustle while they worked 9-to-5 jobs — Bick previously worked at Google — and now they earn anywhere between four and six figures for single posts on Instagram, campaigns, and brand ambassadorships.

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"I think it's really important because at the end of the day, they are the ones double tapping, they are the ones who are going to give you the sale, who are going to give your brands the sale," Grey said. "When there's an influencer who's just doing it for the dollar, and then there's a set back, and that's why people don't make it and that's when they get filtered out."

Grey, de Silva, and Bick all said they would turn down a campaign if a product did not align with their brand.

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