How $233K Was Made in 5 Months with Instagram Influencers

Introduction

In early 2021, Zainab Zaitani launched DalaEyes, a focused online store selling a dark circle removing Eye Mask Patch. With no prior big ad budgets, she turned to Instagram influencers to drive sales. This case study unpacks her exact workflow and decisions that led to $233,600 over five months.

Product Discovery & Supplier Selection

The first step was picking a product she personally needed. She searched AliExpress for “eye mask patch” and sorted by order volume. Top sellers revealed multiple reliable suppliers. She ordered samples, tested patch quality, packaging, and shipping speed. Only after confirming fast delivery and consistent texture did she commit to a bulk order.

Competitor Analysis

Rather than guess positioning, Zainab used Pinterest. She typed the product name and studied pins linking to competing stores. She noted pricing, copy tone, imagery style, and customer reviews on sites like Roseland.com. That inspired her own website layout, pricing strategy, and product descriptions.

Building a Branded Store

DalaEyes was built as a mono-product store. Zainab hired designers to ensure brand consistency—logo combining “Dala” and “Eyes,” a clean color palette, and reassuring copy about safe delivery during the pandemic. She included trust badges and professional photos so visitors wouldn’t suspect a dropshipping site.

Finding & Vetting Influencers

She signed up on CloutHQ to filter beauty influencers with over 300K followers and 10% engagement. Every profile was cross-checked directly on Instagram for comment quality and real engagement. Her criteria were strict: minimum 1% comment ratio, no bot-like replies, and audience demographics matching her target.

Negotiation & Campaign Structure

Initial outreach was via email with the subject “Paid collaboration ✨” to stand out. She requested rate cards, demographics, and story view statistics. After one influencer quoted $2,000 for three story frames, Zainab negotiated posting times—two frames spaced out and a final push at peak engagement (4 PM)—and exclusivity for that day.

Results

Over five months, DalaEyes achieved:

• Revenue: $233,600
• Total Costs: $83,212 (goods, influencer fees, platform fees)
• Net Profit: $150,388

By focusing on a single product and choosing influencers carefully, Zainab maximized ROI without heavy ad spend. Her method can scale or adapt to new products quickly.

Conclusion

This example shows that targeted influencer campaigns, when structured around quality control and precise timing, can outperform generic ads. DalaEyes turned a modest startup into a profitable business within months by leveraging micro-audience trust and a lean operations model.