LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- For most of us social media is for fun, but for others it's their full time job.
Influencers use their accounts to promote brands and make money by selling their followers on the company. Three Louisville social media mavens explain how their hard work is paying off.
Days filled with fashion and photo shoots is Josh Johnson's full-time job. "Literally our job is to make it look glamorous. You would not follow us if we didn't make it look fun and glamorous," said Johnson who is known online as "The Kentucky Gent."
He's a blogger and online influencer with thousands of followers logging on to see everything from what he's wearing to what he's doing.
 "I started getting Instagram requests saying hey would you wear this shirt or wear this pair of pants or these shoes. And I started to think 'oh this might be a job at some point'," said Johnson.
Three years ago he took his blog that he started as a hobby full time. He's traveled all over the world, getting paid to promote.
"Those likes, comments, shares, engagement on social media helps us so much as far as reach, engagement," said Johnson.
But beyond the screen name, the unfiltered reality is it takes a lot of work to keep the comments, likes and shares rolling in. "You're never really off. Because even when you're taking a day off you're still taking pictures for your stories or you're out doing this," he said.
Angel Hamilton knows that juggling act.
"There's never enough hours in the day to get it all done," said Hamilton who started "The Bluegrass Mom" blog as a way to create a mom tribe. "Here I am three years later and I've grown over 50,000 followers."Â
Pictures of her two young sons flood her feed often with clever captions. "I say and I post things that are relatable and I talk about things that connect with a lot of moms that feel left out," said Hamilton.
Some of those posts have gone viral. The stay at home mom's most recent viral post reached 20 million people. "Your message is out there, your brand is out there and all of a sudden, all of these eyes are are now on you," Hamilton said.
That can pay off. "If I want to make $10,000 a month, then I'll be doing a whole lot of work," said Hamilton.
But with two kids under the age of three, that means working during nap time and lots of late nights. "(It means) editing photos, creating content, engaging with followers, growing different platforms," said Hamilton.
Brands now send her products that she then shares with followers. But she's not afraid to say no.
"I've had companies that send me products that aren't up to par and I send them back, because I cannot with integrity share that with people," said Hamilton.
That's something influencer Grace White takes very seriously.
"Your followers are trusting you to pick the best items that fit their personal style as well, since they're following you, it's got to be similar," said White.
The Louisville native with a masters in bio-engineering started her blog "A Southern Drawl" seven years ago.
"I started out sharing my outfits with no audience honestly. Probably only my mom was the only reader," said White.
She's grown that to 200,000 people following her fashion on Instagram and it's more than paying the bills.
She recently she decided to branch out into fitness starting "Fit with ASD," a subscription based health site. "It's got daily workouts, macro calculator, recipes," said White.
She keeps up with users throughout the day filming videos at Baptist Health/Milestone Wellness Center, even posting daily workouts on her honeymoon.
"You've got to create content. You have to be four steps ahead of everyone else. You've got to be styling next season's clothes instead of the current season," said White.
And that's the key to her success: Staying ahead of the game.
"When I first started I was 18 years old and my followers were around 18. And now I'm 25 and married and my followers are also 25 and married. Soon I'm going to be growing a family with my husband and having children and so will my followers," said White.
She's making sure this isn't just a job for now, but a career she can sustain long-term.
You can find the Kentucky Gent here.
You can find the Bluegrass Mom here.
You can find A Southern Drawl here.Â
Copyright 2018 WDRB News. All rights reserved.
