Most of us may be happy with the number of likes our food, outfits of the day and latest DIY project get on social media, but did you know that some of the most popular Instagram stars get likes and cash?
We’re talking at least $150,000 per post — way more than many Americans can even dream of making a year in their chosen professions.
Forbes just released the first of its “Top Influencers,” the “power players who’ve turned social media platforms into fortunes and empires.” Throughout the year, the publication will name the 10 noncelebrity individuals who built a brand from the ground, err internet, up in 12 different categories.
The first batch features 30 fitness, beauty and home influencers, who have a combined 250 million followers on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. Of these first Instagram stars, most of them are millennials — and 24 of them are women.
Take at look:
FITNESS
These 10 fit and healthy individuals have a combined reach of 106 million followers on social media.
1. Kayla Itsines
The 25-year-old Australian, who created the “Bikini Body Guide” e-book series, made $17 million from her “Sweat with Kayla” app last year and her fitness stadium tour sold out in just about an hour.
2. Jennifer Selter
The New Yorker first became known as the girl who showed off her buff butt all around the city, but the 23-year-old soon created an empire that now includes several other social media ventures and a forthcoming workout wardrobe set for release this summer.
3. Emily Skye
This Australian got her start blogging about her meals, exercise regime and competing in fitness competitions, and now she has an online program that features video tutorials and an app. The 32-year-old also has a line of makeup and a Reebok sneaker due in 2018.
Rounding out the Top 10 fitness stars are Michelle Lewin, Joe Wicks, Cassey Ho, Lyzabeth Lopez, Simeon Panda, Natalie Jill and Rachel Brathen.
BEAUTY
This list includes professional makeup artists and nonpros who review drugstore products to a combined audience of 135 million followers.
1. Zoe Sugg
The 27-year-old Brit started out showing her cosmetics “hauls” in her bedroom. She now has a line of bestselling beauty products in U.K. retailer Superdrug and authored three books, including “Girl Online,” which broke Nielsen Bookscan records when it was released in 2014.
2. Michelle Phan
From a personal blog that gave makeup tutorials in 2005, Phan, 30, co-founded Ipsy, a monthly subscription cosmetics sampler box, which had a value of more than $500 million in 2015.
3. Huda Kattan
The 33-year-old left finance to study with renowned makeup artist Joe Blasco and now has a makeup line at beauty heaven Sephora — and a line of fake lashes beloved by Kim Kardashian.
The rest of the beauty Top 10 is comprised of Nikkie de Jager, Shannon Harris, Jeffree Starr, Kandee Johnson, Manny Gutierrez, Christen Dominique and Wayne Goss.
HOME
These influencers are interior designers, DIYers and social media mavens who have helped more than 7.3 million followers beautify their abodes and beyond.
1. Grace Bonney
Before there was Etsy, there was Bonney’s Design*Sponge, a daily home and DIY blog launched in 2004 that led to books and a meet-up series for women running creative businesses.
2. Elsie Larson
Larson and her sister Emma Chapman turned their DIY blog, A Beautiful Mess, into a lifestyle empire that now features three books, including a forthcoming cookbook and best-selling photo-editing app, A Color Story.
3. Kate Albrecht
This “Jane-of-all-trades” went from acting to designer, co-founder and CEO of the Mr. Kate brand, which covers home, style and beauty and includes the 2015 book, “A Hot Glue Gun Mess.”
The Top 10 home influencers also includes Paloma Contreras, Will Taylor, Bri Emery, Emily Henderson, Jennifer Hadfield, Reichel Broussard and Coco Cozy.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE INFLUENCE
To compile their list of social influencers, Forbes partnered with Traackr, an influencer analytics firm that tracked audience size, resonance and relevance within the influencers’ field.
A partnership with social insight platform Captiv8 also examined the influencers’ ability to earn with each post depending on number of followers and reviewed endorsements and offline businesses such as products and book deals.
All data was compiled as of February 2017, Forbes said, and the list features influencers who mainly post in English.
The Top 10 influencers in comedy, travel and gaming will be released in June, with fashion, entertainment and parenting following in September. Food, sports and tech and businesses will close out the year in December.
