HOME Travel Guide Common Sense Travel
decorative font style
    Travel >> Holiday Travel >  >> Travel Notes

How Much I Really Earn as an Instagram Travel Influencer: Kristin Addis' Honest Breakdown

The world of Instagram travel influencers appears to be a dream job: feeds filled with pristine tropical beaches, Michelin-starred meals, and vibrant wildflower blooms. But can you truly make a living this way? Kristin Addis, the California-based blogger behind Be My Travel Muse, inspires over 121,000 followers with solo female travel adventures. Here's exactly how much she earns from the platform.

How Much I Really Earn as an Instagram Travel Influencer: Kristin Addis Honest Breakdown

Getting Started

It's around 1 a.m. in the freezing Tian Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan, and I'm still perfecting shots behind the camera. The stars shine with unmatched clarity and vibrancy. After three grueling days of dawn-to-dusk trekking over steep, snow-covered terrain, each 30-second exposure is worth the effort.

This photo was for a 2017 Visit Kyrgyzstan campaign. Though I'd blogged full-time since late 2012, it was my second year when my blog and Instagram generated six figures. For two years, I'd solo-traveled Asia—hitchhiking, diving, trekking—living off savings from my prior finance career in California. I broke even or lost money until year four.

How Much I Really Earn as an Instagram Travel Influencer: Kristin Addis Honest Breakdown

That's when I realized Instagram was more than a fad. I elevated my content: climbing mountains, seeking off-the-beaten-path spots, often solo. Few combined solo female travel with self-shot outdoor photography, setting me apart.

Years of building a solo female travel brand paid off. Today, my business—including women's adventure tours, two books, a photography course, YouTube, and blog—generates six-figure revenue.

Setting Rates

Pinning down Instagram-only earnings is tricky, as it's a gateway to my products, brand deals, and destinations. Many clients discover me via Instagram, despite my blog's larger audience. I offer comprehensive packages: photos, words, video, and Stories.

With 121,000+ followers, I charge $500 per sponsored post—modest for my niche—but deals rarely stop there.

How Much I Really Earn as an Instagram Travel Influencer: Kristin Addis Honest Breakdown

What I Earn

Via direct sales, sponsored posts, and campaigns, I earned ~$75,000 from Instagram in 2018. This year, it's on track for $100,000, thanks to its exposure and client value. 

Amount charged per sponsored post: $500
Average monthly income from Instagram: $5,000–$15,000
Amount made from Instagram in 2018: ~$75,000

How to Stand Out

Instagram is saturated with aspiring earners. To grow, differentiate: I leveraged my blog and products. Instagram excels as part of a diversified strategy, rarely sustaining alone. For me, it's fueled growth, honed my art, and opened the world.

You Might Also Like:

Going it alone: five benefits to solo female travel
So your town got famous on Instagram. Here’s what will happen next…

Travel Notes
  • -

    I had strayed far from the tourist trails into a rugged fishing village on a misty peninsula jutting into Japans Sea of Japan. As the first foreigner in decades who spoke Japanese, I was welcomed as an honored guest and escorted with great fanfare to the local culinary gem, akin to Chez Panisse. Endless sake and beer flowed, accompanied by exquisite small bites on delicate plates. Then, the room hushed as a special dish arrived triumphantly before me. It was a whole fish, artfully posed with he

  • From Lonely Planet Editor to Full-Time Travel Writer: My Career Leap

    As a former Lonely Planet Destination Editor, I traded my desk for the open road to pursue travel writing firsthand. Far from corporate drudgery, my role involved commissioning expert guidebook authors—until I craved the adventures myself. Working nine to five In 2014, a LinkedIn post led me to my dream role as Lonely Planet Destination Editor. For four years, I oversaw South American editorial content, handpicking freelance writers for rigorous on-the-ground research. It was an ideal job in a

  • -

    Returning home from my transformative solo trip across Europe was initially exhilarating. I eagerly anticipated reuniting with Scott and sleeping in my own bed. Yet, shortly after arrival, I felt agitated and unsettled—as if something deep within was amiss, though I couldnt pinpoint it. In a previous article, I shared how solo travels profoundly change me, and this journey was no different. I reaffirmed my ability to handle challenges independently, even in tough situations. While empowering dur