Working as an Influencer – What Do Creators Really Do and What Is This Profession Like from the Inside?

On one hand – colorful life, free PR packages, events and advertising campaigns. On the other – statistics, logistics, deadlines, and a permanent online presence. Working as an influencer today is more than just running an Instagram account. It is a profession that requires strategy, trend knowledge, analytics, and the ability to manage one’s own image. If you’re wondering who an influencer is, what they do daily, how their career looks, and whether it is truly possible to make a living from it – you’ll find specific answers here.

The Insider’s View of Influencer Work – What Does an Online Creator Really Do (and Why Isn’t it “Easy Money for a Selfie”)?

The idea that influencers merely post selfies and wait for the money to roll in is long outdated. So, what does an influencer do? They are creators who not only create content but also plan campaigns, analyze results, write scripts, and respond to hundreds of messages weekly. Their daily life involves an Excel sheet with a publication calendar, meetings with brands, taking photos according to a brief, and testing new platform features. This includes editing materials, optimizing for algorithms, and constantly thinking: “Does what I post resonate with my community?” Who is an influencer today? An online experience designer, operating on multiple levels – at the intersection of communication, psychology, and marketing. Although it may look like fun and games from the outside, in practice, it requires specific skills and immense consistency.

When a Hobby Becomes a Profession – How Does an Influencer’s Career Look Step by Step?

Typically, everything begins innocently – a TikTok account, a few Reels, maybe a blog or YouTube channel. The beginnings are experimental, and early successes are quite accidental. But over time, if you have a plan and consistency, passion begins to turn into a job. The path is similar for many creators. The first six months are about testing ideas, formats, and language that works. Then comes the moment when you start gathering a community – not just “friends of friends,” but people who genuinely follow and engage with you. Around the 18-month mark, the first collaborations begin – initially barter, then paid. At this point, you start to feel that working as an influencer is more than a side project. If you don’t give up and organize your processes well, after 2-3 years, you could have a stable income and personal brand. And what’s next? You develop your own products, campaigns, perhaps start an agency. That’s how building a creator’s career looks – step by step, with no shortcuts, but with real potential.

Where does money come from? Earning models in influencer marketing that really work

Earning from recommendations is just part of the puzzle. 

• The most obvious are sponsored posts – their rates heavily depend on reach, but also on content quality and engagement level. 
• Alongside them are affiliate programs – for each sale from your link, you receive a commission, sometimes even up to 25%. 
• Own products? Also increasingly popular – online courses, e-books, clothing collections. 
• In addition, there are paid appearances, event hosting, panel participation. And if you are technically advanced, you can venture into NFTs, AI clones, or interactive events in the metaverse. 

Creators operating multi-channel can generate several income sources simultaneously, increasing their resilience to seasonality and algorithmic changes. So if you’re wondering what an influencer does and how they earn from it, the answer is: not only do they advertise, but they also create their own diversified financial ecosystem.

Authenticity versus algorithm – why being yourself is becoming increasingly difficult in a job that operates 24/7

If you see a creator with a large profile promoting eco cosmetics one week and fast fashion the next, it is not always a matter of greed. Often, it’s a balancing act between meeting brand expectations and maintaining visibility. Algorithms act like sine waves – one day you have a viral, the next your content disappears. And it is precisely this visibility that determines your “to be or not to be” in the profession. An influencer must continually balance: on one side, you want to be yourself, on the other – you have to play by the system that rewards regularity, trendiness, and specific formats. Additionally, there is community pressure – they expect consistency, but also freshness and response to current topics. The authenticity crisis is a real phenomenon that most active creators face today. What does it mean to be an influencer in such a setup? It means someone who not only inspires but is also able to strategically filter what they show, without losing themselves.

What do influencer studies look like? New courses that recently sounded like a joke

Just a few years ago, the idea that an influencer could study their profession was laughable. Yet in 2025, Polish universities are offering full-fledged courses educating future internet creators. The curriculum includes subjects like online communication psychology, advanced data analytics from social media, copyright law, and advertising ethics. It’s not just about “how to set up lighting for a selfie”, but about understanding influence mechanisms, crafting messages, and media responsibility. These courses were created in response to real market needs – both from the creators’ and the brands’ side. So who is an influencer today? Not just someone with a smartphone, but a specialist who understands how the internet works and can use its tools consciously. If you’re considering this path seriously – you now even have the option to gain formal education.

Working as an influencer and mental health – on FOMO, anxiety, and digital detox

Being constantly online is not just a “lifestyle choice”. It’s a massive psychological burden. In studies from 2025, over 60% of active creators report sleep problems, and every third struggles with symptoms of burnout. Constantly comparing yourself to others, the need to respond to messages, the pressure to be visible – all these lead to FOMO syndrome and increasing stress. An influencer is a profession where the line between work and personal life is very easily blurred, which often results in a loss of energy and motivation. Therefore, more and more creators are implementing “digital wellbeing” strategies – planned detoxes, block work, task delegation. If you’re wondering what it means to be an influencer in everyday life, it also means dealing with an excess of information, expectations, and a constant need to act. And this requires not only self-discipline but also empathy… towards oneself.

Advertising and responsibility – what you need to know about influencers’ legal obligations?

Entering the world of collaborations, you cannot pretend “you didn’t know”. From January 2025, there are clear regulations regarding labeling sponsored content – simply having “collaboration” in the description is not enough, there must be specifics: #advertisement, preferably at the beginning of the post. If you are promoting products in the health or supplements category – you must have documents confirming their legality and certification. Furthermore, you can be criminally liable for false reviews today, and using filters without indicating it’s a filter – is already, in some situations, grounds for reporting. Influencers must know their duties because media accountability is as real today as it is for journalists or advertising agencies. And this means the necessity of adhering to rules, not just out of obligation, but out of respect for the audience and one’s brand.