David Bridges
After fiercely establishing herself as the household name of modern pop-culture, Kim Kardashian is undoubtedly one of social media’s most coveted stars.
With over 329 million followers on Instagram alone, the 41 year old has well and truly carved out her own space in the digital zeitgeist, and with her name consistently making headlines, isn’t likely to lose this soaring popularity.
As of 2022, Kim Kardashian is estimated to make between $619,846 to $1 million US dollars, per Instagram post, according to Influencer Marketing Hub.
In 2020, Kardashian disclosed how lucrative her Instagram presence is, even revealing that it made more money than her former contract with E! for Keeping up with the Kardashians.
Widely regarded as one of the most influential and widely known figures in current pop-culture, the Kardashian name was first made popular through Kim’s father Rob, in his position as defence attorney in the wildly controversial 1995 OJ Simpson murder trial.
However, the real catalyst for Kim’s fame – as well as the event that hurtled the Kardashian’s into the mainstream – was the leaking of Kim’s infamous sex-tape with R&B singer Ray J.
It was eight months after this that the family decided to capitalise on their exposure and thus, the first episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians was released.
The Keeping up with the Kardashians franchise has kept the family at the forefront of popular culture for 20 seasons.
However, when social media began to skyrocket, Kim and her sisters used this as an opportunity to further their influence outside of reality TV.
While Kim’s fame started with reality TV, she has utilised social media to really craft and establish herself as a brand, rather than just a celebrity figure.
By extension, she also used social media as a significant tool to grow her brands; Skims and SKYNN by Kim (formerly KKW beauty).
She said in an interview with Sports Illustrated: “I realized it could be the most amazing free focus group.
“If I couldn’t figure out what product I wanted to launch with or what color or I needed specific advice, I could get back an answer immediately and get such an accurate answer. So I started to use it for that.”
Kim’s social media presence continues to gain popularity. She constantly provokes stories about what she posts, when she last posted or who she follows.
Troy Sanders
Mason Thompson
