How I Created My First AI Influencer and Ways To Made Real Money With It

When I first heard about AI influencers, I thought it was some Silicon Valley buzzword. A fake Instagram model making real money? Sounded crazy.

But then I saw names like AItana Lopez, with over 375K followers, and Mia Zilu, who went viral almost overnight. Some of these accounts were pulling in $10K per month… all powered by AI.

That’s when curiosity got the best of me. I spent days experimenting, messing up, learning, and finally… cracking the code. In this post, I’ll share everything I learned—from creating a hyper-realistic AI influencer to growing followers and monetizing like the pros.

Why AI Influencers Are Blowing Up

The idea sounds simple:

You create a virtual persona with AI tools
Post realistic images and videos online
Build a following
Monetize through sponsorships, subscriptions, or digital products

And the crazy part?
Big brands don’t care whether your influencer is real or AI-generated—if you have followers, they pay.

For example:

Itana Lopez promotes gaming content and subscriptions
Mia Zilu earns through sponsored posts
imma allegedly makes the highest income in the niche

After seeing this, I knew I had to try it myself.

The Tools That Made It Happen

I used a platform called Open Art because it combines everything: image generation, video tools, editing, and customization.

Here’s my step-by-step journey:

Step 1: Prompt of character face

We need to make a prompt for describing character look to generate a face. Go to chatgpt and ask for create a face and ask me all details you need . For example : "generate a prompt for a young 20-24 years old girl, with beautifully face and long wolf cut hairstyle, slight blonde hair along with black".

Describe all details and chatgpt will give your character prompt. like this.

Screenshot of a ChatGPT conversation showing a prompt describing a young woman aged 20-24 with a long wolf-cut hairstyle blending blonde highlights with black hair, soft features, and a modern chic style. The text also asks whether to make the image photo-realistic or artistic.

Step 2: Creating the First AI Influencer Image

Next step is to create character image from above prompt. I will use OPEN ART AI to create images. Look how I made a AI model which looking realistic.

A young woman with long wavy hair featuring black roots blended into blonde highlights, wearing a black sleeveless top, natural makeup with bold red lipstick, and a soft indoor background

If you don't understood then watch a youtube video that I will give in last or you can watch tutorials of openart AI on youtube. The first challenge? Avoiding the “plastic” AI look.

I tested two main methods:

OpenArt Photo Realistic
- You type a prompt describing your character’s look, style, and vibe.
- OpenArt then creates images in seconds.
Flux Defaf + Composition Reference
- This is where things get exciting.
- You upload a reference image to guide the AI in terms of pose, composition, and style.
- I set the influence strength to 0.17 after testing dozens of settings.

The second method gave me stunningly realistic images—like professional photoshoots without the camera.

Step 3: Building a Consistent Persona

I learned this the hard way: one good image isn’t enough.

I generated at least 4 core images using Flux Context.
These became my “base images” for all future content.
Then I created multiple variations: different outfits, locations, moods.

Why? Because Instagram’s algorithm loves consistency. And when followers see a character in various settings, it feels more human and relatable.

Step 3: Adding Video Content

Static images are great, but video content skyrockets engagement.

Using Google V3 inside OpenArt, I turned my AI character into short videos:

Intro clips like: “Hey gamer boys, welcome to my channel!”
Gaming reaction videos with her face cam over gameplay footage.

The result? Videos that looked like real influencers talking to the audience.

Making Money With My AI Influencer

Okay, so this is the part everyone wants to know—how to actually make money.

Here are the methods I tested:

1. Sponsored Posts

Just like real influencers, AI influencers can:

Promote brands
Feature products in posts or stories
Earn per post or per campaign

For example, Mia Zilu reportedly charges $2,500–$5,000 per sponsored post.

2. Subscription Platforms (FanVue)

I followed Itana Lopez’s model and created a FanVue page:

Monthly subscription for exclusive content (not necessarily “spicy” stuff).
Gaming tutorials, behind-the-scenes images, bonus videos.
Fans pay $10/month on average.

Setting it up was simple:

Sign up for FanVue
Upload AI-generated images/videos
Write a bio and set a subscription price

This alone brought in my first paying subscribers.

3. Selling Digital Products

Here’s where creativity pays off:

Prompt packs: People pay for the exact AI prompts I use to create content.
UGC Ads: Brands buy ready-made ad content featuring my AI influencer.

One UGC-style ad I made got picked up by a small e-commerce brand within a week.

4. Affiliate Marketing

I added affiliate links to:

Tools I used (like OpenArt)
Gaming gear my influencer “recommends”

When followers click and buy, I earn a commission.

Challenges I Faced (and How I Fixed Them)

Not everything was smooth sailing.

Plastic-looking images → Fixed with composition references.
Inconsistent character faces → Solved using Omni References in Flux Context.
No traffic at first → Started posting on Instagram Reels and TikTok for organic reach.

Pro Tips for New AI Influencers

Start niche-specific: Gaming, fashion, fitness—don’t try to do everything.
Post consistently: At least 3–4 times per week.
Engage like a real person: Reply to comments, use humor, tell stories.
Mix real and AI content: Share tips, tutorials, and memes to stay relatable.

Why Brands Will Pay You

Companies pay for attention, not reality.

If your AI influencer:

Has followers
Posts engaging content
Fits the brand’s audience

…they will sponsor you just like they do with real people.

The Future of AI Influencers

When even the German government is using AI influencers to promote tourism campaigns, you know this trend isn’t going away anytime soon. What started as an experimental marketing strategy has quickly evolved into a multi-million-dollar industry, with brands, creators, and entire governments recognizing the power of virtual personalities.

We’re standing at the ground floor of a massive shift in digital marketing. Traditional influencer marketing relies on human creators—people with busy schedules, unpredictable moods, and limitations on how much content they can produce. AI influencers, on the other hand, don’t need breaks, don’t age, and can generate fresh, high-quality content in minutes. They can be tailored to fit any niche: fashion, gaming, fitness, lifestyle, or even political awareness campaigns.

Think about it: AI influencers can appear in multiple places at once, speak different languages instantly, and adapt to cultural trends faster than any human creator could. With advancements in AI-generated video, voice cloning, and hyper-realistic avatars, we’re entering an era where virtual influencers can host live streams, interact with fans, and even represent brands at virtual events.

Final Thoughts

Creating my first AI influencer felt like cheating the system. One month, I had zero followers. The next, I had a growing page, paying subscribers, and brand interest—all powered by AI. i am actually just tried it and I will update farther about how much I progressed

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