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Venita Aspen implied on Southern Charm that she made about $1 million per month working as an influencer, which she later said was taken out of context on the show.

Instead, she meant that influencers could make up to seven figures per month – not necessarily that she rakes in that kind of dough. But is it true that influencers can make that much money?

Venita Aspen said she ‘could’ make 7 figures as an influencer

“They took that out of context. That is kicking me in my a** right now,” Aspen told Page Six, referring to her remark about influencer income. She added, “I could make seven figures a year on Instagram, which is still pretty wild.”

'Southern Charm' cast photo, including influencer Venita Aspen.
Chleb Ravenell, Austen Kroll, Olivia Flowers, Leva Bonaparte, Craig Conover, Shep Rose, Kathryn Calhoun Dennis, Naomi Olindo, Venita Aspen, Taylor Ann Green |Stephanie Diani/Bravo

So how much does the average social media influencer make? It depends on followers and brands. For instance, influencer Alexa Collins told Business Insider she banks about $1,000 per Instagram story that could potentially reach her one million followers. Aspen has a little more than 88,000 followers. An influencer with 100,000 followers told Insider her starting rate is about $100 per story.

How much does the average social media influencer make?

In some cases, influencers will apply a formula of charging $100 per every 10,000 followers. But that isn’t always the case. In some instances, being a smart negotiator can net the influencer a sweet gig. Another influencer with 275,000 followers negotiated her way to $700,000 in brand deals. Also, others with 100,000 followers or less told Business Insider they managed to bank a six-figure income in a single year.

Indeed, simply being famous allows the celebrity to command a much higher ask on social media. According to Hopper HQ, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kylie Jenner, and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo can easily make more than $1 million per social media post. Of course, they all have more than 200 million followers.

So how do mere mortals make money on social media? According to CNBC, “You need a minimum of 5,000 Instagram followers and 308 sponsored posts a year to generate $100,000.”

Prefer getting paid on TikTok? Influencers need even more followers. You’d need a “minimum of 10,000 TikTok subscribers and over 270 million views a year to generate $100,000,” according to CNBC.

What do some Bravo influencers make?

Aspen has not revealed exactly how much she makes as a Southern Charm influencer. But she said the job isn’t simply snapping a few quick photos wearing a cute outfit. “It’s wild how much money you can make as an influencer,” she said. “I don’t think people understand the hard work that goes into the backend of being an influencer.”

Aspen also told Page Six that being a main cast member on Southern Charm has “been pretty wild. I’ve had a lot more people come out of the woodwork being like, ‘I’ve been following you for the last seven years, and it’s so cool to see your growth and now see that you’re on TV,’ and, like, kind of really setting the standard for a lot of people, which is wild.”

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Leva Bonaparte Teases Why She Unfollowed ‘Southern Charm’ Season 8 Cast – ‘Don’t Be F***ing Fake’ [Exclusive]

She may be new to Bravo, but other Bravolebs are making some serious bank as influencers. According to Yahoo!, Scheana Shay from Vanderpump Rules makes a reported $1,500 per post. Lisa Rinna from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills commands a $3,000 per post salary.

Teresa Giudice from The Real Housewives of New Jersey is really cleaning up. She can ask anywhere between $5,000 to $15,000 per post.

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