Social media has become almost like an equalizer between "regular" people and celebrities. While it wasn't too long ago that only celebrities were boasting huge amounts of followers on the social pages like Instagram and Twitter, now anyone who has an engaging profile and puts in the work can grow their social accounts. Influencers, YouTube stars, and TikTokkers (!?) are all boasting hundreds of thousands of followers, and for even some, they've reached the pinnacle of success of more than one million followers. But what exactly happens when you reach one million Instagram followers?

Mae Karwowski, founder, and chief executive of Obvious.ly, explained to the Wall Street Journal that achieving a number over a million followers means “you’re at celebrity level when it comes to brand partnerships.” That, in turn, translates into the potential for some huge earnings.  “You could have your own line with a beauty company. You can have your own line in a fashion store. You can be the celebrity face for campaigns,” Karwowski said. She added that people with more than 1 million followers can often earn as much as $15,000 for a sponsored post.

Fashion bloggers, makeup artists and even up and coming bands all attribute Instagram to help grow their popularity. Arielle Charnas is a now popular fashion blogger with 1.1 million Instagram followers who recently secured a collaboration with Nordstrom Inc. ’s private label Treasure & Bond.

She told the WSJ that she began posting on the popular image sharing site in 2009, posting photos of her daily outfits. By engaging with her followers in the comments and using hashtags, her followers began to grow. “Every time I got to another 100,000 I would do a dance video to celebrate it,” she said.

Most social media experts warn against purchasing followers, something that many wannabe influencers have done in hopes of bumping their numbers and looking more popular and influential than they are. Brands have caught on to this however and are always looking for authentic posters who have a real and engaged audience.

If you're working on your own follower count, the WSJ has some tips on how influencers build their brand and increase their followers. Advice includes being engaged with your followers and speaking directly to them either through dm's or in the comments, using the proper hashtags to get your posts seen, collaborate with other influencers who will cross-post or tag your photos, tag brands to "encourage reposting," post often and consistently and consider working with an influencer marketing agency.

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