Examples:

You have enough traffic on your site/page/insta that you are offered ad placements and that results in click-bait income, even though your website/insta/whatever is (how to quilt, showing odd shaped fruit, singing, dancing, whatever). Basically, you are a Billboard.

Compared to:

You upload content and get paid for that content, such as Legos gives you product and the box opening and review video gets you paid or you get paid to use specific products in the quilting videos. You are not a seller of the goods, neither as a distributor or your own finished products (quilts). That means you are the paid influencer.

It seems to me if a person makes some pretty pennies from this, that is likely because they are good at influencing. That's what they are being paid for. It always hurts when you have to pay taxes on a whole lot of money you earned because you are good at something. Just ask any professional athlete.