The secret to success on Instagram? Flash the flesh! Study reveals how influencers such as Kim Kardashian, Jay Alvarrez and Maya Jama earn MORE for their sexy snaps

By William On Nov 16, 2023

When it comes to being a successful influencer like Kim Kardashian or Jay Alvarez, sex really sells big.

In fact, the more Instagram stars show off their bodies while promoting products, the more money they get, a new study has shown.

By studying hundreds of top influencers and their Instagram posts, researchers found a link between body exposure and the amount they earn.

The photos show that some Instagram influencers have given up their clothes over time, as they realized that the appearance of skin brings them big money.

Although Instagram prohibits depictions of “sexual intercourse, genitalia, and completely bare buttocks,” celebrities are going above and beyond by being as racy as possible.

Instagram influencers like Kim Kardashian (pictured) have amassed millions of followers by showing off their bodies in their snaps.

A new study shows that the more Instagram stars promote products, the more money they make. Pictured: American model and actor Jay Alvarez, who regularly promotes brands including Calvin Klein and Armani

What is an influencer?

An influencer is someone who has the ability to influence potential buyers of a product or service by promoting or recommending items on social media.

Influencers promote the likes of food products, clothing brands, makeup, smartphones, home appliances, and much more.

Product companies pay influencers up to thousands of dollars per post, depending on the size of the audience.

Instagram stars are not paid by the platform, but mainly by advertisers for promoting their products.

So, if an influencer posts a photo of themselves promoting a product with lots of skin on display, the post is more likely to attract attention – and thus increase sales of the product.

How much they get depends on how many followers they have, but the study suggests an average of £14,500 ($17,993) per post.

“The results do show a positive effect of body exposure on financial success,” said study author Sonia Gensel of Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

“The findings suggest that there is a high demand for sexual content, but it also raises questions about objectification, body images, and the perception of beauty.”

For the study, Professor Gensel looked at 500 of the top Instagram stars across five categories – fashion and beauty, fitness and sports, music, photography, and food – all of whom were human.

Although not all of the stars in the sample tend to show off their bodies in their posts, many do – including American models JoJo Babe and Jay Alvarez.

Professor Gensel analyzed the 12 most recent snapshots from each account and the degree of nudity within them – that is, bare skin such as legs, abdomen, buttocks or parts of the breast.

By studying hundreds of top influencers and their Instagram posts, researchers found a link between body exposure and the amount they earn. Pictured: Kylie Jenner has nearly 400 million followers on Instagram and regularly appears in revealing outfits

The photos show that some Instagram influencers have given up their clothes over time, as they realized that the appearance of skin brings them big money. Pictured: American model JoJo Babe

Although Instagram prohibits depictions of “sexual intercourse, genitalia, and completely bare buttocks,” celebrities are going above and beyond by being as racy as possible. Pictured: Addison Rae rose to prominence on video sharing app TikTok and now has 36.8 million followers on Instagram

Full nudity is not allowed on Instagram and the platform uses a combination of human moderators and artificial intelligence to make sure people abide by the rules.

Professor Gensel also took into account information related to popularity, including likes and comments for each post and the account’s followers.

This was compared to data from Heepsy, a site that provides price estimates per Instagram post for businesses wanting to find influencers for promotions.

Although revealing images are not “essential for success,” they are nonetheless common, according to Professor Gensel.

It found that accounts with a higher degree of visible meat in their posts achieved higher levels of income in all genres except music.

This was especially true for influencers who promote fitness and fashion – perhaps where flaunting one’s body is more expected.

“The sample clearly shows the positive effect of body exposure on critical success,” Professor Gensel said.

“Accounts with a high level of body exposure generate higher rates and advertising revenues than accounts with less nudity, regardless of gender.”

Professor Gensel also found evidence of the gender pay gap on Instagram and “potential inequality in the social media industry”.

Instagram stars are not paid by the platform, but mainly by advertisers for promoting their products. Pictured: British TV and radio presenter DJ Maja Jama who has 3 million followers on Instagram

Pictured are some of the accounts considered in the study – Jay Alvarez and Jojo Babi (left and centre) who flaunt their flesh and Ziliha Kochukturan (right), the food star whose skin is not showing

With the exception of music, the researchers found that accounts with a higher degree of physicality in their posts had higher levels of income

She said that according to the sample, male influencers charge higher prices to promote products on Instagram compared to female influencers.

“It raises questions about societal and cultural factors that may contribute to this bias, including gender stereotypes and expectations about the value of male content versus female content,” she said.

“Male content on average commands higher ad rates, while female accounts provide more branded content and ultimately generate higher ad revenue.”

The academic points out that there are multiple sources of income on other social media platforms, not just advertising revenue.

For example, OnlyFans, which features mostly adult entertainment content where users pay for subscriptions, could become popular models in the coming years.

The new study was published in the journal Kyklos.

Does Instagram affect your self-confidence? People who spend more time on social media struggle with their body image, a study has found

Instagram is often criticized for creating unrealistic body models, but a new study suggests our loved ones are more to blame than celebrities.

In experiments, participants reported levels of satisfaction with their appearance whenever they saw other people’s social media posts throughout the day.

Researchers found that interacting with posts from friends and family is more “harmful” than interacting with content posted by celebrities and influencers.

A desirable body image from a famous person may be perceived as less achievable, so we worry less about it than if it were from a friend or family member.

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