'InstaMom' Influencers Making Thousands As Social Media Brand Ambassadors

STUDIO CITY (CBSLA) — Social media sites like Instagram and Snapchat are still often derided as child's play, but the platforms have been huge sources of income for young, so-called "influencers." Now, moms are also cashing in on their parental popularity and getting paid to post.

Carly Anderson, who runs the blog Lipgloss and Crayons, is one of those women profiting from documenting their daily duties on their "mommy blogs" and Instagram. She told CBS2 News it's like product placement you see on TV shows: pose with a product, then wait for the cash to roll in — eventually, anyway.

"I would say it's gonna take a year or two," says Anderson. Though it's on "the Insta," the money is not instant. "You don't get a paycheck the first month, or the second or third," but when you do, it can be up to $1,000 to $3,000 per campaign.

Still, it's exciting if you think you're just posting a photo of the family.

"I told my husband. I was like, "Babe, they emailed! They want to pay me!" laughs InstaMom Claudia Felix-Garay. She runs The Penny Closet.

Companies wanting moms as brand ambassadors makes sense. According to The Sway Group, an influencer marketing company, mothers control about 85 percent of household purchases, which accounts for $2.4 trillion.

Moms also spend roughly 3 1/2 hours a day online, making social media and influencing a marketing match made in heaven.

For anyone thinking about becoming a mom influencer, Anderson and Felix-Garay say it's important to keep the posts "you" — stick to the products that support your brand, but don't overwhelm your followers with sponsored posts.

But what happens when the co-star of your Internet-famous photos doesn't want to be in them anymore?

"When he gets to the point he says, 'I don't want to take pictures,' we have to respect that," says Felix-Garay.

"If she did say 'no,' the answer would be 'no,'" echoes Anderson.

Though it takes a lot to get to the top, like most things, "If you're consistent and have great quality, there should be no problem for you to get up there and succeed," assures Felix-Garay.

Both moms use professional photographers for their posts, and they make sure to follow FTC rules and label photos that pay as "ad" or "sponsored."