What this path is
An influencer is a person a defined audience trusts on a platform. The income is not the follower count. The income is a brand paying for access to that audience, a platform paying for ads around the work, or the creator selling something directly. None of those show up on day one.
Who it suits
This path suits someone who can publish on a schedule about one subject for a long time. It does not suit someone who wants to post occasionally and invoice a brand the same week. Brands pay for an audience they can describe.
What it takes to start
Pick one platform and one subject. Publish useful or entertaining work on a schedule you can keep. Learn the native format of that platform instead of posting the same file everywhere and hoping. Keep examples of your best work. When a brand does write, they will ask who watches and what you want to be paid.
Risks
The platform can change the feed, ban the account, or stop paying. A brand deal can demand a message you do not believe. Attention is not savings. Spend as if the next month of views might be smaller.
Go deeper
The starter guide for this channel is How creators get paid on social platforms.
Questions
How many followers do you need?
There is no universal number. A small audience that buys or replies is more useful to a brand than a large audience that does not.
Do platforms pay you to post?
Some do, through ad shares or funds, and the rules change. Many creators are paid by brands or by products they sell, not by the app.
Can you do this without showing your face?
Yes. Plenty of accounts use voice, screen recordings, or product photography. The audience still has to know what the account is for.