Woman with Less Than 10K Followers Says She’s Made as Much as $2,000 from One Video as a Micro-Influencer (Exclusive)

Chelsea Bennett has yet to land a paid brand deal, but one TikTok Shop video brought in around $2,000

NEED TO KNOW

• Chelsea Bennett shares how she balances being a hairstylist, new mom and micro-influencer with 9,500 followers
• One TikTok Shop video earned her $2,000, but she emphasizes the challenges of building trust and earning meaningful income
• Bennett says she hopes to inspire others by sharing her journey as a smaller creator navigating motherhood and content creation

One micro-influencer is revealing just how much she’s made from her growing social media presence.

Chelsea Bennett, a 34-year-old Denver hairstylist and new mom, has around 9,500 followers combined between her TikTok and Instagram accounts, where she shares outfits, beauty tips and glimpses of motherhood. But content creation wasn’t always part of her life, and when she first tried becoming an influencer a few years ago, she quickly gave it up.

At the time, Bennett was focused on her career as a hairstylist, a profession she’s been in for 13 years, and struggled to balance creating content with her work. She also worried about what people who knew her would think of her online presence. But after recently giving birth to her daughter, Bennett decided to give content creation another shot.

“I desperately needed a hobby and something that felt like it was just for me,” she tells PEOPLE exclusively.

She started posting outfits as a way to motivate herself postpartum to get dressed and feel cute again. But as she began feeling more like herself, she realized she wasn’t the only new mom looking for that feeling.

“As I started finding myself, I realized there were probably other moms feeling the same way,” she says.

That realization helped shape the content Bennett makes today, which combines motherhood with her longtime interests in hair, makeup, skincare and fashion.

“I think ultimately my content is about navigating motherhood without completely losing the parts of yourself you loved before becoming a mom,” she says.

What started as a creative outlet eventually became a side hustle. Today, most of Bennett’s creator income comes from affiliate links through her Amazon storefront, LTK and ShopMy, with TikTok Shop proving to be her biggest source of income so far. One TikTok Shop video alone generated around $2,000.

TikTok Shop is commission-based, so creators earn money when viewers purchase products through their content. And, as Bennett has learned, the amount a video earns can vary significantly.

“One video could make almost nothing, while another could continue generating sales and commission depending on how many people see it and purchase the product,” Bennett says.

“So far, my brand partnerships have all been gifted rather than paid,” she adds. “With a smaller following, I’m learning that brands won’t always offer compensation upfront and that advocating for yourself and negotiating is part of the business.”

@chelsea.bennett.beauty

For my fellow nosey Nellie’s! my best month yet! #tiktokshopaffiliate #microinfluencer #moneytalk #affiliatemarketing

♬ original sound – Chelsea Bennett

Based on what she has seen other creators with similar followings share, Bennett says sponsored TikToks can range from around $50 to $250, though she notes there are “so many variables” involved in setting a rate.

For now, Bennett is also selective about the products she promotes, even if that means passing up some opportunities.

“I really only want to promote brands and products I genuinely use and love,” she says. “That limits some of my opportunities, but I’m completely okay with that.”

“Building trust with my audience is more important to me than making a quick dollar,” she adds. “I believe the right paid partnerships will come with time.”

That approach, along with the work that goes into creating content, has given Bennett a firsthand look at how different the reality of creator income can be from the perception.

She spends around 10 hours a week on content, usually batch-filming one day a week and spending her evenings editing, posting, linking products and responding to comments. She currently tries to post at least once a day.

“I’ve also been surprised by how much work goes into creating content,” she says. “Coming up with ideas, filming, editing, posting, linking everything, responding to comments, it adds up quickly.”

“I think people assume it’s easy money, you share a link and BAM, money starts rolling in,” she adds.

@chelsea.bennett.beauty

for my Nosey Nelly’s & fellow newbie creators!!!! 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼🤭 #smallcreator #microinfluencer #tiktokshop #fyp #newcreators

♬ original sound – Chelsea Bennett

In reality, Bennett says, creators need an engaged audience that trusts their recommendations to make meaningful money through affiliate links.

“I think you really have to enjoy the process to stick with it, especially in the beginning when you might be putting in hours of work for very little money,” she says.

That reality is part of what inspired Bennett to share her earnings publicly. She had been watching larger creators post their income online and noticed that the numbers were often far beyond what she was making.

Bennett wanted to show the beginning — not just the success that can come after years of building an audience.

“I thought, why not share what a smaller creator actually makes?” she says. “For me, this is still side income. I think there’s value in showing the $200 or $2,000 stage, not just the $20,000 stage.”

Her decision to be transparent struck a chord. The video went viral, and Bennett says she was surprised by how many smaller creators and aspiring influencers told her they found the numbers realistic and attainable.

“It wasn’t a ‘quit your job and become an influencer’ number; it was extra money I made while still working my normal job and being a new mom,” she says.

The video also doubled her TikTok following.

For Bennett, though, the most meaningful part of going viral wasn’t the follower count; it was hearing from people who wanted to create content but had been too afraid to try.

“I’ll definitely continue sharing things like this if I feel like they can encourage someone else or make this world feel a little more approachable,” she says.

“I know there’s a lot more for me to learn as I grow,” she adds. “But one of the biggest things I’ve realized is that follower count isn’t everything … Having an audience that trusts you is more valuable than having a large number next to your name.”

Ultimately, Bennett isn’t trying to become famous. She hopes the income can eventually give her more time with her family.

“Fame isn’t the goal,” she says. “If I can turn something I genuinely enjoy into extra income that eventually allows me to spend more time at home with my family, that’s the ultimate goal.”

@chelsea.bennett.beauty

so grateful!!! 🥹 keep sharing, keep fighting the cringe accusations & lastly if there is something you want- GO FOR IT #smallcreator #newcreator #microinfluencer #momcreator #fyp

♬ Pumpin Blood – TWINSICK & NONONO

And for anyone who wants to start creating content but is worried about what other people will think, Bennett says the awkwardness is unavoidable.

“You have to give yourself permission to be new at something,” she says. “Figure out what you enjoy sharing, what you have to offer and allow yourself to build confidence along the way.”

“At some point, you have to stop worrying about what Sarah from high school might think of your social media presence,” she continues. “Sarah might think it’s cringe — but Sarah also isn’t paying your bills.”

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