If you’re reading this newsletter it’s likely that you’re comfortable with email and the web- and maybe have even taken the leap into such social media as Facebook or Instagram. What you may not realize, however, is that social media may be the next big way for you to make some money- or gain thousands of “followers”- depending upon what information and images you post on your own pages. In fact, Forbes magazine recently pondered whether Baby Boomers will be the next Kardashians. While you may not see yourself being the star of a reality television show, what may be intriguing is the Kardashians’ ability to influence millions of social media followers and their ability to monetize their social media presence as a result.

It turns out that marketing agencies and major national and international brands have realized that Baby Boomers have the lion’s share of disposable income in our economy and that over 80% have social media accounts. That means many of us are shopping online and being influenced to buy what we see advertised online. And what’s the implication of that? It means that you, too, may be able to influence what your followers buy and you might even be able to get paid to promote brands or products that appeal to you. Google has found that Baby Boomers spend more time online than they do watching tv. That means the web is where it’s at to promote brands– and it may be where you, too, can board the money train- if you know how to best promote your message and photograph your images.

Especially on Instagram, there are major “senior” influencers, who have thousands of followers, and who engage their followers with snappy language and visually enticing photos. For some examples, take a look at this recent article on the top trending older influencers on Instagram or turn this way to follow the Instagram posts of such older influencers as “Mr.StealYourGrandma” or “Fruit Seller Fashionista.” The one thing that all of these “granfluencers” seem to have in common is a comfort in being their authentic selves, however wild and outrageous, in their online identities.

So how to become an online influencer? To start, you may want to try to attend a “selfie school” to learn how to take the best selfie photos. Or, to get some good tips about how to put your best face forward online, pout your lips, angle your face and click here.