I made $50 via Instagram with just 400 followers in a week - here's how I did it

Say the term "influencer" and most people might think of a perfectly-preened 20-something lass with thousands of followers lapping up her #ootd posts.

Like them or not, getting paid to share a slice of your life with internet strangers is a highly-coveted position to be in — a third of kids aspire to be either a YouTuber or vlogger, a US survey estimates — but it certainly isn't the easiest job to land.

To be honest, with my unimpressive 400-odd following on Instagram and a less than curated feed, I've never thought it was possible… until now, that is.

Enter Partipost, a platform that allows anyone to earn money by sharing about the brands they love on social media.

Yes, anyone — as long as you have at least 200 followers and an internet connection, you're pretty much good to go.

Simply download the app, fill in your details, and you can start participating in campaigns and earning money by posting on your social media.

But is it too good to be true? To find out if it's a viable side-hustle, I tried being an 'influencer' for a week on top of my full-time job to see just how much I could earn.

Getting started

The first thing you have to do after downloading the app is to fill in a questionnaire on details including your age, gender, occupation and follower count.

According to Partipost, the information you provide will help them recommend suitable campaigns to you.

Once you're all set up, it's time to browse the available campaigns.

A cursory scroll reveals that there's something for everybody: Popeyes and DC Chicken for the foodies, Japan IPL Express for the beauty junkies, Phillip Futures for the financially savvy and more.

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I'd recommend checking the app regularly as new campaigns are released often and those from popular brands, especially food-related ones, tend to fill up fast.

The campaigns typically offer a range of payouts, mostly commensurate with the amount of time and effort needed.

I spotted one from Great World offering $5 for an Instagram Story on their Catch The Lobangs mobile game. Another campaign from CarTimes was offering $85, but required a trip down to their showroom.

Another pro-tip: even if you don't have a public account, there are some campaigns that are open to private accounts as well.

My first #sponsored post

After browsing through the campaigns, I decided to go for a campaign by Jinro. Besides being a fan of soju, the tasks sounded easy enough: purchase a bottle of Jinro soju, make an Instagram post and Story about it, and receive a sweet $50 payout.

Once I clicked into the campaign, I was presented with a handy list of tasks to complete, as well as the deadlines.

The first task was to purchase a bottle of soju, and submit the receipt for approval on the app.

With my receipt submitted, I then moved on to the next task, crafting my posts according to Jinro's requirements before — you've probably guessed it — sending them off for approval.

The entire process was quick and fuss-free. In fact, the most time-consuming bit was probably waiting for the stamp of approval for each stage, which could take anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days. Everything else, including the photography and writing, was completed during pockets of free time throughout the day (while I was off the clock, in case my boss is reading this).

From signing up for the campaign to receiving the final approvals, it took me just four days to get my first #sponsored post up.

But do note that the review period for some campaigns can take up to 10 working days.

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Of course, it doesn't end there. My final task was to submit a link and screengrab of my posts.

As for the payout, I'll be receiving it on or before Dec 25, according to the Partipost app. Is there anything better than receiving 'free' money on Christmas day? I think not.

Final verdict

As someone who spends an embarrassing amount of time on social media, being able to monetise my addiction is definitely an alluring prospect. And Partipost has proved to be a quick, simple way to do just that.

Even during a hectic work week at work, the campaign was pretty manageable. In fact, one of my favourite things about the app is how my completed and outstanding tasks were visible at a glance, making it perfectly easy to keep track of my progress.

The app also streamlines the entire influencing marketing process — no networking, lengthy email threads, DMs or invoices to worry about.

Another pro? The flexibility — you're free to pick and choose campaigns, and craft the content to fit your social media presence.

I mean, If you're already posting about your life for free, why not earn a little extra pocket money while you're at it?

Download the Partipost app now!

This article is brought to you in partnership with Partipost.

kimberlylim@asiaone.com